Although I'm starting to feel better, I felt like a real ass for the past couple of days. Why? Because I blindly listened to the pediatrician's generalized, yet repeated advice, rather than tune into my baby and those who help care for him.
After a horrible, horrible few nights of sleep last weekend -- Cayden up every hour, and whining at one point for as long as 90 minutes -- I finally abandoned my hard-line, "he's got to learn to comfort himself and go back to sleep on his own; for God's sake we'll be at the BEACH in a week -- he's got to outgrow this neediness by then!" approach to consider that something else may be at play.
Coincidentally, his repeated "viral infections" in his diaper flamed up really bad this past weekend: white blisters on his nuggets, and a raw, red butt-crack.
When my mother-in-law pointed out for what must have been the seventh time that even Chicken's clean cloth diapers smell like pee (she doubted the doc's diagnosis long, long before I did), something finally cracked loose in my head to make me look at this situation in a new light.
To to the Internet I went: cloth diaper message boards, babycenter.com and Google. And after really minimal searching, it became abundantly clear that we were not in fact battling recurring viral infections; rather we were suffering a relatively common cloth diaper condition that many pediatricians are simply unfamiliar with, due to the prevalence of sposies today: ammonia burn.
**Insert deep, dark, ominous cloud of guilt that has hung over me for days**
Over time our diapers have built up ammonia, and now even the clean ones maintain the stuff, so that as soon as Cayden pees, the smell rivals that of cat piss. Having become quite familiar with -- and perhaps immune to -- the noxious smell of cat piss over the span of Spike's cathederized-way-too-many-times life, I really, truly thought that the strong ammonia smell from Cayden's diapers was just the smell of normal baby pee.
But the smell isn't the worst part. It's the ammonia itself, which is caustic enough to actually burn the poor kid's sensitive skin.
Yeah, I was letting my kid's pee burn his nuggets and butt.
But now we know what the problem is, and after only two days in sposies, Cayden's bits are nearly all healed up. And our entire lot of cloth diapers is going through a thorough stripping right now. Hopefully, a little bit of Dawn dish detergent, a little bit of bleach and a whole, whole lot of hot water later, our diapers will be as good as new and ready to use as soon as we get home from the beach.
Thank goodness he's too little to maintain any memories of the piss torture his mother put him through at eleven months of age. :(
Showing posts with label cloth diapers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cloth diapers. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Monday, December 14, 2009
Poopoo in the Potty
No, Cayden hasn't started potty training. But oh how the poop landscape changed with the introduction of rice cereal!
This morning we got the first post-rice cereal poop, and unlike his very liquid poops to date, this one was much thicker, like peanut butter. And it stuck to his buns, requiring more than just a gentle wipe to clean him off.
I decided I didn't want to let the peanut-butter-poop dry out in the diaper pail until I do diaper laundry later this week, so this morning I began our poop-scraping journey, which I read will be quite interesting over the next couple of years.
Used way too much toilet paper to get the poo in the toilet, so now I'm on the hunt for a poop-scraping aparatus. Plastic knives, spoons and putty knives have been recommended to me, so far.
Since he's only pooping about once every 8 days now, I guess I have a week to pick my poop scraper.
This morning we got the first post-rice cereal poop, and unlike his very liquid poops to date, this one was much thicker, like peanut butter. And it stuck to his buns, requiring more than just a gentle wipe to clean him off.
I decided I didn't want to let the peanut-butter-poop dry out in the diaper pail until I do diaper laundry later this week, so this morning I began our poop-scraping journey, which I read will be quite interesting over the next couple of years.
Used way too much toilet paper to get the poo in the toilet, so now I'm on the hunt for a poop-scraping aparatus. Plastic knives, spoons and putty knives have been recommended to me, so far.
Since he's only pooping about once every 8 days now, I guess I have a week to pick my poop scraper.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Cloth Diaper Update
Yup, we're still going strong on the CD front.
We did buy seven more diapers -- one Bum Genius and six Happy Heineys -- to ease the laundry burden a bit.
We moved to the regular inserts (or two infant inserts) shortly after we started using the dipeys, and last week (week 11) we changed all the snaps to the next biggest size.
But everything is working well.
