So, I know I told you I wouldn’t be posting much. And now I’m posting twice in one day. But hey, I’ve got stuff to say so why not? Anyway…I’m part of an online ornament exchange. The mama I got paired up with uses cloth diapers too and I knew I wanted to make her a cloth diaper ornament. So I did. And you can too.
You’ll need:

• felt in the colors of your choice {I suggest white for the inside}
• needle
• thread {I used white thread}
• ribbon to match
• scissors
• paper and pencil {optional but I found it helpful}

Or...

• ETA: hot glue and hot glue gun {if you really, really don't want to try sewing you could totally do this project with hot glue, or maybe even fabric glue}
  

First, cut out a diaper shape a bit like the one pictured below. I did mine with paper first, then used it as a pattern for the felt. This first piece is the inside of the diaper. Sew {I hand stitched for all the steps, it’s easy when the project is this small} the inner piece to the piece of felt you want for the outside of the diaper. This second piece can be a rectangle {make it a little larger than the first piece} and once they’re sewn together you can trim the outside of the diaper to match the inside but a little wider.

After the two pieces are sewn together you can sew a felt rectangle and felt “tabs” to the front and sides of the diaper as the “Velcro.” Or you could sew on little snaps to make a snap diaper. I went with the Velcro look.

I also stitched a cute little heart to the back of the diaper. Then I sewed the diaper shut and added a ribbon for hanging. You might find it’s easier to add the ribbon before closing the diaper.

Adam kept telling me I should add a little “poo” in the diaper, but I decided to pass on that idea. And just in case my DIY ornament wasn’t as cute to my swap partner as I think it is I’m also sending her a purple picture frame ornament I picked up at the store. This project was inspired by a cloth diaper keychain a friend of mine owns. It was really super easy. I’m not a great seamstress, I swear. I was able to do a lot of this project while breastfeeding so that should tell you just how easy it is!

Do you think you’ll try making a diaper ornament? Tell me in the comments! And leave me links to any pictures you have of the completed project!

My little girl is growing. She's nearly six months old and some of our small size back up diapers (for when the Bum Genius 3.0s* are in the wash) are getting too tight for her wonderfully chubby thighs. Fortunately I won (yes, WON!) a diaper a little while back that is in the next size up. It's AppleCheeks brand. So far I love it. It can be used as a pocket diaper, or as a cover (just fold the insert and lay it on top)! The color selection is even better than the BGs and it feels a lot softer too. The disadvantage is that, since it has snaps instead of velcro, it isn't as adjustable size-wise and you have to get two sets instead of one (because they come in two sizes instead of being a one-size system like the BGs). It also seems to be a little less bulky. If I was starting fresh with a new diaper system I would probably do a mix of these and BG's. But this is the first day we've used the AppleCheeks dipe so I don't know yet how well it prevents leaks. I picked the "St. Lucia" color because, hey, it's really pretty plus it's from "Lucia" that the name "Lucy" was originally derived.

Mama's little diaper model

Speaking of growing. This little one is now capable of sitting up on her own (though only for so long). That means, since she's shown an interest, we'll be letting her try some avocado this week. You'd better believe I'm going to take video of that! In the mean time, here's a video to show you what I mean about the "only for so long" thing.**

*By the way, we LOVE the Bum Genius 3.0s. Way better than 'sposies. So cute and almost no blow outs (as opposed to disposables which blow out all the freakin' time)!

**The pillow is just there in case of backwards falls. She really can sit on her own without it.

The Bum Genius 3.0 is an adjustable pocket diaper (simply by using a few snaps you can change the size to fit an 8 pound baby and up). Here are some (poorly lit) photos to show you the basics of how to use one.

Each dipe comes with an inner liner (bottom), as well as a newborn insert (top). Since Lucy is in fact a newborn I'll be using both.

Simply stuff the liners inside the pocket of the dipe (opening is in the back).

