I am all, I am nothing (Pour Your Heart Out)

I think I'm going to start participating in another meme since there's some things I want to get off my chest. This one's hosted by the mind behind Things I Can't Say. I've read her blog before, a long time ago, but apparently, am not a subscribed reader. I thought I was...

Tuesday Train

So this is my first time participating in a blog hop. I've been a long-time reader of My Mad Mind, but have never participated until now. Chalk it up to anxiety, I suppose.

 

This blog hop is not only hosted by My Mad Mind, but also With Faith, Family, and Friends, The Survival Mama, and The House on the Corner. Don't forget to follow the hosts, link back and up, and put the button in your post.

If you're visiting me from this hop, please feel free to leave me a comment on this or any blog post and I'll follow you back. ^_^

 I've tried adding something a bit more interesting to this post, but you get nothing this time. lol. My son's back from Cramma's and has apparently had computer withdrawal. What can I say? My kids are geeks, just like mom and dad! And I want to read me some new blogs...

Cloth Diapering Tips, Episode 1 - Acronyms, Before You Buy, and Washing

When first venturing into the cloth diaper world, it can become quickly confusing. There's so many different types of diapers out there, and acronyms, and washing methods... I remember feeling so overwhelmed that I'd just abandon my research and come back to it later. Hopefully, these tips will help you along the way. If there is something specific you'd like to know, please feel free to email me and I'll get back to you as soon as I can.

Let's first start with some acronyms and abbreviations I'll be using (and ones that you may come across on your ventures).

• PF = prefold. Do not buy Gerber Birdseye PFs - they're not absorbent. You will also see CPF for Chinese prefold and IPF for Indian prefold. CPFs tend to be a little more expensive than IPF.
• AIO =  all in one diaper; These are the easiest to change, almost like changing a disposable but you're not throwing it away. BumGenius and Kushies are good examples.
• AI2 = all in two diaper; These consist of a cover and a soaker. These tend to dry faster than AIOs. Think Flip and Thirsties Duo
• OS = One size; adjustable snaps in the front to grow with your baby. These can be applied to fitted diapers, covers, AIOs, and AI2s. Here's an example of a OS pocket diaper
• PUL = polyurethane laminate; these are what make your covers and AIOs/AI2s from leakin'
• CD = cloth diaper

And then there's a slew of  brand name abbreviations, but DiaperSwappers.com covers it pretty well.

There's a few diapers I missed but that's because I don't think there's abbreviations for those. 

• Fitted: Any diaper with elastic around the legs and waist. Can be waterproof or not.
• Flat: The old school dipes. I would suggest YouTubing and Googling how to fold these (as well as prefolds). 
• Soakers and longies (wool or polyester/fleece): I don't have much experience with wool soakers. It scares me. lol. I don't want to mess up a pricey cover...I'd Google how to care for these before you decide to buy, but I've heard great things about them. The fleece ones are cheap though...These covers are not waterproof like PUL so you may get some wicking (leaking). Wool is super absorbent when properly lanolized.
• Pockets: a fitted diaper that you stuff with an insert. These usually tend to be OS, but I'm sure there's some out there that aren't.
• soakers, inserts, liners and doublers. These are what will absorb your baby's pee and poop. They're all essentially the same thing, different brands call them different names or sometimes it all depends on the diapers they're used in...They can be made from hemp, fleece (which will help baby feel dry), terry, bamboo, etc. Boosters are smaller and are generally used for a "boost" for an outing or a nap. Doublers are optional, in all honesty.

Before you buy, it's important to figure out how much you want to spend. One of the pros of CDing is it's cheaper. Well, it can be, provided you don't go diaper-happy. I know, I know, but there are soooo many cute prints out there! Plus, there's some really expensive dipes out there, I've seen some brands that averaged $30 a diaper. Some I've seen go for $75 (and they need covers!! WTF?), a few have even sold for almost $300. Organic diapers and natural fibers like hemp, bamboo, and wool will be more expensive. I'm not going to go much further right now, since I'll be covering this in a later post (as well as CDing on the cheap), but I will tell you what you need.

