people asked...

ME questions. wow am i flattered! okay well only one was 'advice' related. but still. i was/am excited to answer. and maybe help...who would've thunk it.

so someone asked me where i got that adorable hat dustin was wearing in the last pic i posted. it is an adorable hat from a local boutique, bellybeans and is the 'zutano' brand. i LOVE the hat and the store. Lisa, the owner, remembers my name and remembers me whenever i walk in. that's what keeps me coming back! plus i LOVE the japanese weekend clothing line which is also sold there. i'm still wearing a lot of my jw stuff because it is made for maternity AND nursing. totally worth the money!!

i also want to share with you all that even though people were staring at me while nursing a baby and having two kids without boots on and one in the cart...i was even covered. in my super cute 'hooter hider' maybe they were just trying to figure out what the heck i was doing, but seriously please don't continue to stare! :0) i totally love the hooter hider too. it is SO much nicer than using a blanket or whatever else...i did that with amelya and breigh and i have felt so much more comfortable in public not worrying about my 'hooters' hanging out. :0) i recommend them to everyone and wish I would've thought of the idea. although i kind of like 'boobie blanket'. that would be my name. no stealing! or maybe someone already has it...i get off track...

and someone asked if i strictly nurse(d) my others. i did and do. i do start cereal around four months and then go from there. i usually get my period back around five to six months post partum, after they start on more baby food and such...so apparently breastfeeding is NOT birth control for us. i wish it were, it'd make the whole thing a little bit easier! and more romantic for that matter!! the only reason i took a pregnancy test back last february was because caitlyn was almost six months old and i hadn't gotten it yet. so i just took one because there was that 'one' time and a small chance we were pregnant. and voila. we were. we are the poster adults for 'it only takes one time'. :0)

and i was also asked how i manage to go shopping with all four of my kiddos. i will first say that if i can get my mom to watch them or come with me i WILL. it is easier to go without four kids along, especially in this cold wisconsin weather! but if i have them all it goes something like this: first i ALWAYS find a spot near the cart return. i put caitlyn in the seat part and dustin in his car seat in the back. breigh and amelya are expected to walk. and stay by me. and for NO REASON at all let go of the cart or my hand in the parking lot. it took ONE time of breigh letting go near a curb and she learned that she would not do it again. i didn't even have to spank her, it took not opening a toy we bought actually for her to learn. when amelya was a toddler she ran from me on the sidewalk near the parking lot. i spanked her and she learned. i am not against spanking. i only use it when necessary and am not going to get into a debate over it. i do it. if you don't. fine. it works for me. well actually only amelya. breigh didn't care and caitlyn sure doesn't. now i'm off track again. (but i suppose i will tell you what works for breigh: a pointed finger at her and for caitlyn...i haven't figured it out yet! usually just taking her away and setting her down works...for now! she's so different from the others)

back to the shopping fun! :0) once in the store amelya and breigh walk by me. they are not required to hang on to the cart inside the store. then we do our shopping. i will usually try to not go during nap time or lunch or snack time. if we do it only leads to more whining. or if it's snack time...we'll enjoy a snack in target :0). it makes them happy and in turn makes for an easier trip.

i try to never grocery shop with them alone. shaun is usually along or my mom watches them. i usually am just there for something 'quick'. and will always walk through the toy aisles for them so they get their fill. my girls have been very good and don't kick and scream and cry for toys. amelya usually will tell me she wants everything that she sees for her birthday. that works for her. it works for me. amelya has thrown a fit and then in turn doesn't get anything that day.

my kids are also very independent so i don't know if that makes a difference. they also know what is expected of them and that i won't take any 'crap' from them. and if they misbehave they know that there will be consequences that aren't fun. (like no cookies at the mall. :( or no 25 cent ball from the 'junk machine, etc etc) they have learned that i say what i mean. and i mean what i say.

my mom and sister help me out tremendously with the shopping aspect of four kids! my mom is usually always able to watch them if i need to run to walmart and my sister is usually available for those day long shopping trips in appleton when she's done working. i'm sure they enjoy the time with the kiddos and i enjoy their help. we've been so blessed to have family around us and family that is so willing to help. when shaun talks about moving to minnesota i freak out! what would i do without any help!!??

i've also taken the kiddos to the mall by myself. when i do that i like to put dustin 'in' something else. i have a moby wrap that i LOVE and also a peanut shell sling that i also love. when making mall trips i like the moby wrap the best. i can leave the carseat at customer service and put dustin in that. then breigh and caitlyn go in the double stroller and amelya walks with me. again i TRY NOT to go to the mall by myself. especially during the christmas shopping season. WAY too many people for that. i also always try to go to the play area so they get to play and burn off some energy, and it is kind of a reward for them. i'm very sad that they are closing the libby lu store though in the mall because that was also used as a 'reward' for amelya. and we never got to get her hair styled there. :0( we're both sad about that one!!

i hope that gave some 'insight'. it's hard to get around the babbling isn't it!? but seriously if you all have questions for me i'd LOVE to answer them. i'd love to be able to help someone else out. a lot of what i do is based on my four years at the daycare. i was so blessed to have training before my kids came along! so please ASK AWAY! and it doesn't have to be about kids it could be about me too. i'm open to answering anything...well most anything.

last night chantae and nathan and gage came over to celebrate our christmas. we had lots of fun. we played 'wii'. and i totally did bad bowling. but oh well. it's the fellowship that's the most fun! chantae made me a beautiful 'mommy bracelet'. she alternated between a crystal and the birthstone for the month the kids were born. so my bracelet has five strands. she was SO thoughtful and did one for the baby we miscarried too. i seriously almost cried (thanks chantae!) it was just really thoughtful and nice and so unexpected i guess that she would've made one for that baby too. she also said i can't have anymore kids because it was hard to get these all on one bracelet. but she also did say she could just seperate them IF we have any more. ;0) here is a picture of it. it looks SO much better in person. but i thought i'd share it with you anyways.

we made spaghetti and meatballs for supper and had ice cream sandwiches and strawberry cheesecake for dessert. YUMMY. of course we played wii. and so did amelya. her and nathan had fun boxing and tennis.

today i played wii with amelya too. she got STRIKES in bowling!! and tons of spares. she got a 98 her first game and 120 the second. with NO HELP! crazy. she also does pretty good at tennis. i figured it is good hand eye coordination for her, plus it is loads of fun playing with her and spending that special time together with her too. she even made her own 'mii' up.

now all i have to do is find the wii fit and we'll have a gym class. lol. but i SO want one. it's become an obession i think. i've gotten some hits on our changing table! so i decided i would use that money towards the wii fit, and then start the money saving for the digital slr camera. so i can be all skinny and take pictures. :0) but yesterday when chantae was over she said then i can take pictures of gage for her, well and the new baby when SHE arrives...i never did share those pics with you did it...i will next i promise...anyways i would love to take pictures for their family. so i NEED that camera..i've already got photography prospects. :0) and i'll save her money by not going to sears all the time either. everyone wins when i get the new camera i'm telling you!

alright i am going to just make a seperate post with the pictures. i can't get them to move down the page like normal. and i'll just load them next. sorry. so i'm off to do that. don't worry i won't be gone long. :0)