Then unfasten the Velcro tabs from the laundry tabs (keeps the Velcro from ruining the dipes in the wash).

And voila! You're ready to diaper your baby. No folding, no pinning. Works just like a 'sposie as far as getting it on and off your wee little one's bum.

But when was the last time you saw sposies in colors like these? I also have a few plain white ones.

And what's a post about diapers without a shot of the cutest little bum in southern Alberta, nay...in all of Canada!


Thus far, I'm pleased with the BG 3.0. The microfiber inserts seem to be absorbing well. And the soft lining of the dipe pulls the wetness away from Lucy's skin. I like to have the diapers stuffed ahead of time. That way, during the middle of a change I just pull a diaper out of the drawer and it's already ready to go. These dipes also fit much trimmer than our other cloth diapers. A review after a day of use is hardly a review. So I'll try to do another in the future when I've got a better idea of how I like 'em.

This one's for you, Kamis!

CLOTH DIAPERING FOR BEGINNERS

The modern world of cloth diapering is quite different from that of our grandparents. There's no need to fold, or pin (unless you want to). Moms nowadays choose cloth for a number of different reasons: environmental, health, and financial being the most common. Some added bonuses to cloth diapering (CD) are the cuteness factor and (often) earlier potty training. But when delving into the world of CD for the first time the differences between diaper styles, the laundering questions, and the lingo overwhelms. Fortunately, it's not nearly as complicated as it seems.

For a really thorough (but quick and easy) beginner's guide I'd go here.

Some things you ought to know about cloth diapering:

• Do NOT use fabric softener (unless you want diapers that are not absorbent and I can't imagine why you would).
• Do NOT use too much detergent. You don't need much (in fact...if you use this method you don't need any real detergent). Like fabric softener too much detergent can screw up the absorbency of your dipes and is terribly difficult to rinse out (which means it'll be sitting against baby's sensitive skin).
• Be careful with diaper rash creams. If diaper rash shows up make sure to use something meant for cloth (again, it's an absorbency issue). Some options that are supposed to be CD-firendly include this (although pricey), Aveeno, Burt's Bees, or breastmilk (also great for cuts/scrapes, acne, etc.).
• As for baby poop...exclusively breastfed babies don't have "poop" like we normally think of it. Their dipes can just be thrown in the wash (rinse, then wash, then rinse). For babies with more solid poop just shake the dipe out over the toilet (or swirl it in the clean water). Many moms like to get a diaper sprayer but it's not required.
• Consider WAHMs (work at home moms). There are plenty of women out there making and selling cloth dipes. Etsy is an excellent place to find them. In fact, the cutest dipes and covers available are usually made by business-moms (like this one). You can also find lots of patterns and tutorials online for making your own.
• Consider cloth wipes. If you're going to be washing dirty diapers anyway there's no reason you can't use soft baby washcloths (or old cut-up t-shirts) as baby wipes. You can find recipes for wipes solutions (such as these) all over the internet. However, I personally would avoid using lavendar oil (especially on little baby boys) as there are still concerns as to it's long term effects (better safe than sorry!).
  
• Do what works for you. If that means using 'sposies when going out and about then go for it! Maybe you'll want to do prefolds during the day and all-in-one's or fitteds at night to make midnight changes easier. The trick is to figure out what is best for you and your family.

And if you want some serious "crunchy" bragging rights with your hippy friends there's always elimination communication.

I've previously mentioned our plans to cloth diaper our little geeklette. Since her birth she's been in disposables pretty much all of the time for a few reasons. We only had a few cloth diapers (that were given to us) which certainly weren't enough to get her through the day. Plus the ones we had were a wee bit big on her...so big in fact that when lying on a flat service her butt was elevated above her head (no that is not hyperbole). And until recently we didn't have the cash on hand to buy all the dipes we'd need (cloth diapers will save you big (about $2,000 per child)...but you have to drop all your money at once instead of spreading it over time).

