no lie.
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Friday, August 28, 2009
Camp Grandma Mimi Shirts
As most of you know, this summer the boys spent quite a bit of time at my moms house! They spent about 20 days at my mom's house, and 13 of those days Mike and I were gone. While we were at our camp, the boys enjoyed Camp Grandma Mimi. When we got back I bought some shirts from Hobby Lobby and one of our youth mom's monograms, so she monogrammed them that said "Camp Grandma Mimi 2009". I got one made for my mom as well! I was so excited about them and as you can see so were the boys, and mom was quite thrilled as well. :)
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Playing with Solomon
Solomon, our pastor's son, has been joining us at our house this week to play! He is very sweet and plays very well with the babies. The boys have a hard time adjusting to the fact they a big kid is playing with them in their play room. We have had many lessons on sharing this week! They have warmed up to him and this morning enjoyed playing and laughing with him. Here are some pictures of them playing with Solomon.
Solomon sat on the ledge to play with his toy and when he got up, Michael went and sat on the ledge :)
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Today is the day of Salvation.
I know that I normally don't post non-baby/family things, but something special has happened in the body of Christ that I am eager to share!
Mike and I have gotten to know a sweet couple at our church - Heath and Kristin Thomas. They are a vital couple in the life of our church and thankfully, they are also our neighbors!
Heath's family live in Iowa and his father has been diagnosed with lung cancer. His father took a turn for the worse a couple of months ago, and our church began praying for his health, but more importantly for his salvation. You see, Heath was certain that his father was not a believer and that if he was to pass away that he would spend eternity in hell apart from the Father. About 3 weeks ago Heath and Kristin spent a week up in Iowa with his family and Heath had all intentions on sharing the Gospel with his father. Through certain circumstances, the opportunity never became available and they made the trip home not knowing if that would be the last time he saw his dad. Suddenly, his dad got pneumonia and the doctor told his mom that if the kids wanted to see him then they needed to make their way up to Iowa. Heath, Kristin, and his sister and her family all packed up the car and began the 13 hour drive to see his dad. Once they got on the road, they were told that his blood count was dropping and they needed to get up quicker - so they booked a flight from Atlanta and flew up there. When we received the news the church began praying! It was so incredible to see the body of Christ come together in prayer for a man we had not met, yet loved that family and knew the severity of the situation! Families were praying. Husbands and Wives were praying. Siblings were praying. Students were praying. Sunday School classes were praying. Everyone was eagerly praying that Heath would get the oppurtunity to share the Gospel and that his father would be receptive in his final days/hours.
On Monday, the church sent a email out that they recieved from Heath and in it he talked about how his father was not given much longer. This is part of what his email said:
Heath's father passed away this morning, just two days after he was re-born. With sadness, we are grieving with Heath and his family, but with joy we are rejoicing that his father is in heaven praising the Lord, whom he came to know just two days prior! What a mighty, loving, and gracious God we serve!
I have been listening to this song by Hillsong called "You Hold Me Now." It is about the day when we meet the Lord in heaven. I have always enjoyed the song and in the recent days I have been listening to it praying for Jim Thomas - this morning as our hearts are heavy for the family, I am listening to it thankful that Heath was a faithful son and a faithful servant to the Lord - and because of his faithfulness to the Gospel that his father is now spending his eternity rejoicing and praising the one that brought salvation to him two days before he called him home.
Will you pray for the Thomas family with us?
Lyrics: You Hold Me Now
On that day when I see
All that You have for me
When I see You face to face
There surrounded by Your grace
All my fear is swept away
In the light of your embrace
When Your love is all I need
And forever I am free
Where the streets are made of gold
In Your presence healed and whole
Let the songs of heaven rise to you alone
No weeping, no hurt or pain
No suffering You hold me now
You hold me now
No darkness no sick or lame
No hiding You hold me now,
You hold me now
In this life I will stand
Through my joy and my pain
Knowing there's a greater day
There's a hope that never fails
When Your name is lifted high
And forever praises rise
For the glory of Your Name
I'm believing for the day
When the wars and violence cease
All creation lives in peace
Let the songs of heaven rise to you alone
For eternity
All my heart will give
All the glory to Your name
Mike and I have gotten to know a sweet couple at our church - Heath and Kristin Thomas. They are a vital couple in the life of our church and thankfully, they are also our neighbors!
