Diapers.

Well good morning! (at least for me) After a night of little sleep because the babe was awake quite a few times I lay here (she is FINALLY sleeping, but she fell asleep on me and I don’t want to move!) and am quite refreshed. The only thing that is not good right now is that the wonderful coffee I just brewed is across the room and as I said, I don’t want to wake this sleeping babe in her precarious state of sleep. I have to wait until she is very asleep to move. Should be soon, hopefully the coffee is not cold by then!

The purpose of this blog is actually to review some baby products. I am no great voice in the baby product world nor do I have wonderful insight on any of the matters baby. I have however been using various baby products since the girl was born and I want to review them to give all my preggo friends insight into my experiences thus far. If it can help them know what to buy and what not to buy I would happy. It would mean saving a few more poor young couples some money!

To start, I am going to do cloth diapers. I plan on doing a different product every day until I run out of constructive things to say…it may be Friday it may be tomorrow, who knows!

Here we go.

My wonderful sister Elisabeth got a bunch of people to go in on a cloth diaper sample pack. Amazing! I had no idea what diapers to go with before, the cloth diaper world is a whole new thing. Its no longer birdseye and layered prefolds with a pin and a plastic cover. These things are high-tech! I look up cloth diapers and get phrases like “4 layer micro fiber insert with hemp liner” thrown at me. How am I to know if a 4 layer micro fiber is better than a hemp or wool or cotton…? By sampling them! There are so many different brands and fit but after almost a week of using all of the different brands every day I have decided what brands I am going to go with and I put my order in last night for 10 more dipes.

So, to start here is a link to the cloth diaper sample pack. Cotton babies is a great website but careful, they don’t always have the lowest prices! I found the best prices by looking for authorized retailers of the products. They seem to have better sales and promotions than the mother site, Cotton babies.

The first diaper I tried was a Knickernappies. It’s a fitted diaper, not a one size. The “one size” was another unfamiliar thing to me but basically it is a diaper that can fit a baby throughout the whole diapering process. Most start at 8lbs and go up to 25+ lbs. The work by having snaps up the front of the diaper that can be folded down according to the size of the baby. That is what all those overwhelming buttons are for on the front of most modern cloth diapers!

But back to this diaper. It is a yellow size small knickernappies. The fit was good and it looked cute on the babe, but my liking of it ends there. The snaps are hard to get on a wiggly baby with the way they are placed. The sides go underneath the front with to me seemed impractical and made the buttoning process even harder. I also had leaking problems when I used it and my baby is only 4 weeks old so its not like she’s got serious volume issues. The insert just tends to slide to the sides when she moves. I have used it without leaks but that was just for BM not for a big wet dipe. It did contain the BM well though!

Next, since we are on the knickernappies role, the one size. I ordered the one size one my own, it did not come in the sample pack. Bad idea! This diaper is ridiculous. First of all the advertisement says it should fit a baby that is 8lbs. Lil babe is 9 ½ lbs but it was absolutely ridiculous on her! I wouldn’t even leave it on her long enough to see if it would leak. I’m not going to break this diaper out again until she is A LOT bigger. Like my nieces size who is 18 months. It also feels kind of strange, the lining on the inside of the dipe is super fluffy. Seems like stuff would stick in it a lot more? So to knickernappies I would break it down like this (for the sized, their one size is not going to get any stars!):
Fit- 5/5 Style- 4/5 Ease of use- 2/5 Function- 2/5

Now onto Grovia. I really liked the feel of this diaper and thought it would be a winner. The material is super nice and stretches nicely. It feels very well made and up to the task. The snaps were easy to use and it was easy to size down (it is a one size) for the babe even though the sides snap in under the front panel like the knickernappies do. The snaps themselves are better quality on the Grovia dipe and easier to use. Unfortunately it did not fit well. When babe moved her legs up there were slight gaps in the middle, which could be cause she is still only almost ten pounds. I did like how the inserts are built in so that I do not have to place them myself. The insides were very heavy weight, not sure if they would allow for ANY air movement. It also looked really bunchy and uncomfy on her. This was definitely the heaviest of all the diapers. Overall, I would never buy one of these as they are the most expensive cloth diaper and definitely not worth the extra money.
Fit- 2/5 Style- 2/5 Ease of use- 5/5 Function- 3/5

Next the Kissaluvs one size. This diaper was pretty middle of the road to me. Everything about it was decent, nothing negative just a criticism. It was super poofy and made her look like a bubble butt. It was easy to put on her, it fit her reasonably well, it didn’t leak, I just don’t like how it looks. Babe is getting fat on her own she doesn’t need the assistance of a poofy diaper to make her bum look big!
Fit-4/5 Style- 3/5 Ease of use- 5/5 Function- 5/5