Well, today we did it! We've got enough diapers to get her through about a day and a half (for now...she'll use fewer each day the older she gets). It'll mean more laundry, sure. But it'll also mean we don't have to spend fifteen bucks a week on 'sposies.

We got the Bum Genius 3.0 diapers (one size/adjustable pocket diaper). We picked them up downtown at Bumbleboo. I'd suggest all you readers in Medicine Hat with little ones to diaper go try them out. But, well...unless you want blue ones we pretty much emptied the shelves. Well...there are some green ones left as well. But seriously, we bought a lot of dipes! Thankfully my oh-so-smart-smart husband thought to ask for a discount...seeing as we were "buying in bulk."

And, as unimportant as this may be in the grand scheme of things, the cloth dipes are WAY cuter than the "baby Garfield" 'sposies. They have to be washed a few times to make them absorbant. So I can't get a picture of Lucy in them just yet. But within the next day or two my little girl will have the cutest butt in all of southern Alberta.

Today I am 20 weeks along, which is considered the halfway point! Granted...this pregnancy might go 41 or 42 weeks but typically 20 weeks is considered the halfway marker. Actually, I just read the other day that women of German ancestry can have 10 month long pregnancies. Here's hoping my Norwegian bloodlines overpower my German ones in this matter!

Lovey continues to wiggle, dance and kick. Lately I can't help but think of that scene from Alien whenever she squirms...

Adam has been able to feel her kick, once. It was the same day we had the ultrasound. Mostly we just have issues with timing. Lovey will move. Adam will come to feel her. Lovey will stop moving. We give up and Adam removes hand from belly. Lovey moves again. But such is life.

The other day I spent a good 3 (maybe 4) hours researching diapers. We've known for a long, long time we were going to be using cloth. The extreme financial savings (about $2,000) over using disposables aside cloth is better for the environment and for babies (see links below). I originally had wanted to use a specific kind of cloth diaper made by Bum Genius. It's whats called a "pocket diaper." And this particular brand makes one that is adjustable so you only ever have to buy one size. The beauty of this diaper is that there's no folding or messing with diaper covers. It has the waterproof cover built right into it. And it uses Velcro to fasten on just like a disposable (plus it's stinkin' adorable). But...I wanted to save as much money as possible so I decided to go with prefolds and covers. I spent forever figuring out how many diapers to get in each size and how many covers to get in each size. After I had it all figured out I did the math...it was actually going to cost MORE to use prefolds and covers than it would to use the Bum Genius diapers! So while I'm thrilled that what I wanted in the first place is more affordable I'm irked that I spent all that time planning our prefold system for nothing.

The Diaper Debate 10 Years Later
The Joy of Cloth Diapers
A Tale of Two Diapers

I made a strawberry-rhubarb cobbler yesterday (picture below). YUM! The original recipe calls for just rhubarb...so I worried about the amount of sugar since the strawberries are sweet all on their own. But it turned out really good. I'm glad...because it was a lot of work (mostly because I was doubling the recipe in my head as I went along instead of just writing out all the doubled measurements). The recipe is from the Shumate Family Cookbook. It's satisfying to make something from scratch (even when it is a lot of work). Of course, the best part is enjoying the fruits (literally) of one's labors. My Grandma said she's mailing me a recipe for excellent chocolate cake. I'm looking forward to making (and consuming) it once the recipe arrives! I have to say, recipes amaze me. I always wonder how someone came up with the recipe in the first place. Who figured out that if you mash flour, baking powder, butter, eggs, and milk, with some sugar and salt and make it have a crumb like consistency then put it on top of a fruit filling and bake it that it would turn out so yummy?! And for that matter...who figured out that the LEAVES of rhubarb are toxic but the STEMS just need to be stewed with a little sweetner and they're great?
I guess that's all the latest from the Great White North. We miss all of our friends and family in the States (and elsewhere in Canada). Hope you're all doing well! And if any of you ever want to visit Canada come see us! I'll even make you cobbler!