Sorry, I have been a little absent this week. I just have not had much to say. Blogs are kind of funny like that. When I first started I had tons of ideas and the words came to me easily, but lately, it has kind of felt like I am pulling nothing out of thin air to create posts.
Here is what I know:
This week has been a little draining with the bad weather. My mood has been pretty blah.
As of tomorrow, I am officially entering my third and final trimester. I am feeling huge already. I'm definitely worried about what July will bring.
Calan has been doing so great. We have had a few play dates this week and it is so fun watching him and his friends move around and actually play together.
Our house is getting back to normal since moving the rooms around. Bob and I actually like having our room upstairs. For the first time since we moved in five years ago, we are utilizing our whole house. It is kind of nice.
May is going to be pretty nuts. April just flew by and it is looking like May will be the same way. I hope I will be able to find time to get things ready. I have to keep reminding myself that I still have all of June and July to get things done. It will get done.
Our little girl is doing somersaults lately and I am loving it. I have liked knowing what we are having. We even have a name, but not sharing till her birthday.
So that is what has been going on here and some random thoughts to start the weekend with. Life is good and we are good. Hopefully next week I will have more ideas and brain power to write more. Have a good weekend.
I should probably give an update on my leaky diaper issue. I am happy to report that we are leak free. Calan has a fluffier butt, but his clothes are dry.
After going through my troubleshooting list a few times and asking for advice on a few forums, I discovered what I knew all along. Calan is super pee-er. My issue was mainly absorbency. He was just soaking the microfiber insert.
To resolve the issue, I have added a second insert to the pocket. I don't have leaks, but now my Smartipants aren't a slim fit anymore. Calan has quite the butt when I put them on him now. He has a few pants that won't fit over the fluff. So, I do have to be careful when I dress him in the morning to make sure either his clothes fit with the Smartipants or that I have enough of his other diapers to make it through the day, which usually I do.
Just like any child, it is frustrating when everything is going smoothly and then all of a sudden things change. Just like when I am dealing with a change in Calan's eating habits or sleep habits, his diapers need to be adjusted as he grows. Being new to cloth, it does take me a little while to figure out the issue. But I have decided that there is always a solution; it just takes some determination to find it.
I am just glad that we are dry and happy once again.
Our little guy amazes us every day. As he becomes more and more mobile, he is exploring everything and loving his new world. There is nothing like watching him discover something new. He gets so proud of himself. He just looks back at me and smiles the biggest grin.
This month has brought a lot of changes. He is still army crawling, but he is moving at lightening speeds. It is kind of funny when he sees something across the room that he wants and heads over to it. He giggles and makes the happiest noises all the way to the object. Except for when he is trying to get close to our dog. He does more of a sneak attack on her knowing that if he goes too quickly or loudly she moves before he gets the chance to touch her. I don't think our dog is enjoying Calan's mobility as much as I am.
Playing with one of his favorite toys.
Calan is also pulling himself up on everything. It is hard to keep him in a sitting position. He would rather be standing most of the time. However, with puling himself up, has come many head bruises. Not sure if Calan just bruises easy or if his pale skin shows the bruises more, but I swear the kid can't go a day with out getting a new bruise. As a mom, I know that it is all part of him learning, but geez does look bad.
This month, I really expanded Calan's eating. He is eating a ton of new food and liking most of it. He is getting pretty good with finger foods. I try to include something that he has to pick up and eat at every meal. The other day he tried strawberries for the first time. He wasn't a huge fan at first, but he definitely likes them now. Usually whenever I introduce anything that is pretty new in terms of taste and texture, he tends to make a face of disgust, but he still eats it. I would say that it takes about 3 attempts before he decides if he likes it, which usually he does. I would say his favorite meal is plain yogurt with mashed bananas and a dash a cinnamon. He loves it and devours it. While he eats it, I think green beans are his least favorite. I usually don't try and push too many of those on him at once.
