Anyone need some cloth diapers?

I'm ebaying some of the cloth dipes that Koa has grown out of and I will (thankfully) never use again:

2 Size small little g pants 

3 Bumkin AIOs

Two Kids: Day 3

It's now the third day of having 2 kids instead of 1.  Mr A has been spending lots of time with Ikaika and taking him everywhere so I've had time to bond with Koa and get feeding/sleeping/diapering established. 

Breastfeeding is absolutely no easier this time around.  In fact, I would say its been more difficult.  I already have scabs and Koa isn't as ambitious about a bottle so pumping hasn't exactly been my saving grace. 

Sleeping has been alright.  He's a 5lb midget, so he's been sleeping a ton.  I've decided that it is more important for me to sleep than it is to make sure he sleeps in a bassinet.  Therefore, he's been sleeping in bed with us at night.  I have to admit: I like the snuggling.

He fits premie diapers like a glove so I guess I have to stop making fun of my mom for buying them.  Diapering little babies like this is frustrating because they get dirty so often but they aren't "that" dirty.  It's such a little mess!  I've been able to catch a couple poops in the sink - yay EC!  He finally got rid of his sticky black newborn poo today so it's been more manageable.   

G-Diapers as an Alternative

Mr A likes using disposable diapers.  I don't know if he "likes" it so much as it is convenient and he would rather not deal with feces.  But, either way, throughout Ikaika's infancy, we have ended up regularly using 'sposies for going out or bedtime.  I desperately want this to stop. 

I'm so grossed out by the thought that when I die those diapers are still going to be in a landfill somewhere, no exaggeration.  It seems like such a huge waste for such a small amount of convenience.  I also find that, because of this guilt, when I use 'sposies I tend to leave me kid sitting around in a "sort of wet" diaper a whole lot longer, which isn't very nice.  I also find that disposable diapers STINK and we end up having to take out the trash every day.  Boo!

So, I've been looking into alternatives.  Something that could bridge the gap between cloth and disposable.  Gdiapers hit my radar during my first pregnancy (I lived in Portland, Oregon - things like that were hard to avoid).  I never gave them much attention because they seemed too expensive to me.  If I can make my own diapers from shirts or get a box of prefolds for $20 off craigslist then how could I possibly justify spending $50 for 120 diapers?  Then, when money got real tight and Costco tempted me with 200+ diapers for $35 on coupon...sigh...

Well, now I'm on my second kid and I already have a sizable stash of cloth dipes.  I also have a better idea of how and when I use disposables.  I am ready to try Gdiapers.  I found some Gpants at a yard sale a few months ago and just bought some inserts on the cheap from craigslist.

Gdiapers are flushable (I swear), compostable, biodegradable, and/or just plain disposable (but unlike Kirkland's they won't still be around for my kid's first day of school).  The system is a pair of cloth pants with a liner and the flushable insert that goes into the liner.  I've read about people using these with a small cloth diaper in place of the insert.  They seem well suited to the system we already have in place.

The inserts are about $50 for 120 (size small) or 160 (size medium/large).  It seems like so much, but then I remember that Seventh Generation chlorine free dipes, which I prefer to buy, are $15-20 for a pack of about 40.

How much have I spent on Ikaika's diapers?  It's almost impossible to say.  I would estimate around $500.  Being that I don't need to spend any money on cloth diapers for the new baby (except maybe to replace a few worn out covers), I feel like I can splurge a little on things like Gdiapers. 

Can I make it through the next two years without having to succumb to the temptations of disposables?  Is Gdiapers the answer to my prayers?  Only time will tell...

Wet Bag Made From Shower Curtain (with tutorial link)

Considering we live 10 minutes from year-round beach and we cloth diaper, I can not believe that it has taken me 2 years to make this! Since we replaced our shower curtain this weekend, I used the old one to whip up a wet bag with the help of Dilley Dally's excellent tutorial.

