FREE Nursing Cover!

If you're a breastfeeding Mama, will soon be a Breastfeeding Mama or know of a Breastfeeding or Soon-to-be Breastfeeding Mama you should check this out! If you plan on using a nursing cover I highly recommend Udder Covers! They've got a stiff neck so you can see down to baby while feeding. There's a neck strap that keeps the cover in place. The fabric is wide enough to keep everything covered. Plus, they come in gorgeous fabrics!

Right now, for World Breastfeeding Week, Udder Covers is offering FREE nursing covers!!! All you pay is Shipping! Simply Enter the Code: BREASTFEEDING2012 at the check out and you'll get your nursing cover(s) free!!!

It really is a great deal! I own three of their covers and love them! They have kits that include a cover, breast pads and bracelets that will be discounted with the above code also!

View their supply of nursing covers HERE

Please know that I am not saying women must "cover up" while feeding their babies. I personally am choosy about when I use a cover and when I don't. I'm simply offering the coupon for anyone who would use it!

*This is a personal opinion and I was not asked nor paid to endorse this product

10 Ways to Romance your Spouse!

We all know how easy it is to fall into the day-to-day going's on in a marriage. Add in pets, jobs, chores and Children and romance can fall to the wayside. In order to keep your marriage healthy here are 10 ways to Romance your Spouse!

1) Write Love Notes
Write each other love notes! They can be short and sweet, written on a post-it note or long and drawn out! Put the note on the bathroom mirror, in their lunch, in a pocket, under their windshield, anywhere fun for them to find! You can even write the note in lipstick or shaving cream on a mirror!

2) Connect Physically
While intercourse is an extremely important part of marriage, I'm simply saying touch each other throughout the day. Hug, Kiss, Grab butts, etc. Just connect in some way physically every day!

3) Say it
Tell each other, "I love you", "You look great today", etc. Just remind each other that you still love the other!

4) Date again
Get out on dates as often as you can. As a Mom, of three young children, I know how difficult it can be to make time and find the funds to go on frequent date nights. We really strive to get out at least once a month to go dancing, see a movie, dinner or even just a walk. We also try to get an in-home date at least once a week. In-Home dates can be free if you watch a movie together, make dinner together, etc…or spendy if you order in, etc. Dating your spouse encourages closeness (is that even a word?), reminds you why you love your spouse, keeps it fresh, etc.

5) Gifts
Gifts can be inexpensive, expensive, homemade, etc. Something to show your Spouse how much they mean to you!

6) Love Language
Learn your Spouse's Love Language and put it into practice! My Husband and I have VERY different love languages but we make an effort to show each other we really care by doing things in their language! Don't know the Love Language of your Spouse? Take this FREE test to find out!

7) Learn Something New
Try to learn more about something your Spouse enjoys or learn something new together! My Husband loves anything nature, i.e Fish/aquariums, Bonsai/Tree's, Plants, etc. So I try to ask him questions that will help me learn more about his interests while showing him I care and enjoy spending time with him!

8) Change it up
Does your Spouse usually pay the bills, go grocery shopping, put away all the clean laundry? Change it up one day and do that chore for them!

9) Involve the Kids
If you have children you can tell them, in front of your Spouse, what you love about their Mama/Daddy. "I love that your Daddy works so hard to provide for us"! "I'm so thankful your Mama is able to keep this house in order"! It helps your children learn how a successful marriage works!

10) Connect Physically
Yep, I really mean it this time. Sexual intercourse really is important to maintain a great marriage! For some this is definitely an area of sacrifice but it's vital to maintain the physical contact with your Spouse. Even just cuddling in bed is better than never touching the man/woman you love!

What's your favorite way to Romance Your Spouse?

Why so judgmental?

Have you ever noticed how judgmental people can be? Doesn't it seem like Mom's can be some of the worst offenders? We often have some VERY strong opinions about how children should be raised and when we encounter someone who doesn't feel the same way we do we can turn nasty quite quickly. We know better than to judge another, we try to teach that to our children. Yet, we still have the cruel thoughts or nasty comments that prove we're not perfect either.