Except for a common-sense lesson I learned last week with regard to leaks. I thought maybe our dipeys were repelling (often a problem with detergents that have additives), therefore leaking. But after inquiring with Lillian, I smacked myself on the forehead to realize they aren't repelling, they're just OVERLY FULL OF PEE! Duh, it's the inserts that repel, not the covers. And our inserts are soaked when Cayden is changed, so they're working just fine.
Apparently I just need to change him more often (he hardly ever fusses over diaper issues, so I don't know he's really wet until I feel the wetness on his pants), use more inserts (which makes him really bulky) or try a more absorbant insert. Will try the old infant pre-folds as inserts next week, to see if they do better.
For now we're on to sposies for a long weekend in Jim Thorpe. First time Cayden will make this annual Fall weekend.
We did buy seven more diapers -- one Bum Genius and six Happy Heineys -- to ease the laundry burden a bit.
We moved to the regular inserts (or two infant inserts) shortly after we started using the dipeys, and last week (week 11) we changed all the snaps to the next biggest size.
But everything is working well.
Except for a common-sense lesson I learned last week with regard to leaks. I thought maybe our dipeys were repelling (often a problem with detergents that have additives), therefore leaking. But after inquiring with Lillian, I smacked myself on the forehead to realize they aren't repelling, they're just OVERLY FULL OF PEE! Duh, it's the inserts that repel, not the covers. And our inserts are soaked when Cayden is changed, so they're working just fine.
Apparently I just need to change him more often (he hardly ever fusses over diaper issues, so I don't know he's really wet until I feel the wetness on his pants), use more inserts (which makes him really bulky) or try a more absorbant insert. Will try the old infant pre-folds as inserts next week, to see if they do better.
For now we're on to sposies for a long weekend in Jim Thorpe. First time Cayden will make this annual Fall weekend.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Off the Grid
We're about to take off for two weeks in the Great White North (Canada, that is), so unless I find a free library connection somewhere in Perth, we'll be off the grid for two weeks. Back to the old-fashioned pen and paper for journaling and tracking milestones.
The trip up may prove an adventure, what with a nine week old, two cats, a used car-top carrier we just figured out yesterday and a car we've never taken on a long trip. But we're looking forward to some time alone on the lake as a little family. Then next week Grammy and Grandude Stackhouse will join us at the cottage for a big Canadian Thanksgiving.
But one more picture to share. How lucky are we that the brown-out of September '09 happened just before we left, rather than on the road? This took some SERIOUS clean up effort, and we would have had an absolute MESS on our hands if this had happened on the road. This is what eight days of poop build up looks like. And while poop in small doses doesn't really smell all that bad, this STUNK. (As do his toots, all of a sudden; really, he can clear a room.)
Really, sposies don't stand a chance against something like this, so we're taking some cloth diapers for nighttime, hoping his next blow-out happens early morning like the last two have.
The trip up may prove an adventure, what with a nine week old, two cats, a used car-top carrier we just figured out yesterday and a car we've never taken on a long trip. But we're looking forward to some time alone on the lake as a little family. Then next week Grammy and Grandude Stackhouse will join us at the cottage for a big Canadian Thanksgiving.
But one more picture to share. How lucky are we that the brown-out of September '09 happened just before we left, rather than on the road? This took some SERIOUS clean up effort, and we would have had an absolute MESS on our hands if this had happened on the road. This is what eight days of poop build up looks like. And while poop in small doses doesn't really smell all that bad, this STUNK. (As do his toots, all of a sudden; really, he can clear a room.)
Really, sposies don't stand a chance against something like this, so we're taking some cloth diapers for nighttime, hoping his next blow-out happens early morning like the last two have.
Friday, September 11, 2009
Packin' stuff up
I can't believe it, but this is the pile of stuff I assembled today, after going through Cayden's things to pull out everything that no longer fits the six-week-old. Some of this stuff (all rated for babies up to 3 months old) he never wore a single time. 
And after the prefold diaper covers started leaking earlier this week, I looked at the tag to find they're recommended for babies 6 to 10 pounds. That discovery, combined with the fact that the back corners of the prefolds don't meet up anymore with the front corners on Cayden, means we're officially done with prefolds. But the diapers themselves can still be used as Bum Genius stuffers and burp clothes.
And since our remaining 'sposies from the first couple of weeks are only rated for babies up to 14 pounds, we're going to use them up over the next few days.