BTW: a "wet bag" is a zippered or drawstring waterproof bag that you put things like bathing suits and used diapers in so your car/diaper bag/whatever doesn't get soaked, too.


Her zipper turned out a million times neater than mine - I encountered some major puckering issues. I also think that using a vinyl shower curtain instead of PUL might have contributed to my problems. But, we make do with what we have around here.


How about this fabric?! Anything with surfing ninjas and lethal musubi is top shelf in my book!

Travel Crafting for a Toddler

In 48 short hours we will be boarding an airplane and headed for some much needed QT with family!

How do I spend my days in preparation?  Cleaning some, baking lots (can't starve on the flight!), packing intermittently, and crafting - of course!  Here's what happened today.

After making granola bars, I revisited Ikaika's carry-on bag.  I picked this bag up from the thrift store, washed it and repaired a few tears in the lining.  I like the fact that the lining is plastic, but that didn't seem enough.

I sewed in this elastic strap to hold up sippy cups so there wouldn't be any unexpected spills.  I don't trust the little gerber no-leak things.

Action shot.

Then I made a travel case for some of his toiletries.  I like these little square pouches.  They look small but are very roomy and can fit all kinds of stuff.  The bag is lined in the same material (which used to be a curtain but said curtain doesn't fit any of our current windows).

Then I used the same material and made a "diaper clutch".  Mr A got a real kick out of the fact that a "diaper clutch" and a "diaper bag" are different baby accessories.  I think this is just perfect for a kid Ikaika's age because he's beyond the point of needing the full bag when we go out but it's always necessary to have a diaper on hand!  And this keeps everything cute and organized! 

Unfortunately, I didn't measure very carefully so it was a little too narrow.  I used some grosgrain ribbon to widen the sides - problem solved.

A Reason to Wear Swim Diapers

I have learned a valuable lesson today.

There is a reason for swim diapers. After spending three days in a row at the beach, with sandy board shorts rubbing against sensitive boy parts for hours on end, today he experienced some major irritation. Poor baby spent the last two hours at the beach sitting naked in my lap and whimpering, holding his sore boto.

There was no way I could have known this - I grew up with two sisters! Tomorrow we are wearing a swim diaper.

Sunshine & Diapers & a New Haircut

I love Hawaii because I can hang my diapers (and all my laundry for that matter) in the sunshine year-round! It gets them whiter than white and is a non-chemical way to sanitize. They always smell fresh and clean, too! Best part is that this is an entire weeks worth of dipes - Yay for the potty!


I don't love Hawaii because the same sunshine that is sanitizing my son's diapers is turning my skin into a piebald mess! No amount of SPF is able to keep my epidermis white. Endless frustration. But check out my new haircut - Bangs! I still can't decide if my hair is any grayer than normal (Ive always had ashy hair) but coloring my hair here would be a waste of time - between the sun and the surf, the color would only last for a week or two tops. So my big change for now is the bangs. I think I'm going to grow the rest out long - easier to cut myself :)

Staying Conscientious About the Reality of Disposable Diapers

From Diaper Free: The Gentle Wisdom of Natural Infant Hygiene by Ingrid Bauer.

"Single-use disposable diapers are responsible for about 4 percent of the refuse in North American landfills.  They represent the third-largest single consumer item in landfills (after newspapers and beverage containers) and comprise a staggering one-third of the nonbiodegradable waste.  The word disposable is a misnomer: these diapers do not go away!  The average baby will contribute 2.75 tons of disposable diaper garbage to this heap by the time he is toilet trained.  Once there, these diapers pose a nonbiodegradable health hazard and an ecological nightmare, potentially contaminating surrounding area and water supplies with chemical toxins as well as natural biological pollutants...Even supposedly biodegradable disposables contribute to these environmental problems, since they require light and air, and are usually too compacted, to decompose.  They may take generations to break down, if ever, and still leave bits of plastic behind."

The Poop Story

When I gave birth to a baby, I knew this day was coming. I wasn't sure when exactly, but it was in my foreseeable future. 