Heath's family live in Iowa and his father has been diagnosed with lung cancer. His father took a turn for the worse a couple of months ago, and our church began praying for his health, but more importantly for his salvation. You see, Heath was certain that his father was not a believer and that if he was to pass away that he would spend eternity in hell apart from the Father. About 3 weeks ago Heath and Kristin spent a week up in Iowa with his family and Heath had all intentions on sharing the Gospel with his father. Through certain circumstances, the opportunity never became available and they made the trip home not knowing if that would be the last time he saw his dad. Suddenly, his dad got pneumonia and the doctor told his mom that if the kids wanted to see him then they needed to make their way up to Iowa. Heath, Kristin, and his sister and her family all packed up the car and began the 13 hour drive to see his dad. Once they got on the road, they were told that his blood count was dropping and they needed to get up quicker - so they booked a flight from Atlanta and flew up there. When we received the news the church began praying! It was so incredible to see the body of Christ come together in prayer for a man we had not met, yet loved that family and knew the severity of the situation! Families were praying. Husbands and Wives were praying. Siblings were praying. Students were praying. Sunday School classes were praying. Everyone was eagerly praying that Heath would get the oppurtunity to share the Gospel and that his father would be receptive in his final days/hours.
On Monday, the church sent a email out that they recieved from Heath and in it he talked about how his father was not given much longer. This is part of what his email said:
"Now, how much time he has is up in the air, but I don't think it's much. He's resting now, but I am going in when they will allow me to. At that time, I am going in guns a blazin for the Lord. Pray for the Lord to move during that time."I just loved his phrase "guns a blazin' for the Lord." As I received this email I started praying. I took the boys for a walk and just prayed and asked the Lord to bring salvation to this man! Thirty minutes later, as I was unloading the boys from the stroller, Mike called and said "Did you hear the news?" I thought he was calling to say that his dad passed, but he was calling with news that required rejoicing and not grieving. Heath had shared Christ with the his dad and his dad accepted Christ as his Savior! Wow! With tears in our eyes we praised the Lord for His goodness and rejoiced that He is, indeed, Mighty To Save!!!
Heath's father passed away this morning, just two days after he was re-born. With sadness, we are grieving with Heath and his family, but with joy we are rejoicing that his father is in heaven praising the Lord, whom he came to know just two days prior! What a mighty, loving, and gracious God we serve!
I have been listening to this song by Hillsong called "You Hold Me Now." It is about the day when we meet the Lord in heaven. I have always enjoyed the song and in the recent days I have been listening to it praying for Jim Thomas - this morning as our hearts are heavy for the family, I am listening to it thankful that Heath was a faithful son and a faithful servant to the Lord - and because of his faithfulness to the Gospel that his father is now spending his eternity rejoicing and praising the one that brought salvation to him two days before he called him home.
Will you pray for the Thomas family with us?
Lyrics: You Hold Me Now
On that day when I see
All that You have for me
When I see You face to face
There surrounded by Your grace
All my fear is swept away
In the light of your embrace
When Your love is all I need
And forever I am free
Where the streets are made of gold
In Your presence healed and whole
Let the songs of heaven rise to you alone
No weeping, no hurt or pain
No suffering You hold me now
You hold me now
No darkness no sick or lame
No hiding You hold me now,
You hold me now
In this life I will stand
Through my joy and my pain
Knowing there's a greater day
There's a hope that never fails
When Your name is lifted high
And forever praises rise
For the glory of Your Name
I'm believing for the day
When the wars and violence cease
All creation lives in peace
Let the songs of heaven rise to you alone
For eternity
All my heart will give
All the glory to Your name
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
This is what I see while washing dishes!
We have a swing set that was left with the house. A mom of quads gave me these plastic infant swings, so we attached them to the set. The boys absolutely love them and when it is not too hot, or the sun isn't shining in their faces, we try to go out and spend some time in them! The set was on the other side of the yard, but I asked Mike if he would move it in front of the window so I could watch them swing when I cook. I loved watching Mike play swing the boys in it while I was finishing up dinner! They had so much fun, and I am sure Mike had just has much fun watching the joy in his sons - and I had fun watching Mike enjoy his children, and my children enjoying their father!
Today is Mike's birthday! WHOO HOO!!! Happy Birthday Mike!!! I am so thankful that the Lord gave this man to be as my husband. He is such a blessing and a delight and the compassion in his heart for the Lord and his family is so attractive to me! I am blessed to call him my husband and the father of our sons! I love you Mike!!!
I purchased some little blue stools at target for $2!!! I was really excited about using them in the boy's room and then my mom gave me the idea that it could be a good "waiting" stool for bath time. Ingenious Mother!!! So, we started practicing this week due to the fact that they are having to get 4-5 baking soda baths a day because of this awful diaper rash (any tips?). Normally Mike is home to assist in bath time, but lately it has just been me because Mike is at work. I have them wait on the stool while I undress their brother and get him in the tub. Then we the bath is over they wait on the stool while I am drying them off. We have had, so far, 100% success! They have done very well with it and I am very proud of them! Tonight we had them both practice some more and sit there while they brushed their teeth.
