Congrats Nicole & Ron!

So the "cat is out of the bag" now & I'm allowed to post that Nicole & Ron are pregnant! She is about 13 weeks now & due in the beginning of July. Can't wait to find out if Parker will have a new little boy best friend down the street or a little girl (arranged marriage)... He is supposed to have arranged marriages with 2 other baby girls (Kierna & Ella) so this is really going to be a sticky situation if you guys are having a girl, ha ha :) We are so happy for ya'll!

p.s. I do have to remember that when Parker gets older he may read these posts & get embarrased, sorry ahead of time, Parker :)-

4 Months

Parker turned 4 months old on Thursday! He's changed so much, especially in the last couple weeks. About a week ago he realized that he could talk ("ay, ya, ya, ya, wa, wa, ya, ya") & he pretty much does that non-stop now. He's started drooling alot, I assumed maybe he'd be teething soon but at his 4 month check-up, the Dr. said that although most people think the same thing, he's actually starting to salivate because he's getting ready to be able to eat & digest food. So the Dr. instructed us to start giving him the baby rice cereal mixed with formula, from a spoon. We did that tonight for the first time, that was funny, he didn't know what it was so he just pushed it all back out with his tounge. We'll just keep trying.

Funny story, today we were out to lunch & he had a blowout (only the 2nd one ever), one that went up his back. Because that doesn't ever happen, I never carry a change of clothes with me, so he had to hang out with no shirt on, just pants at the restaurant. Everyone kept looking at us, I'm sure someone out there thought, what kind of parents don't put clothes on their kid! I tried to cover him up with his lovie (that was all I had in his diaper bag & I thought a diaper taped around his chest would be more obvious). Luckily it was oddly warm in Atlanta today so it didn't seem to bother him at all, besides he'd probably be happy being completely "nakey" (as we call it).

Anyways, enough about poop, here are the 4 Month pics of him & the giant giraffe, along with one cute extra!

Family Night

On Sunday night Ace's parents came over & went with us to the "Splender of Christmas" musical event at our church. This is Parker's Christmas outfit that I've had planned out since before he was born (would you expect anything less from me?...) Grandpa Fred & Gramma Kim came over the next night for dinner & some "Parker time".

Mimi's Visit

My Mom came into town this past weekend from snowy Chicago, here she is sitting on the stairs with Parker just before she left. You can compare his size to the pic I took of them on the stairs in August (I couldn't find where I had saved it so I couldn't do a side-by-side). He looks like a toddler in this pic compared to August! A bald toddler. He has just about lost all his hair except for a strip at the bottom of his head, like a Monk would wear his hair...too funny. He has quite a little personality now too, he's very silly, a natural born comedian...

Thanks Mimi for all the bottle washing, bottle feeding, diaper changing, re-outfitting, & head kissing you did on your trip! We miss you already!

A Howell Family Thanksgiving in Boone

The Howell Family (us), the original Howells (Ace's parents), Mom Ruthie, & the Baker Family all went up to the Mountain house in Boone, NC for Thanksgiving this year. We are actually making a tradition out of it, this is our 3rd year going for Thanksgiving. The guys even got to ski this year, a Thanksgiving miracle to ski in Boone this early in the winter (actually late fall...)! We definately filled up our time, below are pics of going to Blowing Rock for their annual Christmas festival, the day after Thanksgiving, cutting down our very own tree on the RRR Howell Tree farm, and even enjoying a nice bonfire in the front yard, ahhh the joy of the mountains!

Parker ready to ride on the 5 hour car trip to Boone, he slept the WHOLE way!

Santa Baby

Are we too matchy-matchy?

Parker, Knox, & Ann Tatum

My little snowman bundled up on the hayride up the mountain

on the hayride...


This is the tree!

Around the campfire

At the Christmas Festival in Blowing Rock

The boy cousins in their matching jammies, AT had some too but not its not as easy as you think to prepare photo ops with little ones...

3 Months Old

Parker turned 3 months on the 18th. Here is our cute boy with the giant girafe...

I'm bringing chubby back

4 Generations of Averys - Avery Young, Avery Tatum, Avery Christian, & Avery Parker (in age order)

I'm ready for the mountains!