Kudos to Colleen for thinking ahead and getting Pampers Size 2 sposies for the diaper cake. They're good for 12- 18 pounders, so they'll be perfect for our two-week trip to Canada, for which we leave at the end of the month. I didn't want to have to worry about our washing routine on vacation and with washer/drier with which I'm not all that familiar.
Off to Carter's today, to spend some free money (gift certificates) on more long-sleeve shirts in the 6-month range.
And after the prefold diaper covers started leaking earlier this week, I looked at the tag to find they're recommended for babies 6 to 10 pounds. That discovery, combined with the fact that the back corners of the prefolds don't meet up anymore with the front corners on Cayden, means we're officially done with prefolds. But the diapers themselves can still be used as Bum Genius stuffers and burp clothes.
And since our remaining 'sposies from the first couple of weeks are only rated for babies up to 14 pounds, we're going to use them up over the next few days.
Kudos to Colleen for thinking ahead and getting Pampers Size 2 sposies for the diaper cake. They're good for 12- 18 pounders, so they'll be perfect for our two-week trip to Canada, for which we leave at the end of the month. I didn't want to have to worry about our washing routine on vacation and with washer/drier with which I'm not all that familiar.
Off to Carter's today, to spend some free money (gift certificates) on more long-sleeve shirts in the 6-month range.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
This week's weight gain
Monday, at three weeks and six days old, Cayden weighed 11 pounds, 6 ounces.
Tuesday, at four weeks old, he weighed 11 pounds, 10 ounces.
And today, at four weeks and two days old, he weighed 11 pounds, 15 ounces, or one ounce short of 12 pounds.
Total gain: 9 ounces in four days.
A few disjointed thoughts:
(1) I never thought ounces were so heavy until they started piling up on this baby. Chicken Wing is really heavy. I didn't expect him to get this heavy this fast. Like it hurts my back to sway and bounce him longer than five minutes or so.
(2) I thought we'd be using prefold diapers for a lot longer than two weeks, but since his circumcision didn't heal until two weeks in and the newborn prefolds are getting small already, Cayden sported his first all-in-one this afternoon. Sure, just as Dad gets good at folding, fastening and covering the prefolds, we move to the easy diapers. Well, I guess we'll use both kinds to ease up on the laundry burden until his poops and pees slow down a bit. We're still going through 12+ diapers a day.
(3) Another mom in Tuesday's BF group said her son had a constant growth spurt from three to six weeks. Seems six to eight weeks is some kind of magic timeframe when babies become much more rewarding. Two weeks to go. We can make it.
(4) Lactation Consultant and infant guru Mary says the frequent feedings, gas pains, cries and everything else we're experiencing is completely normal. She calls three to six weeks of age "all systems go," when babies turn into fussy, gassy, challenging little buggers.
(5) While it's a great opportunity to ask questions and hear from "experts" who have been through this all before, there is a down side to attending these twice-weekly mom groups at Hershey: the shopping that happens afterward. Tuesday evening I bought a sling online, after a few moms modeled them and Mary explained why they're so much more appealing to a young infant than our Bjorn, which worked for Cayden once, but not a single time since then. (at his age the "dangling" arms and legs scare him; he'd rather be bundled up) But the Bjorn is supposed to be great for older babies, so we'll return to it some day. Today we invested in an excercise ball, after watching what amazing tools they are at this morning's group. Cayden was fussing, but as soon as I sat on the ball and bounced, he went right out. The ball was only $6 at Walmart, although it's 65 cm circumference is now adding to the baby crap that has taken over what suddenly seems to be a very cramped living room.
(6) And apparently I must have "rich" or fatty milk, and that's what's helping him grow so fast. I don't know if he'll be 16.5 pounds in two weeks or not, but Mary said some babies do double their birth weight by six weeks.
Tuesday, at four weeks old, he weighed 11 pounds, 10 ounces.
And today, at four weeks and two days old, he weighed 11 pounds, 15 ounces, or one ounce short of 12 pounds.
Total gain: 9 ounces in four days.
A few disjointed thoughts:
(1) I never thought ounces were so heavy until they started piling up on this baby. Chicken Wing is really heavy. I didn't expect him to get this heavy this fast. Like it hurts my back to sway and bounce him longer than five minutes or so.
