Too much going on!

Oh my gawd. There is just too much happening within the span of the next couple of months that I can't even handle it at the moment. We're moving, which is the big thing, I guess. And it's throwing everything out of whack. Kayla is with her Mimi and Papa for the next- I don't even know... maybe a few days? A week? Brian is living in a hotel in the new town. I'm here, trying to stay sane, pack, clean, whatever with the baby. I'm tired, stressed, lonely, overwhelmed, and today my mind has checked out.

So here's what I've decided to do with my time today:

Phoenix foam board melted crayon art. 

Because that's what you do when you have way more important things that actually need to  be done!

Confused about Cloth Diapers?

A few of my friends on Facebook asked me about cloth diapers recently. I know that when I first started out doing cloth diapers, it felt like I was reading Japanese. It's overwhelming and it feels like more trouble than it's worth at first. But if I can do anything to persuade even one more person to use cloth by means of explaining everything, then I will be a happy camper! So I'll just get started.

Not sure where to start? Well, I first recommend considering the different diapering systems available. Once you decide on a system you like, you can go from there.
 Systems-


The first option has several different choices within it. You can use diapers (just the absorbent part) and covers. These are two separate piece of fabric that you'll be putting on the baby.
Diapers- flats, prefolds, fitteds, contours      Covers- PUL, wool, fleece

Flats- 

http://www.earthycrunchymama.com/2011/11/styles-of-cloth-diapers-2/

Flats are one large piece of fabric. It's one layer thick, and you fold it up a bunch of times and then snappi or pin it on the baby. When most laymen people think of cloth diapering, this is the type of diaper they immediately think of. It's pretty old school, but many people still prefer them even over the more modern solutions. Need a cover of some sort.

An example of a fold-

http://www.diaperware.com/picturepages/flatfolding.htm

Advantages- washes fast and easily, easy to strip/disinfect if needed, drys fast, perfect fit regardless of your baby's shape, can use same cover for pee diapers instead of a new cover every change. 
Disadvantages- lots of folding involved. I mean, it's not as complicated as folding a fitted sheet or anything, but compared to the other diapers, it's the most involved. 





Prefolds- 

http://www.greenmountaindiapers.com/diapers.htm

Prefolds are similar to flats. They're just a rectangle of absorbent fabric that you fold onto the baby. Prefolds are made of several layers, though, so there is less folding involved. You will need a cover.

Folds-
Bikini twist-


Angelwing-

 Trifold-

Jellyroll-


(You can find plenty of videos on YouTube for more step by step directions.

For both Flats and Prefolds, you will need to either use diaper pins or Snappis to close them.



http://www.greenmountaindiapers.com/other.htm#Snappis


Fitted Diapers-

http://www.greenmountaindiapers.com/diapers.htm#fitted

Fitted diapers are essentially prefolds that are sewn into the shape of a diaper. They have elastics around the legs, and most have snap closures. They're often easier than prefolds and flats because there is no folding, and many people also find them to be better against leaks. Lots of Work at home Moms (WAHMS) make some SUPER cute fitted diapers on etsy.com and hyenacart.com. Need Covers.

Advantages-  All the advantages of prefolds and flats, but they're easier to put on!, tons of cute designs and patterns available.
Disadvantages- snaps and elastics mean that they MAY not fit your baby as well as diapers you can fold yourself. 


Contour diapers- 

http://www.cottonbabies.com/product_info.php?products_id=2211

Contour diapers are basically fitted diapers without the built in closures. They allow you to use a snappi, pins, or none at all if you want.

Advantages- easier to put on than flats or prefolds, snug fit against baby, easy to wash, dry, or strip if needed. 
Disadvantages- No snaps, so you'll need to close it on your own


Covers-
 Diaper covers can be made out of PUL, fleece, or wool.

PUL-

http://www.greenmountaindiapers.com/superbrite.htm

PUL covers are all so similar, yet so different. It's just a matter of person preference, really. Some have snaps, others have applix. Some have single leg gussets, others have double. Some are one-size, others run NB-XL. It's really just a matter of trying out different ones to see which works for you.

From a personal standpoint, I have used Thirsties Diaper covers, Thirsties Duo wraps, Econobum covers, Flip Covers, Bummis Super Brite and Super Whisper Wraps, as well as a WAHM cover from Twinkletoes Diapers. Believe it or not, every one of them worked for us. I thought that the Super Whisper Wrap-


would leak when we first got it, but it didn't! For some reason I expected all my single gusset covers to leak. But they didn't! So don't let a single gusset necessarily scare you off.