Parker is getting so big! He is smiling all the time, including when I am feeding him his bottle, he can't help but smile at me...it melts my heart but if I smile back at him, it's all over & he won't finish his bottle. He is almost 3 months old already too, we can't believe it. And the best part...he sleeps at least 10 hours straight each night, we even got 12 hours one night. Have I convinced anyone else to have one yet? If you have hung out with me lately, you will know that I am on the recruitment team for having babies, What? You just got married? You should have a baby right away...its easy, I promise...did I tell you my baby sleeps 10 hours a night???

This 1st pic is of Parker sleeping on the couch today, he was so warm & toasty in this heavily heated house.

Daddy & Parker / Parker in the Bumbo, sitting like a little man in his recliner...

Parker's 1st Halloween

Parker was a Pumpkin for his 1st Halloween...Ace & I got dressed up too, I was a cat (I know, not very original) & Ace was Joe Dirt (kind-of). Ace's costume was so funny, I couldn't look at him without laughing, the mullet wig was awesome.

We went to Johan & Elaina's for a costume party, here's Ace dancing during cherades...check out the whole costume

Fall Pictures

Happy Fall Ya'll! I am so excited about this cooler weather, living in Atlanta you get tired of it being so hot pretty quickly - especially when you are pregnant during the summer... Here are a couple of pictures of our family this fall.

Here we are at one of the Greenville Street Park in Newnan - this is one of the parks Ace's company did

Parker posing with the mums on our front porch

Pop, Erika, Amma & Parker at the Grand Opening of the new portion of the Roswell Greenway - Ace's company did this too. Pop is pumping up the tire on the stroller in case you were wondering...

Life is a Miracle

Yesterday this was on Oprah - about a boy who was born with Trisomy 18 - a chromosonal abnormality where the child doesn't usually live more than a couple of days after birth. This baby's parents made a video tribute to him, documenting his 99 days of life. Just warning you, it will probably make you cry, but it really does remind me what a miracle life is & how you should celebrate every day & how much of a miracle it is to have a child. It is a very touching video. After they showed the video they talked to Eliot's parents & they are pregnant again with a healthy baby & are due in a couple of weeks...

http://nz.youtube.com/watch?v=qILw1iFzmIE

Don't forget to thank God everyday for our precious babies.

2 Months Old - better late than never

Parker was 2 months old on October 18th & we got his picture with the giant girafe again. We went to the Dr. today & Parker is 12lbs, 10oz - big boy! He is in the 75th percentile for weight & 50th percentile for height/length. Immediately Ace said, so he's going to be short? Ace is very worried about him getting height genes from me instead of him, I have told him that every man in my family is at least 5'11"...not to worry, the Dr. said it doesn't matter this early in the game :)

He got 4 shots today & after the nurse left (after band-aids were applied) I was trying to dress him when I noticed blood on his onesie, he was bleeding from one of the shot spots & it was coming out so fast it was covering his little leg and pooling on the table! Of course he was screaming too, it was quite tramatic for him this morning :( But he has been given baby tylonol for the first time & he has been sleeping since we left the Dr.'s office. Poor little boy!

He might be scared of the giant giraffe

Cute baby boy

You had to get the full effect of his chubby cheeks!

Baby Carter!

Welcome to the real world baby Carter! Ace's cousin Anna had her baby on Thursday night, via c-section, after what seemed like a very long pregnancy! He is healthy boy weighing in at 7lb 14oz & so cute - and tiny, it is amazing how small a newborn is compared to our 12lb, 10oz, 10 weeker. Seriously people, these babies grow so fast. Congratulations Anna & Shawn!

8 Weeks old

Parker is 8 weeks old today! He makes alot of funny faces, this 2nd pic is usually how is smile looks - so funny! Amma & Pop came over yesterday to spend some time with Parker. He has started smiling alot more now & making funny noises, they change so fast!

Baby Madison is Here!

I just heard that Stephanie, Ace's cousin, had her baby today at 10am, Madison Marie Freund, 7 lbs! Congratulations Stephanie & Nick!!!

New Hair!

I CHOPPED my hair yesterday, I now have the old "Posh Spice" haircut - not the one she has now (if any of you actually pay attention to celebrity gossip)... Jessica actually has this haircut too, but she lives in TX so it's OK that we have the exact same hair :) This is Parker & I watching "All my Children" today, just sitting on the couch...the 2nd pic is almost the same but I had to post it because Park-Park was smiling! He smiles sometimes, but I'm not sure it's totally voluntary yet.
Cutest boy in the world!