(2) I thought we'd be using prefold diapers for a lot longer than two weeks, but since his circumcision didn't heal until two weeks in and the newborn prefolds are getting small already, Cayden sported his first all-in-one this afternoon. Sure, just as Dad gets good at folding, fastening and covering the prefolds, we move to the easy diapers. Well, I guess we'll use both kinds to ease up on the laundry burden until his poops and pees slow down a bit. We're still going through 12+ diapers a day.
(3) Another mom in Tuesday's BF group said her son had a constant growth spurt from three to six weeks. Seems six to eight weeks is some kind of magic timeframe when babies become much more rewarding. Two weeks to go. We can make it.
(4) Lactation Consultant and infant guru Mary says the frequent feedings, gas pains, cries and everything else we're experiencing is completely normal. She calls three to six weeks of age "all systems go," when babies turn into fussy, gassy, challenging little buggers.
(5) While it's a great opportunity to ask questions and hear from "experts" who have been through this all before, there is a down side to attending these twice-weekly mom groups at Hershey: the shopping that happens afterward. Tuesday evening I bought a sling online, after a few moms modeled them and Mary explained why they're so much more appealing to a young infant than our Bjorn, which worked for Cayden once, but not a single time since then. (at his age the "dangling" arms and legs scare him; he'd rather be bundled up) But the Bjorn is supposed to be great for older babies, so we'll return to it some day. Today we invested in an excercise ball, after watching what amazing tools they are at this morning's group. Cayden was fussing, but as soon as I sat on the ball and bounced, he went right out. The ball was only $6 at Walmart, although it's 65 cm circumference is now adding to the baby crap that has taken over what suddenly seems to be a very cramped living room.
(6) And apparently I must have "rich" or fatty milk, and that's what's helping him grow so fast. I don't know if he'll be 16.5 pounds in two weeks or not, but Mary said some babies do double their birth weight by six weeks.
Monday, August 10, 2009
Making the switch
Now that Cayden's circumcision has healed, we made the switch to cloth diapers this morning. Cayden is 13 days old.
And on a completely unrelated note, Chicken Wing has hair on the outside of his ears! I first noticed it a few days ago. His little hairy ears look like elf ears.
Oh, and the Snuggle Nest isn't a cure-all. Cayden's last few nights have been a little rough, as it seems Chicken Wing gets some pretty serious gas pains that wake him up every couple of hours. But we're learning tricks to help him squeeze out the toots and poops, and the books say this is a common problem that works itself out in the first couple of months as a baby's digestive system gets used to working.
And on a completely unrelated note, Chicken Wing has hair on the outside of his ears! I first noticed it a few days ago. His little hairy ears look like elf ears.
Oh, and the Snuggle Nest isn't a cure-all. Cayden's last few nights have been a little rough, as it seems Chicken Wing gets some pretty serious gas pains that wake him up every couple of hours. But we're learning tricks to help him squeeze out the toots and poops, and the books say this is a common problem that works itself out in the first couple of months as a baby's digestive system gets used to working.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Modern Diapers: a Company Rave
Just want to share a super-crazy-positive endorsement for Lillian and her cloth diaper business, Modern Diapers.
Brian and I met with Lillian months ago, when I first started considering cloth diapers, and she has been an absolutely wonderful resource and refreshingly pleasant salesperson ever since.
Not only has she directly responded to the questions I've asked of her, but she's also offered advice I didn't know I needed. For example, when I posted on a local message board about organizing my changing table, she saw my reference to Desitin and quickly cautioned me that using the diaper cream (made with fish oil) will make all my diaper laundry smell like rotting fish!
In addition to being ever-available and eager to answer any and all questions related to cloth diapers, Lilian has been a great proponent of her business. She has never been pushy or over-eager to make the sale, and she's as willing to promote the CD businesses of other companies she trusts, as much as her own. My experience ordering and receiving all my diapers and accessories from Lilian was fantastic. She was kind enough to offer a few price discounts for my order (I didn't find better prices anywhere), she didn't charge me shipping and she was very responsive to my one inquiry as to the status of part of my order. In fact, she offered another discount when one of the products I ordered ended up becoming unavailable (at no fault of her own), and therefore late for delivery.