We judge each other on:
*Foods we allow our children to eat
*Clothes we allow our children to wear
*Discipline techniques
-Spanking vs Time Out, etc
*Baby Wearing
*Breastfeeding vs bottle-feeding
*Cloth Diapering vs Disposable Diapering
*How loud our children are out in public
*How long (or not) they can sit still

The list goes on and on and on. We've all been in the check out lane when the child is screaming and throwing a fit because they want the candy or toy sitting by the registers. We've all had those thoughts of, "I wouldn't let my child behave that way" or, "I wouldn't give my child that candy", etc. We've seen the screaming child who doesn't want to leave the park. We've heard the tantrum coming from the table next to us at a restaurant. We also know we all have had days where we hope nobody sees how our children are behaving, or lack thereof. We've had moments where it's our child throwing the fit or begging for something.

Instead of judging each other we need to remember that:
A) It's not our place to judge another
B) You could very well find yourself in their shoes TOMORROW
C) We don't know what is going on in their life
- That Mom who gives into her crying child in the check-out lane could have just lost her Husband.
- The Mom who has children that are "out of control" could be suffering from a life-threatening illness and doesn't have the ability to parent like you do.
-The reasons for the differing parenting choices don't matter. We all fall short, we're not perfect and neither are our children.

We need to give each other grace! Instead of complaining about a fellow Mom try praying for her. Try helping another Mom by putting her cart away at the store, by distracting a crying child with a smile, by simply offering a kind word. Think about how you would feel if you were put in their shoes and try to respond accordingly! Life is hard but being a Mom is the hardest job there is! Let's cut each other some slack!!!

It's a new day!

After Shaelyn's injury last night we were up a few times in the middle of the night comforting her. She slept really well considering how much her mouth must have hurt. She still won't really let us look at it but her mouth is not nearly as swollen as I thought it would be. She ate all of her lunch today, which included crunchy fish sticks, so it must not hurt too terribly much. Praising God for the quick healing!

Update on Baby No Name!

Today marks 30 weeks 4 days into this pregnancy! Unfortunately, Baby still has no name. We just cannot decide what to name her! Our top choices right now are:
*Annika Lee Jayne
*Adalee Jayne
*Oliva Jayne Lee

I'm praying we'll know what to name this little lady SOON! I hate not knowing what she'll be called. I feel like we're really cutting it close to D-Day!

She's measuring right on track.

She's VERY active! I remember my other children moving lots but this just seems like overkill!

She's most active at night, as were my other's, and she bounces from side to side!

My weight gain is insane!

I'm still anemic and exhausted!

I can't wait to meet her!

I'm so thankful to still be pregnant and not be having any issues with preterm labor. Praise God for a healthy pregnancy, Baby and Mama!

The older Brothers and Sister are often pointing at my belly button and saying something about Baby. They have no clue what's coming! I'm sure they'll all make great older siblings!

I can't wait to see how each of the older ones respond to Baby Girl! I'm especially looking forward to seeing Shaelyn be an older Sister!

I finished the Girls room and LOVE the way it looks! We added a brown rug with cute flowers today…I would spend all day in their room if I could! It's SO CUTE!!!

Our next check-up is in two and a half weeks and then we start going every two weeks! The closer the appointments get, the more real this starts to feel!

I've got Jury Duty and the State Fair to keep me busy in August. September brings birthday's for my MIL, SIL & BIL! And then Baby is due sometime in October! I am just so excited to meet this little one!!!

So much blood!

*Contains some graphic details, DON'T read if squeamish at the thought or mention of blood!
Picture two little boys and one little girl running around, chasing each other. What is bound to happen? Yep, somebody falls and gets hurt. Unfortunately we experienced this exact scene tonight.

