New family pics and Tandem nursing pics!

Thanks so much to Kelly Gray Photography for taking these and our recent family pics!

Happy International Breastfeeding Week!!

I am a proud tandem nursing mother. I am also a RN who has worked in a LOT of different places. Nursing, let alone tandem nursing is not always promoted or endorsed in the medical field.
I have been nursing both Adeline and Liam since Liam was born. I am hoping to nurse Adeline until she is 3 and Liam for just as long.

I have also been a full-time RN working outside the home 36+ hrs/week. Pumping full-time while out of the house is not easy. Worrying that you are not keeping up with the ounces that your baby is drinking, and are you eating/drinking enough to keep your milk supply up. Can you get away for long enough to pump every 3-4 hours while being out of the house for 14+ hrs/day sometimes? And now I am working 24 hr shifts. I pump with both a Medela Symphony and a Medela Freestyle, depending on which pump I have access to. I store all my own milk and use Medela Pump and Save bags. I have used Lansinoh freezer bags as well, but Jeremy like the Medela ones better; he says they are easier to pour from one-handed.

I can't even begin to list all the reasons I love to nurse my kids. It has saved us SO MUCH MONEY. Thousands of dollars, I am sure. It has made me connect to my kids in a way I never thought was possible. It has made Adeline appreciate her brother, and learn to share one of the things that is most important to her. It has decreased the risks for asthma, allergies, SIDS, obesity,constipation, cancer and illness in both my kids. It has increased their IQ, sight, brain development and immune system. I love the closeness it brings to all 3 of us. It is also the easiest way to get 2 under 2 to bed in less than 30 min!

Liam has never had any formula. Adeline got supplemented with soy formula when I got pregnant with Liam. I am also very proud to say that right now I am donating milk to another local mom who has to go back to work so her baby can have breastmilk while she gets her freezer supply up.

I am also very blessed to have a family who has been nothing but supportive of breastfeeding and never pressured me to give either of my kids a bottle or formula, even thought it would have been easier for THEM. They never once complained about not getting to feed the baby.

Hopefully before the end of the week, I will have some tandem nursing pics to post for you!

Kids+Cows=FUN!

Adeline decided she needed to go see her Grandma and Grandpa last week, so off we went! We also went to Tin and Chery's house and saw the cows. It was a great time and photo op!

Our babysitter is quitting. . .

she is going back to school. Good for her, not so good for us.
She is pretty much the only person who has had the kids full-time.

I am interviewing people right now, as well as MAYBE going to visit the church-based daycare around the corner.
I wish I could just. stay. home.

Adeline Loves the County

She cries every time we have to leave to come home.
Here she is playing with Eddie on the porch.


Here she is riding on the tractor on the sidewalk with her princess wave.


And here she is smelling the flowers.


The country is so much fun. I feel blessed that my kids are able to see both sides of the interstate so to speak.

Adeline to Target

to get BIG GIRL PANTIES!!
She poo'd in the potty for my Mom, so now Mom said she would get Dora panties. Adeline apprently didn't want Dora panties when they got to Target, so they got Dora and Disney Princess.
Proof that Grandpa Dale has been to Target.

They got caught in a downpour and ended up with doughnuts too.

In Illinois again. . .

We went to Illinois before I have surgery this week. Partly to get out of the house and partly to go pick up Grandma so she can stay with me and help with the kids after surgery! Just hernia repair, nothing major (hopefully!)

With the Great-Grandparents in the porch swing.


Liam driving the tractor.


Dad was farming, but I didn't get any pictures of the tractor or Adeline riding in it. She did have a LOT of fun in the tractor.


Adeline "planting beans" with her tractor.


All in all, we had a great time. Now for the not-so-great time of surgery.

Liam Walking!

Liam WALKING. Jeremy took this video on his new Android phone!

Liam is ONE!!

I can't believe our boy is ONE!! He is trying very hard to walk, says "dada", waves, knows all the family, and crawls like a champ. He also loves to give raspberries, kisses and hugs. He is a better sleeper than Adeline was at this age, but we are still not getting much sleep between the 2 of them!
Here are some pictures from the birthday party!

First Cake


Liam and I at the party.


Liam and Jeremy at the party.


A good time was had by all. Liam got lots of great present.

At Grandma and Grandpa Tucker's House

We went to Grandma and Grandpa Tucker's for a few days. Too much mud to farm. We did find a big tree frog that wanted to come back to Indianapolis with us.