Friday afternoon I heard Ikaika babbling to himself after his nap.  I cracked the door to his bedroom open and peeked my head inside, cooing at him in a sing-song voice, "where's my precious ba..."

The smell hit me first.

Then my vision returned.

"WHAT THE FAAAAAA???????!!!!!!"

My son was covered - covered - in poop!  On his legs, arms, face, in his hair, on his hands (which were in his mouth....ugggghhhh....).  It didn't stop there.  The poop was smeared into all four corners of the world, smashed into the quilts, suck in every tiny hole of the mesh that lines the sides of his playpen!  The culprit, a discarded diaper, was laying to the side, ironically still clean. 

The baby has taken his diaper off before but wet sheets are usually no big deal.  He doesn't regularly poop during his nap.  Apparently, Friday was the beginning of the end of that.  I should have put a cover over the diaper. I should have duct taped it to his body.

The sight of my child happily licking poop off his tiny fingers was almost more than I could bear.  Normally, I can handle that kind of thing. Watching kids vomit makes me sick but bathroom stuff I can deal with. This was definitely the exception.  I truly did almost throw up.

After a bath and a huge load of laundry I set about the task of dragging the poopy playpen down the stairs of our apartment building and spraying it down with a hose. How gross!  Even though I laughed about this story later (a lot later), I was so traumatized in the moment that I didn't even get a picture!  I really would enjoy having some evidence of this (hopefully) once-in-a-lifetime event.

Onion Face Mask and Ginger Soda

Lots of stuff to post about today - none of it all that interesting

• I am on the final day of this crazy detox thing. Ive forsaken the Green Goo Drink and the completely vegetarian diet but Ive dont all the spa/pampering things. Today is Face Day and I started my day with a sugar scrub followed by an intense mask (puree a medium onion and combine that with some oatmeal until its solid enough to stay on your face - try to ignore the burning in your eye sockets/keep your eyes closed, lay down and let it dry, rinse with tepid water) followed by a light facial massage with 10 drops of jojoba oil. Im going to drink a gallon of water today and then later tonight I will steam my face with chamomile, apply another (gentler) mask.
  
• I found this recipe for a ginger drink, something comparable to ginger ale. Im going to attempt to make this tonight but Im using honey instead of agave nectar.
• I made Pancit last night and lets just say we should leave the Filipino foods to the Filipino people. I made Kare-Kare last week and Mr A complained that it wasnt soupy enough - then the Pancit was too soupy. Arrg!
• Tonight for dinner we are having Guava Chicken. I dont know how it will turn out and I dont know if I can handle any more disappointment!
• The baby has officially become Mr GetIntoEverything! I cant take my eyes off of him for a second or else hes reaching his hands into the toilet, eating the tax return papers, tearing the jackets off of all my books, crawling into the closet to get the sewing scissors, etc. Yikes! I desperately need a bookshelf so I can get this stuff off the floor and out of his reach!
• I talked to a diaper service today and they mentioned something about how if you rinse the diaper it will mold and then ruin the entire batch. Uh...I think I need to go and wash a load of diapers...right now! I also need to find a way to rig up a clothes line outside because without drying in the sun the dipes have gotten very dingy and gross.
  

Learn to Read Directions! Stop Making Us All Sick!

Does anyone ever notice the fine print on the side of the 'sposie package that clearly says:

"When throwing away a used diaper, empty the waste into the toilet, wrap the diaper tightly and throw it away"

I suppose they dont, because it located in teeny tiny print right next to the directions (and who needs directions to use a diaper?). Maybe manufacturers should start putting it in huge block print front and center.
But then no one would want to use disposables anymore because it would be "hard". The number one complaint I hear about cloth diapering, although its usually the number one question masked as a complaint because its only non-clothers that say this, is that you have to get up close and personal with bowel movements.

Well, guess what? You are supposed to do it either way!