Aren't they just precious?
Have I ever mentioned before that I love those three men in my life?! If not, I do!
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Not Me Monday.
Normally it is "not me, Monday" where you talk about what YOU have done. I have never participated, because, quite frankly, I don't do anything of interest really! But today, MckMama is doing "Not my child Monday". That one I can participate in, because, quite frankly, They have done many things of interest lately.
So here it is:
After Michael got his diaper changed and the diaper was laying on the floor in the play room, Jeremiah most certainly did not begin to explore what it was. He most certainly did not decided that the contents in the diaper were edible and most certainly did not eat those contents - No, Not My Child! My child would never do that! He knows that we don't eat things that are in diapers! or does he?
During the boys nap they were in pajamas that snap to the shirt (3 snaps to be exact). After they slept and played a bit I went to go get them up for lunch. As I walked in Michael's bottoms were most certainly not on the floor unsnapped, and he most certainly did not have a funny look on his face. When asked what happened to his pants he did not respond by saying "Uh-Oh." Not MY child - he knows that our pants stay on! (I am still pondering how he figured out how to unsnap them.)
And finally, it wasn't my child that also figured out how to remove his own whisper pull-on pant AND diaper AND snappi during his nap - nope, not my child! (and I will give you two guesses on which baby did that! One hint: He replied with "uh-oh")
Go over to My Charming Kids for all the other "Not Me Mondays!"
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Look what I ironed today!
Evidence of a blessed life.
As I was ironing Mike and the boys shirts for church tonight, I was thinking of how I get the privilege to iron these three mens shirts for the rest of my life (Well, Mike's for the rest of my life, and the boys until they have a bride.)
- The boys decided yesterday that it was time to do some walkin'! They began a month or so back, but haven't really acted interested since then. Jeremiah will stand on his own, without holding onto anything, and will take a step or two, but that was about it for the past month. Yesterday as we were playing, Jeremiah stood up and just walked across the room. Michael, on the other hand, as shown absolutely NO INTEREST at all! I was concerned that he would be a month behind his brother, but after a morning of Jeremiah walking, I guess Michael knew he had it in him the whole time (that stinker!). In the afternoon, Michael just started walking by himself! We spent a good bit of today practicing some more and they will now just walk to a toy or something instead of someone prompting them!
- Their new favorite word is "hi." Right when you walk in their room to get them up from a nap you will hear "HI" about 18 times per baby! It is precious!
- Jeremiah really enjoys anything that is circular, round and he will call it a ball! (In the sweetest voice you have EVER hear, "baawhl" We went to an antique store yesterday and in a far corner was a volleyball. He can point out any ball in a crowded room. I hear very softly, "Baawl". I look for the ball and see it and agree that he is correct that it is a ball, then I walk on. Once that ball was out of his sight you would have thought he was just told that he would never have another meal! He lost it - until another ball was in his sight!
- We are practicing manners at the table lately. We are working on not screaming, whining, throwing food, or throwing our cups. I think we have mastered the "No rocking" rule but we are still working on the others. The boys now say "Thank You" when they are given their cup and they know they signs for Please, More and All Done. When Jeremiah is breaking a rule and I correct him he will say "ooohhhh" Like, "Oh Mom, I get it! Sorry!"
Can they seriously get any cuter?
Mike and I went and finally got our tag and drivers license switched over to Alabama. Yes, it is about 10 months late, and yes we paid for it! It was very costly especially since we had to pay the taxes since October and we will have to turn around and pay taxes for the next year starting next month. I was actually excited to have a new drivers license picture but also nervous that you have one shot and you have to live with it for the next 4 years. I think mine turned out pretty good, but poor Mike looks loopy in his. He blinked right when the guy took it and they didn't give him a re-shot. So his eyes are half open - poor thing.
Here is Mike and I practicing for our picture in the car!!!
(We have a friend that SERIOUSLY took her driver's license picture with that face - so we thought it would be funny to do it for ours. But then we realized we would have to live with that picture for four whole years!)
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Best of Buds!
I once read on someone's blog that she taught her children from the beginning that they were best friends. I read this when I was pregnant with the boys and told myself that they would be told that they were best friends, so that they would grow up knowing that this concept was a fact in their life. Not saying I am forcing them to be best friends, but we are praying that they will be taught that their brother will be their best bud. That it will be natural for them to see each other as their best friend. (sort of like you teach or child that a dog is a dog - it's a fact. or the color blue is the color blue. fact, not fiction.)that may have been confusing.. but hopefully you guys get my point.
anyhow.
