So three kids keeps you busy.

I am horrible about updating things. This is true. I am also in awe of everyone else's blogs...how my friends manage to take pictures of adorable kids, clean homes, and have entertaining things to write. Then there's me.

It is a good day if the dishes are done, laundry is put away, and I worked out. I dare you to open Anna's closet door and avoid injury. Yep, it's like that. Even so, I am happy to report that Anna and Seth have a blast playing with the neighborhood kids. There are 14 kids on our street, so the cul-de-sac is always full of scooters, skateboards, bikes, and chalk. I watched Anna and the girls play on a 60-something square hopscotch. Kinda funny. I'm thankful for our good neighbors. There is comfort in knowing I can walk outside in my fish pajamas and not feel ridiculous.

I am currently waiting on UPS to deliver our new camcorder. Our first, in fact. It has a hard drive and records in HD. Not that we have a DVD burner. Or HD. Still, I'm excited about filming the kids and taking the first step in updating our electronics.

Also, we took family pictures and those will be ready on Friday, which means I'll post them in two months. Ha! No really, I will try.

Welcome to the world, Claire Marie Gautreaux!

Claire Marie Gautreaux was born via scheduled c-section on Dec. 18, 2008. She weighed 8lbs. 13oz. and measured 20.1 inches. Although I'd really hoped to do a VBAC, I knew that going past my due date increased the likelihood of an emergency C-section. I decided that a scheduled c-section after my due date would be our best option. Recovery has been going very well, and little Claire loves to eat! Seth and Anna are so excited to be big brother and sister. I want to thank my friends, Stephanie Alvarez and Bonny Rollins, for taking care of Anna and Seth during my hospital stay. You are wonderful moms and friends! I don't know what I'd do without you both. :)

Halloween

We opted to trick-or-treat with our friends at MCAS New River. Since our subdivision is only one year old, we weren't sure about the trick-or-treat situation. I went the bold route and painted my belly like an eyeball. If I owned a lime green outfit, I would've been Mike Wizowski on Monsters, Inc. Brad was going to paint his belly like an eyeball, too, but at the last minute decided to let the kids paint his face. That turned out to be pretty funny.
Anna wanted to be a snow princess, so I customized her candy pumpkin to match her outfit. Seth spotted the Elmo candy holder and became best friends with it. He even carried his Hot Wheels cars in it for a few days.

Louisiana Trip

Brad finished training on the Osprey about 6 days before Anna's school started. We had to make a tough decision on having Anna miss the first 4 days of school. We knew that with the baby being due Dec. 16, a Christmas trip was unlikely. The trip went VERY smoothly; I was pleasantly surprised. We knocked 1 hour off our drive time by packing food to eat on the way there. We also felt much better by avoiding fast food. The kids did great, and didn't fight or cry even once for 16.5 hours on the road!

We had a great time visiting everyone. My sister, Claire, threw a surprise baby shower for us, with lots of delicious food and a pretty diaper cake. My brothers and sisters chipped in for an AWESOME stroller! (a City Mini) It was really great to see everyone. My brothers and sisters always make me laugh. Alot.







We also had fun visiting with Brad's parents. Seth and Anna experienced heavy construction equipment firsthand when Brad's dad let them ride bulldozers, dump trucks and a trackhoe. Anna actually loaded some dirt into the dump truck! Ha!



Sadly, we had to leave Louisiana a little earlier than planned because of Hurricane Gustav. We only visited our families this time around. I hope that for our next trip, we can stay much longer.

It's a Girl!

We had our ultrasound on Friday and found out that baby number three is a GIRL! I was already pretty sure, based on how this pregnancy compares to the two previous ones. She is very healthy and just the right size.

Brad's Promotion

Yesterday, Brad was officially promoted to Captain. Anna, Seth and I helped pin on his new rank insignia. We are so proud of you, Brad. We love you.

Wall E

We went to see the latest Disney/Pixar film, "Wall E". All four of us loved it, and Seth sat still for most of the show! If you have kids, you should definitely go see it.

I love Anna's face in this one...I don't know why...

Anna's Birthday

Anna's birthday party was held at Onslow Beach on Camp Lejeune. There was a cute little room that had a great view of the water. After cake and ice cream, everyone ran down the steps to play in the sand and water. Brad and the other dads flew a "manly kite". It was a happy day, and I want to thank everyone who came out to share in the fun.

I hope everyone is doing well!

House Pictures

Almost every room in our house has been painted. Some of you may wonder why I'd paint rooms in a new consruction home, so here are two important reasons:

1. Kids and flat wall paint do not mix.
2. It's our first home, so we can finally have whatever color paint we want! Hooray!

Now it's time to work on the yard...

House Pictures

First Ultrasound

We had our first ultrasound on May 22. The due date is on target, and we saw the heart beating! The baby looks like a little gummi bear. I've only gained 2 lbs. so far, which is great for me. With both previous pregnancies, I'd already gained 12-15 lbs.