dr. appt

well, unfortunately we don't have a scanner or i'd let you see the first peek at baby mcclure. i had my appointment yesterday, and all was well! although i was measuring a little smaller than the 9 weeks 2 days i thought i was, she is still keeping the august 15th due date!! thank goodness!!! which means around august 7-8 is when the little guy will appear. although we don't know if it is a little guy or little girl... of course audrey wants a sister, and zach wants a brother. the heartbeat was good- 160 bpm, and the doctor says everything else looks perfect!! so if i could just get over the morning (all day) sickness, things will be looking up!!!

coming soon to the mcclure family...

for those of you who have not heard yet...... the mcclure clan is expecting another bundle of joy!!! yes! coming in august of 2009, our little family will be completed. we are so excited, and the kids are excited! we are praying for a healthy baby, and a good pregnancy!!
"behold, children are a gift of the LORD, the fruit of the womb is a reward. like arrows int he hand of a warrior, so are the childrne of one's youth. how blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them." PS 127:3-5

i'm really a parent!

we had parent observation day at audrey's ballet class this week. it really makes you feel like a real parent!! i was sitting there watching my daughter, and i was just so proud of her! she was one of the most focused, and was obedient! i can't wait until may, her first recital. that will be so much fun.

first position!!

then, on a funnier note, last night at dinner, i was pouring salsa on my plate, then audrey's plate, then slid the salsa over to the other side of the table, assuming brian would get some for him and zach. but, as you can see, zach got it first, and before i could even react, poured it on. it was too funny, even though he was pretty upset at first!!

our thanksgiving entertainment

this video will show you why i love family gatherings so much. when we are all together, we laugh, talk, and just have fun. it is short... don't skip it!!! it is my brother in law, andy, proving the evolution theory....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sVMrom-zHDw

another funny movie... audrey had an earache the other day and she put on a good show- as soon as we got in the car for the doctor, she stopped crying and was pleasant with the doctor. i felt bad for taping her, but she was just being so dramatic that i had to document it so she could see it when she is older! this video is actually pretty mild for what she was doing earlier. and i forgot about zach's little booty shake until i just watched it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FcsdHbHyVnM

a lot of pictures...

this is going to be a long post! sorry, i hope you don't get bored! but first i wanted you to meet my granddad. he lives in houston. we were able to make a day trip down there a few weeks ago, and we stopped by his house to say hi. it was so good to see him!

then began thanksgiving week- we went to see brian's dad on sunday night. the kids loved seeing their grandpa steve.
then on thanksgiving day, we went to my mom's house. i was so thankful to be able to go, because on wednesday, audrey and zach both were throwing up with a stomach bug. thank the Lord they stopped by that evening and were able to go the next day! the kids rode bikes and played with remote control cars while the girls cooked inside. but i only got a few pictures... strange for a family with 3 professional photographers!!

cousin logan riding zach's bike. audrey cousin aubren and zach!

watching star wars with daddy. they really did sit like this on the couch while they watched it!

then on december 1, it was brians day off. we took the kids to the nature and science museum. it was probably one of our favorite family days ever!! the kids just loved it, and brian and i had fun too. it was very hands on, which the kids loved. audrey watching the ball "float".

brian really loved making big bubbles. he spent about 10 minutes playing at this station....!!!

zach enjoyed it too.

the fun crazy mirror.

our future computer whiz! i couldn't get her away from this computer... she loves loves loves computers!

telling the weather... you could practice, and then really do it on a tv!

here they are!

a big nose shows how a sneeze happens.

if you ask audrey what her favorite part of the museum was, this was one of them. it shows how a person throws up. the stomach starts churning, and then comes up and out of the mouth... they had a play station for 2 years and under. kenzie loved this area.

then she found another computer... did i mention that she loves computers? they had lots of dress up. and play things to play with.

our little firefighters!!

climbing the firetruck.

here was another of brian's favorites. they built a large structure, and brian mentioned that he used to play with these when he was in first grade!

they also had a farm area- the kids got to have a simulation of milking a cow. they loved it!

and then...... yesterday was audrey's 5th birthday! she had school and ballet that day, so we told her she could pick where we went out for dinner. (i assumed she would pick mcdonalds or chuck e. cheeses) but no, somehow, she thought of the rainforest cafe... thankfully we were able to do it! she wore her birthday crown all day! zach and daddy.

aunt karis and her boyfriend thomas came out to meet us!

cha-cha the frog came by our table.

she kept asking when they were going to come sing to her... she loved all the attention! a big dessert for a little girl!! it actually fed all 6 of us.

family pic!

my little monkeys

silly faces!

oh, the things kids say...

i am still laughing at what audrey said to me.

Scene: in mcdonalds bathroom with audrey. she goes first, then stands in the corner as i go. she notices my stomach.

A: mom, your belly button doesn't look very nice. why isn't it pretty?

C: uh, i've given birth to three children. it stretches out your skin.

A: are you going to get surgery or something?

C: no, i don't show anyone my stomach.

(ok, so i didn't realize how closely she was watching when we saw the jon and kate plus 8 episode when kate got a tummy tuck. it showed before and after pictures, and was pretty cool. but not when your almost 5 year old makes a comment like that!)

work out

hey guys, i only have a few minutes before i go get the kids from MDO, so this will be short. but i wanted to encourage you to take care of yourselves! i've been feeling a little guilty lately for going to the gym so much, and leaving my kids in the play area. i sometimes feel like i should be engaging them more in activities, or something like that. but this week i started up my workouts again (i've missed the last 3 weeks because of sickness, hair appointments, etc.), and i can feel such a huge difference!!!!!! when you miss a few weeks, you forget about all the good things it does for you!! i can tell you that for me, working out makes me a better mom. it gives me more energy. it helps me be more patient with my kids. it helps me appreciate my kids more. it helps me get out any frustration that i am experiencing. it increases my libido, which in turn helps my marriage. it helps me want to eat better. and not only all of that, but it increases my self image, and helps me show my kids that exercising is important. i know that not everyone can afford a gym membership. but there are ways to exercise with out going to the gym! let me tell you, taebo is an awesome work out. and there is a new video out there- turbo jam. i do this class at the gym, and it is fun, and really hard. you can walk, or jump rope. for me, the sacrifice of a gym membership is worth the sacrifice. if i am paying for something, i am for sure going to use it. but a lot of people, the convenience of staying at home is what motivates them. the other thing that motivates me (besides all of the other reasons i have already stated!) are the changes that i see in my body. since i started working out when kenzie was 6 months old, 10 or 11 months ago, i have lost 22 pounds and several inches! i am almost to my goal. it is worth the effort girls! i want to challenge you to take care of your body, and see how much better you feel!! love you all!!!