I had been concerned over the past few days as I have been observing the boys interacting with one another. They can be rather rough with one another. They love it and will laugh at each other when the other knocks him over and lays on top of him, or if one goes up to the other and head butts him, or hits him with that famous yellow bat. I acknowledge that part of why they do this is because a certain person in the household, who shall remain nameless (Hint: He is over 27 years old and when the boys see him they say "da da"), enjoys playing rough on the floor with the babies and showing them how funny it is to hit himself in the head with that famous yellow bat. Well - I told Mike yesterday that I think they may be acting too rough with one another and I am concerned that is how they may be treating other children in the nursery. However, if they are near each other and you say "Love brother" they will crawl to each other and place their heads gently on one another - it is precious as pie!
So, last night when I went to pick the boys up from the nursery, I asked her how they interact with the other kids. I was sure she was going to be polite and say "fine" but I was also expecting her to follow up with "they will sometimes steal the other child's pacifiers and then hit them on the head with it all the while laughing like it is the funniest thing they have ever done in their entire life!" or "occasionally they will crawl to a child and take a yellow bat and hit them on the head then proceed to hit themselves with it over and over and over again, once again with a big smile on their faces!" Those were not the responses she gave me.
She said that they normally will play near the back where there is a tunnel and a little play house thing by themselves. I asked what she meant by "by themselves" and she said they will play just with each other. Where one goes the other follows. If one leaves, the other leaves and goes where their brother is playing. She said they normally stick together and play with one another. This made this momma's heart very joyful. Out of all the babies and out of all the toys, they chose to play with one another. I have no doubt that these boys will become very sociable little guys - it's kinda in their parents nature to always want people around, but I was so joyful to see this bond between two little boys that are brothers and best friends - at the age of 16 months!
Michael and Jeremiah - You are best friends!!!
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Sunday, August 16, 2009
You use WHAT?!
That is normally the reaction I get when I tell someone that my boys are cloth diaper babies! We have been using cloth diapers since the boys were around 3 months old, (I think for the next baby, we will start right away), and we have loved doing it.
First, let me say, that in no way do I think cloth diaper is the "right" choice for every family. It was the right choice for our family, but I definitely don't believe it is "gospel truth." Our reasoning for choosing to do cloth diapers was mainly due to financial reasons. We were having TWO (not one, but two) babies at the same time and I knew that we would be going through diapers like crazy! Their first few weeks of life we went through a pack of preemie diapers a day and let me say, that sure does add up! Some other reasons that led to our decision was that I was aware that it helped prevent diaper rash and there is nothing better then patting a cloth diapered bottom (Can I get an amen?)
I have had many friends inquire about cloth diapers and I have sent out tons of emails in different form regarding diapers. I figured that I would just blog about it and it can be a central location that I can send to people that are interested in choosing this for their family. So here it goes:
THE ACTUAL CLOTH DIAPER:
We use several different diapers.
The one that we use on a regular basis are the Pre-Folds from Green Mountain Diapers.
The boys used the green trim ones (they are no longer pictured, but they are about the same size as the orange timmed ones.) They can still fit in them a bit and they are currently in the yellow trim ones (the boys are near 20 pounds.) We have a dozen of the brown trim ones for when they are a little bigger and they should be able to be in those until we are potty trained. These diapers are on average about $30 a dozen. We have about 4 dozen of these prefolds and I would say that we had plenty. We have two babies too, however I think a mom of a single baby could get away with ALOT less. I guess it depends on how often you want to do laundry. A good thing is that if you have several of the size they are currently wearing, and then you have some that are for the next size, you can still use the larger size you will just have more diaper on the baby, but it will still be usable.
My ultimate favortie diaper is the kissaluvs from kissaluvs.com.
These diapers are amazing because they are just snaps and already formed. It is just as easy as a disposable but can be reused. The boys have been in the same size (Size 0) of these diapers since the get-go. They are suppose to just go up to 15 lbs, but they still fit the boys, so we have definitely gotten good usage out of them. The downside to these diapers is that they are rather expensive. They cost about $13 a diaper. We were given all of ours, or I would not have purchased them, but I am so thankful that we have them because they are perfect for husbands and babysitters. I normally don't leave cloth diapers for sitters, but if I have some kissaluvs cleaned (and I know the sitter wouldn't mind) I ask if they use them, because there is NOTHING to it!
THE ACTUAL COVERS:
Both of those diapers require covers. You can purchase diapers that are an All-in-One, but they are rather pricey. We have a few that were given to us, but we do not use them on a regular basis.