With more finger foods that I give him, I have found Calan reaching more and more to the spoon I am feeding him with. To solve this, I have given him his own spoon. He is actually getting good and putting it in his month. Maybe this month, I will try letting him feed himself a little with a spoon and see how that goes. I know that I shouldn't care, but I am definitely a mother how doesn't want to clean up a disaster zone after each meal, so I think the self-feeding with flatware will be a slow process for us.
For the most part this month, Calan has slept great, but there have been some of mornings and some off naps that have been pretty trying for me. There was a week where he was waking up closer to 6 a.m. instead of 7 a.m. While I got him out of his crib closer to 6:30, the hour change really messed with our day and how well he napped. Last week, I had a few days where his afternoon nap was a complete struggle. One day he didn't even take it at all and the other day he cried for about 30 minutes before passing out. I tried most everything to help him sleep, but nothing worked on those days. I had to keep reminding myself that I can only do so much, but I can't make a baby sleep. I just focused on maintaining our routine whether he slept or not and he fell right back into afternoon nap on the third day.
Calan's hand is also healing well. There is no longer any scabbing from the surgery. The scars are still pretty red and his fingers are still a little swollen compared to his other hand, but overall he is doing great. He has an appointment this week as his last follow up and I am sure that the doctor will be pleased too. He is just a normal 10-month-old with 10 fingers now. He also finally got his fourth bottom tooth this month, which brings our total to 8. I think that he might be getting his molars shortly. His drooling is back up and he has been gnawing on his fingers quite a bit. Hopefully, it is a pretty painless process.
Over the next month, I hope to watch Calan become more mobile and balanced (no more bruises). I don't think he will walk, but he is just beginning to realize that after he pulls himself up he can move a little to the left or right. He doesn't move far, but I am pretty sure that will change over the next month. I also hope to take him swimming for the first time. I think that it is time for our little guy to have some fun in the water.
This morning Calan and I said goodbye to our bedrooms and took off for the night at my father-in-law's house. Today we are having our bedrooms repainted and tomorrow we move bedrooms. Bob and I head upstairs; one floor away from Calan, one floor away from the bathroom (any pregnant lady can sympathize with that one). Calan moves into our bedroom. We will finally be able to set up our second crib that has been collecting dust in our basement. I will finally be able to start "nesting" for our latest addition.
It isn't easy for me to see my home in such a disarray. I like having everything organized and decorated. Like any newly wed when Bob and I moved into our home, pictures and memorabilia from our wedding decorated our bedroom walls. Our bedding is still the set we registered for 4 1/2 years ago. What will our new bedroom look like? A big mess! I know that one day it will be all organized again, and knowing me that will be sooner rather than later, but I am not looking forward to dealing with the mess in the meantime.
Calan's room should transfer over nicely. His old room and new room are both painted the same color. I am just hoping that once we start moving the furniture into his room that we have enough space. I am getting nervous that there won't be enough room for everything that I would like in there. The room should have 2 cribs, 2 dressers (one a dresser/changing table combo), rocking chair, and side table. The rocking chair and table will be my bonus if they get in. I just want a spot to sit and read to my children. A spot to cozy up with them before bed. Yes, I can live with out it, but it would be nice to keep it in there.
On the plus side, I am sure next week I will be able to go on a little shopping trip to get some things we need and things I want. I have been pretty exhausted lately as I head into my third trimester. I am hoping this "project" re-energizes me and I get a little more pep in my step.
I promise to post pictures once I feel like the nursery is nice enough to share.
Oh the last two days have been pretty trying for me. Calan was doing so well napping perfectly and he was a rested and happy little guy. However, that was until he learned to pull himself up. Now, it seems all hell has broken loose in his crib and the last two days have been miserable trying to get him to nap.
I thought I was over the hump of nap issues. I was wrong. It feels like such a set back. I am sitting here listening to him cry and it is killing me. He was never a cry it out kind of kid. When we were having issues with naps in the past it was because he was just playing happily in his crib and just not napping. Well, that was then and this is now. He tends to play for a little while and then once he realizes that I'm not coming in to play with him, he starts to get pretty upset. I have tried soothing him. I have tried changing him. I have tried most everything, but what it boils down to is not giving up.
