Smell the Onion

(Suggestions Welcome)

Nickel Creek
Peter Mayer
Ella
Palestrina
This Paco Guy

Today, I discovered the joys of big city garage saling.  I went with an expert–a friend from church who has four children and lots of experience in the garage saling universe.  It was absolutely addicting.  I spent about 50 dollars.  I bought over 30 pieces of clothing for the newest Wylie–most of it name brands that I don’t usually buy because they’re too expensive.  I got 10 new books for Maya, and….a Lazyboy recliner. 

Yay for garage sales.  I’ll probably have to post pictures later.  I’m quite proud.

My baby boy is growing.  It won’t be long now until Maya and Tim can feel him squirming around in there too.  This is my favorite part of being pregnant.  I’m obviously pregnant, but not so pregnant that I feel clumsy and like a beached whale.  I’m done (I hope) puking…it’s been over a week.  I can function on as little as 8 hours sleep, and I’m not up every 1.5 to pee.  Ahhh…*this* I love.  I thank God every day for allowing me to experience this (again!). 

Other things I love:

My precious husband, who is loveable in so many ways.  Here’s an example: I hate, and am very easily overwhelmed by a messy kitchen.  Last week, he sent me to bed at like 9pm and stayed up–even with a headache– for two more hours to make my kitchen shiny and clean.  I love you baby boy.

My little girl.  Her new favorite thing is to “steal” our body parts.  She’ll pinch my ears, or nose or whatever, and say “I stoled your nose, and I throwed it in the water.”  Or, “I stole your ear, and I ate it.” She also likes to stick our body parts over her own.  I don’t know why she needs another set of teeth, but apparently, she does.  Next, my job is to convince her to give the stolen part(s) back to me.  Sometimes I just have to be very sad, and she’ll return it.  Other times, I have to steal body parts belonging to her and hold them hostage.  However, stealing any part of her anatomy unprovoked produces a very upset little girl “Noooooo, that’s *MY* nose, I neeeeed it!” etc.  Today she stole my bottom.  That was awkward.

Oh, and as Tim mentioned, we have chosen to fire our obstetrician and work with a midwife.  I’ll be delivering baby boy here .  I feel such a sense of relief about this decision, and I am so excited to get started with them.  I still have an ultrasound with a perinatologist on July 10th, but assuming everything is fine with Lentil’s heart, we’ll be leaving the OB practice that day. 

So, there you go.

I saw my child in utero again this morning.  He had a message for me: “Stop calling me a girl, mom!”

I wrote this to a new mommy friend of mine, but I figured I’d post it in case anyone else would find it interesting.

Here is a quick tutorial in Cloth Diapering.

In order of both expense and convenience from less to more, we have:

Kinds of Diapers:

Prefolds (infant)
(there are two kinds of prefolds, Indian and Chinese.  I have used
both, and they’re both good.  Indian prefolds are softer, but
Chinese ones hold up longer–both are quite durable)

Contour (I’ve never tried a contour diaper)

Fitted (I have three favorite kids of fitted diapers; calico babies , which are made by a friend of mine,
Under the Nile Organics , which I love for overnight, and Motherease onesize .)

Pocket

All in One

Pocket diapers are basically PUL covers with pockets sewn in to them, which you stuff with some sort of absorbant stuffing. Fuzzi Bunz are probably the most popular.  All in ones are either one piece, or an outer piece like a cover that you snap a second absorbant layer in to.  (The two piece ones wash more thouroughly, and dry faster).  I like the ones made by Calico Babies)

Prefolds, Contours, and Fitted Diapers all require a cover, as they are made of only absorbant cloth.  You *can* use pins, or snappies , but you don’t have to.   You can buy a wrap cover that you just lay the diaper in and velcro/snap it on the baby like a disposable diaper.

Kinds of covers:

You can get wraps made from PUL (Polyurathane Laminate), a slightly
plasticy (though nothing like vinyl) waterproof cloth (this is the
easiest kind to use with prefolds).

You can also get covers made from polar fleece,  (which I have
never used, but would like to try) or wool– which is my favorite with
fitted diapers, especially for overnight.  Sometimes the wool ones
are called soakers.
You *can* cloth diaper for very cheap.  I started out with mostly prefolds and PUL wraps, and added a few fitteds for overnight, and a couple AIOs for naptime, or when we were out on the town.

I didn’t cloth diaper Maya until she was 14 months old, so I don’t have experience with a newborn, but for my boy, I’ve purchased a dozen infant prefolds, 6 pul wraps (I like both bummies super whisper wraps and
prowraps ), 6 fitted diapers, and 4 pockets.  I want a wool soaker for overnight.  ( Aristocrats are my favorite). That ought to get us through two days between laundry comfortably.  You don’t have to was covers every diaper change (unless they get poop on them)…just air dry them.

You’ll also need a diaper pail or bag and a wetbag (or ziploc bags, really), if you plan to cloth diaper when you’re not at home.

Here are my favorite cloth diapering stores:

Motherease

CottonBabies

Katies Kisses

Here is a good overview of washing diapers.  Not hard at all.