September recap & October musings

I realize it's been awhile since I updated what is going on with our family. I've had flu-like symptoms since Monday, so pretty much everything has been neglected in my life, while I've rested. Will was an amazing help last night with dinner and dishes, my family always treats me so well when I'm not. Yesterday was our 13th anniversary, I felt bad for being sick on it, but I also felt too tired to care much. The weather has increased my mood. I love rainy fall days when the leaves still cling to the trees, when God send the rain at this perfect time to make the colors more vibrant as they change. Every season that comes, I say, "this is my favorite one." Fresh air never felt so good. Last week, before I was sick, I walked to Goodwill, Hastings, and the Dollar General one day. One, to conserve on gas, Two, for exercise. It was so windy and perfect and I felt great about the walk. I didn't spend much money, there was no need. I am beginning to like these frugal exercises.
I know that the cloth diapering business is probably a bore, but I have been doing it for 26 days now. I can't imagine going back to disposables. Why would I when I already have these cloth diapers? I don't have to buy anything anymore. We've also had great success with making our own baby foods. Below are my latest venture, Deo-Disks. Now, they can be bought, but why? It was so simple. Mixing baking soda with water, a few drops of orange oil, and wah-lah: deodorant disks that smell great and can go right into the wash with the cloth diapers. Now, they are setting downstairs right now, hoping they harden. Below that I put pictures that are cute and funny. I put the wrong video in, but I will put the right one in after I post this.

Grandma and PopPop from New Jersey sent this package, and Brielle thought it was a good place to sit!

One of my favorites: Brielle playing nonchalantly while football practice goes on behind her.

Love those chubby thighs!

Brielle's first time out of arms and the stroller, in the library:

Reading her first Library book:

Brielle meets the Gov, who she already knows and loves, she just doesn't realize that inside it's our good friend Elise, the APSU notable mascot!

This face reminds me of our former neighbor, Brenna, who we ironically got this jacket from.

Will's football watching "stance."

Cloth Diaper Experience: Day 18

You might be surprised to read that I'm still in there! Worst part: dumping the dirty diapers into the washer (don't worry, it gets rinsed, washed, then rinsed again). Best part: seeing how CLEAN they get and hanging them on the line outside. I don't know why I love the line outside but I really do. I really think it's what keeps me going. Hardest part: being the only one who really changes her diapers. Here is a picture of the "twist" fold:

I thought this was great, Brielle's own gym.

Ode to my mom

How did you do it, I wonder each day?
those hundreds of diapers you washed
Always checking for a wet one
pulling down plastic pants
and poking diaper pins-
I remember how you held them in your mouth
while you changed the diaper
How did you do it through three children?
I remember the diaper soaking in the toilet
when I, just 7, had to use it !emergency! right then
you came in and dunked and swished
while I held my hand over my mouth and nose
And you- you say it was just the norm
just what you did.
Cloth diapering seems such a hard task-
for those of us spoiled with disposable paper.
But I'm sure my bum appreciated it then--
and I've certainly developed a level of appreciation for
your cloth diapering three little bums
and the work it involved.
No wonder we were potty-trained early!

Might I add that I recently recalled that you also

made our CLOTHES!

You GO Mom!!!

Cloth Diapering: Day 7

One question I do not have to ask myself on the average day: Did Brielle have a poopey diaper today?
One does not easily forget scraping, dunking, flushing, swishing, scraping.

Cloth Diapering Experience: Day Two

It is becoming the “norm” quickly. The Velcro pads are unfortunately scratching our little speed crawler’s thighs. I’m trying different fastening techniques to hopefully help. So far, not much luck. She pees so much! I never knew! I can’t say how thankful I am that someone invented snappis, Velcro covers, and good quality (and cheap!) prefolds. BabyBestBuy.com Total cost for the diapers, covers, and snappis: $45.00. So…for it to be comparative to the cost of disposables, I will need to use the cloth for THREE FULL WEEKS (ironically, the same length of time it takes to make or break a habit). Everything beyond that is just money in the bank (Cha Ching!) Honestly, if it weren’t for the Internet, I’d not even be using cloth diapers. There is just a plethora of information about cloth diapering on here. The only people I’ve ever known in real life to use cloth diapers are my mom, aunts, grandparents, and such. Now, if I were to ask them, or even just go to the store myself, I would end up buying what they sell there: 12pk Gerber Birdseye diapers (12.97) plastic pants (4.97 for 6) and diaper pins (.97 for 4). Total cost: $36.00 (tax incl). And I would hate it! Diaper pins and pulling off plastic pants 20 times a day??? Plus, I would have no idea what the best methods for washing are, which detergents work (and don‘t - for non absorbency issues), how to store and dry the diapers, or even the “best tricks” for color and odor. I have yet to meet a cloth diaper user here in Clarksville (that I am aware of). I’d be so excited if I did! I feel like a lone struggler. But also a trailblazer. I feel frugal and less off. But also like I’m a part of earth conservation awareness. Giving a message for the younger generation to give too: learn; and then just try something different that is for the better of relational society and environmental responsibility (and a budget!). It may not be the easiest thing ever, but it’s worth trying for!

By the way...I can't figure out which one of these diapers was the poopey one! That is a GOOD thing, right??? :)

Cloth Diapering Experience: Day One

I’m getting quicker and better at changing the cloth every hour. That would be because I have to changer her every hour (or more than). By 11am I felt like we’d done nothing but change ten diapers. By 3pm, we had actually changed fourteen. I say “we,” but I really mean “I” because Will is having nothing to do with changing the cloth. Since the plan is to use disposables when we are out and overnight, he’s fortunately got a supply to change her into if he has to be the one to change her.
At 10am on this first day I was already scraping off the poo into the toilet. It was not as bad as you’d think. Okay, maybe it was. But it didn’t bother me much. In fact, dunking it in the swirling waters of the toilet brought back memories of when I was seven and my baby brother was in cloth. Nostalgia.
She is getting a rash though. It may be the detergent, I’m going to look into that.
By 5pm I was excited that we were leaving for football practice and our “date night” just so I could put a disposable on her. This is hard work!!!

Miracle Diapers

For those of you who are keeping track: I applied also at www.miraclediapers.org (they do this very cool thing: they send donated cloth diapers to applicants who qualify) and was accepted, but there are no diapers because of lack of donations (you do have to send them back when you are done too). So, they asked us applicants to get the word out to the diaper people! Do the diaper people read my blog??? I don't know! But here is what they said:
In the meantime, you could help us by spreading the word of MiracleDiapers' need. Miracle Diapers is completely dependent on donations from private parties. Through the generous spirit of hundreds of donors we have been able to help cloth diaper over 500 babies in less than 3 years!
However word seems to be spreading of us faster to our applicants than to our donors, and we have depleted our entire stock of diapers and supplies.
Hopefully our shortage will be brief (as we recently had a HUGE donation of diapers that needed minor repairs from a very generous donor and oversewing volunteers are working diligently on those), and we will be able to help you get your little one in cloth diapers before you know it!
AND, my mom also bought liners and Snappis for us! I love you people who read my blog!