Happy Halloween!

(Okay, so it's not Halloween anymore.  But I wrote this on Halloween.  I just didn't get a chance to post it then...)

Regrettably, our Halloween-themed outfit was reassigned to the hamper before we had a chance to snap a picture this morning. (Maybe we'll try again on Saturday, when the trick-or-treaters come.)

However, in the spirit of the upcoming holiday season, we are already enjoying the new toy that came in the mail the morning, and we do have a picture of that:

Maybe we can call this "costume" Giant-Baby-Supping-On-Safari??

Jonah explores his new Sophie the Giraffe.

The Verdict on Cloth

Since Jonah was born, more than a few people have asked us how things are going with our plan to cloth diaper, so I thought I'd dedicate this latest blog entry to that subject.  (And fair is fair.  As often as the conversation at home turns to all-things-infant-poop-related, we might as well spend some time on the blog talking about it!)

The short of it is that it's going really well.  We've been following our plan pretty much exactly as we described it before Jonah's birth, and so far so good.  The infant-size Kissaluvs (though they won't fit much longer!) have been really convenient to use, not to mention excellent insofar as protecting against blowouts is concerned.  I'll be sorry when they finally become genuinely too small because they've been our faithful workhorses so far.  The prefolds, which we currently use if we run short on Kissaluvs but which will become our primary diapers once the Kissaluvs are outgrown, actually might be superior in terms of keeping our babe's clothes clean and dry throughout the day.  They did involve a slightly longer learning curve (it took me a little under a week to figure out how to fold them snugly enough to avoid leaks), but, after we worked out a few kinks, I've found myself really happy--and comfortable--with them.  Finally, the Bum Genius diapers we included in our stash--our only daycare-approved variety of diaper--have also been perfectly easy to use (though a bit bulkier than the other varieties, which took some getting used to).  Lately, we've started using them as our primary overnight diapers since we've been given the impression that they wick moisture away from Baby's bum (whereas the Kissaluvs and prefolds do not), ostensibly leading to longer breaks between changes.  I'll admit, though, that I rather suspect our success with that tactic is at least in part due to the decreasing frequency of overnight wettings as Jonah gets a bit older.

Many of the concerns we've bandied over cloth diapering focus on the inconvenience of having to wash all those diapers with such frequency, but so far for us this just hasn't been a major issue.  For the time being we're washing diapers on a daily basis (though as Jonah gets bigger we might be able to cut back to every other day).  That's one wash a day, every day, but it's no big deal--the machines and a laundry line do most of the work.  And the diapers clean up really well.  (A tip for interested parties:  to help ensure that our cloth stays stain-free, we're using an Aquaus diaper sprayer on an as-needed basis after each changing.  It makes changes just a trifle more time-consuming, but it seems to be doing its job well.  And it will really come in handy once Baby starts solids and his waste is no longer water soluble.)  We even used cloth successfully over our recent car trip up into Central and Western New York and were able to maintain our daily wash schedule with the help of a few sets of friends and family.

All in all, we're very happy with cloth, and we'd like to encourage any readers out there considering cloth:  don't let the negative rumors discourage you.  In our experience, cloth has been easy and more than convenient enough to be worthwhile.  We send our appreciation to our friends and family who encouraged us and helped us to feel confident that this was a choice in which we wanted to invest!

Oh, and, by the way, if you are interested, in addition to relying on the word of friends and family, we also obtained a lot of information and advice from once of our favorite cloth diaper vendors:  Jillian's Drawers in Ithaca, NY.  You can check out their "New to Cloth Diapers?" guide here.

Yay for Yard Sales!

This morning our little family headed to Pittsburgh's Point Breeze neighborhood over for its annual neighborhood yard sale.  Having hit the baby-supply-jackpot last spring at a similar event in our own corner of the 'Burgh, we figured it might be worthwhile to check out this one as well.  And, boy, we weren't wrong!  Among this morning's catches:

A small stash of baby boy's clothes.  We found fewer of these types of items than we had hoped to fin, but we still managed to come home with a decent selection pieces to use through Jonah's next 6 to 9 months.  Best part:  most of these we picked up for just 25 cents a pop!

Books: several Doctor Seuss, a few Sandra Boyton, and others.  Can always use more books.

A fancy cradle swing.  We'd been avoiding buying one of these, mostly because it seemed counterproductive in terms of our maintaining an attachment style of parenting.  However, after spending an entire month of weekdays alone at home with Jonah, I finally decided that I could use at least a little time each day without a baby in my arms--a desire the merits of which, unfortunately, I have had absolutely no success convincing Jonah.  That said, we have several friends and neighbors who have sworn by the swing as a baby-approved means of transitioning from the security of Mom's arms to generally more independent locales.  And for $10 (!) at a yard sale, we're willing to give it a try.  Hopefully, Jonah will enjoy a little swing time each day--just enough so that Mom can, say, start dinner in the evening, before Daddy gets home and without having to suffer through Baby's heart-breakingly ceaseless cries.