I hate feeling helpless and having to hear him cry. I know that this is just a phase, but can it be over soon? The last two days have been breaking my heart.
I am a strong believer that consistency beats anything, so I don't want to give into this. I don't want to go backward when we were moving forward. I want to maintain where we were at. So, what does that mean when it comes to Calan and me? It means that I, as the mom, decide when naps begin and when naps end. Calan might have times when he is pretty upset in there, but all of it is temporary. I have faith that as long as I give Calan what he needs (well fed, dry, and not overtired), he will eventually get back into the swing of things. For Calan, this probably means a few days of not being so happy, but it also means that he will once again nap. I truly believe this.
When he has himself fired up, I do try to calm him down, but each time I leave his room, crying begins again. I can't decide if going in is helping or hurting. I have tried both ways and both seem to have the same outcome. He cries and isn't napping.
As I write, he has finally fallen asleep after about an hour of playing in his crib and 40 minutes of fighting the nap. Not sure how long he will sleep, but I know that anything is better than nothing. I just hope tomorrow is not the same struggle. I am ready for a nap myself!
Like any new mother, I spent quite a bit of time planning and organizing and decorating and loving Calan's nursery. One of the hardest things for me is to see it already changing. I know Calan won't remember it, but a part of me feels sad to see it go. I feel a little like I was gypped. I finished his room last May and one-year later it is gone.
In preparation for moving around bedrooms in our house, we are having a fresh coat of paint put up in the bedrooms this Friday. Bob spent this weekend taking down all my decorative elements of the nursery and our bedroom. Everything looks so bare.
I know that everything is just getting moved around and Calan's nursery will basically just be moved into a new room. It will look very similar and everything will be rehung. Everything will be organized again, and finally there will be space for our little girl.
While I am sad to say goodbye to Calan's nursery, I am excited to get things ready for our little girl and for them to have a cute nursery together. This is going to be a busy weekend, but it is one that will hopefully move us one step closer to being ready.
You know I am the first to say how great cloth diapering is and it is one decision that I am beyond happy that we made, but lately I have been having some issues to say the least. My favorite diapers have been leaking and it is getting pretty frustrating not being able to rely on them. I need my Smartipants to work.
Calan at about 4 months sporting a Smartipants cloth diaper.
Luckily, I listened to other people's advice and made sure that I had different options in my diapering stash. I will make it through this little snafu, but I need to get it worked out soon. I have tried a few things already that seem to have helped, but all the kinks do not seem to be worked out yet.
When you have leaks there are a few steps to take to figure out the issue. First, check to see how your diaper is fitting. Are there leg gaps? Calan's diaper does seem tight enough around his legs, but I have noticed that the leaks mainly happen around his legs. He is on the move more and his onesies are pulling some of the liquid out. So, while I don't think this is the main issue, it still could be and I will continue to play with it to make sure.
Next, it maybe that your diapers are repelling. This might be our issue. After Calan's surgery, he had some diaper rash issues that had me using more cream than normal. Even though I use cloth diaper safe cream, it can still build up. Until my leak issue is resolved, I am letting each diaper load soak for awhile in hot water and adding extra rinses to my routine hoping to break down any build up.
Another cause for leaks is absorbency. I think this is our issue. Calan has always been a super pee-er to say the least. While sometimes, the leaks happen quickly after a change, more times than not it is around the 2-hour mark and when I change him, he is soaked. I am currently double stuffing my Smartipants and I have had more success. Two days ago, I started double stuffing and we did not have a single leak. I was pretty pumped, but yesterday we were running a quick errand and Calan was in his double stuffed pocket and he leaked. I was pretty discouraged. However, I do think that he needs more absorbency during the day to avoid leaks, so I am going to continue to do that.
So that is where I am at. Kind of frustrated and pretty annoyed and ready to find a final solution. Till then, we are using our other diapers and testing his Smartipants here and there to try and see if they are working. I am hoping to have them back in the regular rotation soon.
This hasn't stopped me from using cloth diapers. It is just a problem that requires a little problem solving. I will get it worked out!