The covers that we use are as follows:
1. My favorite cover is the Whisper Pant by Green Mountain Diapers (GMD).
They are nylon and run a bit large, so you really get use out of them. They are very thin, so your diapers isn't quite as bulky as it is when you have some other covers on. It is easier for the boys to sit up, crawl and walk in these. They are financially afforable at about $6 a cover. The ONLY downside to these covers (and it really isn't a downside, just a factor) is that when you have those fun poo-poo's (you mom's know exactly what I am talking about!)and you go to pull off the cover you have to be super careful or it gets all on the legs. Sometimes it is unavoidable, but the way I see it is that I am saving TONS of money, I can put the effort to clean a little poopoo off their thigh.
2. We also use the Bummis Super Whisper Wraps/Super Brights by GMD.
These were cute, but they were not my favorite and had a lot of down-sides to them. They were given to us and they served their purpose for a good bit of time, but once the boys showed any signs of beginning to grow out of them, we weren't able to use them anymore. These are not a pull-on so therefore if you had one of those fun poo-poos we discussed earlier they were much easier to handle and you can just wipe them clean with a washcloth, or wash them if you desire and have extra's. They have velcro which seemed to rub on the boys stomachs and after a while they would have red marks on their tummy's. When the boys started learning how to sit up, these were difficult for them because they couldn't bend real easy in them. I did like these when they were small and they were very cute (We had several colors and also the plain white ones) and I could make them as snug as I needed.
***Note: When you are looking at covers, I would recommend either pull-on's or velcro. I would stay away from the snap covers (or snap all-in-ones). The problem with the snaps is that when the child is growing and they are in in-between stages with the snaps, they won't fit properly and you will have leaks.***
THE CONNECTIONS:
One of the number one questions I receive when discussing cloth diapers is if I use pins. The answer is NO WAY! Green Mountain Diapers sells these nifty things called Snappi Fasteners.
It is basically a "T" shaped ace-bandage clip like thingy majig (not sure how else to describe it). You just snap them to the diaper and they stay in place wonderfully. They are very cheap (3 for $7) and so easy that even the dad's can do them.
THE LINERS:
Some people choose to do cloth diapers as long as they don't have to rinse them in the toilet. If you are really grossed out about that, then you might want to make sure you take stock in liners. A liner is a thin sheet that you place on top of the diaper. Basically, when the babies have a bowel movement you can pick the liner up and flush it in the toilet, and then toss your diaper in your diaper pail for washing. I did not start using these until the diapers required rinsing after a bowel movement. And I still only use them occasionally. It helps to decrease any fowl odor from the diaper pail, so if I know I am having company or something, then I will try to use them. They are re-usable up to three times (as long as it was just urine) and are fairly inexpensive. At GMD they cost $7 for 100 sheets.
THE CLEANING METHOD:
One thing that differs in cloth diapering mom's is their method of cleaning. Everyone does something different, so you just need to find a method that works for you and go with it. I keep a trash can in their bathroom with a trash bag in it - along with baking soda on the bottom of the can and in the bottom of the bag. The trash can also has a lid so that helps decrease the smell a bit. I toss the diapers in the pail. When they were breast-fed only their bm's were water-soluble so their was no need to rinse their diapers. Once they had more solid bm's then we would rinse the diapers in the toilet (or use a liner) and then put them in the pail. I will re-use my covers up to 2-3 days, depending on if they get dirty. Once the pail is full or I run out of diapers, then I take the bag out and dump it in the washing machine (I do not hand pick the diapers out and put them in - the bag gets poured out!) I wash 2 full cycles and then a rinse cylce. The first cycle is with 1/4 of detergent on Warm water. The second cycle is a full amount of detergent on cold water. And then I finish it up with a final rinse. I dry in the dryer as normal. You can line-dry them in the sunshine and that will keep them bleached naturally. I need to do that with some of ours!
THE DETERGENT:
One of the major discussions with cloth diapering is soap build-up. I haven't experienced anything like that on our diapers and I feel that they have been washed a good bit to where we might have escaped the dreaded build-up. A neighbor in Louisville once told me that the best detergent to use on cloth diapers was the generic brand at Sam's! So, we picked up a HUGE bucket that only cost $10 and we aren't even half way done with it yet and we have had it for a little over a year. I will also use some of Mike's hunting detergent because I noticed on the label that it said it helps prevent "wicking." Hunting season is coming back up, so unfortunately I will have to hand over the detergent for other purposes. If you click here it will take you to a very helpful website on picking out detergents and basics on how to care for your diapers. I try to keep the best care of them because I want these diapers to last through the rest of our children.