Wool-

I'll  be honest, I haven't ventured into this worlds personally, yet. Wool is natural and very breathable. It's water resistant, not waterproof and needs to be soaked in lanolin-saturated water before use so it works as a diaper cover. You can find wool 'shorties' or 'longies'- basically pants and shorts that double as a diaper cover- in so many adorable patterns.


http://www.greenmountaindiapers.com/covers.htm#doubleknit


http://www.etsy.com/listing/84600119/dark-pink-merino-wool-longies-free?ref=sr_gallery_32&ga_search_query=wool+longies&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_ship_to=ZZ&ga_min=0&ga_max=0&ga_search_type=handmade


http://www.etsy.com/listing/97995013/hand-knit-wool-shorties-monster-soaker?ref=sr_gallery_7&ga_search_query=wool+shorties&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_ship_to=ZZ&ga_min=0&ga_max=0&ga_search_type=handmade


Wool is often times people's bulletproof overnight cover when all other diapering systems fail them.

Advantages- natural, breathable, bulletproof, adorable options, 
Disadvantages- more expensive, must be lanolized


Fleece-
Fleece is a man-made material, but it is breathable and durable like wool. It's a good alternative to PUL covers, and not as expensive as wool. While wool covers can sometimes be used several changes, most fleece needs to be washed as soon as it gets wet with urine.  They also come in a variety of colors and patterns, as well as styles such as longies, shorties, soakers, and wraps.

Soakers-


"Skirties"


Wrap

http://www.diaperware.com/information/newborn.htm





All-in-one

http://www.nickisdiapers.com/grovia-aio.html




AIOs are exactly as they sound- all in one. They're one diaper, all the layers sew together. No added steps, just on and off the baby like you would with a disposable. They are the most expensive of all the diapering system because you're paying for not only the convenience, but the combination of all the layers- waterproof and absorbent.

I thought that I would love AIO diapers, but never planned on making a whole stash of them for money purposes.  I was actually disappointed. AIOs take a LONG time to dry because you're not supposed to dry them in the dryer. Mine take sometimes almost 2 days to dry completely. If I were to have an entire stash of them, I would need to have two separate stashes just to account for drying time, which makes their high price even more daunting.

Another downside- you can't really adjust the absorbency in an AIO. There's no where to stuff extra fabric. So if you need more absorbency for a heavy peeing baby or overnight, then you may experience leaks.


They are, however, awesome Daddy, grandparent and daycare diapers. Some daycare centers who originally say NO to cloth will make the exception for AIO diapers or prestuffed pocket diapers (See below) because they really are simple.


Advantages- easy on and off, no extra steps, good for daycare and Daddy, no stuffing
Disadvantages- expensive, long drying time, no changing absorbency, you change the whole diaper each diaper change.



Pockets-


I'm going to write a very biased review here. I love pockets. They're my favorite! They really are the best of all the cloth diapering world. Pockets are two parts- a shell, and an insert. The shell is made up of a waterproof layer sewn together to a soft layer on the inside. There is a hole, usually left at the top, back of the diaper, where you can stuff the insert into the shell.






Those are just a few visuals to try to explain how that works.

These diapers are awesome because once stuffed, they work like an AIO or a disposable. Just pop them on and off the baby. They dry quickly because the inserts can go in the dryer, and the shells are only the two layers so the line dry in a couple of hours, even inside. You can easily strip the inserts if needed. You can also change or add to what you stuff them with. Sold separately, you can find hemp, bamboo, and other diaper inserts and doublers. Some people use prefolds folded in the trifold fashion. Lots of pocket diapers come with microfiber inserts, and while it's very good and wicking away the moisture from your baby, it sometimes starts to stink and needs to be stripped every once in a while. So far, I've used MF for 4 months full time and the only stink issue I've experienced happened when I accidentally ran a cold wash instead of hot.

Even more proof that they're the best of both worlds- they also run in the middle price-wise. You can find good pockets from Alva or Sunbaby diapers for 4-6 dollars a diaper (with free shipping from Japan, but it does take sometimes several weeks to reach you). Most pockets will cost you approximately 10-20 dollars.

Some people dislike pockets because you have to stuff them. This process normally takes me about 15 minutes or so. I tend to just stuff them right after they are all dried, and then put them all away ready to be used.

Variety is another advantage here. Pocket diapers come in so many colors and patterns it will make your head spin. With pockets, you need to change the entire diaper each time you do a diaper change, unlike when you use diapers with a cover. So you will need as many pocket diapers as you will have changes until laundry day. That means that if you change the recommended every two hours except maybe overnight, then you will need probably 8-10 diapers a day, being conservative.

Advantages-  Easy to wash and dry, you can change absorbency, they're cute, easy to clean and disinfect
Disadvantages- more expensive that prefolds and covers, need to change entire diaper each change, you have to stuff pockets. 




All-in-2








AI2 or hybrid diapers are sort of a combination of using covers and pockets. This system uses covers and inserts that usually snap into the cover. For pee diapers, you can just snap in a new insert after wiping down the cover. Some systems even sell disposable inserts, which some people love for travelling.

They are easy to wash, quick to dry, come in cute colors and designs, and you also get more for you money by needing fewer covers. This diapering system doesn't really have any particular disadvantage. Some people love them, some people just prefer other systems!

Advantages- fast drying, saves money compared to pockets and AIOs, easier than folding prefolds or flats, no stuffing,
Disadvantages- none, really!