This isnt a foriegn concept to most of us. We know that if we are camping, we must bury our #2s in a hole. We know that we shouldnt leave our waste out there in the forest where its going to hurt the animals or the ecosystem that we depend on (or the water will be potentially be drinking/swimming in later...GROSS!). So why are we just throwing our kids poo on top of the trash heap like its no big thing? I dont know all the gruesome details of what feces does when left rotting and untreated but Im sure its not good.

I am now convinced that cloth diapering people are the only people on earth who use conventional diapers properly (when we use them) because we are just in the habit of doing it that way. In fact, Im sure if I went to using 'sposies full-time I would probably send full poo-packages to the dump because its just that easy to be that lazy.

The bottom line? Changing diapers was never meant to be glamorous work. Do us all a big favor and keep your bio-hazardous waste out of the landfills! Its totally unhealthy for all of us and we built these amazing sewage treatment centers for a reason.

Good Morning Blog Readers!

Im going to start calling this The Poop Baby Blog.

So back to the topic of my sons bowel movements...

I realized last night that I havent changed a really poopful diaper for quite awhile. Thank you EC. But on that same line of thought - Ikaika has developed a little diaper rash thing. Not like full blown toddler diaper rash (those are gnarly) more like just redness and callousness between the cheeks. Problem is that Im not sure where the redness is coming from. Hes not sitting in poo, as I explained earlier. We use cloth during the day but Mr A insists that he will sleep better if hes in 'sposies. So which is causing the sore-butt syndrome?

In regards to treating the symptoms: This morning I sat him in a little tub full of sitz herbs and baking soda. It seemed to help the irritation and he smelled good afterwards. Ive used Balmex and it didnt do much except get all over my hands. Gross. Lano-something was of a nicer consistency and seemed to make his skin soft but I only had a sample packet and its gone now. Mr A has been putting A&D on him (you know those old men and their A&D) even though I keep telling him that stuff has fish oil in it and its going to make the diapers stink. No one listens to me...

Good Lord, Mom, leave me alone!

You cant exactly tell in these pics but hes getting big, as babies do. Our neighbors granddaughter is a little over 3 months and shes still smaller than he is (then again, in this neighborhood, the mothers lifestyle choices may be called into question). I hope he slows down a little or Im going to need a weight belt just to get him in and out of his bassinet! Ohhh my back!

cock-eyed baby love

Diaper Wipe Recipe

I mixed it all up and put it in a spray bottle. I also hear that you can just soak a roll of paper towels in this solution - put Im wary of doing that before the child is actually here (can these "go bad"?)

1C water
1Tbs Shaklee Baby Shampoo
1/2Tbs Sweet Almond Oil
2 drops Tea Tree Oil

Feel the soothing relief!

Bonus:

Heres a muesli recipe that I mixed up today. This is amazingly filling for a early morning breakfast. Its from a raw cookbook but I like it best because its faster than cooking oatmeal.

4C rolled oats
1C raisins
1/2C chopped nuts (I used almonds and walnuts)
1/4C sunflower seeds
1/4C raw cane sugar

Put it all together in a can or whatever and MIX! I like it with frozen blueberries and milk but its equally good with just milk. I would recommend letting it sit on the table while you shower or something just to soften the oats up a little bit.

I also finally, after a week of being put on the to-do list, finished the crib bumper! Picture coming soon!

More Diapers & Stuff

Heres fitted diaper attempt #1. Long story about seam allowances short - I think I made the front a little too tall so it may or may not fit an actual baby. Also, the elastic is still in the experimental phase, so again, no idea how its going to work in real life.

My computer isnt letting me rotate my images, which is annoying. This is just a flat view of the diaper with the doublers taken out. I made a stuffable diaper because if it were all one thing it would probably take a lifetime to dry. I was clever enough to make one of my doublers capable of being partially folded in half. This is to offer the baby that extra absorbency in the front that most dudes seem to need.

The ladies at the craft store gave me a hard time about my velcro selection. "oh that is SO WIDE for a diaper! ...doesnt that seem too wide? Are you sure you want it that big?"

