Overseas with Baby!

As some of you may know, we are planning on going to Jordan and Rome this summer. This will require some new solutions for little Haddie. Of course whatever we take has to be compact, lightweight, durable, and easy to use. Like most families, we have a pack 'n play that we have used from time to time. However, there was no way that we were going to be able to pack that for this trip. I started searching for travel beds. I continually came up with the Pea Pod by KidCo. After looking at several cheaper alternatives, I quickly realized that the PeaPod was the best product for safety, durability, and functionality.

We decided to try it out earlier this month when we went camping. It was not exactly the greatest experience. Haddie would go down in it okay but in the middle of the night would wake up and want to get into bed with us. As you can imagine, this did not lead to good sleep. Upon returning home I decided to keep it open in her room so that she would get used to it. This was our ticket to good sleep for 3 weeks-we had to make it work! We also put it in her crib for naps so that she would get used to sleeping in it. At first I started to have her sleep in it without the top fully zipped shut. But now she will nap in it with me zipping it shut! I am so excited. As we leave in a little under 3 weeks I was beginning to get nervous that this was going to flop. I think it is starting to work!

As you can see, all that you need fits in this handy little bag. There is even an air pump that you can use to blow up a mattress that goes in a separate compartment under the PeaPod. You don't have to worry about your little one messing with the mattress. There is an additional pad that goes in the main section of the PeaPod. I still lay a blanket down for Haddie.

When it is open it is: 47" L x 30" W x 19" H

When it is in the bag it is: 14" L x 5" W x 14" H

This is a perfect option for outside (think beach, pool) as well as it provides UV protection and wind protection while making it possible for you to still see your little one. For us, it will be nice to have Haddie in a place free from bugs crawling into bed with her! I have a feeling that we will be using the PeaPod in place of the Pack 'n Play with future babies. It is so handy when you are going away to have the small compact sleeping solution!

As I was going through the process of looking for good baby gear for traveling I realized that it can be quite hard to find good reliable information. I don't mean just traveling to the park or to grandma's for the weekend. I am talking about overseas travels! So, over the next few weeks as we countdown to takeoff I am going to highlight products that we have found to be helpful as well as a report when we get back! While traveling with a baby requires more work than just traveling as a couple, it is not impossible with the right equipment.

Happy traveling!

Cloth Diapers - Part Three

Special Situations: bumGenius

Now I must confess that when I first heard of bumGenius I thought it was silly and crazy to come up with one diaper to fit a baby from 8-35 pounds. How can there be one diaper that fits a baby well for all those times??! However, we have often run into problems when we take Hadassah to the church nursery or have a babysitter over. While we had many people who had no problem using the diapers (I have never had someone tell me that they will not try the cloth diapers) I would often find Hadassah in some interesting combinations! On a few occasions I felt like they did not change her as often because her cloth diapers intimidated them. I finally decided to look into an easy cloth diaper that ANYONE could use! Insert bumGenius! It is made for anyone to use! Once I have them stuffed they go on and off just like a disposable diaper. We bought three diapers so that we would have enough for us to go out on a date or to have Haddie at church. We rarely ever go through more than 2 at a time but this way we always have an extra.

When you buy the One Size bumGenius diaper it comes with two inserts and a cover. The smaller insert is for a newborn and can later be added when your baby needs more protection or for at night. The longer insert has a snap on it that allows it to be snapped down for three different sizes that corresponds with the size of the diaper cover.

Above you can see the bumGenius diaper in all three sizes. The yellow is on the smallest size, blue is medium, and green is the the largest size. Each diaper has the ability to grow with the baby, hence the name One Size Diaper. Just snap down to the right size for your baby.

The bumGenius diapers come in many different colors. We have kept all of our diaper covers in gender neutral colors so that we can use them with all of our kids and not just Haddie. I have a bit of an issue with little boys going around in pink diapers (even though I think they would be really cute on a little girl)!

Simply stuff the insert in the pocket of the cover. The part that touches the baby's skin is made of a super soft fleece which helps wick moisture away from baby's skin.