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Those are the basic modern cloth diapering systems. I know that it sounds like a lot, but really, it's just a matter of understand how they work and which you think you'd prefer. I guessed that I would love pockets and AIOs over prefolds, and I was right- at least about the pockets. Prefolds aren't bad, but sometimes  when I have a squirming baby, the extra step of diaper-then-cover is a pain. We use prefolds at night and get really good leak protection for longer stretches of laying down. AIOs are actually my least favorite and that shocked me. I was glad that I didn't invest in a lot of them because I sold the ones I had. Pockets are definitely perfect for us most of the time!

Once you figure out which system, you can go crazy and start looking up brand names to try out. This is where it gets fun! The choices are pretty much endless, especially once you start looking into WAHM diapers on etsy and hyenacart.

Brand Suggestions-
Below, I'll list some of the more common, popular diapers as a place to start for you. These are by no means the only options, but they're some of the ones that I see mentioned most on message boards.

AIOs- 
itti bitti d'lish-
http://ittibitti.us/cloth_diaper/bitti_dlish

Bum Genius Freetime
http://www.cottonbabies.com/product_info.php?cPath=98&products_id=3101

Grovia AIO-
http://www.kellyscloset.com/GroVia-One-Size-All-In-One-Cloth-Diaper_p_4011.html


Pocket Diapers-
Bum Genius 4.0-
http://www.cottonbabies.com/product_info.php?cPath=98&products_id=2424

Fuzzibunz-
http://www.cottonbabies.com/index.php?cPath=56

Sunbaby-
http://www.sunbabydiapers.com/product.php?id_product=20

Alva-
http://alvababy.com/

Rumparooz-
http://www.nickisdiapers.com/rumparooz-cloth-diapers.html

Blueberry-
http://www.nickisdiapers.com/blueberry-one-size-deluxe-pocket-diaper.html

Happy Heinys-
http://www.nickisdiapers.com/happy-heiny-pocket-diapers.html

Prefolds-
 Green Mountain Diapers-
http://www.greenmountaindiapers.com/diapers.htm

Imagine-
http://www.nickisdiapers.com/imagine-indian-prefolds.html

Cottonbabies.com Indian prefolds-
http://www.cottonbabies.com/product_info.php?cPath=28&products_id=277

Econobum-
http://www.nickisdiapers.com/econobum-trial-diaper-packages.html


Flats-

Sustainablebabyish-
http://www.kellyscloset.com/Sustainablebabyish-Bamboo-Terry-Flat-Cloth-Diapers_p_4328.html

Imagine-
http://www.nickisdiapers.com/imagine-birdseye-flat-diapers.html

Birdseye flats-
http://www.cottonbabies.com/product_info.php?cPath=28&products_id=276

Hempbabies-
http://www.kellyscloset.com/Hemp-Babies-Flat-Cloth-Diapers-6-pack_p_2942.html

Swaddlebees-
http://www.swaddlebees.com/Products/Fitted-Diapers/flats

Fitted Diapers-
Green Mountain Diapers workhorse fitteds-
http://www.greenmountaindiapers.com/diapers.htm#workhorse

Blueberry-
http://www.swaddlebees.com/Products/Fitted-Diapers/b9100

Thirsties Fab fitted-

http://www.kellyscloset.com/Thirsties-Fitted-Diapers_c_825.html

Sustainablebabyish-
http://www.kellyscloset.com/Sustainablebabyish-Snapless-Multi-Fitted-Cloth-Diapers_p_4325.html

Contour-
http://www.cottonbabies.com/product_info.php?cPath=28&products_id=2211

Diaper Covers-


Bummis Super Whisper Wrap-
http://www.cottonbabies.com/product_info.php?cPath=28&products_id=92

 Bummis Super Brite-
http://www.cottonbabies.com/product_info.php?cPath=28&products_id=1284

Flip-
http://www.cottonbabies.com/product_info.php?cPath=36&products_id=2220

Thirsties Duo Wrap-
http://www.cottonbabies.com/product_info.php?cPath=36&products_id=2339

Woolly Bottoms-
http://www.cottonbabies.com/product_info.php?cPath=36&products_id=3133

SustainableBabyish
http://www.cottonbabies.com/product_info.php?cPath=36&products_id=2342

Disana-
http://www.greenmountaindiapers.com/covers.htm#doubleknit

Blueberry Coveralls
http://www.blueberrydiapers.com/Products_3/Diaper-Covers_2/b5288_4




AI2 and Hybrids-


Flip
http://www.cottonbabies.com/index.php?cPath=139

Best Bottom
http://www.nickisdiapers.com/best-bottom.html

Grovia
http://www.kellyscloset.com/GroVia_c_902.html




~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Some other things:

Detergent
Cloth diapers need cloth-diaper safe detergents. Normal detergents have dyes, scents, and other additives that can cause repelling and other issues for your diapers. Here is a list of some CD safe detergents.
http://www.diaperjungle.com/detergent-chart.html

I use Ecos Free and Clear that I got at Walmart.

