Choosing Cloth Diapers (Updated)

Entering the world of cloth can be a daunting endeavor. My first week of cloth diaper research left my head spinning with dreams of prefolds and pocket diapers. No kidding. I had nightmares about diapers. Talk about stress!!!

So, here it is - a post to save you a bit of sanity.

Here you will find the differences between the various types of cloth diapers, some of my recommendations, and links to online stores.

Prefolds
Pros:

• Trim
• CHEAP
• Simple
• "It's like doing paperwork" in Alex's words.
  

Cons:

• Learning Curve
• Not very absorbent (must change frequently)
• Need a cover
  

Where to buy:
www.greenmountaindiapers.com (I've read that these are the best. They apparently fit really well, so you don't have to adjust the rise by folding.)
www.jilliansdrawers.com
www.abbyslane.com
The last two are fantastic websites to buy a great selection of different diapers. I've used them both.

Prefolds are probably what you think of when you think "cloth diapers".

They are nice, thick pieces of absorbent fabric, (traditionally cotton) that you fold and snap on with a Snappi (one of the best inventions EVER!)

Afterward you put on a pretty, colorful cover (can be wool or with PUL liner)


Contours
Pros:

• Trim
• Cheap
• Easier to put on than Prefolds
• Great for newborns, at least I thought so.

Cons:

• More leaks.
• Must wash covers more often.
• Not very absorbent

Contours are similar to prefolds, but are already shaped like a diaper, which makes clasping them on a Snap. They do tend to leak, however, so you have to make sure your cover is tight around the legs and high enough up in the back to prevent poo explosions. YUCKY!

Pockets

Pros:

• Easy to use

• Varying degrees of absorbency
  
• Perfect for outings
  
• Simple for babysitters, grandparents...etc

Cons:

• More expensive
• Frumpier
  

I love pockets. You have your diaper (usually with a fleece lining that pulls the moisture away from your baby and keeps them dry longer), and all you have to do is stuff an insert in the pocket. You can change the absorbency by adding doublers or thicker inserts..etc. NO COVER REQUIRED!

Recommendations:

• Bumgenius - The #1 selling diaper on the market. These diapers are fantastic and they work well for naps too! I use the 3.0 one-size Bum Genius dipes almost exclusively when we're out and about. SOOO many stores carry them.
  
• Green Acre Designs - Some of you have been eyeing my beautiful plum colored diaper with the words "Sweet Girl"embroidered on the back. Look no further- the most gorgeous, unique pockets EVER!
  

Fitteds
Pros:

• SUPER DUPER CUTE!
• Very Trim
• Varying degrees of absorbency
• Ideal for newborns (if you can find a small enough size)
  

Cons:

• It's a shame that you have to put covers over the cuteness
  
• Can be more expensive since you have to buy "sizes" (although you can also find "one-size fitteds"
  
• Sometimes lots of snaps can be confusing and time consuming

Fitteds are my favorite at the moment. I love all the choices of prints that you can find. Plus, you can also find some very very absorbent dipes out there.

Recommendations:

• Kissaluvs fitteds size 0 for newborns. (Jillians Drawers or Abbeyslane both carry them)
  
• Muttaqins 3-step-rise or fitteds. (3-step-rise are one-size diapers. Translation: You have an excuse to pay more for these expensive, but ridiculously CUTE diapers. WARNING! the snaps can be confusing) www.muttaqinbaby.com
• Baby Behinds (Abbeyslane carries them) - My favorite nighttime diaper along with
• Cricketts Diapers www.crickettsdiapers.com for naps.
• Hyena Cart www.hyenacart.com is full of amazing diaper stores owned by Work-at-Home Moms. My favorites are: Bagshot Row Bamboo, Arabesque Baby and The Fanciful Fanny. I have heard that Clothmopolitan's diapers are really well-made, and their prints are to die for!
  

Flats
Flats are the diapers that our mamas put on us when we were babies. They require some folding, but I've heard good things about them. I don't have any in my diaper stash, but it seems that you can find some super absorbent bamboo or hemp ones with cute prints on Hyena Cart.

