And the fun continues...

To add to the already exciting double ear infection Ian has going on, he's now having massive diarrhea (think dripping down both legs, all over carpet, on bed spread, etc.) and he also projectile vomited today. He managed to throw up all over Penny's head, all over his own clothes and mine and then walk through it. Can we please catch a break?

Double Ear Infection

Poor guy! Ian's first ever ear infection is sure a doozey! I brought him into the pedi's office today after his coughing and runny nose seemed to only get worse over the last 24 hours. At his 15 month appointment last week the doctor said he saw some fluid in Ian's right ear and to keep an eye on him. It's a good thing I brought him in because now BOTH ears are infected. He started a round of antibiotics and should be back to his old self in a few days.

The doctor was pretty impressed that we made it 15 months without a single ear infection and actually gave me a high five. Weird.

24 week appointment today

Today I had my 24 week OB appointment, even though I am already in my 25th week. Everything checked out fine. Sean is measuring right on track and his heartbeat was strong in the 140's. I'm up 9 pounds from my starting weight. I'd like to stay on that track and be right around where I was with Ian with a 23-25 pound weight gain by the end.

So, nothing too exciting. At my next appointment (28 weeks, already 3rd trimester!) I have my blood glucose test. I passed with flying colors when I was pregnant with Ian, so let's hope for the same this time around.

Cloth Diapering, Part 2

There are 4 main types of cloth diapers that we use. They are called pockets, fitteds with covers, prefolds with covers and all-in-ones. They majority of our "stash" is made up of pocket diapers, so I will explain those first.

Pocket diapers are basically what they sound like. Diapers that have pockets in them. They have a waterproof outerlayer with a soft (usually microfleece or suedecloth) inner layer that goes next to the baby's skin. There is a pocket between these layers where you stuff insert(s) into that create different levels of absorabancy. We have 4 brands of pocket diapers: Bum Genius 3.0, Fuzzi Bunz, Happy Heiney's and Haute Pockets.

With the exception of the Fuzzi Bunz, all of these diapers are considered a one-size, meaning, in theory, they fit from birth to potty training by using a snap up/down system. In reality, most newborns will not fit into pocket diapers till they are a couple months old, and different brands are sized differently. I've found that the Haute Pockets tend to run more towards the smaller side, while Happy Heiney's seem to run more on the larger side. Bum Genius seem to be right in the middle. The 3 Fuzzi Bunz that we have are a sized diaper, in a size medium. Ian probably won't ever grow out of these, but he only recently started fitting in them.

Pocket diapers are generally very easy for anyone to use and have a very small learning curve. They are fairly easy to care for as well and dry very quickly in the dryer because the inserts are separate. Depending on the brand, a new pocket diaper and insert can run betwee $15 and $23.

Aside from pockets, we often also use prefolds with covers. A prefold is what you think of as "your mother's cloth diapers". They are rectangular in shape and you use one of many folds, along with either pins or a Snappi to put them on the baby. Because they are not waterproof, they have to be covered with a cover. Covers are most commonly made from PUL, fleece and wool.

Prefolds are definetly the cheapest option in cloth diapering, as one prefold will run you between $1.50 and $3. Covers can be used for multiple diaper changes as long as they aren't soiled before changing to a new cover, so you only need a handful. They usually run between $10-$15 each. The covers that we have in our stash are Bummis Super Brites, Swaddlebees ABC snap wraps, Blueberry Minky wraps and many homemade fleece covers.

In our stash, we also have some fitteds with covers. A fitted diaper is a diaper that looks very similar to a disposable diaper, but it is made from a super absorbant fabric like cotton, bamboo or hemp. Fitted diapers are not waterproof and require the same type of cover that a prefold requires. Depending on the brand, fitteds usually run between $15-$35. The fitteds that we have in our stash are Swaddlebees Organic Bamboo Velour fitted, Snugglebottoms and Goodmamas.

Finally, probably the easiest diaper for someone who is new to cloth diapering to use is called an all-in-one. It is exactly what it sounds like, everything you need all-in-one. There is no pinning, covers or stuffing of inserts. The main downfall to these diapers is that the absorbancy isn't easily adjusted and they often take longer to dry. We have 3 Bum Genius Organic all-in-one snap diapers. I love them! AIO's tend to run about $16-$25 each.

A few pictures of Ian wearing different cloth diapers:

This is a Happy Heiney One-Size Snap pocket diaper.
This is a medium Fuzzi Bunz pocket diaper.
Here is Ian wearing a prefold held on by a Snappi (it's hard to see because it's a white one) without a cover on it yet.
Here he is this summer with a Bummis Super Brite cover over a prefold.
This is the first time he ever wore his Goodmama fitted diaper. This is the most expensive diaper we own, coming in at $35, phew!

2/7/08 vs. 2/7/09

Today was beautiful!! After a pretty wicked winter, we finally got a break and the temps soared into the upper 40's! We ditched the winter coats and spent some time outside! I took a few snapshots of Ian and after uploading them, I went back and looked at some pictures from this exact date, last year. Can you believe how much he's grown?!