WHAT YOU SHOULD HAVE:
Another question from curious moms or soon-to-be moms is "What and how much should I get?" This is what I suggest if I was starting from scratch and purchasing diapers for ONE baby:
One Dozen Newborn (orange) pre-folds $21.00
One Dozen Yellow Edge Pre-folds. $25.00
One Dozen Brown Edge pre-folds $32.00
4 Whisper Pants $6 each = $24.00
3 Snappi's $7.00
2 Package of Liners $14.00
TOTAL COST: $123.00
*** We choose to skip the size between the yellow and brown, because they are growing quickly that I knew they could get more use out of the brown. They will most likely be potty trained before they are out of those diapers. Also, depending on your budget and how often you want to do laundry would be how many more diapers you would want to purchase***
COST COMPARISON:
Disposables - If you change your child on average before and after every feeding - you will be going through 16 diapers a day the first few weeks/months of their life. That will soon go to before and after every nap (with a bm change here and there) which would be around, let's say, 8 times a day. So 16 changes times 30 days times 2 months equals to about 960 diapers. Then you have 8 changes times 7 days in a week is 56 diapers a week times 96 weeks (equivalent to the remainder of their diaper time if you plan on potty training by age 2) would come out to 5,376 diapers plus the 960 from the first two months. Brings your total number of disposable diapers used (give or take) to 6,336. That comes out to around $1300 in diapers. So even if you decide to buy more diapers and invest $300 in cloth diapers, you are saving $1,000 and that is PER BABY!!!!!! The great thing about cloth is that you can use them for more children that God may bless you with. As you can see we saw that it would cost us near $2600 in diapers for the boys, that it was an obvious choice for us to do cloth diapers.
HOW EXACTLY DO YOU PUT THESE THINGS ON?
I'm glad you asked! I changed the boys today and we did a little cloth diaper tutorial via pictures for you guys! The boys were more the ecstatic to have their diaper changes documented! They will see this blog one day and say "Mom, really?! Did you have to do that!"
Prefold Diaper and Whisper Pant Pull On
This is the yellow trim pre-fold with a liner on top of it.
Lay the baby (Jeremiah) on top of the diaper with the back lined up near his belly botton.
Form a "gutter" by rolling up the two sides at the bottom.
Pull it between his legs.
Unfold the front edges a bit and pull the back edges up to connect them.
Connect the snappi to the diaper by doing one side at a time then pulling the middle tab down.
Viola!
Put the cover on. We used a Whisper Pant here. You want to make sure that NO DIAPER at all is showing through the cover. That is how you have leaks. So if it looks like this it needs to be tucked in....
..and look like this! Perfect!
Here he is sitting in the finished product.
Kissaluv and a Bummis Super Bright
This is the Bummis Super Bright cover.
Michael has on a Kissaluv (you just snap it on) and is laying on the cover, ready to put it on.
This is what it looks like on.
This happens often after you put the cover on. You will see part of the diaper sticking out on the legs. This will cause leaks. So you need to make sure you tuck in all the diaper....
.. for it to look like this!
The cute bottom!
This is what this looks like sitting down. Do you see how it rubs on his tum tum?
This is where I store our cloth diapers (behind that curtain, that my amazing sister-in-law made! Way to go Aunt Wissa!)
The prefolds are stacked on the right. My covers and liners and in one green box, and my kissalivs and other diapers are in the other one.
This is the diaper pail in the bathroom along with the disposable trash can as well.
Hope this post is helpful and that it wasn't too confusing.
Here are some helpful websites that I have referred to:
Green Mountain Diapers
My friends Becky that does cloth diapering.
Cloth Diaper Care
Happy Diapering!!!
First, let me say, that in no way do I think cloth diaper is the "right" choice for every family. It was the right choice for our family, but I definitely don't believe it is "gospel truth." Our reasoning for choosing to do cloth diapers was mainly due to financial reasons. We were having TWO (not one, but two) babies at the same time and I knew that we would be going through diapers like crazy! Their first few weeks of life we went through a pack of preemie diapers a day and let me say, that sure does add up! Some other reasons that led to our decision was that I was aware that it helped prevent diaper rash and there is nothing better then patting a cloth diapered bottom (Can I get an amen?)
I have had many friends inquire about cloth diapers and I have sent out tons of emails in different form regarding diapers. I figured that I would just blog about it and it can be a central location that I can send to people that are interested in choosing this for their family. So here it goes:
THE ACTUAL CLOTH DIAPER:
We use several different diapers.
The one that we use on a regular basis are the Pre-Folds from Green Mountain Diapers.
The boys used the green trim ones (they are no longer pictured, but they are about the same size as the orange timmed ones.) They can still fit in them a bit and they are currently in the yellow trim ones (the boys are near 20 pounds.) We have a dozen of the brown trim ones for when they are a little bigger and they should be able to be in those until we are potty trained. These diapers are on average about $30 a dozen. We have about 4 dozen of these prefolds and I would say that we had plenty. We have two babies too, however I think a mom of a single baby could get away with ALOT less. I guess it depends on how often you want to do laundry. A good thing is that if you have several of the size they are currently wearing, and then you have some that are for the next size, you can still use the larger size you will just have more diaper on the baby, but it will still be usable.