Diaper Creams
The same thing applies to diaper creams. You need to make sure that you use a cream that is safe for your diapers and won't cause build up and repelling.
http://www.pinstripesandpolkadots.com/diaperrashcreams.htm

Prepping
Depending on the type of type of material you are working with, you will need to prep your diapers and inserts. microfiber and other man-man fabrics will need to be washed at least once. Hemp, cotton, and other natural fibers will need to be washed several times in order to gain the most absorbency. PUL needs to be dried in the dryer one time to seal it. Wool needs to be prepped with lanolin. Everything you buy will come with specific prep instructions, so you just need to follow those directions.


Storing dirty diapers-
What do you do with a dirty diaper? Well, the great thing about breastfeeding, if you're doing so, is that you don't need to rinse you cloth diapers. Breastmilk poop is water soluble, so during your rinse cycle it's taken care of.

You can use a wet pail, a dry pail with a liner, or a wet bag for you cloth diapers.

A wet pail is a bucket of water, kept somewhere discreet, where you toss your dirty diapers to soak. This prevents any poop from being caked on, however, I have used only a dry pail and never had any real staining or stink problems.

A dry pail can be something as simple as a cheap garbage can with a lid. We have 2 Planetwise pail liners, and rotate them every wash.

I have found that sometimes the pail will smell less if you leave the lid off. I've read that has to do with containing the ammonia from urine, but whatever the case, sometimes the lid makes the smell stronger as you open the can.

A wetbag is a bag that is lined with a waterproof layer of PUL that usually closes with a zipper. These are handy and can be hung on doorknobs or hooks in convenient places, and they do an awesome job at containing any smells. We use the Planet wise hanging wet/dry bag. It's also great for when traveling.




Storing diapers on the go-
Wondering what you do in public? Many places sell various size wetbags, like the large hanging one above, but in small sizes. Pop one of those in the diaper bag, and when you change your diaper, the dirty diaper goes in your small wetbag. For wipes on the go, some people opt to just use disposables, others take their cloth wipes and a small, travel size spray bottle of water with them. Spray the dry cloth wipe, and then it all goes in the wet bag.
http://www.kissedbythemoon.com/Planet-Wise-Wet-Bags_p_385.html





Cloth Wipes
I was so intimidated by the idea of cloth wipes at first, even more so than the diapers. But it's so unbelievably simple, and I'm glad we did it!

You can use baby washcloths or cut up flannel or receiving blankets into squares about 8 inches or so in length. I know that some people claim you can leave the edges to fray but I found that they just frayed way too much not to be annoying. I was finding little strings all throughout the diaper laundry. So I zig zag stitched around the edges of my wipes and it helped.

There are many websites that give you ideas for cloth wipes solution. You can also use plain water, or water and some bathsoap. I mix a large jug of water and bathsoap for now, but plan to eventually start looking into tea tree oils and other essential oils.

I use my wipes warmer, roll all my wipes, pile them in, and pour the solution over them. Easy peasy. Upstairs, I have dry wipes and a spray bottle with plain water in it. Both work, but I love the wipes warmer.

Cloth wipes are so much more effective at getting poop off their little bums. I've used disposables on my older daughter, and I know that there were times I went through about 10 wipes per change just trying to get all the mess off of her. AT the very most, I've used two for even the messiest of diapers. They're also very simple to care for- just toss them in your diaper pail along with the diapers, wash with them, and that's it!

http://www.zany-zebra.com/cloth-wipe-solution.shtml

Washing
-If you are dealing with a baby who eats solids, spray off, scrape, or dunk poop into the toilet.
-Place diaper into your pail.
-Dump your pail into the washer.
-Cold rinse cycle.
-Hot wash, with CD safe detergent.
-Cold rinse. (Some people do two, I do one with no issues).
-Line dry your covers and shells, anything with elastic and snaps.
-Tumble dry your diapers, inserts, washcloths (unless you keep them wet, then just place into the wipe warmer).
-Stuff pockets, if necessary.
DONE!

How many Will I need?
How many diapers you need will greatly depend on how often you want to do wash. Newborns and young infants often poop A LOT. With cloth diapers, you pretty much have to change them every two hours or so. The benefits of CD include the lack of those yucky chemicals, but those chemicals are partly why disposables can be worn for hours on end with no leaks. That does NOT mean it's good for your baby.  Just because it's possible, does not make it okay. Cloth diapers differ, because they just eventually reach capacity for absorbency and leaving them on for too long absolutely will result in leaks from just being full.
So two hours is the recommended, normal time to change a diaper. Newborns will be up and getting changed every two hours around the clock- 12 diapers a day or more. As they get older and sleep through the night, You'll still probably be changing them about 8 times a day, then once or twice at night until they're really, fully sleeping through the night. So if you want to wash diapers every two days, then you'll probably need around 20-25 diapers. If you're like me, and like to be prepared, you may want more so you're not stuck with no diapers or washing sooner than you expected. If you want to be able to go 3 days, then closer to 30-32 may be a better number for you. Going longer than 3 days isn't usually recommended because then you really will be dealing with more smell from your pail and your diapers will be more likely to stink.
Also, keep in mind that newborn poop can be very runny! As babies get older, their poop can be better contained in prefolds and other diapers, but during the newborn phase, you more likely to get poop on the cover every single time they go (which often times is every diaper change!!) You may need a few more covers for the NB phase than you would normally need.