The boys were running around their train table in the living room and Shaelyn happily joined in. She loves being chased by them and giggles her head off every time they turn her way. Tonight however, she ended up slipping and hitting her mouth on the side of their leather chair.

I was in the kitchen and saw it happen but Daddy was in the living room so he made it to her first. We're fairly used to accidents around here so I figured her owie just needed some TLC. Wrong! My Husband hollers at me that Shaelyn is bleeding. He's not one to overreact to blood, like I do, so when his tone said, "Hurry up" I knew it was serious.

Sure enough, she ripped the skin connecting her top lip to her gums. There was blood literally pouring out of her poor mouth. I'm serious, it was just gushing and I was afraid she was going to get sick from all the blood she was swallowing. We tried ice, popsicles, wet rags, yogurt and even squirting water from a syringe into her mouth to try and get the bleeding to stop. We prayed over her and asked the Lord to grant her speedy healing and no more bleeding! After 20 minutes the bleeding did stop…until Shaelyn saw her tooth brush and wanted to use it. We said no since we didn't want her to re-injure her mouth. She freaked out, melted down, screaming and crying and her mouth started bleeding again.

After another 15 minutes we couldn't get the bleeding to stop so we headed to the ER to get it stitched…per our pediatrician. Well, not even two minutes down the road the bleeding stopped. Since we didn't want another unnecessary $75 ER trip we hung out in the parking lot for a few minutes. She had no more bleeding so we decided to head back home. She cried a little in the car on the way back but no more blood!

We got home, she had a bottle and was complaining of the owie in her mouth so I gave in and gave her some baby tylenol. She fell asleep peacefully and is quietly snoring in her bed right now.

I'm so thankful she seems to be doing well right now. I'm praying she's not in pain tomorrow. I hate not being able to help my children feel better when they're hurt…better yet, I wish I could just prevent all of their pain. I guess that's a little how God feels towards us. He sent His Son to die for me so that one day I will feel no more pain!

Shaelyn's Name Art!

I've had some questions on how I made Shaelyn's name art for her wall so here is a brief overview of how I made it!

I was in a rush to get it done because it was the last thing on my to do list before I could move Shaelyn into her room! I don't have any pictures of the progress/process but I'll try to explain it as best as I can.


I bought the green ribbon from Michael's but you can find ribbon at any craft or fabric store and even Walmart and Target sell ribbons. Choose whatever color you like best.

I also bought the flower poof's from Michael's but you can probably find those at other major stores as well.

My Mother-in-Law bought the letters that spell out SHAELYN. My MIL has actually purchased letter for all of our kids names! It's become a tradition!

I cut out the ribbon into varying lengths, although for our next Baby I'm thinking I'll do it more symmetrically. Choose a length that works and then cut the ribbon at that point.

Next I glued the flowers to the tops using super glue because I don't have a hot glue gun. Hot glue guns would definitely work too.

I finished up by gluing the letters onto the ribbon, again using super glue. This part I kind of regret because I wish they had been spaced differently. I wish there was a little more sense to how the letters hang but I was doing it quickly. Next time I'll measure where I want the letters instead of just haphazardly gluing!

After that I simply hung them on the wall! I did measure how far apart they were.

It was really simple! Just make sure you put something like cardboard or a paper bag under the ribbon before gluing so you don't get any glue on the surface your working on. Also, lift up on the ribbon after gluing the letters/flowers so it doesn't stick.

If something doesn't make sense feel free to comment and I'll try to explain it better. Once we come up with a name for this Baby I'll make another name display and be sure to photograph the process!!

Girl's Room is DONE!

I got the Girl's room finished! Here are some pictures of the finished product!!!

This is the view from their doorway!

This will be Shaelyn's Big Girl Bed!

Their closet is fairly small so we got this Closetmaid Storage System with Bins to store onesies, pants, sleepers, etc.

Baby Girl's animal is an Owl so here is a cute picture of owls!

Shaelyn's animal is a ladybug so here a cute picture of ladybugs!

