Fact: I have problems finishing things I start.
Fact: I throw myself into crazy, fun projects that require more of my time and attention than I have to give. Then the first fact kicks in.
Fact: I am afraid I have done it again.
I cannot recall how it happend or what I was doing to spark the interest. All I know is that one day I was at work ( I assume this is the case as I have limited internet access at home... but shhh, don't tell) and I got the idea that I should Cloth Diaper. I would have looked at you like you had two heads and had asked me to drink the Kool-Aid if you had suggested Cloth Diapering to me just a minute before I had my change of heart.
Well, anyway I don't know how it happend or what it was that triggered my obsession. It's all just a blur. I started researching. I wanted to know EVERYTHING. How they work, how you wash them, what styles there were, what were the benefits, what were the draw backs. All of it. I had to know. Once I found out how much I could save, and how rare it is for CD babies to get rashes, and how ADORABLE the patterns were, I was hooked.
I found tons of forums, blogs, and online retail shops. I got to read from real moms their own experiences and that really helped me make the choice to switch.
Reasons why I want to Cloth Diaper.....
My oldest could get a diaper rash as easy as it is to tie your shoe and at two weeks old I have already had to break out the diaper rash cream for HB. All the horrible things that disposable diapers are made of are the main reason for this.
Did you know that diapers that end up in the landfills will out live us all? They are made of so many chemicals and platics that just won't break down. It's disgusting. As a parent, how can I sit here and dream for a better future for my kids, save for their college tuitions, and hope they are more successful, happy, and healthier than I am and then literally throw their crap in a pile and hope for the best? That's just not right.
For anyone that has had to regularly change a disposable diaper, you have seen or heard of those "crystals" that are inside disposable diapers. It's been a while since I've had to change a diaper, but already I have had to wipe that crap off of HB. And his diaper hadn't even exploded!!! How can a fully intact diaper let that junk out? And from a reputable disposable diaper brand! Do you know what that stuff is?? It's what they beleive caused Toxic Shock Syndrome from the use of tampons. They removed it from tampons in 1985, but it is still allowed in diapers and feminide pads.
So after all my research I discovered that CD will be cheaper, safer, softer, more responsible, and just as convienant as disposables. How could I say no.
I decided that All In Ones and Pockets would be most likely be best for us. I need quick and easy and low maintenance. Since I am a WOHM, I won't be the only one changing diapers (thank goodness!). So far I have only purchased pocket style diapers. At some point I will buy some AIO's and potentially some other types as well. I love to shop for shoes and purses, they are my weakness. I mean clothes are great, but if you saw the amount of extra fat that my stomach, thighs, and ass have accumulated after 2 kids, you would understand why I would much rather purchase things that will never be too small. With that said, I may have found my new buying obsessions. They are just sooo cute! And worth every penny.
The other day I finally decided I had to wash them for the first time. Much like new underwear or sheets. You want to wash them before you use them. I have ben avoiding doing this since they arrived in the mail over a month ago. I was so nervous. See, different brands and fabrics all have different washing instructions. As do the wet bags (bags that you put dirty diapers in between washes and during outings).
Once they were washed and dried, I had no excuse to put it off any longer. I had to start using them. Since I didn't get newborn size diapers I had to wait until HB was big enough to use the ones I did purchase. At his 2 week check up he indeed was over 8 pounds, so I had no reason not to start. I really was secretly hoping he was still too small that first day. He wasn't.
They are a bit big and his newborn clothes are now almost too small. It took me a good 10 minutes to adjust his car seat before leaving the house today. In the next couple months they will look less like a bad butt implant and more like a normal diaper.
I am happy to report that we are 43 hours into Cloth Diapering and doing just fine. I really feel like WonderWOHM today. I even decided to leave the house today and I didn't bring any disposable diapers! Which is a bit funny to me since I thought we would just Cloth Diaper during the day and use disposables at night. Now I don't even think we'll see another disposable in my house.... Unless I get lazy with the laundry.... which is a possibility since I HATE to do laundry....
(Which takes me back to the first three lines of this post....)
If you are a parent of a child in diapers or one day will be a parent, I really urge you to consider cloth. No matter what stage of diapers your child is in. They make potty training cloth diapers, diapers can be used for multiple children, and have an amazing resale value. Yes, you can sell your used cloth diapers. Reduce. Reuse. Rediaper.