On to Happy Heiny’s(whats with these names anyways?!). I have these in two versions, one is a one size one is a fitted. I like the fitted but got leaks every time. It looked really cute on her and was even looking like it was almost too small. I don’t think it will fit her all the way up to 14lbs but maybe. It was very easy to put on her, the front closure is Velcro not snaps. Perfect for wiggly babies. Stuffing the liner inside was easy to do but I must not have done it right ANY of the times I have used it. No BM leaks but lots of wet ones. I have not tried the one size because it looks HUGE!
Fit- 4/5 Style- 5/5 Ease of use- 5/5 Function-2/5
Another category for this dipe would be “true to size”. Answer would be negative. It fits her now but I think these may run a little small on the fitted one, not sure about the medium and large but the small feels pretty darn small. I do like it though, wish I could get it not to leak.

Now fuzzibunz. Overall I like this diaper. It fits well, it looks cute, it’s pretty trim and doesn’t give her the bubble look. The snaps are decent. I don’t like the fact that in order to get a good fit it has to be sized. I like the one size concept, especially since babies grow so quickly.
Fit- 5/5 Style- 4/5 Ease of use- 3.5/5 Funtion- 5/5

Saving the best two for last. Bumgenius is a great diaper. I like the Velcro, never tried the snaps. This fits well, doesn’t leak, easy to stuff, has the best colors, and looks cute. I ended up buying 6 more of these. There is not much else to say, they get an all positive review.
Fit- 5/5 Style- 5/5 Ease of use- 5/5 Fuction- 5/5

Now for my favorite, the Doopsy diaper. Don’t be deterred by their websites lame “let doopsy take care of poopsy” motto. This diaper rocks. It is the cheapest one size out there, fits great, and doesn’t leak. It is also the only one size I know of that has an overnight liner that doesn’t cost as much as the diaper itself. I stocked up on the doopsy. It has snaps that are easy to use. When it’s folded down to its smallest size it still looks cute and comfy and the material stretches well. I found this diaper by chance through a video I think, random but fortunate! I would buy all doopsy and never look back if it weren’t for these two things: the Velcro closure and the cute colors on the bumgenius. Doopsy has all very bold colors, I like the bumgenius colors best. I also really like the bumgenius Velcro closure. So easy to us.
Doopsy comes in three option, R (regular) the D (double) and the SD (super duty). I found the SD to be a good buy because it comes with an overnight liner and hemp insert as well as the regular 4 layer micro fiber insert. The D comes with an extra waterproof insert that is specific to the doopsy brand. The R is the same as all the other cloth diapers, just one insert.
The site says that these diapers are good for 10-35lbs but it fits my 4-week-old great already on the smallest setting.
Fit- 5/5 Style- 5/5 Ease of use- 5/5 Function 5/5

Now for the last category: price. Doopsy is the cheapest out there for the quality. Grovia and Kissaluvs are the most expensive. Bumgenius are an ok price for the product, however they run almost 2$ more a diaper than the doopsy ones do.

I bought my diapers here: Twin City Diaper Company
I was able to get the Doopsy SD for only 14.95 a piece (normally 17.95) and 6 Bumgenius diapers for a discounted price of 6 for the price of 5. Total I bought 10 diapers and spent $143.00.

Oh look at the time...

Yes, look at the time. Of course, being that it is 01:54 I am awake with little babe. She gets up every night at about midnight and stays awake alternating being adorable, eating, and taking little (like 2 minutes long) cat naps until after 02:00, then she sleeps for about 2 hours and then is up for the day. Well, she is up until around 09:00 or 10:00. Oh the schedule of a 4 week old.

It feels more like a late night right now since I only got less than an hour of sleep before being awoken by Honeylove, but it is really early morning. Four weeks ago at this time I was in labor almost ready to start pushing to get her out, how crazy it is to me! How my life has changed in four weeks. It is the best and most difficult experience of my life so far. Difficult because it is hard to love this much, hard to put myself out there to be hurt. If anything were to happen to my little dear I would cease to truly live I think. I spend far to much time worrying about her. It is even more vulnerable to me than the marriage, this intense love that takes over. I didn't know I would feel this for my child but it is almost more than I can bear! I know Michael loves me, but Evelyn didn't choose me like he did. She got stuck with me. Hopefully in the future she will choose to love me too and not just love me because I am her food and comfort and jump at her every need.

But on to my accomplishments as a mother. My little mothering accomplishments may seem mundane or useless to you who are so far ahead of me (mom, Beth, Sara, Kris) but to me these things are revolutionary. To know that I am a mother, I have the knowledge, I have the ability, I am empowered. Yes, empowered. To deal with spit up, messy diapers, crying, hunger and a messy house. So take it. (I got the power!)