Shaelyn's Name Art!

*Update! We added this new area rug and I love how the brown tones down the pink. The flowers are adorable!!!!


*Instructions on how to name Name Art like Shaelyn's!

We're back!

Ok, so we got back two days ago but I've been busy catching up on laundry, dishes and being tired! The trip went well considering we were traveling with such young children. The ride up was fine.

We ate on the way and they watched a movie the whole way up. They didn't end up going to bed until midnight, after running around the rooms for a while and then eating pizza while giggling at 'America's Funniest Home Video's'. They all slept well, aside from Shaelyn who is not used to sleeping with someone in bed.

The next day we were up and going by 6:45am, thanks Cobi!

We got breakfast on the way up to Gooseberry Falls. Walked the trails, saw the waterfalls, bought some souvenir's and headed back to Duluth for the college tour.

I ended up bringing the kids into Target with me to kill some of the 2 hour wait we had. They each got a toy, hoping it would keep them entertained on the way back home. Unfortunately by the time we were done shopping and then picked up my Mom and sister the kids were all overly tired. We ate some snacks and tried to get them to fall asleep. Unfortunately with construction traffic and Duluth rush hour we were in the car a lot longer than expected. They all melted down and cried quite hard for a good while. We made pit stops to change diapers and let them out of their seats but that almost made getting back into the seats harder.

We finally made it home and let them go straight to the backyard to run off the pent up energy. Overall, it was a good trip. We were all exhausted upon our return but we made it safely! I don't think I'll be taking any more road trips without Daddy and definitely not while 30 weeks pregnant!

Jury Duty - Awful timing!

I was just discussing with my Mom how I think jury duty could be a great experience but really hoped I didn't get called up for a few years. Well, on Monday I opened a letter that couldn't have come at a worse time! JURY DUTY!

I really do want to serve, or attempt to. Jury duty makes me nervous as you're basically deciding what happens with someone's life. It's up to you to decide if the evidence shows their guilty enough to go to jail for a long time, or even the rest of their lives. In some ways I don't feel old enough to be in this position but here I am.

Ok, now for the timing. I'm the sole care provider for three children during the day so finding a sitter, or in my case, three sitters was tough. My Husband can take off two days, my Mom can take off 1 day and my Sister can take of the last 2 days. If the trial goes longer than a week I'm in big trouble!

Other problem, we were supposed to go to the State Fair on the Tuesday after jury duty begins. If I get called up we won't be able to go until after I'm off. Ok, so this isn't really a problem, more an inconvenience.

Last problem is that I'll be 35 weeks pregnant! Again, this might not be a problem but they probably won't want an insanely pregnant, hormonal and emotional pregnant woman deciding someone's fate.

I'm able to get a 9 month postponement and my OB offered to write me a note excusing me from jury duty. However, if I were to get called up in 9 months I'll have 4 kids to find a sitter for, one of whom will be a nursling!

So my hope is that I'll either serve now or be dismissed! If I go and am dismissed based on my viewpoints, which are pretty strict, or because I'm hugely pregnant I won't be called up for 4 years. If I do get dismissed I really hope I'll get called up again in the future!

I find the whole justice system very interesting and would love to see how it works behind the scenes. I guess time will tell if they'll choose me or not…

Have you ever served on Jury Duty?

Mini Vacation!!

I'm not sure if I'm more excited or more terrified about leaving on a mini vacation tonight. My Sister is touring a college in Duluth so we're making it an overnight, staying in a hotel, swimming, sightseeing and road tripping! 3 hours in the car shouldn't be that bad, right?!? Hopefully not! We're leaving around dinner time tonight so the kids can be eating on the way. I'm praying they'll fall asleep and stay asleep so we can just transfer them to hotel beds. My Kids have never been great at falling asleep anywhere other than home, mainly because they're too excited!