Cloth Diapering a newborn and one-size diapers- 
One-size diapers are not truly one-size. You will be hard put to find a one-size that will fit, and many people agree that your one-size diapers won't really fit until about 10-12 pounds in some cases.
Therefore, you should considering having a newborn stash as well as a one-size stash.
Many companies sell separate Newborn sized diapers as well as their one-size for this reason.
When I was looking for our newborn diapers, most of my mom friends and online community members recommended prefolds and covers for newborns. They tend to work best at containing the runny poop, and they are more versatile for the unsure nature of the size your newborn really will be. If prefolds really are not for you, you will really want to search out a specifically NB sized diaper.
We worked out the math for our newborn stash, compared to what we would be spending on disposables, and it worked out to be about the same, slightly less, to use cloth. What sold us on cloth for this period was the fact that we could sell our newborn stash and make most of that money back in the end. When all was said and done, we only spent about 30 dollars on our newborn diapers (that was the difference between what we spent and how much we sold everything for later). Not too shabby!

Used cloth-
Don't be grossed out. I know that it sounds horrible to imagine at first. But in the cloth diapering world, people buy and sell used cloth ALL THE TIME. There are tons of message boards and online communities that are dedicated to the buying and selling of used cloth diapers. Many moms take awesome care of their cloth, but obviously there is still some concern.
Ask for clear pictures. If you can't really see the diapers well, you're taking that chance. Don't buy unless you're confident they look as described. Try to buy from sellers with good feedback.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I think it's important to understand some of the challenges that you will probably face at some point if you choose to cloth diaper. Like everything, problems may arise. It's not a mark against cloth and it doesn't mean that it's too much trouble- it's not! But you should know these things and understand then before you're blindsided later on.

1.) Yes, there will be more laundry. If you hate laundry, then this is going to be an issue. I'll say that most people probably add another 2-3 loads of laundry a week, because most people wash their diapers every 2-3 days. But- it's not any more difficult than your other laundry- just a rinse, wash, and rinse cycle. There is no real particular headache involved.

2.) Yes, you may at some point come into contact with urine or feces. But modern cloth diapering makes that almost a non-issue. Many people use Diaper sprayers, and they pretty much eliminate the need to get down and dirty with your cloth. They're essentially a kitchen sink sprayer that you attach to your toilet. When you have a dirty diaper, you bring it over to the toilet, spray off the poop, and that's that. The diaper can go into your diaper pail or wetbag.

http://www.cottonbabies.com/product_info.php?cPath=37&products_id=1228




You can also make your own by buying a few parts from Home Depot or Lowes, and it will cost you approximately 20 dollars or less.
http://gidgetgoeshome.com/2008/08/25/diy-tutorial-make-your-own-diaper-sprayer/


Not into a sprayer? I've seen people buy spatulas to use specifically for scraping off their diapers into the toilet. Of course, you can always resort to the classic 'dunk and swish' into the toilet, too!

3.) Do they smell? The short answer- no. I say no, because they smell no more than disposables do. For anyone who has used disposables, you have also probably used a diaper Genie (or the like). When we used one with our older daughter, it got to the point that my husband wouldn't actually put the diapers into the diaper Genie thing. He'd leave them sitting on top of it because when you opened it, the smell would hit you in the face for those few moments.

 If you have discovered that throwing them out in the garbage right away is the best solution, then you will be dealing with those few moments of stink when you open and close the pail, and when you dump them into the wash. It's literally 10 seconds each time. The house and room doesn't smell, and the diapers wash smelling fresh.

4.)"stinkies"- This term (which, for what it's worth, makes me cringe) simply means that your diapers are starting to stink. This is usually a result of detergent or residue build up or bacteria. You'll most likely need to strip your diapers at some point, and it will depend on what type of diaper you have when the time comes. PUL needs a little more care than prefolds or flats might. For detergent and build up-  A simple solution- hot wash with no soap, cold rinse, and repeat until there are no bubbles in the wash. If bacteria is the problem, you can wash using tea-tree oil, grapefruit seed oil, or even bleach as a last-ditch effort. Again, depending on the type of system you use, bleach might not be the best option.
Either way, they are poop catchers. At some point, you have to be willing to strip your diapers. It's not overly complicated, but it will take a few extra washings.
5.)Fit issues. Like with disposables, and even clothing, you may not get the perfect fitting diaper right away. Cloth diapers are all about trial and error. You may read the thousands of awesome reviews of Bum Genius diapers, only to find that they leak on your baby and just don't fit right. Every baby is shaped differently, so you may need to try several different brands and styles before finding the perfect one.

