Shapes within states changing position, acting wacky!

I'm creating a page in a very long course that has custom-made buttons on it, each of which open a popup. My issue is with the creation of the buttons themselves. Without getting too far into it, let me just say that i've opted out of using the templated buttons in storyline, and i'm using my own custom made ones.
I've created the buttons using the shape tool.  Each button looks like a rounded-corner rectangle with a circle with a plus-sign in it on one end. These buttons will be used many times throughout my course, each time with text lables of different lengths. I thought that since the length of the button changes, I could make the editing process easier and faster if I make the buttons using this method:

1. Draw the button shape
2. Edit the normal state of the shape, where I add the circle with the plus sign, along with the text. 
3. Duplicate the state, and choose for it to be the hover state. 
4. Change the colors of the button in the hover state, and remove the text from the over state (since its unnecessary) and hit done.

This method allows me to change the size of the buttons very easily to accommodate the text... and the built in bonus is that because the hovers state was a copy of the original, it updates the hover state whenever I make a size adjustment! Sweet!  So now, all I have to do is duplicate the button, add new text to the normal state (no need to add it to the hover as well since I removed it) adjust the size as needed, and voila! 

Or so I thought..... 

Heres my big issue. When i grab that button (outside of editing the state of course!) and move it around the stage, the elements of the button move independently. Suddenly my circle and plus sign are now not attached to the button at all. And the worst of it is, it actually changes it that way within both states as well.  Its a nightmare for the amount of buttons I need to program.... oh god. 

I sincerely hope someone knows whats going on here and has a fix for it! You guys are geniuses and know this program inside out. I'm relying on you! 

(PS I'm using Storyline 1 for this project... clients orders!)