The peace and relaxation that comes when Calan wakes up at 7 instead of earlier is amazing. His day just works out perfectly. He isn't over tired. His naps are the right length. He isn't clingy. He enjoys independent playtime. He smiles more. He giggles more. He babbles more. And I enjoy our day so much more.
Yesterday Calan woke up at 6:10 a.m. and while he talks to himself in his crib peacefully till I come and get him usually between 6:30 and 6:45, his early wake up sets our whole day off by an hour. He is just not himself on days like that. You would think just shifting an hour would solve the issue, but truthfully, no matter what I do, the day just does not work out as nicely or as peacefully as when he wakes up at his normal wake time of 7 a.m. I would say that he wakes up early about twice a week. It can be rather frustrating, but there really isn't too much I can do about it. The early wake-ups are just one of those things you just have to roll with and we do.
Today while he had an unsettling sleep that had him tossing and turning a few times during the night, he actually did not finally wake up till 7. He was up smiling. It is the perfect way for any mother to wake up. It truly does brighten your day. Right now, he is talking to himself or his stuff animal in his pack 'n play, Elle is sleeping, and I am writing this blog and enjoying my cup of coffee. There is truly peace over our household.
The sun is out and I am feeling excited for the day. I know what to expect from Calan today because he is on his regular routine. It is going to be a good day.
Too big, too heavy, doesn't accommodate our car seat, too pricey, too everything. I have decided that finding the right double stroller might be my hardest task yet.
Today, I thought that I had found the right stroller, but when I put it in the back of our car, I realized that it just wouldn't work for us. It was too big and too awkward to get in and out of the car on a regular basis. I was pretty disappointed. I guess the Zooper Tango double stroller is not for us.
But, now what kind of stroller are we going to get?
I am beginning to think the perfect double stroller does not exist. Well, at least the perfect double stroller for babies that aren't twins, but aren't toddlers yet either. Obviously, having children close together isn't quite mainstream, so finding everything that I am looking for seems pretty hard to do.
I think that I want a side-by-side stroller that is light weight, narrow, compact when folded, and accepts Graco car seats. Does this stroller exist, or is it a figment of my imagination?
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I need help.
Our first trip to the Detroit Zoo with Calan. It is about 10 minutes away from our house, so I am sure we will be spending a lot of time there this summer and every summer from now on. We only spent about 2 hours there checking out the polar bear exhibit, butterfly house, and walking around. While the weather wasn't the nicest, it was nice to have a family day.
Bob showing Calan the seals.
Both were pretty intrigued
No polar bears swimming over the tube, but
Calan loved the blue water and all the
light shining through
The butterfly exhibit. He loved it and watching
all the butterflies fly over head.
For those interested, I'll be 25 weeks tomorrow. I'm not feeling huge yet, but I'm not tiny either. I'm still pretty emotional, but this week was way better than last week. So far I've gained 13 pounds, which is less than I had gained with Calan at this time. I was closer to 20 pounds at 25 weeks with him, but I started about 10 pounds more this time around. So, I guess I am evening out. Hopefully, I end at the same weight I did with Calan and nothing more.
Well, it is that time. I have been avoiding it, but I need to buckle down and baby proof our house.
I am not sure if it is laziness or lack of knowledge, but either way, I have been dragging my feet a little when it comes to getting areas in house baby safe. Our little guy is on the move and it is time to get some things done.
Our family room
We are focusing mainly on our family room, which is where Calan and I spend 90 percent of our time. We have moved out our kitchen table to open more space for him and now it is time to make the room safe. We removed our hard coffee table for a softer ottoman. Our first challenge with the room was finding a gate small enough to fit our awkward door size. It took awhile and it boiled down to only 2 choices that would fit a 26-inch doorway. Both were hardware mounted, which we were trying to avoid. The one we choose was the more expensive of the two, but it fit our house style better. I figure that we are going to have that gate up for a long time between Calan, our little girl, and their future sibling. The other things we need to do to the room will be latches on our built in storage doors, outlet covers (of course), fireplace guards, and to remove a few more decorative items.