6.) Night solutions are often a pain. Many cloth moms struggle to find their nighttime solution. It's a lot of pee to hold in for a long time. You may need to play with various diapers, materials, and styles of diapers before finding one that lasts over night. I've known several moms to resort to disposables overnight because they just couldn't stuff enough on their little one's bum to keep them dry by morning.

7.) More electric and water bills? Very minimal, but yes, technically the bills will go up a little. Most people I've talked to have reported a $5-10 increase in their bills a month. Any time there was a greater increase than that, it always wound up having to do with family staying with them in their homes and using more of their electricity, or a leak in the plumbing somewhere, or other non-cloth diaper related increases in the bills.


Still not sure?
Try a cloth diaper trial!
http://jilliansdrawers.com/products/clothdiapers/tryclothfor10
 or
http://www.nickisdiapers.com/15-day-wash.html

You pay outright for the diapers, send back what you don't want, and get refunded all buy a small amount of your money.


I hope this helps someone take the journey along with me. I am in love with our diapers and regret not diapering my older daughter this way!

My Breastfeeding Swansong

Ok. Here it is. The beginning of the end.

Paige is almost three months old. This isn't as long as I was hoping to nurse, but I know that it probably won't be long before I stop. I'm surprised with how well I'm handling it but that could be because I'm not really letting it set in yet.

At some point last week, she started to refuse to nurse during the day. It started out with her just pulling away a few times, but I finally stopped trying after days of screaming throughout  the whole process. She'd drink, pull away, scream for several minutes, try again, pull away, scream- repeat repeat repeat. I have a forceful letdown and the poor child was being practically drowned. And it wasn't just for a few moments at the beginning of each nursing session, it lasted almost the entire time. When the spray finally settled down into a reasonable flow for her to comfortably drink, there was very little left for her get. She's have to nurse for a really long time because of how little she was getting at once.

I have tried block feeding to get it under control, but that hasn't helped. I have tired to express some before she eats, but like I said, it's like everything comes spraying out until there's hardly any left so expressing some doesn't help.

I can really tell a difference between day and night nursing. I guess my supply drops a bit at night and it's bearable, because she still can nurse alright after 8 PM or so. She doesn't choke, hiccup, or even spit up over night. During the day we were a hot mess every single time.

So I started to pump during the day. After only a week, my supply has dropped. I'm doing everything I can to keep it up (Mother's milk tea, lots of water, oatmeal, etc.). But just like last time with my oldest daughter, pumping doesn't seem to be keeping my supply going as well as it should.

I'll keep trying and as long as I'm getting a decent amount, I'll continue to try to pump. But I just know this is the beginning of the end of my breastfeeding. My letdown issue won't resolve itself, so she probably won't be willing to nurse when she's choking. It really is a traumatic experience for us both so I can't say I blame her.

So we will see. I don't know what will happen in the upcoming weeks. I'm not anti-formula like some of my breastfeeding cohorts are. I have no concerns for her health or intelligence. In fact, my main reason for breastfeeding was COST of formula more than anything else. All the other benefits were just an added bonus for me. I'm just a little bummed to see things going down this path again but I'm much more prepared than I was when it didn't work out with Kayla, and I'm hoping that if we do stop completely, I won't have that overwhelming guilt like I did last time.

The Mating by Nicky Charles

I'd give this one 3 1/2 out of 5 stars. I 'a little more than' liked it.  It was written well-enough that I didn't really care much about the style, except for the dialogue at some points. That may be me, though. I almost always don't care for dialogue.

I just really liked this book for some reason despite what bothered me about it. Like I said, the dialigue was bad. Pretty horrid in some cases.  It makes me appreciate a book where the characters can speak with inducing douche-chills. And Elise, the main character, was dense. It took her 900 pages to work out "Marla did it," when as the reader you realize that on page, I don't know, ten. If there is a bad choice to make, Elise will make it, but at the same time it was nice reading about a female with some vague inkling of a spine. This isn't great literature, but there's something about it that I enjoyed. I will definitely be reading the next book.

So I can add another paranormal sort of romance to the list of enjoyable reads. I'm happy to since they're always so hit or miss.

Fifty Shades of Grey- review

Oh, this disappointment is just all-encompassing. 

Have I read the same book as all of my friends? 

First of all, I need to get this off my chest. This is the biggest Twilight rip-off I have ever read. I'm not even a die-hard Twi-hard, and I'm disgusted by how similar these books are. Seriously, at least Twilight has vampires, albeit sort of silly ones. 

So let's compare.

Setting:
Twlight- Washington. 
Fifty Shades- Washington. 

Characters:
Female protagonist-
Isabella Swan- Prefers to be called Bella. Pale, dark hair, sort of nondescript so that most young women can easily put themselves in her shoes. Awkward, clumsy, socially defunct, sexually inexperienced. Two divorced parents, sort of sweet, hare-brained mother who lives with stepfather in the south. Has tastes that are not common for her age. Likes to read classic literature. No self-esteem. Apparently living in 1995 because Email is her main way to keep in touch over, say, text messaging. Emphasis placed on her researching online to learn more about Edward. drives a rickety old car that causes edward concern.

