Product rave

I know I don't do it often, but I just have to share this awesome product with all the moms of babies and moms to be that read this. After 6 years and 4 kids, I think I have finally found the perfect nursing shirt! I will warn you it looks a little funny by itself, but the design makes it perfect as far as functionality. It's called the milkshirt:

Here is the description from the website:
"Made from 100% cotton these breastfeeding tops can be worn with a nursing bra and any regular shirt. There is no more need for other breastfeeding tops with their multi layers and snaps. Milkshirt breastfeeding tops allow you to wear your own clothing thus eliminating the need for pricey nursing tops."
They have a pear shaped opening that allows easier access to your nursing bra than a regular nursing shirt. Most nursing clothes I have purchased and wear have either two layers of shirt, or an extra layer at the top that you have to pull open and then pull another section of fabric over and then unclasp your bra. Anyone who has ever nursed a baby in public knows how much of a pain dealing with all that material is, especially when you're in a crowded restaurant and your baby is screaming and wants to eat 5 minutes ago. I recommend everyone that is nursing or will be nursing go buy one now! I bought mine online from nursingnotions.com, and they had incredibly fast shipping.
Happy Shopping!

it's my party...

Today's my 26th birthday. (Holy Crap, when did I get that old?) Today was pretty much your average day, involving changing poopy diapers, nursing a baby, feeding kids, folding clothes, playing referee, and other mom-like duties. Sean came home from work about an hour early and we all went out to dinner. The kids chose bread co. which was fine with me because I was hoping since they picked it, they would actually eat dinner without a fight, which is a great birthday present. After dinner we ran by a store so I could buy a couple pairs of shorts since I am still a big fatty and none of my skinny summer clothes fit yet. BOO!
Then we came home and had desert. Sean made me a banana cream pie, from scratch, and it was really yummy! That was always my desert of choice for my birthday when I was younger. Then on to the presents:
Sean got me a pair of Fit Flops, but they are too small, so I'll have to exchange them.

A cuisinart food processor. I know this seems lame, but I love kitchen appliances, and I plan to make Jackson's baby food when the time comes, so this gift is much appreciated!

and a new flash for my camera. This is also an awesome gift since I complain about the flash on my camera ALL THE TIME, but now it's just one more thing for me to learn to work. I'm not complaining though. :)

Thanks to everyone for the birthday wishes, and thanks to my awesome hubby for such great presents. It's not motorcycle, but I'm still happy!

Nathan's graduation

Ok, so I'm always behind now. Sorry!
Nathan graduated form preschool on the 15th of May. He was so excited and proud of himself, but still doesn't really get the concept of graduating since he still asks when he goes to school again. And he's not talking about kindergarten. I'm hoping it will sink in soon.
Now, on to the pictures:
Here is Nathan on the first day of school.

and here he is at graduation:


He's so grown up sometimes, but is also incredibly lazy and can't/won't put his own shoes on sometimes. I'm hoping kindergarten will help him learn he can and needs to do things like that for himself. I know it's just about laziness and not really not being able to do things. What a pain!

"that's gross, I wish I were a boy"

Emma is growing up way too fast for me. I think being the oldest of 4 has naturally led her into questioning things about babies and bodies and how they work and recently the questions from her have gotten more precise and require a real answer about how it all works. Not too long ago we had the discussion with Emma about how babies get out of mommy's tummy. I told her some mommies have a surgery called a c-section where they cut into the mommy's tummy and take the baby out that way, and some mommies have the baby come out their vagina. She looked appalled that that can happen to your girly parts. She asked how it fit, and I told here when she grows up it would be able to stretch so the baby would fit, and then it would go back to how it was before. She doesn't need to know it's really never the same down there. And she was really just worried that after having a baby you'd be walking around with a giant vagina suddenly. That discussion was enough for her to proclaim at the ripe old age of 6 she was not EVER having a baby. She's actually stuck with that statement since.
I did think to tell her that these things we talk about are not to be discussed at school. Not because they are bad things, or there is anything wrong with talking about it, but because some kids' parents don't want them to know about this stuff yet, and they would not be happy if their kid came home saying they learned it from you. She said, "Ok, it's inappropriate for school. That's what we say when there are things that are not ok for school; inappropriate."
But I think the more traumatic discussion happened today after she got home from school. I was folding laundry (as always), and some of my cloth pads were in the pile so as I was folding one, she asked, "What's that?" I told her it's something that mommies have to use, thinking that would be the end of it since that is what I told her before and that was good enough, but that was not the case today. "Why do mommy's have to use that?" She asked. So I told her it was because mommies bleed and need that... "So it doesn't get all over you clothes." She finished. "Yes, that's right Emma." "Oh, where do you bleed from?" I stood there for a minute trying to figure out a way to tell her without scaring her to death, when I realized she needed the truth, and even if she didn't understand it completely right now, she could handle it. "Okay," I said. "I'm going to tell you something but I don't want you to be scared. When girls grow up they have what's called a period every month..." I then went on to describe what a period was and told her where the blood comes out. She wanted to know why it happens and I tried to give her the simplest version of it, but I think I lost her somewhere between eggs so small you can't see them, and the uterus. So I told her "I know you don't understand all this now, but you will as you get older and learn more about your body, and when you have more questions, just come ask me." So when we made it through all that, she gave me the most disgusted face ever and said, "THAT'S GROSS! I wish I were a boy."

catchup again

I feel like I am constantly playing catch-up in all aspects of my life, so it's no surprise the blog has also been neglected for quite a while.
-Jackson is 5 months old now. It is amazing watching him grow and change, and even more amazing how much he looks just like Nathan. He is still so sweet and calm and laid back, and it is awesome! He wakes up at about 2am every night, and then again between 6 and 7, which is a welcome change from Megan's sleeping habits as an infant. He's chubby, but not super fat and has days where he doesn't eat very well. It's usually when the other kids are up and running around and being loud though, so I'm pretty sure he's just nosey and interested in whatever else is going on. We don't go back for a check-up until next month, but I'm tempted to go have him weighed just to reassure me that he is gaining weight fine.

-Tomorrow is Emma's kindergarten field trip. Sean took off work to go with her, and she is so excited. I'm actually surprised she is sleeping tonight with how crazy she has been about it the last few days. She still has 14 days of school left, which seems like a lot, but I'm sure it will fly by. Then I'll have to figure out what to do with her all summer. lol!

-Nathan had his last day of preschool today. Graduation is Friday and I'm really hoping I make it through his without tearing up. I cried last year at Emma's, which I like to blame on pregnancy hormones, and I won't have that excuse this year.

-Megan is a brat lately. She is so stubborn, and she's 2, need I say more? Thank god she's still adorable or she'd be in so much more trouble. We are not any closer to her using the potty, which I blame entirely on her stubbornness. She can do it, she just chooses not to.

-Only 1 month and 5 days until our Florida trip. I am so excited it ridiculous!!!!!!