My ultimate favortie diaper is the kissaluvs from kissaluvs.com.
These diapers are amazing because they are just snaps and already formed. It is just as easy as a disposable but can be reused. The boys have been in the same size (Size 0) of these diapers since the get-go. They are suppose to just go up to 15 lbs, but they still fit the boys, so we have definitely gotten good usage out of them. The downside to these diapers is that they are rather expensive. They cost about $13 a diaper. We were given all of ours, or I would not have purchased them, but I am so thankful that we have them because they are perfect for husbands and babysitters. I normally don't leave cloth diapers for sitters, but if I have some kissaluvs cleaned (and I know the sitter wouldn't mind) I ask if they use them, because there is NOTHING to it!
THE ACTUAL COVERS:
Both of those diapers require covers. You can purchase diapers that are an All-in-One, but they are rather pricey. We have a few that were given to us, but we do not use them on a regular basis.
The covers that we use are as follows:
1. My favorite cover is the Whisper Pant by Green Mountain Diapers (GMD).
They are nylon and run a bit large, so you really get use out of them. They are very thin, so your diapers isn't quite as bulky as it is when you have some other covers on. It is easier for the boys to sit up, crawl and walk in these. They are financially afforable at about $6 a cover. The ONLY downside to these covers (and it really isn't a downside, just a factor) is that when you have those fun poo-poo's (you mom's know exactly what I am talking about!)and you go to pull off the cover you have to be super careful or it gets all on the legs. Sometimes it is unavoidable, but the way I see it is that I am saving TONS of money, I can put the effort to clean a little poopoo off their thigh. 2. We also use the Bummis Super Whisper Wraps/Super Brights by GMD.
These were cute, but they were not my favorite and had a lot of down-sides to them. They were given to us and they served their purpose for a good bit of time, but once the boys showed any signs of beginning to grow out of them, we weren't able to use them anymore. These are not a pull-on so therefore if you had one of those fun poo-poos we discussed earlier they were much easier to handle and you can just wipe them clean with a washcloth, or wash them if you desire and have extra's. They have velcro which seemed to rub on the boys stomachs and after a while they would have red marks on their tummy's. When the boys started learning how to sit up, these were difficult for them because they couldn't bend real easy in them. I did like these when they were small and they were very cute (We had several colors and also the plain white ones) and I could make them as snug as I needed. ***Note: When you are looking at covers, I would recommend either pull-on's or velcro. I would stay away from the snap covers (or snap all-in-ones). The problem with the snaps is that when the child is growing and they are in in-between stages with the snaps, they won't fit properly and you will have leaks.***
THE CONNECTIONS:
One of the number one questions I receive when discussing cloth diapers is if I use pins. The answer is NO WAY! Green Mountain Diapers sells these nifty things called Snappi Fasteners.
It is basically a "T" shaped ace-bandage clip like thingy majig (not sure how else to describe it). You just snap them to the diaper and they stay in place wonderfully. They are very cheap (3 for $7) and so easy that even the dad's can do them.
THE LINERS:
Some people choose to do cloth diapers as long as they don't have to rinse them in the toilet. If you are really grossed out about that, then you might want to make sure you take stock in liners. A liner is a thin sheet that you place on top of the diaper. Basically, when the babies have a bowel movement you can pick the liner up and flush it in the toilet, and then toss your diaper in your diaper pail for washing. I did not start using these until the diapers required rinsing after a bowel movement. And I still only use them occasionally. It helps to decrease any fowl odor from the diaper pail, so if I know I am having company or something, then I will try to use them. They are re-usable up to three times (as long as it was just urine) and are fairly inexpensive. At GMD they cost $7 for 100 sheets.
THE CLEANING METHOD:
One thing that differs in cloth diapering mom's is their method of cleaning. Everyone does something different, so you just need to find a method that works for you and go with it. I keep a trash can in their bathroom with a trash bag in it - along with baking soda on the bottom of the can and in the bottom of the bag. The trash can also has a lid so that helps decrease the smell a bit. I toss the diapers in the pail. When they were breast-fed only their bm's were water-soluble so their was no need to rinse their diapers. Once they had more solid bm's then we would rinse the diapers in the toilet (or use a liner) and then put them in the pail. I will re-use my covers up to 2-3 days, depending on if they get dirty. Once the pail is full or I run out of diapers, then I take the bag out and dump it in the washing machine (I do not hand pick the diapers out and put them in - the bag gets poured out!) I wash 2 full cycles and then a rinse cylce. The first cycle is with 1/4 of detergent on Warm water. The second cycle is a full amount of detergent on cold water. And then I finish it up with a final rinse. I dry in the dryer as normal. You can line-dry them in the sunshine and that will keep them bleached naturally. I need to do that with some of ours!