Anastasia Steele- Prefers to be called Ana. Pale, dark hair, sort of nondescript so that most young women can easily put themselves in her shoes. Awkward, clumsy, socially defunct, sexually inexperienced. Two divorced parents, sort of sweet, hare-brained mother who lives with stepfather in the south. Has tastes that are not common for her age. Likes to read classic literature. No self-esteem. Apparently living in 1995 because Email is her main way to keep in touch over, say, text messaging. Emphasis placed on her researching online to learn more about Christian. drives a rickety old car that causes christian concern.


Male Protagonist-
Edward Cullen- Drop-dead gorgeous. Copper haired. Wealthy. Controlling. Adopted by well-off parents, one whom is a doctor. Likes a variety of music, much of which is classical. Plays piano. Has several adopted siblings. Likes fancy cars. Has never brought a woman home before, and everyone was worried about him for it. Talks about 'his world' being separate from the normal one. 
Christian Grey- See all of Edward Cullen. Except he's not a vampire. 

Other-
Mia- see Alice Cullen. 
Ray- see Charlie Swan
Kate- arguably comparable to Rosalie Cullen- although not a sibling to christian or anatagonist to ana, she is used as a foil for her just as Rosalie is to Bella. Also, she's romantically involved with Christian's brother ( just as Rosalie is with Emmett). 
Elliott- see Emmett. 
Jose- see Jacob

Plot-
Twilight- Self-proclaimed uninteresting and not-attractive Bella Swan, (Who apparently IS attractive to other people) somehow manages to catch the eye of over-the-top gorgeous rich dude Edward Cullen. Edward tells Bella to stay away, but finds he can't and their strange fucked up relationship ensues. About 1 week into their even knowing the existence of each other, Bella is forever in love. 
Fifty Shades- Self-proclaimed uninteresting and not-attractive Ana Steele, (Who apparently IS attractive to other people) somehow manages to catch the eye of over-the-top gorgeous rich dude Christian Grey. Christian tells Ana to stay away, but finds he can't and their strange fucked up relationship ensues. About 1 week into their even knowing the existence of each other, Ana is forever in love. 

Have I covered it? Hardly. This book, almost verbatim in some places, mimics Twilight so much that it was distracting. I kept expecting Ana to throw out that now practically legendary line about being 'irrevocably in love' with stupid Christian, or maybe for the Volturi to pop out from around a corner and start chasing them down. From the overly warm welcome of Ana to Christian's family to the fast comment about needing 'bathroom time', this absolutely stinks of borderline plagiarism or copy write infringement or something. 

On to this book on it's own. 
Horrible. 
Fifty shades? FIFTY? Because really, all I could see were two- asshole with a messed up childhood who now likes to beat his lovers, and playful, lovable normal dude who was quite enjoyable. That's about it. Fifty shades, though. I'd like to know the other 48. 

Ana is one of the least likable characters I think ever written. She's more spineless and annoying that Bella Swan, equally needy and ridiculously, unhealthily willing to comply with a man she met only very recently. I give Bella Swan benefit of the doubt in her case, but Anastasia Steel just stumbles on forward with her relationship while this STRANGER continuously treats her like a child or an object... then is surprised or confused when his personality shifts dramatically. Which is does on every other page. This woman is a total moron. 

Also- let's take one moment to enjoy a definition of a word used repeatedly in the book. 
Subconscious- existing or operating in the mind beneath or beyond consciousness: the subconscious self. Compare preconscious, unconscious.

STOP REFERRING TO YOUR INNER MONOLOGUE AS YOUR SUBCONSCIOUS. If it was subconscious, you would not know what it was saying. People pay good money to figure out what their subconscious is trying to tell them, but apparently, Anastasia Steel has hers on a two-way radio at all times. 
Don't get me wrong- my favorite part of the entire book was the reaction of her 'subconscious' and her 'inner goddess', and a couple of times I even laughed aloud as she describes her subconscious calling her a 'ho'. But the constant reference to her 'subconscious' throughout the book makes the misuse of the word even more irritating. 

Speaking of repeated words- Without a doubt, had I read about the smell of Christian's body wash one more time, I think I would have actually lost my self-control and thrown the Nook across the room. I get it. He smells like his body wash. Maybe we can talk about that again in ten pages? And while we're at it, why not use the word "heady" or "intoxicating" some more. Or how about we have another sex scene that starts with Ana being entirely shocked that it's happening at all, and be sure to somehow include the word, "wow" as evidence of how she feels. So very descriptive. Really takes me away. 

And so we're clear, I'm rolling my eyes, because every eye roll apparently is something worth discussing for several pages. 

This book as absolutely no point. None. It's just reading so that you can get to the next sex scene. The characters are awful, the plot is non-existent, and the entire thing is one giant Twilight rip-off without the somewhat engaging story line. I wanted to give Ana some credit for being the one to break things off with Christian, but then she's devastated, "numb", and clearly pulling a Bella now that Christian's not in the picture. 