All-in-Ones
Pros:

• The easiest to use.
• Don't need a cover
• Don't need ANYTHING ELSE!

Cons:

• Take longer to dry.
• Bulkier
• Frumpier

As the names implies, these are diapers that are ready to go as-is. I don't use them, as I think pockets are pretty damn simple, but many moms love them.

Ok, now you know the difference between the diapers. The next step is deciding on which ones you want to start with. A word to the wise: try a few of each. I bought waaaay too many prefolds and contours to start with and not enough fitteds, which are PERFECT for newborns.

Well, there you have it. I hope this post has helped to alleviate your spinning mind. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask!

She's got a Ticket to Ride

It's official; Arabella has dual-citizenship! We just got her Spanish passport today (her American passport arrived a few weeks ago). What a lucky girl! Now she can travel all over the world (including Cuba :-)) and can live and work anywhere in the European Union or The United States. I'm so jealous. Well, wait! I guess I have the same privileges now, except the Cuba part.

I hope she takes advantage of the endless opportunities. I can't even express how much I've learned from living in a foreign country, trying to speak a foreign language. It's been an invaluable experience.

While Arabella will obviously grow up speaking both Spanish and English, I truly hope she learns a third language at some point. How humbling it is to lose your ability to communicate - to try to express yourself using the simplest sentences you can put together, and to know you don't sound nearly as educated as you are. It makes you think twice about how you treat foreigners in your home country. It teaches you patience. It can make you completely uncomfortable and awkward, yet sometimes, if you really work hard, it gives you a feeling of complete satisfaction and accomplishment.

Here is a fun little video I took of me working on my Spanish vowel sounds : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTxudEqUzAg For some reason, Bella thinks it's really funny. I feel better knowing that she thinks it's just as funny when Alex does it! Alex used to give me all kinds of hell because my Spanish vowel sounds were too American-sounding. I hope I'm getting better!

Initiation in Albarracín

We took a little "mini-vacation" to Albarracín last weekend.


What an amazing place! It is a medieval village hidden in the Universal Mountains and protected by the Guadalaviar River on one side, and a large defensive wall on the other. In 1961 the Spanish government deemed it a national monument and it has remained intact and well-preserved ever since.

This was our first family trip alone. Since Bella was born, we've done our fair share of travelling, eating out, and doing the typical couple things we did pre-baby. She has always behaved so well in restaurants, cafes... etc, so we've just continued living or lives with baby in-tow.


Sunday night we were initiated into the Parenthood Club.



I was worried we were going to have problems at dinner. Remember, the Spanish don't eat until 9pm. Arabella's bedtime is usually around 8:30 or 9. Are you seeing how these two things don't coincide very well? However, without any problems at all, she fell sound asleep in her stroller. We took this as a sign to take advantage of the opportunity and found the most romantic and expensive restaurant in town. Restaurant Tiempo de Ensueño had the most amazing terrace with candles, white linen and a view of the mountains just on the other side of the river. It was convenient, as well, just in case Arabella decided to be difficult.


Since everything appeared to be heavenly - perfect location, romantic music... and our baby was sleeping like, well... like a baby - we decided to treat ourselves and ordered a six course meal with a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon.







We made it to the second course.



The rest of the evening was spent taking turns rocking, swinging swaying and singing while the the other tried to enjoy the gourmet dinner (complete with the swirled sauce on the plate).

As I sat there watching Alex rocking our baby up in the street above while trying to enjoy my fourth course (I have NO IDEA what I was eating, but it was delicious!), I realized I could get all stressed out that our daughter was interrupting the meal and maybe even annoying the other guests and waiters, or I could let it be what it was: a beautiful moment - the end of couplehood and the real initiation into parenthood. We were now three. No more romantic dinners with a sleeping baby in-tow. From here on out, I realized that Arabella would also express her opinion about what we were doing, and I kind of liked that.


I looked up at my husband still trying to soothe our fussy baby. He caught my gaze and we smiled at each other.


So this was what it was all about.

