Adventures in Cloth Diapering

I just wanted to share with you guys that I have been using cloth diapers when I am home and I have found it to be a pretty easy process, and saves money. It had really hit home with me having two kids in diapers both how much they cost and how much of my trash was diapers. My thrifty side and my green side both feel really guilty about that. I had tried briefly with Reid to use them, but never got into a routine. Here is what I am doing with Ryan though.

I got all of my diapers from a web-site called http://www.nickisdiapers.com/

I have 4 Fuzzi Bunz that I bought when Reid was little. I also have 1 called a Bum Genius that I recently bought. These kind are called pocket diapers. They have a pocket in the back that you put a microfiber insert into and then go on basically like a disposable diaper. Then I have 12 old-school diapers (the ones are used for burp cloths now, but most of us were diapered in with safety pins when we were kids:) And I have 2 diaper covers. One is called a Thirsties diaper cover, and the other Bummi's Super Brite (I like the thirsties one better). You lay the cover down and fold the old-school diaper in thirds and put it in the cover, then put it on like a disposable basically. I haven't decided which ones I like the best, they are all pretty easy to use. They have all contained leaks pretty well also.

Basically I am washing them every other day. You do a cold rinse cycle, then a hot water full cycle. I also have a "wet bag" that the diapers go into when they are dirty. When it is time to wash them, I dump all the diapers out into the washer and put the bag in too. Since Ryan is breast fed, his poop dissolves in the wash. When he starts eating food, I have some liners that you put in the diapers that are flushable. Then when he poops I take the diaper off, and flush the liner and the poop in the toilet.

Oh I am also using cloth wipes. I made some wipes solution which is 1/4 cup baby wash, 1/4 cup of baby oil, and 1 cup of water. Then I put it in a spray bottle and spray it on either a wash cloth or some flannel reusable wipes that I bought. I find it is easier to use disposable wipes with disposable diapers and reusable wipes with reusable diapers. Then the reusable wipes go into my wet bag too.

I have found this to be a really intriguing process. I know it seems really out there, gross, and granola, but it really doesn't feel that way at all. When using cloth there is a somewhat large initial investment, but then depending on what kind you buy, you really don't have much more to buy- hence saving you lots of money in the long run. It has felt pretty rewarding to me to only throw away half the diapers I usually do:)

Potty, Potty, Pot-ty!!!

So yet again, Reid has astounded us with his ability to transition easily.

We have been talking to Reid about the potty since he was about 18 months. We got the potty at that time and it sings and makes noises when you flush it. He also has a potty video and some potty books. However, he has never shown any inkling that he is actually ready to potty train. On a whim last monday, I decided to give the potty ago. I did not at all figure Reid was ready to be potty trained, but as so many kids his age that we knew had all at least gone pee in the potty, I thought I would take the opportunity of an agenda free day to try it. So I set Reid's potty up in front of the TV with a potty video, and gave him some Juicy Juice (he never gets to drink that). I started thinking that he had to go, but was holding it at some point. He asked for a diaper a couple of times, but I was able to distract him. At some point he was on the potty and started to pee- well this must have startled him because he stopped. He got up and ran around a little bit but then told me his belly hurt, I explained that it hurt because he needed to put his pee pee in the potty, and so he did!! I was completely shocked. He gets M&M's (which we call a special treat) when he goes to the potty, so he got those, which excited him, then he got to take the pee pee to the toilet to dump it and flush it. That same night, we just let him run around naked. He actually at one point went a little tiny bit on the floor, but then stopped and went over to the potty and finished. I was SHOCKED!! I was even more shocked when the next day he pooped in the potty:) He is a natural!!!

So now a week later what I have found is that he does great when he is naked. He pees and poops in the potty with out incident. Well, to be fair there were two accidents: 1 where he peed right by the bathtub when he was about to get in, and one where we were lying in my bed (I trusted him by this point) and then he said "pee pee hot", so I got to clean all of our sheets:)

The second we put him back in a diaper he just pees and poops like he always has. I bought him some big boy underwear, but that doesn't seem to be making too big of an impression on him. I bribed him to put them on and he said they were too tight. So I am still figuring that out.

Anyway, that is the potty story as riveting as it is:) I am super curious to see what happens when we take the next step of actually making him wear underwear. I am going to try to find some that aren't so tight.

Stay tuned for more exciting adventures with a two year-old!!!

Parenting Two

Wow, has this been quite the roller coaster!!! I will just say this, Having two kids is HARD WORK!!!

I am just now (that Ryan is 3 months) able to occasionally get them both sleeping at the same time. This affords me some me-time, which is severely lacking in my life.

Luckily Reid is a very easy going child and has not one time shown any hint of jealousy or anger towards Ryan. He is just now to the point where he seems to enjoy him and will give him kisses, and talk to him. He also loves jumping in there and giving Ryan his paci when he loses it.

There are those times however when I have two screaming children- those are the times when I just laugh and be present. There is just not much one can do at that point but ride it out:)

This is such a rewarding time in my life that I have been really focusing on being present and just being with them. It has made a remarkable change in me. I have realized that the cleaning will get done at some point, whether or not I stress out about it. My kids are only in my life for a short time though and I don't want to miss a smile because I am cleaning or on the computer.

Anyway, just some random thoughts for the day:)