Sorry ladies, but it looks fine to me.

Then, from the ashes of all these tshirts, came breast pads for leaky boobs. Gross, I know. The thing below it is a hat. It was supposed to be a gift for Mr As coworker (one of the many expecting this autumn) but I didnt like it enough to gift it so Ill just keep it for Ika.

This picture is a pair of red cotton booties that I knit awhile ago. I think they are cute enough and easy enough to make, I will likely make more in the future and in different colors. The thing about booties is I always wonder how well it will stay on a real babys foot. Geez, are we starting to detect a theme here? I need a real baby to try this stuff on!

There is also a cotton bib, which is a gift for Mr As other coworker. They are all having girls. I like this bib and it was fast so I will probably make one for my own child in blue or green.

Then there is the herbal neck pillow. This is so cool! Its a pillow thats filled with rice and lavender so it smells very relaxing. It can go in the microwave to be warm and soothing or it can go in the freezer to be cold and therapeutic! Its called a neck pillow but its also great for back, shoulder and anywhere else since the rice made it very mouldy (made up word!). The pink flannel outer part is a case so it can be removed for laundering purposes. I like the pattern so much I took a close up pic of it.

This is a gift as well. The problem is that Im not sure if this woman has the same taste as I do. As in, would she find this pattern charming (like I do) or childish? Its risky business - gift giving.

***I dont know if you guessed this already or not, but I got off work a bit early today so I had some extra time on my hands. Would we consider this "nesting"? Should I be concerned about going into labor at any moment?!

Diapers: A Pain in the Poo

Im hesitant to write about any sort of "ideas" or "plans" I might have for child-rearing, less they dont work out and I end up looking like I *gasp* have no clue what Im doing! Im also self conscious about coming across as the naive first-time mother. But, for the sake of showing off my sewing prowess, Im willing to break the seal here tonight. Lucky you.


Ive put quite a bit of thought into babys fecal matter. What am I going to do with all of it? How will I afford to do anything with it? How many hours out of the day am I willing to spend with it? And so on and so on.

CLOTH DIAPERING:

Anyone who knows my deep and undying love of the Diva Cup could probably have seen the cloth diapers coming from a mile away. Fortunately, Mr A did cloth before so that makes our decision a little less burdensome.

People think cloth is going to save them money. Maybe in the long run it will - I dont know and Im unwilling to do the math. All I know is that to buy a stash of Fuzzi Bunz (the Cadillac of cloth diapers) would set you back $15 per diaper! And they come in 4 different sizes! Yikes. A diaper service is great but runs about $70+ a month! Thats more than internet service! Yikes. Even a good sized stash of used dipes will clock in at around $150. I thought the $30 for my Diva Cup was an investment!

Im willing to make a financial committment to cloth diapering, but not until I figure out if this is really going to work for us.

Enter: my sewing machine.

First, I found Frugal Diapering online. Then I found a bag of leftover scraps from Mr As Christmas T-shirt Quilt. Then I found some time on a lazy Monday night (post-work, pre-Olympics).


VOILA!

I made two cloth diapers (newborn sized, 14") and seven wipes for FREE! Its funny because I have absolutely NO way of proving that these work at the moment. But Im still proud of myself.

Next, Im going to make the stuffable prefold and some soakers because these dipes are quite thick and I can see why it would be nice to have CDs with fast-drying capabilities.

The wipes are meant to be used with a spray bottle full of:

2.25 C Water
2 Tbs Shaklee (or any) Baby Wash/Shampoo
1 Tbs Baby Oil

Spray & Wipe. Nothin' to it.


I also got three used but cute diaper wraps. Theres a little bit of staining but who cares? Babys just going to poop in it anyway.

The two with patterns are 100% organic cotton and SO adorable! Best part is they were A DOLLAR EACH! I know, I kick ass.

By the way -BETH- worry not. The post on bucket training will be coming shortly.