• Diapers - duh. lol. Choose the style(s) you want.
• A pail - You don't have to get fancy. I just use a large bucket and spray it out when dirty.
• Natural laundry soap - reasons why covered below
• Something for diaper rash - Do not use store bought creams (no zinc or petroleum based creams) - they'll screw your diapers up. Use something natural. There are plenty of diaper safe balms out there, but I prefer GSE or even something with calendula in it (it's equally awesome as GSE)
• A wet bag is nice, but not necessary. For the longest time I'd just use plastic bags. Sometimes extra large Ziploc bags, sometimes I'd post on Freecycle for grocery bags (if they're just going to be thrown out, I'd prefer to use them first)
• If you wish to use cloth wipes (it's easier than dealing with disposable wipes), I'd suggest at least 2 dozen since they get lost easily, especially if you're using it for other things like faces, hands, etc.
• Buying a  wipe solution isn't necessary, there are plenty of recipes you can make, or you can just use plain water.  There are sooo many different things you can add to it like lavender oil, aloe vera, calendula oil, etc.

• My wipes recipe:
• 2 TBSP baby wash
• 8 oz water
• 4-6 drops of GSE
• I mix and store it in the peri bottle the hospital gave me after I delivered, but you can order them for super cheap...or maybe in your local drug store, I dunno, I've never had to look.

WASHING

It's important to use a detergent that is cloth diaper safe. You cannot just use any regular detergent as it will mess up your absorbency among causing other problems (scroll to bottom). My personal favorite is Charlie's Soap. For me, it's worked the best and you use very little. However, there are plenty of great brands out there that you may wish to check out such as Rockin' Green, bumGenius detergent, and GroVia Tiny Bubbles, just to name a few. There are some "mainstream" detergents you can use like All Free and Clear, I personally wouldn't recommend it, but I'd use it in a pinch...

I won't go into washing instructions since there's quite a few ways you can do it. I will give some tips and tell you how I wash. My washer only half works, so I get an extra long first wash.

1. Hot or warm wash with soap.
2. I rinse 3 times. Many people do two, but I've been noticing an odor build up. I have hard water and hard water doesn't clean as well.
3. I then tumble dry on a delicate heat cycle. I check to see if they need to be dried further...

Some tips...
You need to have a lot of water to fully clean diapers, so try to do it on the highest setting. When using an energy efficient (HE) washer, use your soak feature to trick your machine into adding more water.
Line drying is best if you want to preserve your diapers. But if you can't, tumble dry on a low heat setting and don't pull on your waterproof diapers or the elastic. The heat can make the plastic brittle, so wait until it cools first.
Natural fibers stain easier than fleece, etc. The sun is great at removing stains and killing microbes!
If your baby is exclusively breastfed, you don't need to spray off the poo before you wash. If your baby's started solids or is on formula, make sure you do since it isn't water soluble like EBF poop.
A diaper sprayer is really, really nice, but not necessary... I don't have one, not yet anyway. I do have a shower head, and after dunking, I spray the remaining down the tub (hot first, then cold). Ew, I know. But I sanitize it after. Whatever, it's what works.
Velcro (also known as Applix) will chain together with all the other diapers in your load. To prevent this you can use the laundry tabs, but I've found sometimes these fail. So, I just attach it as if I were putting the diaper on the baby.
I'm not going to get into stripping diapers just yet, however, I want to say this do not ever use Dawn or dish soap in your washing machine. It can clog up your lines and void any warranties you may have on it.

Idiot Control

Something to make you laugh, hopefully. I know it always does it for me.

Fawk You Friday

Yayy for Fawk You Fridays! While things had been pretty decent in my absence, there's also been some times when I've really needed it. Especially lately...If you wish to jump in on the fawking action, it's hosted by the lovely ladies behind My Mad Mind and Boobies, Babies, and a Blog. All you gotta do is grab the button and link up, but don't forget to link back to our hostesses...

This is the Pregnancy edition...I'm sure there'll be more over the next several months.

Fawk Facebook. I think I need to take a break. There are some people I don't want to say a temporary goodbye to...and there's a lot of "fan" pages that I definitely don't want to stop reading...But I can't take the passive-aggressive posts and virtual penis measuring contests. I understand people need to vent, but I cannot stand ignorant comments. At least not right now. Usually, it wouldn't bother me, but pregnancy hormones can turn me into someone completely different and I have little control over it. Think of it as a virus, and the only way to cure it is if I squeeze out the baby...and even then it's not a guarantee that shit's gonna change quickly. So, I think it's healthier (for everyone) if I stay away. I don't want to lose contact with anyone either, though...

Fawk hormones. This ain't right. Not only am I cranky for the most part, I can't eat the shit I want to. I've developed lactose intolerance. I can't even have a bowl of cereal (without drinking the milk) without feeling sick for a day. I miss milk. I've also had major aversions to meat...

Fawk my husband for bringing Tastycakes, brownies, and chips into the house. I'm trying to avoid gestational diabetes! lol. I am seriously about to take his card away so he can only do shopping with me around.

