Kimberly asked:
I want to know how you stay so beautiful and so well put together always with such a hectic life. You amaze me women!
I so wish I had a happy smiley answer for you, but I don’t. The big secret is, I don’t blog on bad days, I don’t blog about bad times. I try to stay as positive as possible 99 percent of the time because being positive in your head helps even when you really don’t feel positive.
As far as being “put together”, my husband and I have the sink or swim philosophy and we chose to swim all the time, even when we’re beat down tired and sinking like we’re in quicksand!
And, thanks, for the beautiful part, but if you look closely, I’m never in the pictures because although my kids may be dressed to a T, most likely I have on yoga pants and a DFB t-shirt!
Anon asked:
Where do you find those pacifiers that the little boy uses?
The person I originally purchased them from only has limited ones left, but thanks to my dear friend, Casey, whom I called desperate for a Wubbanub supplier, Designed For Babies will be carrying them soon. She’s already placed her order, just waiting on her shipment confirmation before she puts them on her site!
Lauren asked:
How did you and Matt meet?
What was your reaction when you first saw your sonogram of the quads? (probably a question you get asked a lot)
I actually did a blog post wake back when on how we met, but the short version is I went to a high school baseball game with a friend of mine’s family and there he was, Coach Cochran, #32. He was told I was 15 so he thought I was jailbait. I, however, wasn’t 15 and knew I was going to find a way to talk to him. After a group date, a bet and letting him borrow a dime (pay phones were 35 cents, he only had a quarter) (Are there even pay phones around anymore) we fell in love, got married and well, you know the rest!
The reaction, oh, I remember it like it was yesterday. We had originally been told twins, only to find out a week later that (in my doctor’s words) Oh, @$%*, there is Baby C. That weekend was hard, TRIPLETS, what are we going to do. Complicated pregnancy, MINI VAN, I have to quit my job, MINI VAN, I’m gonna be on serious bed rest, MINIVAN. We finally accepted triplets some time three days later on our way to the fertility clinic for our final scan there. We walked in confident, proud, proclaimed to them, we’re having triplets and we’re going to buy a minivan, only to lay on the table and see four flashing hearts. It honestly didn’t seem like that big of a deal, 3 to 4 that is. I was speechless, a couple actually left the fertility clinic after they heard our news. I didn’t have words to say to anyone so I sent out a text, “And Then There Were Four.”
Aunt Margaret asked:
When are you coming to Calif. to visit your aunt?
Well, I just googled how far you are from Sac-Town and you’re not too far, so maybe soon!! I have a dear friend in Rancho Cordova that I plan on visiting some time in the next year or so and I would love to come see my favorite Cali aunt and uncle. I just said a HUGE prayer that no other aunts or uncles live in Cali or I’m going to be in big trouble for calling you my Cali Fav! (My dad has 7 brothers and sisters so I get confused on who lives where!)
Anon asked:
How do you manage to support your family? Major budgeting? Coupons? Family help? Some other secret the rest of us moms don't know? =)
I wish I had a secret, like a money tree in the back yard, but no such luck! We do major budgeting, planning and strategizing. For any holidays, birthdays, Christmas or Happy Friday day, (yes, I’ve been known to make up a holiday or two) we ask that any gifts be money, food or diapers. Both of our families have been a HUGE help and we know that if we need help, they don’t mind us asking! Matt also started coaching football again which helped us financially get from month to month. Yes, people, he gets paid once a month! That means MAJOR planning! I also do a little monogramming here and there to make an extra dollar or two when the month gets really long!
Anon asked:
You are always so positive. I only have 2 girls that are 2 1/2 and 7 months and you always seem put together and on top of things... How???? You are an amazing person!!!!!!!
Thanks so much! Your words alone inspire me even more to stay positive. I answered this question (I hope) in Kimberly’s question at the top. Just remember sink or swim (SWIM) and when all else fails, Smile and Wave Baby, Smile and Wave!
Anon asked:
How do you afford to dress five children in boutique clothing? Isn't that quite expensive??
I have lots of hints and secrets for this. First, read my guest post at BabyGoodBuys.Com here. Secondly, 99 percent of the clothes that are boutique I bought at Kidz Klozet, some consignment and some new. And if I’m wanting a specific outfit for their birthday or something really special, I plan ahead, buy one a month or ask Pae-Pae if she’d like that to be her present to them for their birthday!
Stephanie asked:
How did you decide the kiddos names?
Do you plan on putting them in preschool or a Mothers Day Out program at some point?
Good question!
Hannah Noelle - My parents had decided my name was Heather Noel and changed it last minute and I loved it, so basically this was a first date proclamation. I had named ever baby doll I had for ever Hannah Noelle, it was going to be my first daughter’s name and I just had to hope he liked it, which he did!
Cannon Gregory - We had his named picked out even before I got pregnant with Hannah Noelle. We both really liked Cannon and Gregory is his grandmother’s maiden name.
Gunner Cole - Cole was going to be his first name, Cannon and Cole and then we decided we didn’t want them to be matchy matchy so I put Matt in charge of his name. Around 2 am one morning Matt said, what about Gunner. HN said in the sleepiest voice every, Gunna Coaaal, I love it daddy.
Lauren Kathryn - The day after HN was born I started planning in my head for Baby 2, only to decide about three weeks later I was done with all the baby business! Finding a girls name consumed me for several days and then Matt and I agreed upon Lauren and Kathryn was my grandmother’s name. We had decided we would call her Laura Kate, which lasted until the second ultrasound when we found out there were twins, then she just became Lauren!
Avery Caroline - Her name was the hardest and she was Baby D for quite some time. I had a name, Matt didn’t like it, Hannah Noelle hated it and pretty much every one of my friends frowned upon it. I will not say what it was because I still love the name and I’m sure someone has named their child this and I don’t want to offend them! I finally gave in and said, okay, Hannah Noelle, you name her. Less than two minutes later she said, Avery Caroline. Momma, Avery Caroline is her name!
The babies will start Pre K 3 next year at the same school Hannah Noelle has been at since she was 9 months old. I will work there during preschool hours to pay for their tuition. Basically we’ll break even with my work and they’re school, but I definitely think they need to be around other children and have a different teacher than Mommy!
Rachel asked:
What are some of the funny/crazy questions people have asked you when you go out in public with your kiddos, and how do you answer them? We get a lot of questions when we take our kiddos out, some that make us smile and others that aren't so pleasant!
Qua-triplets, Fourflets, Fourtiples, Two sets of Twins.
Are they all identical?
He must be the oldest (talking about Gunner) since he’s so much bigger.
Are you done having kids?
Are they all yours?
Hold old is he, how old is he, how old is she, how old is she? Oh, they’re the same age; how’d you do that?
Oh, I could go on and on!
Depending on the person asking the question, whether they’re being sincere or just being ugly with their question determines my answer. Normally my answer is something that makes my husband’s face turn red, but I’m trying to get better at that.
Anon asked:
Where did you find the beautiful hair bows on the headbands that the babies are wearing in the pictures when they were little?
I went back and found this old post, which first made me cry, just reminiscing of when they were 9 months old, but it had the link to the hair bow and headbands, My Dollys Bows. I have tried and tried to find her site again, but keep running in circles and I am the queen of Googling something! Darcy, if you read this, please e-mail me with where you do business now!
Thanks so much for all of the questions! I had a blast reading them as they came in and preparing my answers!! If you have any other questions, feel free to ask and I’ll include the answers in future posts!
Have a Great Day!