THE DETERGENT:
One of the major discussions with cloth diapering is soap build-up. I haven't experienced anything like that on our diapers and I feel that they have been washed a good bit to where we might have escaped the dreaded build-up. A neighbor in Louisville once told me that the best detergent to use on cloth diapers was the generic brand at Sam's! So, we picked up a HUGE bucket that only cost $10 and we aren't even half way done with it yet and we have had it for a little over a year. I will also use some of Mike's hunting detergent because I noticed on the label that it said it helps prevent "wicking." Hunting season is coming back up, so unfortunately I will have to hand over the detergent for other purposes. If you click here it will take you to a very helpful website on picking out detergents and basics on how to care for your diapers. I try to keep the best care of them because I want these diapers to last through the rest of our children.
WHAT YOU SHOULD HAVE:
Another question from curious moms or soon-to-be moms is "What and how much should I get?" This is what I suggest if I was starting from scratch and purchasing diapers for ONE baby:
One Dozen Newborn (orange) pre-folds $21.00
One Dozen Yellow Edge Pre-folds. $25.00
One Dozen Brown Edge pre-folds $32.00
4 Whisper Pants $6 each = $24.00
3 Snappi's $7.00
2 Package of Liners $14.00
TOTAL COST: $123.00
*** We choose to skip the size between the yellow and brown, because they are growing quickly that I knew they could get more use out of the brown. They will most likely be potty trained before they are out of those diapers. Also, depending on your budget and how often you want to do laundry would be how many more diapers you would want to purchase***
COST COMPARISON:
Disposables - If you change your child on average before and after every feeding - you will be going through 16 diapers a day the first few weeks/months of their life. That will soon go to before and after every nap (with a bm change here and there) which would be around, let's say, 8 times a day. So 16 changes times 30 days times 2 months equals to about 960 diapers. Then you have 8 changes times 7 days in a week is 56 diapers a week times 96 weeks (equivalent to the remainder of their diaper time if you plan on potty training by age 2) would come out to 5,376 diapers plus the 960 from the first two months. Brings your total number of disposable diapers used (give or take) to 6,336. That comes out to around $1300 in diapers. So even if you decide to buy more diapers and invest $300 in cloth diapers, you are saving $1,000 and that is PER BABY!!!!!! The great thing about cloth is that you can use them for more children that God may bless you with. As you can see we saw that it would cost us near $2600 in diapers for the boys, that it was an obvious choice for us to do cloth diapers.
HOW EXACTLY DO YOU PUT THESE THINGS ON?
I'm glad you asked! I changed the boys today and we did a little cloth diaper tutorial via pictures for you guys! The boys were more the ecstatic to have their diaper changes documented! They will see this blog one day and say "Mom, really?! Did you have to do that!"
Prefold Diaper and Whisper Pant Pull On
Lay the baby (Jeremiah) on top of the diaper with the back lined up near his belly botton. 
Form a "gutter" by rolling up the two sides at the bottom. 
Pull it between his legs.
Unfold the front edges a bit and pull the back edges up to connect them. 
Connect the snappi to the diaper by doing one side at a time then pulling the middle tab down. 
Viola!
Put the cover on. We used a Whisper Pant here. You want to make sure that NO DIAPER at all is showing through the cover. That is how you have leaks. So if it looks like this it needs to be tucked in....
..and look like this! Perfect!
Here he is sitting in the finished product. 
Kissaluv and a Bummis Super Bright
This is the Bummis Super Bright cover. 
Michael has on a Kissaluv (you just snap it on) and is laying on the cover, ready to put it on. 
This is what it looks like on.
This happens often after you put the cover on. You will see part of the diaper sticking out on the legs. This will cause leaks. So you need to make sure you tuck in all the diaper....
.. for it to look like this! 
The cute bottom!
This is what this looks like sitting down. Do you see how it rubs on his tum tum?
This is where I store our cloth diapers (behind that curtain, that my amazing sister-in-law made! Way to go Aunt Wissa!)
The prefolds are stacked on the right. My covers and liners and in one green box, and my kissalivs and other diapers are in the other one.
This is the diaper pail in the bathroom along with the disposable trash can as well. Hope this post is helpful and that it wasn't too confusing.
Here are some helpful websites that I have referred to:
Green Mountain Diapers
My friends Becky that does cloth diapering.
Cloth Diaper Care
Happy Diapering!!!
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