She's SOOOOO Dangerous!

Bella's rolling over. You know that already. OLD NEWS. What you don't know is how seriously she is taking this rolling business. She keeps waking me up in the middle of the night with kicks to the face and ribs. She's practicing, you see. It doesn't really matter where she is, or who is in the way. Apparently every flat surface is fair game... she even tried rolling over in her stroller today.

Now we all know that along with rolling over comes rolling OFF. No, she's not done that yet (give me some credit, she's only been rolling over for a WEEK), but she is testing us. Today while changing her diaper in The Bohemian, she tried to roll right off the bench. What a little rascal!

Here is a video of me talking to her right after she tried to roll off the bench.

NOTE: I know, the end noises... DORKUS MALORKUS- But I SWEAR TO GOD she copied me today after I gave her some raspberries on her tummy. Seriously. Can you say "GENIUS baby"?

Pity from a Gypsy

This afternoon while I was walking Arabella around in her stroller, desperately trying to get her to go to sleep, a beggar approached me. Here the people who beg, dig through the dumpsters and sell what they find at the weekly flea market, (and sometimes pull of pretty ingenious scams) are called "gitanos" or gypsies. Anyway, she came up to me, as friendly as could be, smiling a big toothy grin, and told me that she had a couple babies too and asked if I'd give her some money. She seemed like a nice enough person, but I had left my purse in the café, so I apologized and explained that I didn't have anything on me.

These pictures have nothing to do with the story... They are of our outing this past weekend.

Now you know that's never the end of it, and I knew it wouldn't be, but I was being completely honest. I didn't have anything to give her. She then asked if maybe I could give her a few diapers. I thought this was pretty clever. It also showed that she was being sincere about her little ones at home, but that's not very surprising. I always feel terrible for these little children that are born into a life of begging, scavenging and scamming.

When I told her that I used cloth diapers, she looked at me as if I were a big fat liar. Then she looked at Arabella's bum, just to check it out for herself. She said "cloth diapers? Like the old-fashioned ones??" I nodded. She seemed pretty curious, but at the same time cautious, like I was just trying to get out of giving her the diapers. Then she said, "So what do you do, wash them yourself?" and made the motion like she was washing diapers on a washing board. I smiled at her and told her, yes, that I washed them myself... in the washing machine. "And do you save a lot of money that way?" she asked. I said yes (and if I weren't such a diaper junkie I'd save a lot more!).


Then she looked at me, smiled and walked away. But in that last moment before she left, I swear to god, it was as if there was a sort of kinship between us - as if we were on the same wave-length. I thought I even caught a touch of pity in her eye, like she was thinking "Poor girl's worse off than me if she needs to be using cloth diapers".

New Muttaqins and Wool!

I just had to post some pictures of Bella in her new wool shorties. Wool is AMAZING as a diaper cover. Instead of having to put on covers with a plastic lining (which is hot and makes you sweat), you can just put on cute wool soakers, shorties or longies. And they're not hot, even though you'd think they would be!
Apparently Arabella has found a pose she finds very becoming while in front of the camera: lifting up her shirt. I just hope she stops this before her teenage years. I really don't want to see her on one of those "Girls Gone Wild" videos.
These are two pictures of her in her Muttaqin diapers. I LOVE them! They are so trim and cute! Sadly, you do have to put covers over them when you're out of the house. But, in 90 degree weather at home without an air conditioner, it's a diaper, and that's about it!

I'm a Steamroller Baby

She's a rolling fool, my girl! She has finally turned over from back to front. Last night she woke up at 2am to practice for about an hour.

In her custom embroidered Green Acre Designs Diaper

Here is a link to a video of her doing it this morning (the second time on a completely flat surface. The bed doesn't really count). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eS9PlTsm-xE It's three minutes long, so may be a bit boring to some. There's also terrible interference toward the end, so I'm going to say it again: "Sorry about the quality". Oh, and you may need to pause it to let it "buffer" (let the faded pink line underneath reach the end). It seemed to take forever when I watched it. (sigh) C'mon, Technology, can't we just get along?