And the unexpected surprises with my order have just put my positive experience over the top. The hand-written thank you note, the organic lollipops (yummy!!), the samples of cloth diaper detergent. I got the last of my order last night, and at the bottom of the box I found a small tub of natural diaper rash cream, safe to use with cloth diapers. I hadn't ordered this stuff, rather Lillian surprised me with something she knew I was curious about and could use!
Talk about a businesswoman committed to superior customer service.
I only wish I knew more people in the market for cloth diapers, so I could refer them all to Lillian!
The last part of my order: two wet bags. These snazzy waterproof sacks are used to transport dirty diapers while on the go. I'll simply stick soiled diapers in a wet bag, which fits in the diaper bag, and forget about it until I get home and can throw the diapers and bag into the laundry.
Click here to see how we're diapering baby boy when he's an infant, click here to see the diapers we'll use on him when he gets to be at least 10-12 pounds, click here for a list of all our CD supplies and click here to read about why we're doing cloth diapers.
Brian and I met with Lillian months ago, when I first started considering cloth diapers, and she has been an absolutely wonderful resource and refreshingly pleasant salesperson ever since.
Not only has she directly responded to the questions I've asked of her, but she's also offered advice I didn't know I needed. For example, when I posted on a local message board about organizing my changing table, she saw my reference to Desitin and quickly cautioned me that using the diaper cream (made with fish oil) will make all my diaper laundry smell like rotting fish!
In addition to being ever-available and eager to answer any and all questions related to cloth diapers, Lilian has been a great proponent of her business. She has never been pushy or over-eager to make the sale, and she's as willing to promote the CD businesses of other companies she trusts, as much as her own. My experience ordering and receiving all my diapers and accessories from Lilian was fantastic. She was kind enough to offer a few price discounts for my order (I didn't find better prices anywhere), she didn't charge me shipping and she was very responsive to my one inquiry as to the status of part of my order. In fact, she offered another discount when one of the products I ordered ended up becoming unavailable (at no fault of her own), and therefore late for delivery.
And the unexpected surprises with my order have just put my positive experience over the top. The hand-written thank you note, the organic lollipops (yummy!!), the samples of cloth diaper detergent. I got the last of my order last night, and at the bottom of the box I found a small tub of natural diaper rash cream, safe to use with cloth diapers. I hadn't ordered this stuff, rather Lillian surprised me with something she knew I was curious about and could use!
Talk about a businesswoman committed to superior customer service.
I only wish I knew more people in the market for cloth diapers, so I could refer them all to Lillian!
The last part of my order: two wet bags. These snazzy waterproof sacks are used to transport dirty diapers while on the go. I'll simply stick soiled diapers in a wet bag, which fits in the diaper bag, and forget about it until I get home and can throw the diapers and bag into the laundry.
Click here to see how we're diapering baby boy when he's an infant, click here to see the diapers we'll use on him when he gets to be at least 10-12 pounds, click here for a list of all our CD supplies and click here to read about why we're doing cloth diapers.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Yay for mail!!!
The mailman, the Fed Ex delivery guy and the UPS driver are three of my favorite people of late. I get so excited for the presents they deliver to our house!!
Well, I guess since I ordered and paid for them, they're not really "presents," but it's exciting to get all this stuff, anyway.
Yesterday's mail brought with it 20 Bum Genius Diapers and two Hooter Hiders nursing covers.
The Hooter Hiders, which I got through a buy-one-get-one-free deal. I ordered the pattern on the left; the one on the right was a surprise pattern they picked for my order. Baby care essentials? No, but they were inexpensive and cute. And they come with a little terrycloth corner (bottom right) that doubles as a pocket for nursing pads and a burp cloth/spit-up cleaner-upper.
And the diapers. Undeniably cute.
First load of Bum Genius wash:
OK, I couldn't resist.
Now I'm just waiting on two wet bags (diaper accessories) and two Miracle Blankets (swaddling blankets) to arrive, and that should be it for mail orders!
Well, I guess since I ordered and paid for them, they're not really "presents," but it's exciting to get all this stuff, anyway.
Yesterday's mail brought with it 20 Bum Genius Diapers and two Hooter Hiders nursing covers.