Above is the diaper stuffed and ready to be put on!

Place diaper under your baby's bottom and pull up between legs as you would any other diaper!

There are velcro tabs the keep the diaper on! It is that easy!

Here is Haddie wearing the diaper! She has no issues with mobility while she wears the diaper. For the most part it is a trim option but I still usually need to put her in a size up for pants.

To clean the diaper you just throw it in the wash like you would the other cloth diapers and the liner will come out on its own. That makes it very handy to use. You may also choose to pre-stuff the diapers after you wash them so that they are ready to use when you need them.

Now...here are the few issues that we have with the diaper. I know many people who use the bumGenius diaper and love it. What I share is just my experience.

First of all, I plan on using the diapers we have bought for more than just Hadassah. Even though she used the diapers and covers (Kissaluvs and Thirsties) they are all still in great shape and are packed away waiting for baby number two (and three and four and five...)! While I do not know this for sure I have heard that in general, when you buy a one size diaper it will have more wear (possible for 2 years). By the time you are ready to use them on another baby you may find that you need to buy another set because they are too worn out to use again. With our Kissaluvs we will be able to use them for 2 if not more babies. They hold up well as you only ever use one size for a season as opposed to using the same diaper over and over for two plus years. Also the Kissaluvs have a lifetime guarantee on the snaps (we may have to buy a few more covers at some point as those use velcro like the bumGenius).

Second, I don't like that it doesn't have a double gusset. I did not use these when Haddie was younger and had runny BF (breastfed) poop but I can imagine that it will not hold it in like the Kissaluv/Prorap cover. We DID NOT have a single blow out diaper! For those of you who have had newborn BF then you will understand how amazing this is. Just a few weeks ago we had to change Haddie's sheets for the first time because they were wet (she broke a fever). Before this point I just changed her sheets to keep them clean. She has never had a leaky diaper. On one or two times with the bumGenius she has had wet pants because the diaper tends to leak a bit more.

Another issue that I have with bumGenius is the sizing. It takes a while for most babies to reach 12 pounds. While they say that the diapers work from 8-35 pounds Jillian's drawers says that in their experience it works better from 12-32 pounds (anyone want to share your experience??). While we used disposable diapers the first 2 weeks, we made the switch to cloth by week 3. Hadassah was 7 lbs. 14.6 oz when she was born. She dropped down to 7lbs 3 oz. She was 8 pounds by her first month and did not hit 12 pounds until sometime between her 3rd and 4th month. So while they say that this is a one size diaper you will need to be prepared to possibly find another option for the first few months. We could have started cloth diapers sooner but I found that I had enough to adjust to before I needed to introduce doing a few loads of diapers each week. That is why we waited until she was 3 weeks old. Also, Haddie is about 22 pounds (my guess) right now and I am not sure how much longer the diaper will fit her. Maybe it will be fine but I would not be surprised if she outgrows it sooner. We will have to wait to see.

The final issue that I have with them is that you always have to wash the cover. With the diaper/cover combo you can wipe the cover down with a wipe and let it dry and use it again. I find this helps keep the cover from getting over worn from the washing and drying. Because the bumGenius diaper cover has the soft cloth/pocket then you have to wash it after every use.

All this said, we have found bumGenius to be a perfect option for the occasional use. I specifically chose a one size diaper so that we would be able to use them from the time they are a few months old (about the time we put Haddie in the nursery at church) until they are a toddler. For what we are using them for I have no doubt that they will be able to be reused for multiple kids! Once a week is a lot different than daily use. I do not think I would choose this for my daily diaper but it works great for those who are not used to using cloth diapers or for those who have a nanny or daycare. There are many diapers like a bumGenius that you may want to look into. If I ever need to buy another I may opt for one that has all snaps and no velcro. Snaps just seem to hold up more. But for the price you can't beat it! bumGenius goes for $104.70 for a 6 pack and $203.40 for a 12 pack at Jillian's Drawers.

