Our Diapering Dilemma...or not

While I was pregnant I decided we would use cloth diapers. It is the most eco-friendly choice, in my opinion. True I use hot water and an extra rinse cycle, but from June (when my son was born) until middle of September I was able to dry them outside. I think it's the thought of diapers sitting in a landfill that does it for me. I will be dead and gone, but the diapers will live on. They might even outlive Noodle! Another reason was the amount of chemicals in disposables and the fact that they don't (and don't have to) tell you everything that's in them! I just don't trust someone who doesn't give me all the info.

In my search for the perfect diaper, I have tried...Monkey Doodlez (AIO), Fuzzi Buns (Pocket, perfect size), Bamboo Baby (AIO, one size), Bumgenius 4.0 (AIO, one size) and a Tots bots (AI2), Rainforest Babies, a homemade option (bought from usedvic) and Kawaii (Pocket, one size). Below are my opinions of each:

We used the Monkey Doodlez newborn until my son was about a month old, and smalls until my son was about 4 1/2 almost 5 months. He was 7lbs at birth and they fit until he was about 14lbs. They are great! There's no pocket and with infant poop you can rinse or not and throw in the washer. They do take longer to dry, but that is the trade off when you don't have to take the liner out.  The drawback to Monkey Doodlez, they are sized. So after I spent about 25 dollars on each diaper, I then have to buy more when he outgrows them. This is fine as we are planning on having another child and then I will probably sell them, but not very economical when you are on a budget, which I am now that I am on Mat leave :) They also are not good overnighters unless pared with an added insert and at first I had trouble with the Velcro sticking to other diapers and creating diaper chains in my dryer. The Velcro then picked up bits of string from the clothes I use as wipes and then didn't hold as well. I have to clean out the Velcro every so often. This may not be the case for all the diaper because it didn't happen to all of mine.

The Fuzzi Bunz were a bust, right from the get go for us. I didn't like having to take out an insert when he was tiny and I was tired from carting him around all day. He slept so little at first during the day; I had little time to do diapers as it was.  The diapers were too big, although they say 15lbs plus, but then again I have a skinny little boy :) They seem like good diapers but are not for this family.

The Bamboo baby diapers are good I found them to be too big between the legs though, and with the insert being attached I just found the diaper too bulky. I have also found the Velcro has died from going in the dryer and now they stick to all my other diapers.  There are flaps to stick the Velcro to when putting them in the wash, however this never worked for me as they came apart and ruined all my other diapers. I used them as they have enough padding for overnight, but was not very pleased with them and replaced them quickly!

The Bumgenius 4.0 All in One, One size is on of my absolute favourites! It is small enough in the "crotch" area that his legs don't seem miles apart but is still absorbent and keeps him dry. I have used it overnight (6-8 hours) and had no problems when he was younger. It also has snaps instead of Velcro so it doesn't get stuck to other diapers in the dryer.

I didn't buy this diaper until he was 4 months old, so I don't know what it would be like for a smaller child; he was 14lbs when we started using it. I have found it dries as fast as my other all in one diapers but because the padding is only attached at the top and bottom I can turn it inside out and it will dry faster. I would love to sell all my other diapers and buy a ton more of these, but I will need the others for the next baby :)

The Tot Bots was a buy one get one freebie. I probably wouldn't have bought it otherwise, however I have found it to be a good diaper. The insert is attached so while you do have to stuff it, you don't have to look for the insert that matches, and it dries faster than the other AIOs. The Velcro so far seems really good, and I have no diaper chains because of this diaper. I would buy more of these, they are also great because you can add other liners if need be.

I bought some rainforest baby diapers online, at a deal of the day site. I thought what the hay? They come in small, medium and large and have a snap in liner. They come with 2 liners, one thick one and one you fold to fit. We LOVE them! I bought 2 (that was the deal), and then bought 2 more, and have since bought 4 of the large. I love that the liner snaps out. It comes with two liners so when the cover is dry I don't have to wait for the other liner to dry. They recommend that you unsnap the liner before you wash. I have no desire to do this, so I unsnap it to dry and have no problems since we bought them.

We also have some Bummis that I bought discount (deal of the day again) and they are great. An AIO, but the liner is sewn at the top and bottom so it dries faster. We bought the medium ones, and they fit big! My only issue with these diapers is that they don't hold a lot of liquid and are definitely not a night-time diaper, although they come with a liner that fits under the sewn in ones.

I started selling the Kawaii diapers, so I of course had to try one…and then two and now I have had to stop myself, as our fluff stash is getting out of control! Currently at 14 months, the goodnight heavy wetter’s are the only diaper that can last a whole night without leaks. We use one of their bamboo liners and a microfiber one. It’s fabulous! Now these are a pocket diaper, but I don’t unload them when I put them in the wash. They come apart in the rinse cycle so I don’t feel the need and I flat out refuse!!

