Still not updating like I should . . .

So, as you might have noticed, I am not updating like I should. No real excuses, as our internet at home is fixed, I just can't get motivated to get it done. Its crazy working 40 hrs a week, commuting another 10, and trying to chase a toddler. And guess what? We are going to be adding to the mix next July! I am so excited, but scared. We haven't told anyone yet. I go to the doctor tomorrow to start with the prenatal stuff, and we have a shirt for Roo that says "I'm going to be a big sister". We are going to have her wear it into the B's parents house Wednesday night when we go down. I think I am going to text a pic of it to my mom and sister after my appt tomorrow. We will see. So far, no real sickness. Some things are totally grossing me out, just like last time. And my boobs are killing me. They seem huge too, just like with Roo. I am really hoping for another girl, since I have 9807 pcs of girls clothes. One thing I am super excited about is cloth diapering a newborn. I started with Roo when she was about 14 months, so I never got to snap down the rises, or deal with BF poo. I just hope between now and then I can convince B that it is a good idea. I added it up yesterday and in just the first 6 months, we could save at least $300. I think I am going to tell him if we can do this, we can save that money for a horse trailer. Or a saddle. That may convince him.

Anyways, don't tell my family! Its a secret until tomorrow! I will update after the holidays to let you all know how it went.

Pampers

Has anyone seen or heard about the info Pampers has recently put out stating that disposables are better for babies that cloth? What a load of crap. There is a thing going on right now about how the newest Pampers are causing babies to have chemical burns and all sorts of other problems. I have never heard of cotton causing this. Yeah, sometimes the detergent used can cause problems, but washing with more water usually takes care of it. We only use cloth part time (mostly at daycare and when Daddy is in charge), but I am done buying Pampers. I didn't really like the way they felt anyways and this is a great reason to make the switch back to Huggies.

I stripped my pockets last night. We had a little bit of repelling on the Haute Pockets and some smell residue, so I threw them all in with a little Dawn and ran 2 Whitest Whites, 2 Quick Washes on hot with extra rinse. I put the AIO's and inserts in the dryer this morning and they smelled wonderful. No smell really to them at all. I think we will be ready to go again for the weekend.

I am finding the more I cloth Diaper my monkey, the more diapers and kids I want. I hadn't talked to the hubby yet, but I am dying for another. And I can't stop buying them. Has anyone seen this website www.babyhalfoff.com ? Awesome! They run one deal a day, and the items are at least half off. They just ran a Dream-eze AIO sale for $10.50 each! Thankfully, they were out of our size in one of the colors, so I only ordered 2. Yesterday, they ran a sale on squeaker shoes. I had to get a pair for Monkey and her cousin. So cute! And only $9.99!

Okay, better go. Blessed day to you all!

Holiday Weekends

Happy belated Memorial Day! It was a good weekend, but needed to be longer. As usual. Got to spend all 3 days with baby girl. We tried to use the potty, but she is just not ready yet. We will try again next month.

This holiday weekend marked the 3rd anniversary of my father's death. It was harder this year, I think, than in years past. Maybe because Roo is getting so big and he is missing everything. I don't really know. I had a good cry and remembered good things about him.

On a plus side, I was able to cloth diaper all weekend! Roo only one disposable when Daddy changed her and 2 swim diapers. We even wore cloth to the the lake. And oh boy, what an adventure that was. Some people were commenting on her diaper and how gross it was to let kids swim in diapers. Unfortunatly I didn't hear it. I was in enough of a rough place, I would have let her have it. Probably a good thing, because then my husband would have had to arrest me for disorderly conduct.

Anyways, thanks to all the Veterans and those serving. I appreciate it all.

Selling Fluff

I am selling off some of my fluff tonight! In my quest to find the *perfect* diapering system, I bought a lot of stuff that either wasn't right for us, didn't fit or we didn't like. So I am doing my best to sell it off to other Crunchy Mamas in my area. Whenever I sell some of my fluff, I try to education the mamas on things I have learned about. Sometimes, though, they teach me. I love it.

The problem tonight is that I am meeting Daddy, not mama. I hope he is crunchy but am a little concerned. He didn't want to buy my cloth diaper lot because it was "too girly". Granted, there are several inserts that are pink and 3 covers that are pink, but mostly everything I have bought has been neutral. I don't want a future son in pink! I don't know what changed their minds, but I had hoped to talk to Mama about it. Oh well. At least I am selling all of it. They are getting a great deal, too, even with girly prints. And with this money, I will pay for the new fluff I should be getting in the mail this week and in a couple weeks. This is addicting!

Wash Routine

So I *think* I finally have my cloth diaper wash routine down. We have no smells, no leaks and no repelling. I bought new Whirlpool Duet front loader washer and dryer after Roo was born because my old top loaders died. Love them for regular clothes, but it has been interesting to figure out how to wash my fluff.

I start with a cold rinse/spin to get yuckies out. Then I run "whitest whites" (which, for my washer is the hottest cycle with the most water) with a small amount of detergent. I am trying out new ones right now, currently using Allen's. More about that later. Then I run a quick wash with hot water. If I don't see any bubbles, I hang my pockets up and dry my AIO's and inserts on medium. If I see bubbles, I run another quick wash with hot water. If there are STILL bubbles, I run another cold rinse/spin. That usually takes care of it. Sometimes I will add a little white vinegar to the rinse cycle to cut smells.

If I need to strip them (not very often), I do all of this, but with Dawn and maybe a touch of bleach. I usually add a couple of extra rinses, mostly hot.

So, I ordered a trial thing of cloth diaper safe soaps a while back. I tried the Rockin Green first because I had heard so many good things about it. Loved it! It was clear after the quick wash cycle, so there was no need for another rinse. I am now using Allen's. Not very impressed. I have had to run at least 2 extra quick wash cycles and once an additional cold rinse/spin. I don't know if I am adding too much or its just hard to rinse out, but I am not really impressed. I think I have enough left of it for 2 more loads, and then onto the next trial. I think I have tiny bubbles and Charlies left.

That's it for now. God Bless

First Day

So I keep reading everyone else's blogs and thought I would give it a try. Hello World! I am a 28 year old mother of one amazing daughter. I am married to an incredible man who refuses to "go green". We started cloth diapering when the monkey was about 14 months old due to a terrible diaper rash. I am now doing it part time and love it! I have learned a lot on this adventure.

Let's see how this goes!