And then, finally, the yard sale pièce de résistance:

We found this porch swing, in pretty much perfect condition, at our first stop for $5!  Honestly, I can hardly believe it.  We'd been looking at porch swings at places like Home Depot and Lowes, where they seem to start at about $120 and quickly run up to over $500!  So we're pretty thrilled about this find.  Looking forward to getting some use out of it this fall.

1st Road Trip!

Big news from over the weekend!  Jonah just enjoyed his first road trip!

We geared up for this trip (a work-related trip back to our old stomping grounds in central New York) with no small amount of trepidation.  How would Jonah handle so many hours in the car?  Where would we stop, and how should we schedule our time in each place?  Should we continue to use cloth diapers on the road, or would it be worthwhile to switch to disposables for a short duration?  How much should we pack in the way of baby clothes?  Entertainment?  The big stroller or the small?  So many uncertainties.  Maybe Mom and Baby should just stay home, we wondered.

In the end, though, car packed with what seemed like half of Jonah's belongings (plus one small bag for Mom and Dad), we hit the road.  And here's the good news:  Jonah was fabulous.  He slept through most of the car ride, only fussing occasionally for diaper changes and feedings.  We did our best to stop when and where we could, sometimes in places of Jonah's choosing, sometimes our own.  No major disasters.  No major emotional crises or backlash, thank goodness.

Jonah, snug in his car seat, ready to go!

First time behind the wheel
(taking a break at a rest stop).

Along the way, we took advantage of a few particularly convenient resting points, where Jonah finally made the acquaintance of several more veteran members of his family: aunts, uncles, cousins, and, perhaps most notably, his great grandma:

Great Grandma gave us a place to
stay overnight (and also made a cake
to help us celebrate Dad's birthday).

At our destination, Dad had to spend most of his time working, but Jonah and I got to enjoy the company of a few old friends.  We spent a wonderful, sunny afternoon lazing about our the yard of our dear friends, Nate, Jen, and their adorable little spitfire, Cora.  Jonah spent much of that time napping, while Mom enjoyed the view of the farms and hills behind the house.

Nate, Jen, and Cora let us laze about
their charming home and yard
with beautiful scenic views.

The last leg of our trip was, of course, the return home.  It was a pleasure to make a few stops again.  We enjoyed breakfast with Papa and Uncle Steve, a mid-morning break with our favorite Auntie Katie Dear and Uncle Kevin (at whose home Jonah practiced his ever more frequent smile), and stopped for a quick brunch/lunch with an old friend at yummy Betty's (where a quiet, pleasant Jonah seemed to receive a lot of admiring attention from our servers and neighboring diners).

At the cafe with Papa and Uncle Steve.

Jonah practice's smiling at his aunt and uncle's home.

Daddy sporting Jonah in the sling
while we wait for our table at Betty's.

All in all it was a great trip.  In fact, our only regret might be that we didn't take more photos!

Much thanks goes to our friends, John and Annie, who hosted us at our destination (and who didn't complain an iota when Jonah had a rough night!).  To Nate and Jen, in particular among many other things for letting us use their laundry facilities to wash our cloth diapers.  And, of course, to the long list of other friends, aunts, uncles, and cousins who met us and fed us along the way.  Love you guys!

Four Weeks

Today Jonah is exactly four weeks old!

We celebrated this morning by panicking over our water heater, which overnight apparently decided that it was done holding water.  Fortunately, we had already received a quote for replacing it--as we had suspected it was going to go soon--and the plumber we wanted to use was able to come out first thing this morning to start the work.  His team is in the basement (making interesting noises, Jonah seems to think) at this very moment.

In the meantime, Jonah and I are spending the day doing our usual:  eating and napping and changing the occasional diaper.  From time to time, we also find time to play:

In his Lamaze Space Symphony Motion Gym, Jonah especially enjoys kicking the crinkly portions of the gym floor (which, in what might be interpreted as a rather careless design flaw, seem to correspond with the images of astronauts' faces), grabbing the teething star, and cooing at himself in the mirror.

Moms, dads, and babysitting readers:  any other ideas for how to amuse and stimulate such a young baby?  We do a lot of reading and talking, and a little shaking of rattles, mirror time, and gym time.  Jonah also seems to enjoy watching lights move--such as when the ceiling fan and ceiling lamp are running together or, sometimes, (to Mom's dismay) when the TV is on and in his line of sight.  Oh, and we take walks outside, though that tends to turn into nap-time rather than play-time.  We're up for new and alternative ideas, if anyone's got any!  Just send them my way.

The Nursery

Last night, Bryan and I put some finishing touches on the baby's room, and--though I'm sure that we'll eventually come up with a few more projects and decorative elements to add (actually, I have one or two already in mind)--we're finally comfortable calling the room "complete".

Here's the nursery from its entry. We lucked
out when a neighbor gave us the rocking chair they
only recently finished using with their son.

So far we love our crib, made of solid, sustainably-
harvested wood with a non-toxic finish. We completed its look
with an all-organic, non-toxic mattress and matching linens
and with a colorful crib skirt that I stitched together
myself using my mom's old sewing machine.

Our old dresser transformed into the perfect
changing table when topped with an organic
changing pad. We also love the mobile we
designed and constructed to hang over it.

We found the bracket from which we're
hanging the mobile in the garden center
at Home Depot. Adore it!

But, don't worry.  Baby's isn't the only arrival for which we've been preparing.  Anticipating a few visits from out-of-town friends and family, we've also put our guest room (mostly) together.  Here's a preview, which we hope will help motivate your visit (or at least not de-incentivize it).  We can assure you it's quite comfortable; Bryan and I have been using the guest room while we wait for the new mattress for our own room to arrive.

There are still a few details, like wall art and curtains,
to work out, but all the basics are in place.

So far, thanks to some fortuitous choices by the previous owners, decorating the house has been a surprisingly simple task. We haven't had to paint even a single wall, for instance (which is fabulous because I have no idea where we'd find the time to do so anyway).  Each room seems almost bizarrely suited to the things we want to put in it.

There's still lots to unpack, but considering we almost never have to go down to the basement to retrieve something from a box, I'm inclined to believe that most of the high-priority items are all-set-to-go.  Truly, with thought to that quick progress, I have to give at least one last shout-out to all the friends and family who chipped in hauling boxes and furniture from our apartment just over a week ago.  You lovely people are the best of the best--and have made our lives so much easier (in the short term) and richer (speaking more generally and in the long)!  Thank you.

Clued in on cloth!

Now that Bryan and I are settling into our new home, we're finally ready to gear up--in a serious way--for Baby's arrival.  That means that Baby's nursery is finally coming together (pictures to come soon), with a new crib, changing table, layette, and, yes, our cloth diaper stash.

Over the past few months, we've received a lot of feedback and advice regarding our decision to go with cloth.  And, after weighing extensive options, we think we've put together a cloth stash that's practical and convenient, in addition to being relatively eco-, baby-, and budget-friendly.  Here's the rundown:

Our diaper stash is composed of three types of diapers:  fitted diapers with wraps (upper right and bottom left in the picture below), pocket diapers (upper left), and prefolds (that traditional-looking cloth diaper underneath everything else).  Each offers different advantages and drawbacks, but, between them, we hope to have all our bases covered.

Our diaper stash:  The Basics.

The Fitteds

Our Kissaluvs fitted diapers, together with gusseted diaper wraps, are reputed to be the hands-down best option out there for preventing diaper blowouts--particularly for newborns.  That's why they're our diaper of choice for infancy.  And, despite what you may have heard about cloth diapers, they're pretty darn easy to use:

A Kissaluvs newborn fitted diaper.

Wrap around Baby.

Snap diaper in place.

Place diaper wrap under Baby.

Snap in place, completely covering cloth.

Leg gussets provide extra protection
against blowouts.

The Pockets

If the fitted diapers didn't look easy enough for you, these pocket diapers will be your go-to option.  We plan to keep these around for babysitters who want the simplest option possible.  From what we've heard, they're also a great diaper option when traveling and--perhaps because they wick away moisture better than your standard cloth diaper--for overnight use at home.

Place the diaper under Baby.

Wrap and snap.

The trick to pocket diapers is the "pocket", of course, into which Mom and Dad can stuff inserts, as needed, to absorb wetness.  Here's a disassembled pocket diaper with a standard insert and a newborn insert.

Pocket diaper with inserts removed.

The Prefolds

And now for the ever-intimidating prefold diaper.  Really, it's not that complicated.  Though there are lots of ways to fold a prefold, I'll show you the simplest:

Fold the cloth into thirds.

Place folded diaper in wrap.

Place Baby on top of diaper.

Fold up and snap the wrap into place.

That's not so bad, right?

So now you're ready to babysit for us!

But, wait. What do you do once the diapers dirty, you ask.  Fair question.  Luckily, the answer is pretty straightforward.  As our babysitter, you pretty much just throw the used diaper in the diaper pail.  Then, every day or two, we'll throw the contents of the diaper pail into the washing machine.  At least for the first six months.  After Baby starts solid foods, things get a little more complicated--but not much; at that point, there are lots of tools out there to make any additional cleaning a breeze.

Neighborhood Yard Sale!