I bought some handmade cloth diapers with PUL on them from usedvic. They work, but are not our favourites. I paid $40 for 5 diapers, so really I can’t complain. The leg gussets are really big, so it has taken him a while to grow into them. They have become our backup diapers for when we do laundry.

Sleep Deprivation...Not me!

It's only 9:20pm and I'm exhausted. Working full time and being a parent is tiring. I applaud single-parents, I am in a partnership with a beautiful and very active parent. When I say "active", I mean that Daddyman is a full participant in Noodle's childhood, he is not some passerby. MOving on, did I mention how tired I am? We bed-share in our home, and I really wouldn't have it any other way. I appreciate that other families choose to put their children to bed in their own rooms, but I am still waiting for that day when I feel like I can.

I can understand wanting your bed to yourself, needing a time and a place that is your own at the end of the day. I can also understand parent's wanting to foster independence. However, I don't agree! I believe that a child who bed-shares or co-sleeps will be just as independent as one who sleeps in their own bed in their own room.

In some studies bed-sharing/co-sleeping babies breastfeed more, but don't interrupt their parents sleep as much. This is most likely because when baby makes a small noise, Mom put a nipple in the mouth! Also studies have found that Mother's who co-sleep/bed-share tend to breastfeed longer, this I can also understand cuz your not getting up out of bed in the middle of the night.

I should now clarify what co-sleeping and bed-sharing are, because while they are very similar in practice, they are not the same thing, and many people think they are the same. Co-sleeping is when the baby is in the same room as you but in another bed close to their parents bed. So for example a bassinet right beside Mama. This method of sleep is actually recommended by the AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics).
Bed-sharing is when baby is snuggled up in bed with you. The main difference between the two is where baby is sleeping.

Many people have asked me how I managed to look rested when Noodle was very tiny. My answer was always that we bed-share. Now to be honest it didn't start out that way. At first Noodle was in the bassinet right beside my side of the bed. However, I am a very selfish sleeper...as in I hold on to any precious minutes I can get with a very firmly closed fist! So slowly he was staying in our bed for longer and longer periods, as I bought him into bed to breastfeed. I went from sitting up surrounded by pillows with him in my arms, to lying on my side with him snuggled up beside me.

We eventually bought the "saftey first" co-sleeper, and it worked great for us. I was never scared that I would roll onto him, I think Mother's have a 6th sense when it comes to that, I was always to cautious of his tiny little body beside mine. I was however petrified that my "dead to the world" husband would wake up with a Noodleman stuck to his back. So the co-sleeper was on my side of the bed and I pulled him out to nurse and about 50% of the time put him back after. When he got to big for that, we bought a rail and put a cardboard box between it and the mattress and it has been a great barrier ever since (well at least until lately as he has become a real little ham).

When Noodleman was about 4 weeks old, and I was at my wits end with sleep deprivation. I began researching online for tips, tricks and anything to help me figure out what the hell to do with this child. I am not one who can sleep during the day, no matter how tired and I was beginning to fall asleep the minute the sun went down. I came across a link that talk about having a set bedtime routine. The website said to put your child down at the same time for bed every night, even if that meant having to wake them up from their afternoon nap to do so, and then wake them up and nurse (or give a bottle) right before you go to bed. This way they start waking up as you go to bed and then you get a couple extra hours in, instead of them waking up just as your drift off or an hour into your sleep cycle.

And so it began. I put Noodleman down at 7pm, the first night, and woke him up at 10pm. I fed him for about 15 minutes (which at the time was a long feed for him), and then I went to sleep. He slept 4 hours straight. When we got up the next morning, I almost kissed the computer. I did this every night for a week, and after that first week he began waking up by himself around 9:45-10:15, which was perfect for me as I frequently delay bedtime, so it meant I had to go to bed. After doing this for 2 weeks he began sleeping 5 and then 6 hours straight after waking at 10, only waking for 1 maybe 2 feedings a night. Don't get me wrong, we had rough nights, but when you are getting 6 hours of straight sleep a night, as appose to 2 or 3, one night seems ideal!

When Noodleman was about 6 months and began roaming the bed during naptime, I decided it was time for him to nap in a more secure environment. Weaning him from our bed to his crib was a long and harrowing process! I see nothing wrong with nursing to sleep but the time was nearing when I would have to go back to work and Daddyman would have to put him to sleep. So I thought why not kill two birds with one stone, and put him to sleep in his crib without nursing to sleep. I began this transition knowing it would take time, so I was patient with him and myself.