My Husband is staying home to get some much needed R&R, alone time. My Mom and Sister will be there to help but I'm still feeling a bit overwhelmed! This is the last vacation we'll be taking before Baby #4 arrives so I hope it goes smoothly! I guess we'll see…

I'm going up prepared though! I've got bins full of special toys, plenty of snacks and lots of movies and books! They'll also have chalk boards, coloring books and the iPad. Lord willing, this will be an easy and FUN trip!!!

What are some tips you can share on road trips with young children?!?

Make it Work with Tinfoil!

Today's Make it Work is with Tin foil! We all know you use tin foil for cooking but did you know there are quite a few other uses for it as well? You can use tin foil to:

*Shape a Cake Pan
Simply form two lawyers or double thickness tin foil into whatever shape, number, design you wish to have the cake look like. Place the tin foil into a baking dish, fill with batter, bake as directed and enjoy!

*Catch the Mess
Wrap a little bit of tin foil on the bottom of an ice cream cone to prevent the ice cream from spilling out of the bottom!

*Sharpen
Fold a piece of tin foil a few times and start cutting through it. This will sharpen your scissors!

*Mulch it up
Cut up some tin foil to mix in with your mulch to keep bugs from eating up your garden veggies!

*Funnels
Roll up some tin foil in the shape of a funnel for a quick way to refill your oil, water plants, etc.

*Wet Paintbrush
Cover a wet paintbrush with tin foil to keep the paint moist for a few hours/days.

What are some of your favorite ways to use tin foil?!?

Why we're not having another Home Birth

Our first two children were both born in Hospitals. Cobi was delivered with a Midwife after an induced labor due to pregnancy induced hypertension.

Micah was caught, barely, by an OB after a totally natural labor although also clouded by the hypertension.

Both births were "healthy" and there were no complications. I just don't like hospitals. I hate how germy they make me feel. I hate the bright light and the beeping machines. I hate being woken up every few hours to check "vitals". I hate that their protocol takes over my natural Mama instants. I hated having to fight them off of vaccines and eye goop, blood draws and ivy's.

I hate how cold and scared he looks here. He should have been in my or his Daddy's arms!

I just wanted a natural, how God created birth to be, type of labor and delivery.

With my third child I just knew I wanted to deliver her at Home. I love the idea of not having to leave the house to deliver. I love that we're surrounded by our creature comforts, our germs, and our children and whomever else we wanted, or didn't want, present! I loved the one-on-one care I received from my Midwife! She was fantastic and so knowledgeable! She came to my home for every prenatal visit. She was truly a God-send!

This third pregnancy also presented with hypertension but we believe it's just how my body responds to end of pregnancy and it wasn't a concern. The day I went into labor I was a little concerned because my daughter had been breech for the weeks and days leading up the labor. I did everything in my power to get her to turn and just prayed that she was head down! Labor was extremely sporadic and intense from the get-go. I was nervous we would end up having to transfer to a hospital because my contractions were so different from my two previous deliveries.

My Midwife suggested I get into the birthing pool to see if that would bring the contractions into a better pattern and get me in the right mindset to actually birth this little lady! Well, it worked! Contractions became regular, although still insanely intense. My Midwife knew, although I had no idea and she didn't tell me so as to protect my birthing mind, that baby girl was posterior. That simply means she was not in an ideal position to be born BUT she was head down and would come out just fine, albeit more painfully.

After 2 hours of labor and 14 minutes of pushing our little girl was finally here.

Unfortunately I had some hemorrhaging. My Midwife swooped in with her magic concoctions and quickly resolved the bleed. I ended up passing out after getting up and was instructed to stay literally on my back for two days to rest and recuperate. I did and healed up just fine. My Midwife came back for her checks postpartum and was just amazing with my Daughter and I. I loved the home birth experience and it felt so right!

On rolls the next pregnancy that ended in a miscarriage with substantial hemorrhaging and an emergency D&C. We found out shortly after the surgery that we were already expecting another child. We were elated but then had to decide whether to birth this baby at home again or in a hospital.