Since the family room is where we spend most of your time, I'll just be doing some minimum proofing through the rest of the house. Not sure yet exactly what we are going to do, but I figure I am just going to watch Calan and see what he is drawn to and decide as time goes on. This might be the wrong way to think about it, but I figure if the family room is safe then I just have to be sure to really watch him in the rest of the house.
I don't want to remove everything from his touch. I think there is something to be said about learning limits. If I never have to say, "No, don't touch," at our own home, how will he understand it when we are at someone else's. I know that this sets up for disaster in our house, but I'd rather have him learn by breaking our things than someone else's.
Obviously, this doesn't mean that I am going to leave dangerous items around for him to hurt himself on, but having a few things here and there that are potential risks, I think, helps to develop limits.
I guess we will see if my theory holds true. I am always famous for ideals that sometimes miss the reality mark. For now, however, that's what we are going with. A semi-safe house for our very adventurous boy. Wish us luck.
I am not sure how I would get things done if it wasn't for independent playtime. For us, independent playtime is 30 minutes usually twice a day that Calan plays by himself in his pack 'n play away from us. During those 30 minutes, he plays, giggles, and explores all by himself, and for me, those 30 minutes are priceless.
When I first heard about independent playtime, I wasn't sure how important it was for us to do, but then I found out I was pregnant and I realized just how important this time would be for us and my sanity. Doing independent playtime now, sets up a few things for Calan and I later. First it gets Calan use to not seeing me for a set time during the day. Therefore when his little sister gets here, it won't be too much of a shock for him if I have to step away for a little bit or if I need him to play by himself for a little bit. Second, it allows me another hour in the day to get somethings around the house done and even time to shower. Calan is a pretty light sleeper and the bathroom is right next to his bedroom. While sometimes he sleeps through me showering, more times than not it can ruin a good nap. Vacuuming is another chore that I can get done while Calan is awake and playing happily.
Some keys to having successful independent playtime is first to have it in an area of your home where your child won't see you. For us, we have Calan's pack 'n play set up in our dining room. It gets a ton of natural light in there and is a room that I can peak in on him without him being able to see me. I can clean, cook, or even shower with being able to hear him clearly. If your child can see you, they will want you to play with them, which one isn't fair to the baby and two defeats the whole purpose.
Another tip is to have toys that are age appropriate and that are special to that time. You don't want something that is too difficult that will frustrate them or too easy that they will get bored. I have toys that I route in and change it up. Usually the toy mix includes some kind of stuff animal, mirror, blocks, and a soft book.
Next, you want to make sure that the playtime is on purpose. By that I mean, either it is a regularly scheduled event in your day or that you are doing it on some kind of regular basis. Independent playtime isn't a free babysitter if you know what I mean. I usually do playtime sometime after breakfast and again after lunch. I try and stay consistent so that he knows what to expect. I also keep his playtime to no more than 45 minutes at a time. This way he knows that there is a set time that I will be coming back. It is kind of funny how almost exactly at the 30-minute mark, he starts to make his "I'm done playing and ready for you" noise.
I started independent playtime when Calan was about 4 months old. It took a few times for him to understand what was going on. At first, I only would be able to get him to play for about 10 minutes before he started to fuss. We had to build up to 30 minutes. So don't be surprised if it takes a little while and your child doesn't take to it right away. Like anything, consistency is key. But don't force too much too soon. Take it slow. You want this time to be enjoyable not a miserable experience.
One of my concerns when we first started was whether or not Calan would still sleep in his pack 'n play when we needed him to. I am happy to report that this has never been an issue. He some how understands when it's time to play in there and when it is time to sleep.
If you want to learn more about independent playtime, Chronicles of a Babywise Mom has done a lot of blogs on how to use independent playtime correctly and how beneficial it is for you and your baby.
Before Calan was born I knew that I would make his baby food. While as a family we are not the healthiest eaters, it is important to me to know as much as I can about the food I am eating. I still like my junk food, but I like my organic veggies too. For me, moderation is key.
Calan enjoying a new oatmeal recipe this morning.
However, I have gotten a little too complacent when it comes to making his food. I am realizing that my son is 9 months old and I am still feeding him a lot of the same stuff he was eating at 6 months. It was just so easy to steam a vegetable and puree it and serve it. I did not have to worry about him choking or him making a mess. Just serve and done. But as his mother, it is my responsibility to make sure that he learns how to eat more foods and eventually can feed himself. Could you imagine a first birthday without knowing how to eat cake?
So, I am working on expanding Calan's food choices. He is no longer a vegetarian (though he is not quite a fan yet). I am finding that he likes the taste of new foods, but new textures are hard for him to swallow. He is getting there and seems to be OK, so far.
I am trying to introduce several new foods into Calan's diet this week. Here are a few recipes that I am using this week from "Top 100 Baby Purees" by Annabel Karmel:
My Favorite Oatmeal
1/2 c. milk
1/4 c. rolled oats
6 dried apricots, chopped (new food for Calan)
1 pear, peeled, cored, and chopped
Put the milk, oatmeal, and chopped apricots into small saucepan, bring to a boil, simmer stirring occasionally for about 3 minutes.
Then puree mixture with chopped pear.
Fillet of Flounder, Carrot, Cheese, and Tomato (I used cod instead of flounder)
4 med. carrots, peeled and sliced
8 oz. flounder fillets (Cod was new for Calan)
2 Tbl. milk
3 Tbl. unsalted butter
2 med. tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped (new food for Calan)
1/3 c. grated cheddar cheese
Steam carrots for about 15 minutes.
In the meantime, cook fillets in a pan, cover with milk and 1 tablespoon of butter, and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes or until cooked.
Melt remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in a saucepan, saute tomatoes until mushy. Stir in cheese until melted
Blend carrots and tomato mixture together.
Flake fish, making sure to remove all bones.
Mix fish with vegetable mixture.
Calan liked the oatmeal, but the fish did not get the warmest welcome. He liked eating it, but when he would get a larger piece of fish, he did not like it. I think that it is just going to take some time, but I am glad that we are moving forward.
The feeling is amazing when you really start to clear out the old and make space for the new. There is no hidden secret that I like to have things organized, but I am sure that my husband can tell you that in fact I am not a naturally organized person. I am famous for piles and putting things out of sight, out of mind, but not necessarily do I put things away.
On one of the blogs I follow, I read a great saying, "Don't put down, put away." Isn't that easier said than done? It is so easy to just put something out of the way to keep the high traffic areas in your home clean and organized. Our famous "toss " places are our bungalow that is set up as a spare bedroom and office right now and our laundry room and storage room in our basement.
In the near future, I am going to be losing our "toss" locations. It is going to become even more important to put away rather than put down.
My husband and I cleaned out our basement this weekend, as well as sorted and got rid of old clothes. It felt so good to get rid of so much stuff that we had accumillated. So many items that I know I just put down rather than put away. It is amazing how quickly things pile up.
Our laundry room has so much space in it now that we really can grow into. It is amazing when you clear away the the junk how fresh and new a space can feel, even an unfinished, basement laundry room.
Over the next month, Bob and I will be getting our spring cleaning done. On our April short list will be clearing out and organizing our bungalow, getting our carpets cleaned, and having a few rooms repainted. All of these chores are in preparation for moving around all of our bedrooms in May.
I can not wait to get those things done. I feel like I am pretty behind on planning for our little girl. But after this weekend, I really am feeling energized and excited to get our house ready for littlest arrival. Bring on the nesting; I like this feeling.
When you decide to cloth diaper, the basics are pretty simple; you need some type of cloth diaper. However, there are a lot of hidden extras that can add up. Some to me are necessary, but others just make life a whole lot easier.
Here is a list of accessories you might want to consider if deciding to cloth diaper:
My Planetwise small, medium, and hanging wetbags.