Answers to Questions:

1. Where do you get your wetbags??

I buy almost all of my cloth diaper stuff from Jillian's Drawers. They are a great company and until I find a store like that in Atlanta I will continue to give them business!

2. have you ever used "Rockin' Green" detergent? I've heard it's great for cloth diapers?

I have not ever tried anything other than Tide. Tide has always worked well for us and we can buy it at any store. For the cost and the quality I am happy with Tide. I am sure I could pick a better option for the environment but for now on our budget this works well for us! Let me know if you have a good experience with it! I hear that Charlie's Soap and Allan's Naturally work well. Both can be bought at Jillian's Drawers. South of Atlanta (where I live) we really do not have many natural options. We would really have to order something.

Baby Evan Riley Davies

For those of you who have had a baby, you know that moment of hearing your babies first cries! What a joy it is to know that all is well! This morning I learned that a girl I grew up with had her second baby (first was a miscarriage). When little Evan Riley came out he was not breathing. It also appears as if he has little brain activity. We know that God is the giver of life and that nothing is impossible for Him. Please join with me in praying for this sweet little baby boy and his parent's, Kara and Glenn.

With his mommy

Ready for transport. His hat reads..."Bring it! I'm a fighter!"

I Love My Family!

We are a family of three!

We have been married for 3 wonderful years!

I have been dreaming of having a little girl of my own since I was three!

She is just like her daddy! I love them both so much!

What a joy this journey has been! Can't wait to see what the next three years look like!

Cloth Diapers - Part Two

How to actually use cloth diapers...

Once you buy your cloth diapers you are only half way there. Often you will need to pre-wash them up to 3 times to remove the natural oils. Just enjoy the fun nesting season while you do it! There is nothing more precious then to see a line of newborn diapers drying in the sun!

The next thing you need to do is figure out how to use them! The following is some ways that I have used my cloth diapers as well as some little tips! We have found that the best way to figure this out is to try different combinations for different times! For example, I use a different diaper during the day than what I use at night.

Inserts and Liners:

To make sure that your little one stays comfortable at night I recommend that you get soaker pads to add to their nighttime diaper. We did not need to do this until Hadassah was about 6-7 months old. At that point she was taking in more milk and therefore needed a diaper that could hold more. They come in 2 different sizes. The one above is made by Kissaluv so it fits perfect in the Kissaluv diaper but can be used in any diaper.
Often when people hear that we are using cloth diapers they always ask if we have more diaper rashes. I am pleased to say that we do not. In fact we have had more issues with disposable diapers (when we are out of town). However, at night we add a fleece insert that helps to keep Haddie's little bum dry. It allows the moisture to go through but stays dry on top. I bought these from Jillian's Drawers and they are made by bum Genius. For about $10 I was able to get six stay dry liners. These can also be used for keeping ointments off of your cloth diapers.
Over Christmas I was making a blanket and had some left over fleece. I cut out the above fleece and did a simple stitch to keep it in one piece. It works just as well as the others! In the future I will just make my own liners as it is much cheaper.
On that same trip we decided to take cloth diapers with us. As a result we bought these flushable liners. They are placed on top of the diaper. When you get a dirty diaper you are able to pick up the mess and just flush it down the toilet. These work great for on the go. No stinky mess to carry around with you! They are about $6.00 for 100 sheets.

How to fold Prefold diapers:

When you look at the prefold diaper it can be a bit challenging to know where to begin. After several searches I found three basic folds to work best at different times.

Twist Fold:
Start with a flat diaper (shorter side under the bum). While holding the top down, twist the diaper at the center so that it removes the bulk from the middle.
Pull up the diaper so that the twist is between the legs.
You can use pins if you like. Or I recommend using a Snappi. If you are using a Snappi, hook right and left...

then pull down the center and hook. This makes sure that the diaper will stay on the baby!
Next you need a cover. Like I said in the last post, I use the Thirsties Diaper cover. Place under baby's bum...
pull up and fasten like you would a disposable diaper.
IMPORTANT!!!!! Make sure you check the sides of the diaper. If you have any diaper sticking out of the cover you need to tuck it in or you will get wet!
The legs should look like this (above). I often pull the cover in to make sure that it is not resting mid-thigh. This will be more comfortable for your baby.
As you can see this is a very trim option for cloth diapers. It is also a good option for when your little one is learning to crawl. It increases the mobility with prefolds.

Wide Fold:
Another option with prefolds is to lay the diaper with the long side under the baby's bum.
Fold in the the right side to the center
Then bring the left over to the edge.
Lay the folded diaper in the cover.
With the Thirsties cover (and many others) there is a pocket that you can tuck the diaper into. This helps the diaper to stay in place.
Place the diaper on like you would a regular disposable diaper.
As you can see in the pictures above, this option adds a bit more bulk, but with that it holds more pee! This is a great option at night or for little boys as it has the most protection in the middle. You may also notice that I did not use a pin or Snappi with this fold. It is not needed when you use the cover. Make sure you use a cover that has a snug fit on your baby. You may also choose to fold your diapers in advance so that you have little to do at the time of changing. We used this fold as well as the one below a lot when Haddie was little. The smaller prefold diapers worked really well with this fold. I found it just as easy as a disposable.

Long Fold:
Another option is to do the same fold but the opposite way. Put the short side under the baby's bottom.
Again fold the right...
and left!
Depending on the size of the diaper and your baby you may want to fold the top down so that you get more protection in the front. This is really good for little girls but does add more bulk in the front.
Again, lay it on the cover...
tuck it into the pocket and put on like a diaper. I must say that the last two ways of folding worked well with the right size diapers. However, we hit a point where these just had too much bulk in the middle of Haddie's legs. Out of frustration (and when there was a big sale going on) we got the size 2 Kissaluvs. Maybe when we have another baby we will get the size 1 so that we have a complete set!

Kissaluvs:
While I don't mind using the prefolds, the Kissaluvs are very easy to use! You lay it under your baby...
pull up between the legs...
fasten the first set of snaps (which have a lifetime guarentee) depending on the size of your baby...
and then the second set of snaps!
This is Haddie wearing the size 2 in the smallest size. She is currently 14 months, 21 pounds, and still uses the smallest setting on these diapers. They should fit her until she is potty trained! I must mention that babies who use cloth diapers do tend to get potty trained faster than babies who use disposable. They know what it feels like to be wet and they don't like it! Hadassah has been going to the bathroom on the toilet on and off for the past few months! I would not be surprised if she is potty trained at 18 months!
Then place the cover over the diaper!
Fasten as you have done before and make sure to check the legs!

These diapers are a bit more trim than the prefold folded. I think the twisted prefold and the Kissaluv have about the same amount of bulk.
These do not seem to keep Haddie from moving in all ways - and fast I might add!
Now...I do have one issue with cloth diapers, or should I say clothing companies??!! It can be a bit hard to buy clothes for Haddie in cloth diapers. Without cloth diapers she is very true to size, if not a bit on the small size. However, with cloth diapers she needs much larger bottoms and normal size tops. This can be hard when you are buying sets. Once I find some pants that fit around the cloth diaper they are too long in the leg! I think some of it is the fitted look that girls pants have. I have found that dresses work well for little girls. Also the basic pants from Gap work well. Gymboree clothes seem to fit really well. I am always shopping sales to find good deals. Maybe this is not as much of an issue with little boys as they tend to not have curvy cuts! This also was not as much of an issue when Haddie was under 6 months. The bottom line is that you will need to try out different stores to see what brands fit your baby with cloth diapers. I am always trying on clothes before we buy them! I can't just shop by size.
While I find these options to be very easy to use...not all would agree with me. For example, it can be hard to explain to nursery staff at church or to a babysitter. Everyone is ALWAYS willing to try but I have found that it is usually a challenge for them. As a result we decided to buy 3 bum Genius one size diapers for these occasions. I will write more about these diapers next week! I will also go over how many diapers to buy! Please let me know your tips and feel free to ask any questions!