So we began praying and feeling out which was a better option.

We listed out our pro's vs. con's and have decided that this baby, our last and final birth, will be caught in the hospital.

We're not in a place financially to afford another home birth.

However, our deciding factors were based on that still, small voice. We really feel led to deliver in a hospital. We feel safest being in the hands of a wonderful OB who has quick access to anything necessary to prevent hemorrhage or to preform a cesarean if necessary. We know we're insane for going from home birth back to hospital birth but we are trusting the Lord and his direction for this birth. We are obviously praying and believing we'll be able to have another natural and healthy delivery but don't want to be foolish when we feel led to deliver in a certain place.

I believe that birth should take place wherever the Mama and Daddy feel most comfortable whether that be in the hospital, birth center, home, etc. It's about giving women educated choices and supporting them! Our educated and supported decision is to birth this baby in the hospital and we're at peace with that.

We are a bit saddened at the loss of our home base advantage but knowing what we know after having three previous births, we're confident we will get the birth we're desiring, however it comes to play out!

10 Ways to Entertain Kids in Restaurants

Who doesn't like a night off of cooking every once in a while? We visit restaurants with our kids occasionally so this Mama doesn't have to make every meal. If you've got small Children you know how tricky it can be to keep them quiet and happy while waiting for their meals to arrive. Here's a list of 10 ways to entertain kids while in restaurants!

1) Books
Bring along some fun books for the kids to read. We love activity flip books that allow the kids to really get involved in the reading!

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2) Special Toy
Keep a bin of "restaurant toys" in your car or bring a special toy from home that they can play with while waiting for meals to arrive.

3) I Spy
Play I Spy with each other. Pick out a picture, piece of artwork, person, etc and give each other clues!

4) Snack
Ask for crackers or the fruit/veggie part of your child's meal to be brought out as soon as possible so they can start eating. Food always distracts our kids!

5) Games
Bring some games with that you can play as a family to keep everyone occupied! Easy games include card games, bingo games, or even some board games with few pieces!

6) Color
Most restaurants offer coloring pages and crayons. Color with your kids or even bring in your own coloring books and markers.

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7) Tour
If they get restless and want to get out of their chairs you can always take a tour of the restaurant. Visit the restroom to wash hands, view the kitchen if you can see it, just walk around looking at anything on the walls!

8) Songs/Rhymes
Singing songs or making up rhymes can keep kids entertained!

9) Movies
If you're really desperate to keep them distracted you can play a movie if you've got a smart phone, iPad, portable dvd player, etc.

10) Outside
Taking a short walk outside is always an option! Let them run off some steam while waiting for the food to arrive!

Above all else, just remember that they're children and won't always behave perfectly, especially when being asked to sit still and be quiet while they're hungry!

How do you keep your children entertained while out to eat?!?

Great Meal Idea!

I am fairly well known around these here parts for bringing meals to new Mama's quite often. My Husband some times calls me crazy since we rarely get a meal after a new Baby is born in our home. Regardless I love being able to bless someone, especially since I know how hard it can be to make a meal just a few days/weeks postpartum!

I'm always trying new recipes to find something that most people will like and that is easy enough for me to do with three children running around, pregnant myself and needing to also make dinner for my family. I think I finally found my go-to meal and I'm so excited to share it with you!!

I found it on Pinterest but there's no credit available so if you created this recipe comment below and I'll be sure to give you the credit! It's amazing and you deserve it!

4-6 Raw Chicken Breasts
4-6 Baking Potatoes, New Potatoes, Red Potatoes, your choice really
Green Beans - fresh or canned work fine. Broccoli was really yummy in this too!
1 Packet Italian Dressing Mix
1 Stick melted Butter or replace with Olive Oil/Coconut Oil

Preheat your oven to 350. Wash your chicken and place across the middle of your baking dish. Wash and cut up the potatoes into larger, yet bite sized, pieces. Place the potatoes on one side of the chicken. Wash and cut your Green Beans or Broccoli and place on the other side of the chicken. Sprinkle the Packet of Italian Dressing Mix over everything in the baking dish. Pour the melted butter or Olive Oil over everything. Bake in the oven for 1 hour or until the chicken is cooked through and the potatoes are done! Super easy and SO YUMMY!!!