The Hooter Hiders, which I got through a buy-one-get-one-free deal. I ordered the pattern on the left; the one on the right was a surprise pattern they picked for my order. Baby care essentials? No, but they were inexpensive and cute. And they come with a little terrycloth corner (bottom right) that doubles as a pocket for nursing pads and a burp cloth/spit-up cleaner-upper.
And the diapers. Undeniably cute.
First load of Bum Genius wash:
OK, I couldn't resist.
Now I'm just waiting on two wet bags (diaper accessories) and two Miracle Blankets (swaddling blankets) to arrive, and that should be it for mail orders!
Monday, June 15, 2009
A CD demo
Here, the parts needed to diaper baby: a prefold diaper, a snappi and a waterproof diaper cover. 
Then the diaper is folded to cover baby and secured with the snappi.
Then, on goes the diaper cover, and voila - a diapered baby!
Brian will be practicing on the bear a few times, to get the hang of it.
Then the diaper is folded to cover baby and secured with the snappi.
Then, on goes the diaper cover, and voila - a diapered baby! Brian will be practicing on the bear a few times, to get the hang of it.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
WooHOOO! (one example of how my interests and excitements have DRASTICALLY changed in the past seven months)
(in a sing-song voice): Guess what's on the waa-aay...
30 DSQ prefolds, three Bummi Whisper Wraps, three Prorap Classics, six Snappis, two wet bags, two Wahmies pail liners and 20 Bum Geniuses!!!!!!
What does that mean for the laypeople? DIAPERS AND ALL THE ACCESSORIES!
That's right, folks, $499.63 has gotten us just about everything we could possibly need for the cloth diapering effort, and BOY am I excited to start getting this stuff in the mail!! Only thing left to purchase is flushable liners, but we won't need those for a few months anyway, after baby boy starts consuming things other than breast milk.
Well, I'm also going to buy two boxes of environmentally friendly disposable diapers. A few CD moms who have been through this before caution that I will appreciate the easy back-up at first, so I don't pressure myself too much on the diapering front while I'm learning all kinds of other lessons in the first few days.
Soon begins the washing effort. The pre-folds -- old-fashioned diapers, which will be used until baby boy is more than 10 or 12 pounds -- each need to be pre-washed a few times to soften them and maximize absorbancy. And the BGs and their inserts each need to be washed once before they go on a baby butt. And then they can all be folded and organized in the changing table!
Perspective is a funny thing.
If you had asked me a year ago what I was most looking forward to in June, the answer would have been either getting schnookered at Sarah and Patrick's wedding or getting schnookered on Colleen & Greg's boat, then getting uber-schnookered at the Harrisburg beer fest.
This June? Yeah, I'm most looking forward to WASHING, PLAYING WITH AND ORGANIZING DIAPERS!! And supporting Nicole and Will as they marry, of course.
30 DSQ prefolds, three Bummi Whisper Wraps, three Prorap Classics, six Snappis, two wet bags, two Wahmies pail liners and 20 Bum Geniuses!!!!!!
What does that mean for the laypeople? DIAPERS AND ALL THE ACCESSORIES!
That's right, folks, $499.63 has gotten us just about everything we could possibly need for the cloth diapering effort, and BOY am I excited to start getting this stuff in the mail!! Only thing left to purchase is flushable liners, but we won't need those for a few months anyway, after baby boy starts consuming things other than breast milk.
Well, I'm also going to buy two boxes of environmentally friendly disposable diapers. A few CD moms who have been through this before caution that I will appreciate the easy back-up at first, so I don't pressure myself too much on the diapering front while I'm learning all kinds of other lessons in the first few days.
Soon begins the washing effort. The pre-folds -- old-fashioned diapers, which will be used until baby boy is more than 10 or 12 pounds -- each need to be pre-washed a few times to soften them and maximize absorbancy. And the BGs and their inserts each need to be washed once before they go on a baby butt. And then they can all be folded and organized in the changing table!
Perspective is a funny thing.
If you had asked me a year ago what I was most looking forward to in June, the answer would have been either getting schnookered at Sarah and Patrick's wedding or getting schnookered on Colleen & Greg's boat, then getting uber-schnookered at the Harrisburg beer fest.
This June? Yeah, I'm most looking forward to WASHING, PLAYING WITH AND ORGANIZING DIAPERS!! And supporting Nicole and Will as they marry, of course.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
And, we're off!