I would like to say that I am part of a generation of parents that want to give back to our kids and make up for mankinds mistakes by preparing a cleaner and less wasteful planet.
I HIGHLY recommend reading Changing Diapers: The Hip Mom's Guide to Modern Cloth Diapering by Kelly Wels. It reassured me that I was making the right choice and answered so many questions that I searched all over the internet for. I'm not sure if it is available in e-reader format. I have a copy I will loan out if anyone is seriously considering the switch. I will attach some links to websites that helped me the most!
kellyscloset.com
diapershops.com
kellywels.com
allaboutclothdiapers.com
These are just a couple and my favorite.... I'll add more as I find them and remember them!
And as a CD mommy told me "It's just laundry and they're just diapers."
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Saturday, September 15, 2012
My best week ever!
Let me tell you about the best week ever! We experienced a couple
of amazing things in my family that I will cherish and hold onto for the rest of my life. My
life will never be the same again. I'll tell you all about it in chronological
order. Oldest first right? ;) This post is a little delayed, but you'll perhaps understand why by the end of it.
On Tuesday (the day after labor day) my son started Kindergarten. I have never been so scared, anxious, and excited all at once. For obvious reasons this was an exciting day that we have been waiting for his whole life.
I was asked whether or not he was excited to go and my answer was always "He can't wait. I'm the nervous one." For anyone that didn't also have a child entering school that day, I was crazy. They all said "But, he's the one going to school." No one could understand that I had to put all my trust into my sweet and innocent boy and a bunch of STRANGERS.
I had to trust my son to behave, listen to his teacher, be kind to others, make new friends, eat the lunch I packed, get on and off the bus safely, use the bathroom.... Umm... I think you get the idea. BUT, more importantly I had to learn to trust other adults, strangers at that, to care for my child. There are hundreds of other kids in his school and the sometimes scary thing about school is, the adults are outnumbered.
We all made it through the first week of school. I didn't get any phone calls telling me my son was in trouble for turning his classmates into his own private platoon to kill zombies. He loves to kill zombies. So, I guess you would call it a success. We had to drive him to school a couple of days this week because we missed the bus. This morning he was rushing his dad because he didn't want to miss it again. It was pretty funny to hear him. So far he seems to like his teacher and his different classes.
Today was another P.E. class and I asked how it went. He told me that it was fine, but that he didn't see the girl with the flower in her hair that he had seen last time. She apparently was a first grader that wouldn't tell him her name. He was pretty sad about it.
So overall it seems that school is going well and that he will hopefully thrive and I will hopefully survive. We just hope that he'll find a love for school that neither one of his parents really had. The best part I guess of having kids in school is getting to relive all of the fun things like art projects and field trips.
That is how my week started. Now let me tell you how my week ended.
Friday started out like any normal Friday. I woke up and went to work. I got off work a little before 7:30 and decided to meet a friend for dinner. I was on the phone with my husband telling about the new issue I was having with my car. I hung up the phone, pulled into a parking spot, and my water broke. It was about 8 pm.
I was fairly suprised, I wasn't having any signs of labor, at all. When the on call doctor called me back and asked what was going on. I said that either my water broke or I just peed myself. He didn't think it was as funny as I did.
I was told to go to the hospital. The problem was I was STARVING! After all, I was about to eat dinner and once you're in the hospital, you don't get to eat until it's all over. It could have been the next day before I could get a chance at food. I had spent the last couple weeks of my pregnancy treating every meal as if it were my last. I made sure that whatever I ate it was yummy and worthwhile. And here I was, getting cheated out of even getting my last meal. Details, details....
Well my friend was kind enough to drive me to the hospital and sat with me until my husband arrived. She was so relieved to see him, otherwise it would have been her holding my hand. Whether or not she wanted to be there.
By the time my husband and a few family members had arrived and I had gotten checked in, my contractions had started and started to get pretty intense. It was 8:45. From the get go I had said I wanted an epideral. I had one with my first and I don't care what you say or think I wanted one. I am not too proud to say that I am not fit for natural labor.
The anisthesiologist was in the OR, but I was told that as soon as they were done he would be in. In the mean time they offered me something to help me handle my contractions. I gladly accepted. Problem is, it didn't make the pain go away, it just made me ALMOST loopy enough to make me not care about the pain.