I forgot to take a picture the last time I made it but I will update with a picture once I make it again.

Grammar Disclaimer!

I always try to proof read my posts but the majority of the time I end up getting interrupted by somebody! So here is my disclaimer! I apologize in advance if I spell something wrong, add too many or don't add enough coma's, use the wrong words or even miss words. I try to make this as grammatically correct as possible but I'm only human! Thank you for being patient with me!

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If you see any grammatical or spelling errors that drive you nuts feel free to comment and I'll fix them as soon as possible! I know how hard it can be to read something that is spelled wrong or grammatically incorrect. It actually drives me nuts and can make it hard to focus on the rest of the article. So, again, I apologize in advance for any terrible mistakes!

Bucket List!

I've never written a bucket list but, once again, I was inspired by Pinterest to create one! I haven't done any real searching for things to add to my list. I'm just going to get one started based on things we've always talked about wanting to do! Hopefully having a written bucket list will encourage us to actually do some of these things!

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Bucket List
* Go to FIJI
My Husband and I have always wanted to go to Fiji. We almost went on our honeymoon but ended up going to see family who were sick in California. We'll get there eventually, I'm hoping for our 10 year anniversary!

* Go to Australia
I had been going to go to Australia on a missions trip and ended up blowing out my knee and needing surgery. Ever since that failed trip I've always wanted to go back!

* Go on an African Safari
Ok, so this one isn't really my idea but my Husband's. He is always talking about going on an African safari so I hope somebody I can make that dream come true!

* Travel the U.S. in an RV
I have this crazy desire to load up my family in a nice RV and just drive around to every state in the U.S (obviously finding a way to get to Hawaii and Alaska). I really hope I can do this while my children are still school age so we can really immerse them in history!

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* Buy a Home
Seems like a fairly obvious choice…I hope some day soon this one gets checked off!

* Run a 5K
I plan on training for and running in my first 5K next June. I'm hopeful I can check this one off…although 8 months after having a baby and hating to run will make this one interesting!

* Plant a HUGE garden
I would love to plant a huge garden someday. Huge, as in, big enough to supply all of our fruit and vegetable needs for the year.

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This is a fairly short bucket list compared to what I've seen but it's just made up of things I've always wanted to do! I'll have to keep looking!

What's #1 on your bucket list?!?

Escape Artist - Part 2

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The latest escape attempt took place at our church. My Mom and I picked up the kids from the nursery and were putting their coats on. Unfortunately only two adults means one child was left to their own devices…too bad that child happened to be Jacobi, the escape artist. Sure enough, once the coats were on I turned back and Cobi, who had just answered me when I told him to stay put, was gone! Panic sets in and we're off to frantically search for him.

Our church is not huge but not small either. There were close to 100 people mulling about in the foyer and more coming in for the next service. My Mom took off one direction and I took off in the other, holding Shaelyn and practically dragging poor Micah, all the while shouting out for Cobi. My arm finally died out after a good 10 minutes of searching both the top and bottom floors so I put Micah and Shaelyn back into the nursery. By now the nursery director is helping us look as well, still no luck. After about 20 minutes I finally give in and make that awful call to 911 to report a missing child. Sadly, I've gotten into the habit of closely remembering what Cobi is wearing every day so that if, God forbid, he goes missing again, I know exactly how to describe him.

While on the phone with 911 we continued searching and ended up outside looking over their property. Still no luck! Officers were dispatched as I started heading next door to the elementary school's playground. I see my Mom take off running and hear her say something to the effect of, "Yes, please stop him"! I come around the corner to see another nursery worker walking Cobi back our direction.