February 7th, 2008

February 7th, 2009

No nap!!

This is what happens when a 15 month old little boy thinks one 45 minute nap is plenty for the day. This picture was taken at 5pm.

Cloth Diapering, Part 1

How would it sound to never have to buy another diaper or wipe again? What about the thought of no more leaks, blowouts, diaper rashes and hauling out those huge bags of dirty diapers?

Welcome to the world of cloth diapering! Again, because a lot of people ask us about our choice to cloth diaper and all that it entails, I thought I'd take some time to write about the basics of it.

First off, in all honesty, it's not that we NEVER buy diapers anymore. We always have a handful of disposables diapers on hand. If we have someone watching Ian who isn't comfortable dealing with cloth, they are free to use the disposables. Also, on occasion I sell some of our cloth diapers and buy new ones when I want to try a new type, or just get bored with our stash!

We haven't had a blowout or leak (with the exception of a few diapers being put on wrong) since we started cloth diaper over a year ago. Ian has had only 3 diaper rashes in his entire life of 15 months and all were accompanied by an illness.

There are 3 main reasons why we chose to switch to cloth diapering when Ian was a few months old:
1. save MONEY!
2. lessen our carbon footprint
3. expose Ian to fewer chemicals

Here is a blurb from an article about the chemicals in disposable diapers:

On the market since the early 60’s, the disposable diaper changed from a plastic diaper with a lot of paper fluff to a diaper constructed of a waterproof plastic outer layer, an absorbent pad with super absorbent chemicals, and an inner liner. The super absorbent chemical, sodium polyacrylate, absorbs and holds fluids in the diaper. This chemical has been linked to toxic shock syndrome, can cause allergic reactions, and is lethal to cats if inhaled. Death has occurred from ingestion of just 5 grams of this chemical. Pediatric journals contain reports of this chemical sticking to babies’ genitals. When the baby’s skin gets wet, this super absorber can poll fluids form baby’s skin. Dioxin, the most toxic of all cancer-linked chemicals, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), is a byproduct of bleaching paper. Even in the smallest detectable quantities, dioxin has been known to cause liver disease, immune system suppression, and genetic damage in lab animals. Dyes found in some disposables are known to damage the central nervous system, kidneys, and liver. The Food & Drug Administration (FDA) received reports that fragrances caused headaches, dizziness, and rashes. Problems reported to the Consumer Protection Agency include chemical burns, noxious chemical and insecticide odors, reports of babies pulling disposables apart and putting pieces of plastic into their noses and mouth, choking on tab papers and linings, plastic melting onto the skin, and ink staining the skin. Plastic tabs can also tear skin, and disposables may contain wood splinters. -www.ecobaby.com

I can't even imagine how much money we have saved by cloth diapering. For a rough estimate of what you could save, first let's figure out how much investing in cloth diapers could cost you. If you start with 12 pocket diapers (roughly $18-$20/each), 12 prefolds ($2/each) and 2 covers ($12/each), that will run you about $275. If you throw in some cheapie washclothes ($20) you have yourself a full stash of cloth diapers and cloth wipes. Let's say you spend $40/month on disposables diapers and wipes, it will take you about 7 1/2 months to break even. So from 7 1/2 months till potty training, you aren't throwing that extra $40 away! Cloth diapers can also be used on more than one child, so the savings grows exponentially!

Finally, it is estimated that you will use between 5000 and 9000 disposable diapers on your child in their lifetime. Can you imagine that all in a landfill? Enough said.

That's enough information for now. Next we'll talk about the different kinds of cloth diapers that we use.

Homemade Laundry Detergent

I've had a few people ask me for my recipe for homemade laundry detergent. I've only recently started making my own laundry detergent in an effort to cut down on our grocery bill and also to limit the number of chemicals that come into contact with our skin.

I chose a recipe for a powder detergent, but there are many recipes (google!) for liquid detergents that work just as well and are just as inexpensive.

My recipe is as follows:

2 parts Borax
2 part Washing Soda
1 part shredded bar soap

You can make this recipe any way you like using those proportions. I store my detergent in a 1 gallon icecream bucket so I make it using:

2 cups Borax
2 cups Washing Soad
1 cup shredded soap

Really, any bar soap will work. A highly recommended one is Ivory because it is very pure. I wanted something with a light scent, so I bought a bar of lavendar soap from Whole Foods. I made sure it was scented with pure lavendar oil and not artifical perfumes.

First I take my cheese grater and grate the soap. Then I mix everything together and put it into a food processor to further chop the soap and make sure everything is completly mixed. Then just put it into whatever storage container you'd like.

Use 1 TBSP for a small load, 2 TBSP for a large load or extra dirty load. This is a non-sudsing formula, so don't be worried when you don't see a lot of bubbles. It's still in there doing it's job! Note: This detergent is not meant for us with cloth diapers.

Go Steelers!

Ian will be cheering for the Steelers tonight in the Superbowl in honor of his Uncle Adam, Uncle Sean, future wife Cameron and future mother-in-law, Susanne. Thanks Uncle Adam and Uncle Sean for the jersey!