Naptime always starts with me singing the "Winnie the pooh" song. We would then nurse in the living room about 15-20 minutes before naptime, then we would move to my bed and when he was good and sleeping I would transfer him to his bed. I know all the books say to put them to sleep while awake, but that didn't work for my son! Slowly I began to lessen the time in our bed, but increase the time in the living room, at the same time putting him into his bed while he was still slightly awake. Until one day I nursed for about 20 minutes and then put him in bed awake and rubbed his back for about a minute and he was out! Now keep in mind when I say that this took time, I am meaning it took TIME! It took about 2 months of doing the same thing every day.

From there, I began putting him down in his crib at night as well. We have had the same bedtime routine from the moment I figured out how to make one, so it was easy to incorporate putting him into his bed. Noodle and Daddyman go for a shower about half hour before bed. Noodle likes to be sensory with his dinner, and Daddyman has allergies so it's important for both of them to get clean before bed. After the shower, the whole families grabs some books and head to our bed for storytime. Daddyman reads while Noodle and I nurse, and then when stories are finished we sing "Twinkle twinkle" and "When you wish upon a star". Daddyman leaves and Noodle and I nurse to sleep (sometimes literally, as I pass out too). We have made sure to sing different song and do different things at the different "bedtimes" so that Noodle has an awareness of day and night.

Noodle now has a pretty good naptime and bedtime routine. Some nights he sleeps really well and others he is up all night and I "wake up" needing a huge mug of tea! I think it's to be expected. One thing I think we need to remember as parents, is that these are tiny little beings just finding their way in our world. One of the ways they need to find themselves is through sleep, and when they do what happiness we will find!

Zucchini Bread, or Chocolate Cake...you Decide!

It all began with a zucchini, well actually 2 little ones, and a dream. A dream for Chocolate Zucchini bread! I have a recipe that I have used in the past, but have not looked at in years. I took out the book, brushed the dust off the page and began to gather ingredients and put them into the bowls. Halfway through the recipe I discover it has 3 eggs in it...yikes! Not a problem though, I have found a fabulous homemade egg replacer recipe that will work. Next 2 cups of sugar!! 2 CUPS! I had planned on sharing this with Noodleman, but not with 2 cups of sugar in them. So to the internet I go, and after a quick search I find you can replace sugar with just about anything. So I put in 1 cup of sugar, 3/4 cup of pureed butternut squash and 1/4 cup pureed sweet potato. I bought these little bread pans, about 2 inches by 4 inches for Noodle and I used 2 with this recipe, along with a regular bread pan and a mini cupcake pan with 12 cups. I put Noodle's portion in first, and then added chocolate chips to the Daddyman and mine. I then popped them all into the oven and waited ever so impatiently for them to be done!

Daddyman is not big on change and is very picky. He is a white flour cupcake kinda guy, with no variations or substitutions. While I am a "let add this instead and see how it tastes" kinda girl. Needless to say, Noodle and I tend to eat most of my baking. After about 20 minutes the loaves and the mini muffins were done. I waited until they cooled down (really I did, hot chocolate chips burning my mouth are so not my thing), and then ate one...and then devoured another! Oh my goodness are they good. Those little pieces of "zucchini bread" taste more like a fabulous chocolate cake, and you would never know how healthy they are!

The true test was when the Daddyman came home from his bike ride. When he came in he said the house smelled amazing, but I have heard this before and then he damn near spat out what I had baked! So I told him to try one and let me know what he thought. I tried ever so hard to keep my face neutral, but was so excited. I find it challenging to bake things that are very healthy and full of variations, that other people will eat, I love a challenge!

So he ate one, and loved it! Yeah me! I can't wait to share the recipe with you, I hope you like it as much as I  do...and please feel free to make variations :)

Chocolate Zucchini Bread


Ingredients


2 1/2 cups Flour
2 tsp. Dried or Fresh Orange Peel
1/2 cup Cocoa
1 tsp. Salt
1 1/2 tsp. Baking Soda
1 tsp. Cinnamon
3/4 cup Pureed Butternut Squash
1/4 cup Pureed Sweet Potato
1 large Zucchini grated or pureed
1/2 cup milk (I use almond or soy, but coconot would be good too)
3/4 cup Vegetable oil
2 tsp. Vanilla
3 eggs (in a small glass mix together 3 tsp. baking powder, 1 1/2 tsp. baking soda, 6 Tbsp. flour, and 9 Tbsp. water, as your egg replacer)
1 Cup Chocolate Chips

Directions:


Preheat oven to 350F. In a large bowl beat eggs, oil, sugar, butternut squash, sweet potato, zucchini and vanilla with a fork. Set aside. In a medium bowl mix together Flour, Orange Peel, Cocoa, Salt, Baking Soda, and Cinnamon. Blend the Flour mixture into the Zucchini mixture, alternating with milk. Fold in chocolate chips. Grease either 2 - 12 cup muffin tins or a loaf pan. Bake loaf for 50 minutes, muffins for 20-30 minutes.
Enjoy immensely!