Anyways.We have had a little problem today, I say "we" because mine is a laundry problem, hers is a spit up problem. They walk hand in hand. She has been spitting up copious amounts and its sad, poor little dear. I looked up different reasons that could be causing all of this spit up and I discovered a lot.

(thank the Lord for internet, I don't know what paranoid new moms did before cell phones and internet!)

Mainly I think she eats too fast and doesn't stop when she gets full. So tonight I tried something different. I fed her for awhile until she seemed to slow down or get uncomfortable (letting go, little legs running, making smacking noises etc.) and then I burped her and gave her a pacifier. Wow! She took the pacifier and it kept her quiet and content. She didn't spit up after that. I realize now that just because she cries and will eat doesn't mean she needs to eat. She went to sleep happy and easily. I feel slightly accomplished, I conquered my baby for the night.

Honeylove.

Yes, that is how I refer to Evelyn most of the time. My little honeylove. Poor little honey has had a sour tummy the last few days. Every two hours we go through the arduous process of trying to nurse, she is hungry but won't latch on because her poor tummy hurts. She just sits there and cries and cries until she has swollen red eyes and is her little lip is quivering. Then I don't know what to do. I try anything to get her to nurse, obviously (because she is starting to get chunky) she does nurse well and eventually after a lot of crying she will eat. Its a hard experience for both of us though.

Today we tried a little gripe water, it seemed to work initially, at least it got her smacking her lips enough from the taste that she nursed well after having it. But then when I had her in the swing (finally sleeping!) she starting sounding like she was drowning in her throat, and then she screamed out in her sleep so I went to pick her up. She looked so pale with her contrasting red eyes from all the crying. Now I have her sleeping on me, she scared me with how pale she looked and then she was so floppy and pliable poor Momma almost had a breakdown. I held it together though, even Michael sitting right next to me didn't notice.

Too many scary aspects involved when trying to take care of such a little and vulnerable person. I have been on the verge of calling my doctor all day, asking her what I should do. I don't know if my diet has her tummy upset, or if its just normal. The amount of her crying the last few days does not seem like it could be normal. I just want to know that she is doing ok, if something I am doing is making her not do well than I will change that. ugh...this is even harder than marriage! Oh the things they (the infamous they) don't tell you.

Poor little honeylove.

My world and its difficulties.

My world is now an 8lb baby with fuzzy dark hair and the cutest little rolls on her arms. She is sleeping noisily on me as I type, life could not get any better, or so I feel right now. Being a mom to Evelyn is the best thing that has ever happened to me, other than being saved from the pits of hell by Jesus. I dread the thought of going back to work and leaving my darling little girl for 9 hours but I can't seem to find a way around it.

We knew that would be the way of things when we decided to try and have a child, but its just a lot harder in reality than in theory. I know I only have to work until Michael is done with school, unfortunately that will be in a LONG time. Long enough that I could finish my nursing degree in the meantime and make a lot more than I am making now...oh the options. Too bad none of the options are stay at home forever with the baby. I think my first choice (of the two choices I don't like anyways...) would be to go to school and finish my nursing degree. I have at most 3 semesters left and then I will be able to work less and we will survive whereas it is hard to make ends meet with the amount I am working now.

I hate seeing Michael trying to fill the financial gaps with working in all his free time of which he has very little. His school is so demanding, engineering undergrads are that way. He studies until late at night, he gets up at 530 or 6 everyday (even all weekend...) and then when he has a day off from studying he finds work to try and make things more balanced. In between he tries to hold the girl as much as possible, I can tell how much he hates leaving her too. He sits in the rocker by the fireplace and rocks her for a half hour or more when he gets home from school, just talking to her and kissing her, she always grimaces from his scratchy face. He almost always asks me what time it is after he has been sitting there for awhile and reluctantly has to give her back to me and start school work. This was his biggest fear about being a father: that he wouldn't have enough time with her. Unfortunately his fear is becoming reality. Eventually we will have to start finding time to focus on each other again I suppose...but right now its all about Evelyn. Time will have to teach us how to better manage this all.

I wish there was an easy way but if there is it is not showing itself. Instead I face either work or school, both will mean parting from the girl. Hopefully it gets easier as time goes on because as it is the thought of being away for an hour is hard enough. I miss her when I sleep, how will I handle being at the hospital while she is home?

Beautiful Baby.

Love.

On being a mother.

It is the best job ever, even waking up at 2 am is wonderful because I get to see the cutest face in the world.






We went out for our first coffee date today. Beautiful baby and delicious iced latte, the best combination.