Thankfully we found him before the police actually arrived and were able to stop them from making the unnecessary trip. A good Mom friend of mine is married to a police officer who tried to explain to Cobi what a dangerous thing running away is. Like most three year olds, Cobi just doesn't quite get it yet. He wanted to go to the park and we were taking too long. He knew how to get there so why not just go?

After a few shed tears and lots of prayer thanksgiving we headed home.

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That is the most terrified I have been over him disappearing. Thank God it hasn't happened since…until:

Cobi now knows how to open his bedroom door, which has a child-proof handle on it. He can also open the gate at the top of the steps. I'm completely terrified that he'll be able to get the front door open and then what? Thankfully every time he's gotten out of his room he either comes to me in bed or goes to his Oma downstairs in her room. I'm really praying he doesn't ever attempt to open the front door.

So my question is: any suggestions on how to either
A) Keep him in his room?
B) Keep him from getting the front door open?
C) Strapping him in his bed?

Ok, so option C isn't an option on any level. But I seriously need advice on how to keep him safely contained in the house. I normally hear him by the time he's got the gate open at the top of the steps but with this pregnancy insomnia getting worse I'm becoming harder to wake up. I need to keep him safe! HELP!!!

Nesting takes OVER!

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I'm definitely in full nesting mode. I want everything to have a place and be in said place and I want it done NOW! Unfortunately, my kids don't understand that, nor do they care so I have to wait until I have helpers around…so frustrating! My current nesting zone is my Girls bedroom! It's super small and really oddly shaped which is making it difficult to get two beds in there, plus a changing table and additional storage for clothes/bedding.

With my Sister watching my kids (thank God for Sisters and their willingness to help) and my Mom helping me shift furniture we got the layout figured out. Next up, buy a toddler bed for Shaelyn. She's still in a crib and will probably remain in the crib until her Sister actually moves into her room and takes it over.

We co-sleep with our children until they're about 6 months old, simply to make night nursing easier! Since this Baby won't even be in the room with Shaelyn for another 8 months, or so, my Husband doesn't understand why I want to get their room done now. For starters, it'll be harder for me to work on the room with a nursling and when you're nesting, you're nesting and it needs to get done NOW!

Ok, back to the toddler bed. I found the perfect toddler bed on craigslist and fell in love! Too bad somebody beat me to the punch and bought it first…it was a great deal though at only $50. So we headed off to Ikea to see what they have. Unfortunately, Ikea's toddler beds are LONG. I'm talking 12+ inches longer than a standard toddler bed.

After some ice cream, which should have been used as the treat to get the kids to behave during the trip, we headed up to look at the toddler beds they have. After two meltdowns, Micah running away and frustratedly searching for the "perfect" bed for Shaelyn…we finally found a bed that I think is super cute!

So, we bought the bed and the mattress. Got home and can you guess what we forgot to buy? Yup, bedding! Good thing she's not going to be sleeping in it tonight. Well, again, the nesting took over and I had to have the bedding to complete the look. I'm not a fan of any of the bedding Ikea had for the toddler beds but thankfully they sell plain white sheets. I found the cutest ladybug twin size bedding that we can alter enough to fit on the toddler bed!

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Thankfully my Sister ran to Target and found the perfect ladybug bedding in the store!!! So now I just need to get the bed built and the bedding put on the bed, finish the Girls closet and I'll be done with their room! Too bad their closet is not at all functional…yet!

I can't wait to see the finished room!!! And in case you're wondering, yes, I'll be building the bed tonight once the kids are asleep! I'm crazy, I know!

*Side note: all of my Children have "theme" animals chosen before they're even born. Our oldest is a Monkey, which suits him well. Our middle is a Frog and he loves to hop! Shaelyn is our lady "love" bug. This baby will be our owl…mainly just because I love the owl designs out right now but I'm also hoping she'll be a night owl like me, which means she'll sleep in, in the mornings!