This was just such an, oh my god, terrible, terrible book. I kept wishing that I could reach into the pages and punch the characters right in their horribly described faces, but then realized that would probably turn them on. 

I'm all about a fun, sexy romp, but for now I'll just stick with the Black Dagger Brotherhood books when I'm looking for a smokin' hot read. At least there's also some semblance of a plot in that series.

The Frustrated and Stressed Breastfeeding Mother's Top Ten Reasons to Continue Breastfeeding

I am not one of those women who loves breastfeeding. I barely even like it. When I read about other women's experiences I pictures rainbows and butterflies just exploding out of their nursing bras every time they feed their babies, smiles on their faces and an angelic choir singing somewhere in the background.

I'm usually a sweaty, milk-stained, hot mess with blood shot eyes and preschooler somewhere whining as my eye twitches.

I've spent over two months now working on this graceful and happy breastfeeding thing. For whatever reason, it's just not me. I accept it now. I can live with the fact that I'm missing the womanly gene that gives most other breastfeeding moms that warm and fuzzy feeling inside. Either that or it's tangled up in the strand of DNA that also likes NOT having to disrobe every hour or two to feed my baby, or possibly the one that enjoys wine. Obviously, the whole health aspect of it is great, but sometimes it's hard for me to remember that while I'm struggling to remain vigilant. So instead of feeling entirely agitated about the whole experience, I've come up with a few positives to focus on and get me through this trying time.

So here they are:

10.) The incentive to wear all those clothes that get shoved into the back of the closet. Sure, there's a lot more laundry when you have to change your shirt three times a day because you leak all over it, but at least that shirt that I haven't worn in 6 months gets a little air time.

9.) It's good practice in the event that I lose an arm. I can now make breakfast, lunch and dinner, clean, sort, and fold laundry, wipe the counters, mop the floor, dust, open mail, buckle my preschooler into her carseat and get her out of it, type on the computer, fix my hair and make up, make coffee, push a shopping cart, and create a play-doh snowman.... all using only one arm.

8.) The opportunity to leave a room or walk away at any moment I feel like it. Run into someone you don't feel like talking to? "Oh, sorry, I need to feed the baby! Let's definitely get together for lunch though! (Yeah, right!)" Your family driving you up the wall? "I'm going to go feed her in the bedroom, now!" It's like a built-in excuse to get out of any situation you want without coming off as rude. Just the opposite- most people will think you're just avoiding making them uncomfortable.

7.) Getting the most out of my monthly Netflix membership. I bet I've made them regret that low monthly fee for streaming video. In my first month of nursing alone I finished watching the series to date of Mad Men, most of X-files, and all 6 seasons of Lost- twice. Why twice? Well, why not? Also, I sort of don't get it. And in the same vein, catching up on my reading. My Nook is on fire these past few weeks! I know that I'll miss having the chance to sit down for more than a few moments once the baby is a little older and on the move, so at least I know being confined to the couch and bed for hours at a time isn't going to waste.

6.) That moment when I walk by the formula in the store and realize that I can now spend my 15-25 dollars on ANYTHING besides formula. Chocolate bars, ice cream, a new book, hair dye, make up, cupcakes, a bottle of wine.... even though I know that in all actuality I'll probably spend it on the kids anyway. But just knowing I have that extra cash is enough to make me smile for the rest of the day.

5.) My mother-in-law doesn't like it. Enough said.

4.) Letting my husband catch up on bed time duty. When 7 PM rolls around, if I am feeling a little tired, I can call down to my beloved hubby and ask him if he can give our oldest a bath tonight because, well, I'm feeding the baby. It's not like he's checking to see if I'm smashing my soundly sleeping infant into my boob a little bit. Come on, in 4 years I can count on one hand the amount of baths he's given before this. I think he owes me a few, right?

3.) I'm certainly exhausted, but making bottles in the middle of the night would absolutely ensure I was even more tired. I remember those days with my older daughter. Not fun, or safe, wandering around the house like a zombie with a crying, hungry baby angrily waiting for her bottle. Of all the positive aspects of nursing, I think the ability to just whip out a boob and nurse in the middle of the night is probably the greatest advantage. I am a woman who loves my sleep, and definitely appreciate the ability to be a little lazy like that.

2.) Boobs. Just in general. I'm normally a small-chested sort of gal, so being able to fill out my shirts is like a lifetime achievement for me, and hearing my husband actually say, "Wow, you're tits look awesome!" makes me giggle like a schoolgirl. I guess this is what normal women go through when they first start developing during puberty. I totally get it now. These puppies rule. Helllloooo nurse!

1.) You wanna talk about an ego-boost? I don't think there will ever be anyone as excited to see my boobs as my hungry baby is.

I love my new Boba Carrier!

My aunt bought me this new carrier and I've only had it for a week or so, and I can't live without it!! Amazing!! Highly recommend, and I'll also post a few helpful videos!



http://www.bobafamily.com/

Nursing in the carrier-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3rkPrdzhD3k

Newborn Hold-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOHAZjxSi20