Seriously...

Are these not the cutest prints??

Rumparooz Lux Print

The Itti Bitti Tutto that I received free with purchase from Kelly's Closet :-)

I think I've done a fairly reasonable job of buying mostly gender neutral diapers (so we can re-use them if/when we decide to have a second child), but lately I have not been able to resist buying a few adorable girlie diapers!!

I can't wait to see these cute prints on our baby girl's fluffy bottom! 

Speaking of...

Only 10 more weeks to go! 

Monday I had my 30 week appointment (just a few days early). Baby girl sounded amazing...and momma is doing well. Doc said I had a "perfect 30 week belly" - whatever that means! 

I seriously cannot believe that I only have 10 more weeks to go. It is going to be here so soon! I was just thinking through the next few weekends and I realized that time is absolutely about to start flying by. Here's why:

• this weekend = July 4 (lake, family, etc.)
• July 10 = baby shower (for a friend who is due Sept 4)
• July 16 = baby shower (for me, just close friends)
• July 24 = baby shower (for me, in-laws side of the family)
• July 30 = wedding (brother-in-law)
• Aug 7 = baby shower (for me, my side of the family)
• Aug 13 = baby shower (for a friend, who is due Oct 9)

Then it's just a few more weeks until baby girl arrives! And technically she can come any time after August 19th, since 36 weeks is considered full-term. Wow. 

What Types of Cloth Diapers are Out There?

Basically, cloth diapers all fall into one of five categories (in order from least expensive to most expensive):

1. Prefolds – these are the most economical choice. They consist of a large sheet (usually thicker in the middle) that is folded into thirds and placed inside a waterproof cover. (Example: Econobum One Size Diapering System)
2. Contours – similar to prefolds, but they don’t need to be folded. These also require a waterproof cover. (Example: Kissaluvs contour diaper)
3. Fitteds – these diapers are shaped like a disposable diaper and are fastened with snaps or Velcro. Usually these require a waterproof cover, but unlike with prefolds and contours, the covers get dirty less often, so you can use them multiple times before laundering. (Example: Thirsties Duo)
4. Pocket Diapers – made up of a waterproof outer layer and an inner fleece layer with an absorbent insert that is stuffed between the layers. No additional cover is needed. These are as easy to put on as a disposable diaper – the only extra effort is in stuffing the insert (and of course, the laundry). (Example: Fuzzibunz)
5. All-in-Ones (AIO) – similar to pocket diapers, except no stuffing required! The absorbent part of the diaper is attached permanently to the waterproof outer shell. No additional cover is needed for these as well. (Example: Grovia AIO)

In recent years, some “hybrid” diapers or “all-in-twos” (AI2) have begun to appear on the scene. Based on the ones I have seen, I would describe these as basically consisting of a waterproof outer shell and a replaceable absorbent liner that can be replaced multiple times before the shell needs to be laundered. In my experience, these hybrid diapers are comparable to fitteds or pocket diapers in price.

What are the Size Options?

There is also the question of whether to use a “one-size” diaper or a “sized” diaper. With sized diapers, you generally buy XS (newborn sized), S, M, and L sized diapers depending on how much your baby weighs and what their measurements are like (waist size vs. rise, etc). Sized diapers generally offer a better fit (more tailored to size/age of baby), but require that you buy X number of diapers (usually somewhere between 20 and 40, depending on how often you want to wash) in each size…which can add up fast!! One size diapers adjust to fit babies as small as 8 pounds up to around 35-40 pounds – which should take you from birth (or within a few weeks of birth) to potty training. The fit is less customized (and sometimes not as trim under clothing), but the benefit is that you only have to buy one set of diapers. Period. 

And since I mentioned these diapers today...

Thirsties diapers now hosts a weekly giveaway on Thursday (fittingly called "Thirsties Thursday"). This week the prize is 2 Thirsties Duo Fab Fitted Diapers. Head over to their give-away site - Thirsties Thursday and enter to win!!

Not-So-Patiently Waiting!

I was going to make my next blog post all about cloth diapers. I am expecting some that we recently ordered to arrive in the mail today, and I thought their arrival would be a good chance to talk about some of the factors we considered in making the decision to cloth diaper, what kinds of features were important to us, and generally how I went about navigating the seemingly endless options that are out there. But, they won't be here until later this afternoon...and I want to procrastinate NOW!! :-)

Instead, I'll fill you in on something I recently discovered about the internet...it is AMAZING!! And it is filled with FREE STUFF (or at least the promise of free stuff)!

As my due date for Baby Girl Clepper creeps closer and closer, my "nesting" instinct has started to become stronger and stronger...and one of the things I've finally been motivated to start dealing with is organizing our slowly growing cloth diaper stash...including finally getting around to looking up how to actually care for (i.e., successfully wash the poop off of) our diapers.

My recent travels on the world wide web in search of this information (with the help of Google of course) led me to a couple of interesting blogs, one of which posts information on current diaper (and cloth diaper related items) giveaways - that's right, giveaways - as in, FREE!! Whenever you get a chance you should check out Maria's blog at www.change-diapers.com. She regularly posts reviews and personal experiences with many brands of cloth diapers and has always been super helpful whenever I've had questions! As an added bonus, she is currently hosting her own giveaway of Bum Genius diapers!!

 

Oh, and I totally won a Kissaluvs Antibacterial Wet Bag about a week ago in a giveaway hosted on Maria's website...which I'll talk more about once it arrives in the mail! I had to give a first and second choice of color/design, so I chose the Mocca Swirl or Spring Dots (pictured left)


If you want to win your own, you can hop on over to Happenings of the Harper Household (between now and June 10th) and enter to win one of your very own!!








Through these blogs, I have discovered a variety of other cloth diaper-related blogs - many of which offer reviews and personal experiences with cloth diapering, and some of which also regularly host giveaways! I would encourage any of you who are interested in cloth diaper to absolutely check them out. Who knows? Maybe you'll get something for free :-)