This morning our neighborhood hosted a huge yard sale, and Bryan and I took advantage of an abundance of deals on baby supplies.  Check out our haul, collected for just a little over 15 bucks:

That's easily over $200 savings on:

A Boppy Nursing Pillow,
Baby Tub,
Crib & Floor Mirror,
Prenatal Yoga DVD,
3 Bibs, and
~20 Clothing Items (some still with original tags, most in sizes we don't yet have)

I feel like we hit the baby supply jackpot!

A Baby Project: Update

Three days of sewing and hot gluing later...

...we have a mobile to go over Archie's crib!

Thanks to my friend, Jen, who shared the idea with us.  For anyone who might be interested, the basic mobile design and a pattern for the birds can be found here.

A Baby Project

After a Sunday afternoon jaunt to Jo-Ann Fabric & Craft, we finally have the raw materials for our first baby project.  Can you guess what item we're going to handcraft for Baby's nursery?  Here's a little hint:

Prepping the nest

Since Bryan and I are planning to move in July, we've been postponing collecting much in the way of baby supplies.  For better or worse, most of our shopping will have to be pretty last-minute.

Fortunately, the planner in me has not had to go completely without satisfaction in the meantime.  Thanks to thoughtful friends and family, we've been slowly collecting at least a few of the basics so that, if baby were to arrive a bit early--or we were to fall behind in our July shopping plans--we would still not be completely unprepared.  So far, Archimedes can look forward to having lots of infant-sized clothes, socks, and hats, a car seat, a Bjorn bouncer, and a variety of adorable blankets.

And that means that I can have at least a little fun rifling through our stocks to pick out, for instance, a "coming home" outfit and to get inspiration for the decor of Archie's future room.  Here are just a couple of the items/ideas we've collected so far:

Archie will always have a reminder of Grammy's love,
and Great Grandma on the other side sent the blanket she
crocheted years ago for my own mother's infancy.
Maybe yellow and foam green will make
it into the nursery color scheme?

I'm considering this green froggy onesie and striped cap
for a "coming home" outfit. In mid-summer, Archie
won't need much to stay warm.

We've got lots of other ideas, but most of them will to wait until July to be shared.  Still, we're doing our best to get ready in what small ways we can!

Green Babies, Cloth Diapers

One of the parenting challenges toward which Bryan and I are most looking forward is that of raising a green baby. As a family, we're both enthusiastic about environmentally responsible living, and we hope that we'll be able to impart that enthusiasm to our Little Bean as he or she grows. We want to raise a child who separates recyclables from compostables from the rare bit of landfill-destined refuse as a matter of course. A child who is conscious of water and electricity usage. A child who prefers public transportation or a bike ride to a gas-guzzler in the driveway. For that matter, a child who appreciates gardens and hikes and bugs over video games and toy stores.

We'll see, I guess. I can concede that, the world being what it is, we may have our work cut out for us. Yet we're hopeful at least that we can nourish the green roots of a future tree-hugger by setting a strong example of environmental consciousness and responsibility ourselves. And, fortunately, for all the pressure these days to plasticize our lives, there are also ample resources available to make environmental friendliness more affordable and more convenient and even, simply, more desirable.

Kissaluv infant diapers are reported to be
virtually leak- and blowout-free.
Sounds like a good option to me!

In a nutshell, that's why Bryan and I are planning to cloth diaper.  And why we're looking forward to it.  We're excited about the benefits of cloth diapering. For one thing, in the long run, they're less expensive than disposables. Estimates indicate that we will save about $1,500 the first child, and considerably more if we reuse our cloth diapers with another in the future. Further, they're better for preventing leaks and blowouts. True, the cloth diapers of yesteryear were notorious leakers, but today improved designs mean a lot of parents are switching to cloth precisely because they control leaks and blowouts better. Another benefit is that they're healthier for babies. Who can argue that, from a health perspective, an organic cotton prefold isn't easier on Baby's skin than a chemical-packed disposable? Indeed, according to Jillian's Drawers (my favorite natural parenting store, based in Ithaca), "the rate of diaper rash has increased from 7% to over 78% since 1955, comparable with the increased rate of disposable diaper use." (Sounds like a suspicious correlation to me!)  And then, of course, there are the environmental benefits. Considering that the average infant requires 10-12 diaper changes a day, we'll be saving a lot of landfill space even in those first few weeks!  And those are just the benefits at the top of our list.  I could go on (but won't).

Cloth diapers mean lots
of options--including many
adorable patterns.

 So far the thing we find the most intimidating about cloth diapering is actually the number of choices it offers. Should we go with inexpensive and versatile--but less intuitive--cloth prefolds? Or the miraculous all-in-one that mimics the convenience and ease of a disposable? Perhaps something in between? If we use prefolds, with which brand of covers should we accompany them? Would we prefer snaps or velco? Disposable liners for easier cleaning? A mini-shower for spraying off messes? Which diaper pail? Which wet bag?  So many choices means cloth diapering has already demanded a lot of time and research.  Luckily, time is something I have and research is something I can do.