Well, to save you all from the gorey details.... I was progressing too quickly to wait for the anesthesiologist. He was still in the OR.
I didn't get my epidural. I experienced first hand natural child birth. It is official. I am done having children. If there is even a 1% chance of doing that again, I would like to gracefully bow out now of having any more kids.
At 10:05 pm I gave birth to a 7lb. 9 oz. 20.5 inch baby boy. That's right start to finish, TWO hours and no epidural. I am currently patting myself on the back.
We're exhausted (at least I am), but home and healthy.
On Tuesday (the day after labor day) my son started Kindergarten. I have never been so scared, anxious, and excited all at once. For obvious reasons this was an exciting day that we have been waiting for his whole life.
I was asked whether or not he was excited to go and my answer was always "He can't wait. I'm the nervous one." For anyone that didn't also have a child entering school that day, I was crazy. They all said "But, he's the one going to school." No one could understand that I had to put all my trust into my sweet and innocent boy and a bunch of STRANGERS.
I had to trust my son to behave, listen to his teacher, be kind to others, make new friends, eat the lunch I packed, get on and off the bus safely, use the bathroom.... Umm... I think you get the idea. BUT, more importantly I had to learn to trust other adults, strangers at that, to care for my child. There are hundreds of other kids in his school and the sometimes scary thing about school is, the adults are outnumbered.
We all made it through the first week of school. I didn't get any phone calls telling me my son was in trouble for turning his classmates into his own private platoon to kill zombies. He loves to kill zombies. So, I guess you would call it a success. We had to drive him to school a couple of days this week because we missed the bus. This morning he was rushing his dad because he didn't want to miss it again. It was pretty funny to hear him. So far he seems to like his teacher and his different classes.
Today was another P.E. class and I asked how it went. He told me that it was fine, but that he didn't see the girl with the flower in her hair that he had seen last time. She apparently was a first grader that wouldn't tell him her name. He was pretty sad about it.
So overall it seems that school is going well and that he will hopefully thrive and I will hopefully survive. We just hope that he'll find a love for school that neither one of his parents really had. The best part I guess of having kids in school is getting to relive all of the fun things like art projects and field trips.
That is how my week started. Now let me tell you how my week ended.
Friday started out like any normal Friday. I woke up and went to work. I got off work a little before 7:30 and decided to meet a friend for dinner. I was on the phone with my husband telling about the new issue I was having with my car. I hung up the phone, pulled into a parking spot, and my water broke. It was about 8 pm.
I was fairly suprised, I wasn't having any signs of labor, at all. When the on call doctor called me back and asked what was going on. I said that either my water broke or I just peed myself. He didn't think it was as funny as I did.
I was told to go to the hospital. The problem was I was STARVING! After all, I was about to eat dinner and once you're in the hospital, you don't get to eat until it's all over. It could have been the next day before I could get a chance at food. I had spent the last couple weeks of my pregnancy treating every meal as if it were my last. I made sure that whatever I ate it was yummy and worthwhile. And here I was, getting cheated out of even getting my last meal. Details, details....
Well my friend was kind enough to drive me to the hospital and sat with me until my husband arrived. She was so relieved to see him, otherwise it would have been her holding my hand. Whether or not she wanted to be there.
By the time my husband and a few family members had arrived and I had gotten checked in, my contractions had started and started to get pretty intense. It was 8:45. From the get go I had said I wanted an epideral. I had one with my first and I don't care what you say or think I wanted one. I am not too proud to say that I am not fit for natural labor.
The anisthesiologist was in the OR, but I was told that as soon as they were done he would be in. In the mean time they offered me something to help me handle my contractions. I gladly accepted. Problem is, it didn't make the pain go away, it just made me ALMOST loopy enough to make me not care about the pain.
Well, to save you all from the gorey details.... I was progressing too quickly to wait for the anesthesiologist. He was still in the OR.
I didn't get my epidural. I experienced first hand natural child birth. It is official. I am done having children. If there is even a 1% chance of doing that again, I would like to gracefully bow out now of having any more kids.
At 10:05 pm I gave birth to a 7lb. 9 oz. 20.5 inch baby boy. That's right start to finish, TWO hours and no epidural. I am currently patting myself on the back.
We're exhausted (at least I am), but home and healthy.
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