I also got one picture of Adeline out front of Mom and Dad's house too. She looks like SUCH a big girl.

A teeny bit of sewing. . .

Some days I find a bit of time to sew. Does not happen very often, but when it does I enjoy it!
Here are some wetbags I whipped up. Hopefully now I can use cloth out and about easier. I always had a hard time buying wetbags when I knew I could make some pretty easily!

Call me crazy. . .

Call me crazy. . ., originally uploaded by jvaughnRN.

Wearing both kids at once is fun, keeps me warm and is a great workout.
And they both love it.
Adeline 2 yrs 4 mos in Kinderpack on back, Liam 10 mos in Beco 4th Generation on front.
Put Liam on first then Adeline.

Happy Earth Day! Grobaby Review!!

Happy Earth Day 2010, everyone!!
Here at the Vaughn house, we try to do a few things to protect the Earth.
I love our free curbside recycling of cans, plastic, steel, and paper.
I also take all our corrogated cardboard to the Greenwood Library; it is recycled and serves as a fundraiser for the library.
I have been trying to use my re-useable shopping bags more (we love Chico Bags)
Also, we cloth diaper! I love my cloth diapers. We are using the Gro-baby system right now.
It has a waterproof outer shell and a snap-in organic cotton cloth liner or a bio-soaker disposable liner.

I am LOVING it! It fits both Liam 10 mos, 15-16 lbs and Adeline 2 yrs, 25 lbs well.
The velcro/aplix is super stick without being scratchy and super adjustable. The 3 snap rise is well-placed. Liam is on the middle setting, but would fit on the smallest setting and Adeline usually wears it all the way unsnapped, but I could place her in the middle setting as well if I had to.

Here are some pics!

Gro Baby shell with Disposable Insert


Shell with Cloth Insert


Adeline in Gro Baby with Cloth Insert




Liam in Gro Baby with Cloth Insert






Any other questions, or want more pics, let me know!

New pictures of the kids!

Here are some new pics of the kids. I actually have hard copy pictures that were taken last week to hand out! Can you believe it? But here are some digital ones to tide you over.

Big Girl in the tub




Liam, Liam

Attack of the sister!

Most of my baby carrier stash . . .

BabyHawk OhSnap tester, Beco 4th Gen Pony Express, Bloo Kangaroo Kanga X,
Kinderpack, BabyHawk OhSnap! custom red Echino Scooters, Beco Butterfly II in Blue/Green Scooters.
And I have a ring sling that is not in the group shot.
Whew!

New Diaper Bag

that is finally perfect for 2 that are 2 and under.
I have had an awful time finding something I like and that work for us.
This is a Cevan Metro Bag from Allen Ave. They also make super cute stuffed animals!
I would say the bag is the size of a nice carry on. It is also made from coated cotton canvas and is VERY sturdy and a little stiff. I am sure it will get softer after I break it in.
It has 3 toy loops that snap shut, one on either end and one on the inside. I thought about putting a paci pod on one, but I have plenty of pockets to put the extra pacis in.
It has 4 nice feet on the bottom to keep it from sitting on the floor. One of my "must have" features.
It holds everything I carry every day with plenty of room to add a few things for an all-day trip. Granted, I am a heavy packer, but I like to have a little room too!
I would like to find something else to put the kids' change of clothes in that is a little more compact, but this will do for now.
Oh and check out the fantastic giraffe print changing pad I made to match. It looks great!
Can you believe, me, the bag-a-holic, this is only the 2nd bag I have bought since Liam has been born? I have looked at a TON and this is the first one I have found that fits the bill.
I love the adjustable dividers in the main compartment, as well as all the pockets. The front has a great changing pad area. The smaller front compartment has more pockets and a nice mesh pocket. The product info states that it is fully insulated, have not had a chance to check that out though. OK, time for the pics!
Click to make bigger/see notes.




All the stuff I carry (told you I was an overpacker!)


Front Pocket


Main pocket

Two rear-facing!

Adeline and Liam are both still rear-facing. It is up to 4 times safer to leave your kids rear facing after 1 year. I plan on keeping both kids rear facing as long as they can fit into seats that rear face!
Adeline is in a Roundabout 50 that RF's to 35 lbs. Liam is in a Truefit that RF's to 40 lbs. I may have to swap them to keep Adeline RFing as long as possible.
Both of them are happy and comfortable. Also, there has not been any documented cases of leg/hip injury from extended rear facing!

GO COLTS!!!

Super Bowl Bound!!


Super Bowl Bound!!