Mom Cave

In the seven plus years since having kids, I've never once gone off and had a "girls' getaway". My husband has never been without me and in sole charge of the kids. There's been a few times when I've gone off with my aunt when she was visiting and I went off on an evening with her...but that's really been it. I guess it would help if I was any good at maintaining friendships.

I've actually been considering leaving my husband for the weekend and staying with my mom, just so he can have an idea of how hard it really is. I will ask him for help with the kids and you'd almost think I asked him to cut of his arm. Naturally, this pisses me off to no extent. I could really turn this into a separate post of its own, so I won't go into details. He's not a complete douche, just so you know (you're only hearing what I put out there...), but he does whine like little baby.

I do, however, have a "Mom Cave" which I've only created recently. It isn't much, but it beats the bathroom, which was my hidey-spot before. It's down in the basement. I've got my little desk, ashtray, nail stuff if I feel like doing my nails, carpet remnants, my makeup, and colored lights. Unfortunately, it is prone to mildew, so right now, it's quite cave-like. But I'm hoping to get some mildew-resistant curtains, furniture, and pillows.

I like this one...I know it's a shower curtain, but I was looking at outdoor curtains and didn't like most of them. Too plain, which just isn't me. I think it'd look good with some light grey curtains as well... Although, if I can find me some nice burgundy and chocolate curtains, I'd totally go for that. That's one of my favorite interior design color combinations.

I know the basement isn't, uh, glamorous...at all. But it works. Since we have hardwood floors, I can hear virtually everything. I'm not down there for long, unless I'm babysitting the washing machine, and even then I wait until my husband's home. I think it's important for us stay-at-home parents to have someplace we can go to catch a break, even if it's only for a few minutes.

Do you have your own in-home retreat? Or do you catch micro-vacations in some other way?

And just for some added fun, here's some Louis C.K. (content warning: language and some may not get his sense of humor. Towards the end (after he talks about not judging other parents) is one of my more favorites)

The Impending School Year

Summer break is almost over. In a few weeks, both my eldest and my son will be attending school. This year, however, Bucket will not be attending e-school. As nice as it was to not have to worry about waking up as ass o'clock, doing her hair, making sure her uniform (blech!) is kept clean, etc., it just wasn't working out for us. It became a fight to get her to do anything, and that's not how I want her early school experience to be. Plus, with the new baby coming, there's no way I could juggle it all. Hell, I'm still struggling to find some balance in my life. Every time I think I've got it down, something changes.

She'll instead be going to a school specifically for children with ADD, Asperger's, and such. She seems excited, mostly over karate, which I'm hoping will help calm her rebelliousness. Not that I want to squash it out completely, it just needs to be harnessed in some and channeled in a more positive direction. She is quite strong willed, challenges authority, and will speak out when she feels wronged. Not necessarily a bad thing, she's just become so angry. It will be nice to for her to play with kids again though. She's been so lonely the last year.

My son will be attending preschool. I admit I'm a bit worried...He's begun emulating his older sister in not listening and talking back. I'm hoping he'll be able to focus and sit still enough to where I'm not getting calls from the teacher. And if they think I'm just going to medicate him, they're sorely wrong. I'm pretty sure they provide buses for preschoolers, but I know that all the other schools here will only provide them if you're two miles away. And we're right on the two mile mark (according to the Googles).

I'm not going to lie...I'm really looking forward to getting some quieter times in the house. I love my kids more than anything, but a year of having three kids straight up my ass is grounds for a freaking break. Sure, it's taught me a lot as a parent - especially in terms of patience - but I'm not Supermom. No one is. No one should be expected to, either. I'm a human too, and I have needs dammit! Ooh, and!...and I should have more time for :gasp!: blogging! Yay! I know I've been talking about getting back into it for months, but maybe this time I will actually get the chance!

Not too keen on physicals being required. I understand why, don't get me wrong, but it's still a pain in the ass. And I still have to make appointments for my ultrasound and I need to see a hematologist to get my Protein S Deficiency checked into. Which, by the way, my pregnancy has been going great. Had some hardcore morning sickness, major food aversions and intolerances, all the typical early complaints. But no bleeding, no ER trips, and the heartbeat is going strong at 168 bpm. I'm 13 weeks now! Oh and my husband needs to be screened for HOCM since there's a family history of it (which is what the student athletes you read about die from).

I really am not looking forward to having four kids in school...If I think it's chaotic now, how's it going to be then?? So my question to veteran parents, how do you manage the August Crazies? The enrollment process, school supply lists, wardrobe, etc?