1. Wet bags: These handy bags are your way of transporting dirty diapers home when out in the real world. I have small, medium, and a large hanging wet bag. I would say my small wet bags are completely unnecessary. I never use them. The kind I have are pretty small and it is hard to stuff a diaper in them. However, if I ever decide to use cloth wipes on the go, small wet bags are perfect for this. You just need to wet a few wipes stuff them in the bag and you are good to go.
My medium bag is my everyday diaper bag companion. I would say that it would hold 5-6 of my pocket diapers easily with maybe being able to stuff a one or two more if needed. I would say that if you only get one wet bag get a medium size one. It will get you through most everything.
My large hanging wet bag is what we use when we travel. It will fit 2 or 3 days of diapers in it. I have heard of some people using a hanging wet bag as their daily dirty diaper pail, but I think that it is a little awkward to get the diaper in the bag. You have to unzip and zip the bag each time. Sometimes trying to do this one handed makes it quite the pain, but for traveling, it is great.
My best recommendation for wet bags is to buy ones that zip up. I have a cheap drawstring one I got for free that the drawstring actually came out in the wash. I use it though to transport diapers from the toilet back to the dirty diaper pail.
If wet bags are not in your budget a cheap alternative is to use Ziploc bags.
2. Laundry detergent: Cloth diapers are a little finicky about detergent types. You have to make sure what you are washing your diapers in is cloth diaper safe. There are a lot of options out there, but just make sure that yours works. Here is a video from Smartipants on some of the detergents that work:
I use a detergent she doesn't mention called Allen's Naturally. I use it on all of our clothes, including Calan's. And being from Michigan, it is a big perk to me that it is made in Novi. Rockin' Green detergent is probably the most talked about on blogs and forums that I follow. I have never tried it, but if you have hard water, I have heard the Hard Rock formula is great. (Hard water can make cloth diapers smell over time.)
3. Diaper Cream: When you cloth diaper, you can't just go the regular Destin or A&D diaper cream route. They can make your diapers repel, causing you leaks. There are a lot of cloth diaper safe options out there. We use Grandma El's Diaper Rash Remedy and Prevention. It can be pricey though. At my local cloth diaper shop it is $15 for 3.5 oz. container and that lasts me probably less then a month.
I was able to find online a recipe for your own cloth diapering safe cream. I might just have to try that soon!
4. Cloth Wipes and Wipe Solution: If you decide to cloth wipe, there are a lot of options out there. Basically you just need a wet cloth. Yes, some materials are better than others, but really they can be anything. I did buy these cheap flannel wipes and they work great, but I'll say it again, anything will work. Cut up an old t-shirt or receiving blanket (might have to stitch edges to reduce fraying) and you have plenty of free wipes.
With cloth wipes, you will need some way to wet them down. My mom used just water on me, so I am sure that will work, but if you are like me, you might want something that it is a little more soothing to your baby's behind. I use these honey chunks that I found at my local diaper store. I fill a 2-cup glass measuring cup, drop a cube in, toss it in the microwave for 3 minutes, let it cool, and poof instant solution that I pour into a plastic container that I have on Calan's changing table. The one $7 bag I bought before Calan was born is just now running out. I think I have 2 cubes left. There are a lot of homemade recipes online. Just do a quick google search and a ton come up.
5. Diaper Sprayer: I have mentioned this one before, but it really is a great accessory. Yes, you don't necessarily need it, but boy does it make life easier. I would not cloth diaper without my diaper sprayer.
6. Doublers, soakers, and liners: Doublers and soakers are just extra material to stuff in your diapers to make them more absorbent. If you use prefolds, these might be a necessity for you, but for me, I bought way too many before Calan was born. I have about six and I use 2 on a regular basis for night time. These are definitely just an accessory and I wouldn't buy any until you think you might need one.
Liners are usually flushable options to help with poop clean up. I have never used liners before, but I have heard that they can keep your cloth diapers safe if you have to use extra diaper cream that might cause some repelling issues later. There are also fleece liners out there. People might use these at night since the fleece wicks moisture away leaving the baby feeling dry overnight. I have never used liners and not sure if I ever will. I think this is another accessory to just buy on a need to use basis.
