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...