And running, that is, in the race to prepare for baby's arrival.
Ordered the nursery furniture yesterday, and surprisingly, it's ready for pick up already. First we have to empty the second bedroom of its current furniture, however, so it looks like that will be Sunday's project. Our first bedroom set is going to a good new home, to Nicole & Will.
Saturday morning we will travel to Lancaster for our cloth diaper consultation, then we'll take a first stab at registering at Babies'R'Us.
I stopped by BRU last night to return the pink baby booties Lauren & Jeff got us (they got us a pink set and blue set, so they had the answer right regardless of Tuesday's news), and I figured I may as well get the registration part of registering out of the way while I was there. Good thing I did. It took about 20 minutes, and the attendant confirmed that Saturday will be nuts in the store, and filling out paperwork and learning the ropes that day could be a nightmare.
The other bonus to registering before actually taking the scan gun through the aisles is that I have a few days to review the guide and lists BRU provided and compare them against Baby Bargains and some ideas I have in mind. I'm trying to do as much advance work as possible, so that Saturday simply involves gathering price comparisons, scanning items we've (read: I've) already picked and having Brian try out strollers, since few are made to accommodate six-foot tall men.
He's already kind of dreading Saturday's agenda, so I want to make the boring stuff as seamless and easy as possible for him. It doesn't hurt that the day will end with good friends and copious amounts of booze for Brian. See, it's all about balance: I get what I want; he gets what he wants.
Oh, and yes, we're thinking about names again. Brian made it all the way through the "L"s in the name book, but he only found five names he likes, so far.
Ordered the nursery furniture yesterday, and surprisingly, it's ready for pick up already. First we have to empty the second bedroom of its current furniture, however, so it looks like that will be Sunday's project. Our first bedroom set is going to a good new home, to Nicole & Will.
Saturday morning we will travel to Lancaster for our cloth diaper consultation, then we'll take a first stab at registering at Babies'R'Us.
I stopped by BRU last night to return the pink baby booties Lauren & Jeff got us (they got us a pink set and blue set, so they had the answer right regardless of Tuesday's news), and I figured I may as well get the registration part of registering out of the way while I was there. Good thing I did. It took about 20 minutes, and the attendant confirmed that Saturday will be nuts in the store, and filling out paperwork and learning the ropes that day could be a nightmare.
The other bonus to registering before actually taking the scan gun through the aisles is that I have a few days to review the guide and lists BRU provided and compare them against Baby Bargains and some ideas I have in mind. I'm trying to do as much advance work as possible, so that Saturday simply involves gathering price comparisons, scanning items we've (read: I've) already picked and having Brian try out strollers, since few are made to accommodate six-foot tall men.
He's already kind of dreading Saturday's agenda, so I want to make the boring stuff as seamless and easy as possible for him. It doesn't hurt that the day will end with good friends and copious amounts of booze for Brian. See, it's all about balance: I get what I want; he gets what he wants.
Oh, and yes, we're thinking about names again. Brian made it all the way through the "L"s in the name book, but he only found five names he likes, so far.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Is February too early to start a Christmas list?
I hope not, because I have my first Christmas wish! I know a certain grandma-to-be who is pretty handy with a sewing machine, and this looks pretty easy to make.
I say it looks easy to make, however I have not touched a sewing machine since 8th grade and would have no idea where to begin, even with detailed instructions.
And if you're interested in a good laugh, check out some of this girl's older posts. This blog is actually where I got most of my cloth diapering info, and this chick has a great sense of humor!
Just a sample, from her "about me" section: This is the story of how I went bat shit crazy, nearly overdosed on Tums, had my brain eaten by a fetus, my vagina torn apart and nipples set on fire and survived to tell about it.
I say it looks easy to make, however I have not touched a sewing machine since 8th grade and would have no idea where to begin, even with detailed instructions.
And if you're interested in a good laugh, check out some of this girl's older posts. This blog is actually where I got most of my cloth diapering info, and this chick has a great sense of humor!
Just a sample, from her "about me" section: This is the story of how I went bat shit crazy, nearly overdosed on Tums, had my brain eaten by a fetus, my vagina torn apart and nipples set on fire and survived to tell about it.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Crazy? Maybe, but we'll be richer for it.
