Friday, May 27, 2011

Amelia's First Swim

Yesterday we went to Houston to visit my sister and brother in-law. Amelia was a great little traveler again. She is so good on car rides. I hope that continues as she gets older. We had very nice weather and the apartment complex has a pool...well, you can put 1 and 1 together. We went swimming! Here are a few highlights. 
Aunt Vicki came up with a creative floaty.
She liked swimming. She kicked her feet a lot.
Amelia was a little young for her float. She didn't stay in it long.

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

The Great Cloth Diapering Adventure: Cloth Diaper Review

It has been almost a week since we started our adventure, and it has been just that.  Let me start off by explaining I am not a cloth diaper expert. I haven't read everything that there is to know and I don't follow all the "rules." I am learning as I go and figuring out what works for us. I don't believe cloth diapering is for everyone. I'm not even convinced yet it's for us. My intention is to tell our experience in the hope that it will give others help and insight in making their own completely personal decision.

My husband was not very enthusiastic about the idea of using cloth. The thing that won him over was the cost. We are on a very limited budget. So, the fact that for about $300 we could outfit Amelia's diapering needs until age 3 was a big advantage to our budget. The biggest disadvantage would have to be dealing with the poo.

I don't have a weak stomach, dealing with poo doesn't phase me. My husband on the other hand has a strong gag reflex when it comes to those kind of messes. He can't deal with cleaning up a puppy mess so, the idea of just taking a diaper off and throwing it away is very appealing to him. I totally understand this and if you are like my husband I would not encourage you to try cloth diapering. 

First off, what are we using? This is where I did do some research. I have a cousin who swears by cloth diapering and I got a lot of advice and tips from her. Through looking at different websites and talking with my cousin I decided that I was only interested in one size all in one diapers. I think you can never really know what will work for you until you try it but I narrowed it down to three brands; Fuzzibunz, bumGenius, and Charlie Banana. All are very similar in design, but there are a few differences that may matter to some.

Charlie Banana and Fuzzibunz
bumGenius (button and velcro)
Charlie Banana and Fuzzibunz both have three snaps on the outside. The only difference, which I think is an advantage, is that Charlie Banana diapers have a "female" end of a snap between the top two males allowing for a tighter fit. This is nice if you have a tiny/skinny baby like Amelia. The bumGenius button version only has 2 buttons. My husband likes this better because it is a little less complicated when diapering a squirmy baby. The velcro bumGenius also work well for skinny babies. The ones I have were hand me downs from my cousin. The velcro is a little worn out but you can buy replacement tabs from bumGenius that are pretty easy to sew on yourself.

All four types of diapers use a numbered elastic system for the leg holes. As baby grows you just unbutton the elastic and re-button it on the next size hole. It can be a pain if you lose hold of the elastic and it gets pulled back up inside, but it only took us a couple of minutes to get it back out again. 

While the Charlie Banana and Fuzzibunz are basically the same there is one difference that matters to me. It has to do with how the insert is put into the diaper. In the fuzzibunz the insert is put in at the back. The diaper is basically just open in the back. This makes taking the insert out after the diaper has been used easier but it also makes the back less secure to the baby while being worn. We haven't had a blow out yet but I feel like it would be more likely with the Fuzzibunz. The Charlie Banana (and bumGenius) inserts are put in at the front and the opening is covered by a flap. It's harder to get in and out but the fit of the diaper is a lot more snug, making blow outs less likely. We haven't experienced a blow out yet but she has leaked through a diaper at night. This was easily fixed by doubling the insert. We haven't had a problem since.

I will continue to update periodically about our adventure. So, far I feel like it's working for us. I do about a load of diapers a day, normally at night before bed. It hasn't added much to my chore list. I also think we will be able to keep it up once school starts. If you have questions about anything, feel free to leave a comment. I'm not an expert but I'd be glad to share what I do know.

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Today has been one of those days with Amelia. I am pretty sure she is teething. She is drooling constantly and "chewing" on her hands a lot. She is also fussy for no reason, making today a very difficult one. I tried to be productive and continue my quest for a clean house but my efforts are to scattered to be evident. I washed some clothes, picked up here and there but nothing really looks improved. Oh well, such is life with baby.

I wanted to give an update on the great cloth diapering adventure but that seems like it will have to wait until tonight when Amelia has gone to bed...

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Summertime Girls

School is over for the semester and my summer has officially started. I always look forward to the summer, not to sit around and do nothing, far from it! Summer is when I get the chance to do all the things I wanted to do during the school year but didn't have the free time. I have several big plans for this summer. The biggest and least likely to happen is to get the house put together and better organized. I am hoping by tackling each room individually through out the next three months I will be able to accomplish this lofty goal. I call it lofty because I have had two days already to start this scheme and so far Amelia has not cooperated. She still wants to be held all the time, but she does take short naps. I've been able to pick up hear and there and to wash laundry. I am still optimistic that I will be able to get the house as clean as I want and to finally add those little touches to make it feel more like home. After all, we've only lived here three years now...

Today, also marks the first day of the great cloth diapering adventure. When Amelia was born she was too tiny for her cloth diapers and we have been traveling so much this last month I just wasn't sure when we would see a washing machine again. Despite all this we are still venturing to use our cloth diapers. The biggest reason being the cost. We spent over $40 this last month on disposables. We are fortunate that the landlady pays the water bill in our current renting situation so the added water cost doesn't hit our budget, but I have a feeling if it did it would be minimal compared to $40. So, Today we are officially setting out on this adventure.  I will keep you updated about how we do.   

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