Or at least a little less poor.
We're seriously considering cloth diapering. "CD," that is, in baby-speak. OK, I'm seriously considering it, and Brian doesn't like the idea. Yet. Because he believes (really, get this) that somehow he'll be exposed to less poop if we use disposables. He's terrified of poop.
So I'm waiting to hear back from a local mom who is a CD supporter and merchant, and I'm hoping the info she has will sell him on the benefits.
First, it ends up saving LOTS of money, as compared to using disposables. It's a considerable up-front investment, but I'm talking a savings of a couple grand, even if you use them for just one child and don't try to sell them. If you use them for multiple kids and sell them afterward, we're talking multiple THOUSANDS of dollars. That speaks to the cheapskate in me.
Second, they're much better for the environment, since they don't require tons of non-biodegradable material to be buried in landfills. Literally, tons. Just for one kid over the course of a couple years. That speaks to the tree-hugger in me.
And finally, there are a number of arguments that they are better for the baby: the lack of chemicals (which are abundant in disposables) leads to much fewer cases of diaper rash, CD toddlers are faster and easier to potty train, etc. That speaks to the mom-to-be in me.
Now this is not the cloth diapering of my parents' time. No hankerchief-looking squares, no pins and no washing services. These things are pre-formed, pre-sized, scientifically advanced with ultra-absorbant natural (sometimes organic) materials, easy to use and CUTE!
It's too early to make any definitive decisions now, but I'm pretty much sold on the idea, from the little research I've done. Yes, it will mean more laundry, and yes, at some point there will be poop scraping into the toilet. But come on, considering the benefits and too-cute product names like Bum Genius, how could you NOT consider CD?
So, like I said, I'm waiting to hear back from a local expert. We'll likely get a consultation from her, and any family/friends who may be involved in the child care process are welcome to attend. And if Michelle is out there somewhere reading (or to those of you who see/talk to her regularly, let her know), more than one mom-to-be would be welcome as well. Just lemme know if you'd be interested in learning more.
By the way, when I told Brian about the consultation "party," his response was, "Oh great. So this is like Pampered Chef, but for baby sh!t?"
Giggle.
We're seriously considering cloth diapering. "CD," that is, in baby-speak. OK, I'm seriously considering it, and Brian doesn't like the idea. Yet. Because he believes (really, get this) that somehow he'll be exposed to less poop if we use disposables. He's terrified of poop.
So I'm waiting to hear back from a local mom who is a CD supporter and merchant, and I'm hoping the info she has will sell him on the benefits.
First, it ends up saving LOTS of money, as compared to using disposables. It's a considerable up-front investment, but I'm talking a savings of a couple grand, even if you use them for just one child and don't try to sell them. If you use them for multiple kids and sell them afterward, we're talking multiple THOUSANDS of dollars. That speaks to the cheapskate in me.
Second, they're much better for the environment, since they don't require tons of non-biodegradable material to be buried in landfills. Literally, tons. Just for one kid over the course of a couple years. That speaks to the tree-hugger in me.
And finally, there are a number of arguments that they are better for the baby: the lack of chemicals (which are abundant in disposables) leads to much fewer cases of diaper rash, CD toddlers are faster and easier to potty train, etc. That speaks to the mom-to-be in me.
Now this is not the cloth diapering of my parents' time. No hankerchief-looking squares, no pins and no washing services. These things are pre-formed, pre-sized, scientifically advanced with ultra-absorbant natural (sometimes organic) materials, easy to use and CUTE!
It's too early to make any definitive decisions now, but I'm pretty much sold on the idea, from the little research I've done. Yes, it will mean more laundry, and yes, at some point there will be poop scraping into the toilet. But come on, considering the benefits and too-cute product names like Bum Genius, how could you NOT consider CD?
So, like I said, I'm waiting to hear back from a local expert. We'll likely get a consultation from her, and any family/friends who may be involved in the child care process are welcome to attend. And if Michelle is out there somewhere reading (or to those of you who see/talk to her regularly, let her know), more than one mom-to-be would be welcome as well. Just lemme know if you'd be interested in learning more.
By the way, when I told Brian about the consultation "party," his response was, "Oh great. So this is like Pampered Chef, but for baby sh!t?"
Giggle.
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