Updates

I apologize for my inability to keep this up to date. It's been crazy around here.. much more so than usual. Between illness, end of school year activities and of course laptop problems I haven't been able to grab a minute to update but  I am hoping to spend some time this evening working on one. Thanks for understanding.

The Goodmama One

Anyone who knows me knows that I am a huge cloth diapering advocate. Deciding to cloth diaper Ava was one of the best decisions I've ever made. I will probably cry when she learns to use the potty full time.

These same people also know how much I love my Goodmama diapers http://www.thegoodmama.com/
They are the only diapers we currently use and much to my husband's dismay, my obsession. A Goodmama diaper actually inspired the theme of Ava's 1st birthday party. Flamenco~ When I saw that beautiful red and black ruffle diaper I instantly knew it had to have a matching tutu.



I guess I would be considered a "collector" Yes I have more than enough diapers to cover a weeks worth of changes but there is always a print or two that would look adorable with a particular shirt or underneath a dress so I must have it LOL


I literally love my Ones. After I tried our first One, a beautiful Freshcut, I was instanly hooked. I converted our entire stash over to Ones with a sprinkling of fitteds.
When you love something as much as I love my Goodmamas you hate to see others struggle with them. So I decided that I would try to pass on some hints or tips on how we use our Ones and maybe that would help others who are having problems. Maybe they could fall in love wth their Ones they way we have =)

The major complaint I hear is leaking. The first question I always ask  "Did you prep it?" Without proper prepping the diaper will obviously leak. It has been suggested 5-6 hot washes minimum to prep them. Please note this is the minimum requirement, they will get more absorbent with each washing. I don't think anyone should spend an entire day washing and drying a dipe over and over again, unless you need it right away.  I usually will do 1-2 washes and then give it a try at home. Being home I don't mind if it leaks but I've been lucky and this usually works for us. If it does leak then I just keep washing and using it over time. I also suggest testing your water temperature. Maybe your hot water isn't hot enough. If so, try boilling some water on  your stove and adding it to the water in your washer. I prefer this method instead of turning up my hot water heater but you could also do that. I just find it easier to boil a pot of water then the possibility of forgeting to turn the hot water heater back down. As I previously stated they do become more absorbent over time. I've seen alot of mamas who have tried them once or twice and then just gave up only to regret it later.

Everyone has their own wash routine and I say stick with what works best for you. I usually wash twice a week. I do a cold water prewash/soak without detergent and then a hot/cold wash with detergent. Every other week I do an extra wash with warm water and add Ecover fabric softener. I highly recommend using Ecover for all Goodmamas. It keeps them super soft and squishy. Everyone has their preference over detergent, some swear by Crunchy Clean or RockinGreen and to each their own but Ecover should definately be in everyone's wash routine. It has no effects on absorbency but keeps them so soft and gorgeous. I have a hard time telling the difference between a diaper I bought a week ago and a diaper I've used for over 6 months. I can't say enough about this stuff.

I've also found a method of putting the dipe on that works really well for us. I know when I first started with GM's I just put them on without really paying attention to the position of the insert and of course ended up with leaking. I think it's really important to "fan out" the inserts so you cover more area. If you spread the inserts out so they cover the entire inside of the dipe from left leg gusset to right leg gusset and overlapping in the middle this should aid in leak protection. **Make sure insert does not go outside of elastic on the leg gusset.






The use of the accessory is also very helpful. When the Ones were first introduced you were able to select your accessory so naturally I went for the super doubler because it was basically another insert. These are clearly the best for all over protection but add alot of bulk. Now they come with the goodboost which is excellent for adding absorbency where it's most needed without the extra bulk. I usually position this in the front between the layers. I find this works really well for my little girl. I would suggest positioning where your little one need the most absorbency.



When I pull up the front cover portion I always make sure to stretch the leg gussets nice and tight. This holds everything close together. I find when it's snug I don't have a problem with leaks. I tested this theory and if I leave the gussets too loose then leaks become an issue.



I hope these tips will help someone who is struggling with "loving" their Ones. If you still find you don't love them and want to get rid of them, you know where to find me. I love them and can never have enough LOL
If anyone has other tips or suggestions please leave a comment. I'd loved to hear what works for you =)

Best of Luck~ Lisa

Hello Doctor

Yesterday Brianna had an appointment with her neurologist. Everything looks great but because she also has the petit mals seizures they've decide that in order to get a better picture of what is going on she needed an ambulatory EEG. It's been several years since we've had one so probably a good idea. Of course being the diva that she is Brianna does not want one. The idea of walking around with wires attached to her head for 24hrs does not appeal to a tween... go figure =) Thankfully we scheduled it after the school year ends so she doesn't have to be subjected to the torture at school. She can stay home and relax. However she cannot play her DS or use her cell phone. You would have thought we said she needed her arm cut off the way she reacted to that news LOL 
Crossing my fingers the results show an improvement from the last EEG. It's hard enough being a tween/teen and all the normal "problems" that brings so I can't imagine how Brianna feels about having seizure disorder. Kids just want to fit in and this probably makes her feel like she doesn't =( It breaks my heart.
She wants to play soccer next year and of course when filling out the forms I had to mention her condition. I've noticed she hasn't return her forms yet. I am wondering if she's afraid that they won't let her play.
With Dan talking about getting his license (1year 10mths, yes he is counting)  I start to wonder if Brianna will ever be able to get hers. So many questions about what the future holds for her. I guess we should just focus on the present. For now her seizures are under control and that is a blessing =)

The rejection of the 'rents

For some time Dan has been doing things on his own. He typically stays home when we go out as a family. I can see where he would get bored going to the park with his baby sister. The tweens (Brianna, Sayre, Lucas) & Sasha still enjoy going to the park. They love to take Ava on the playground and walk with her. Dan not so much.

I accepted this as normal. He was establishing his independance. I have begun to see it with Brianna alot more. She is eager to go to the mall with her friends without me tagging along. Again I understood and accepted. Then without warning Sayre and Lucas decided they were too cool for us too.

It was beautiful today. Not too hot, Not too cold. A refreshing breeze was blowing and it felt so good. I thought a walk would be nice after lunch. I was trying to time it perfectly so Ava would fall asleep. To my surprise noone wanted to go. This has never happened before. Usually we have at least 2 or 3 kids with us at all times. I put Ava in her Beco and we went on our way. It was nice just Craig, Ava and I. It was oddly quiet but nice. The thought occured to me that this is how things would be one day. In about roughly 3 or 4 years the 4 oldest~ Dan, Brianna, Sayre and Lucas would all most likely be driving or out of the house. That would only leave Sasha and Ava. Sasha would be a tween and it would be her turn to start asserting her independance. That would leave Craig, Ava and I. Wow! I don't know what I will do then =( It's hard to think that one day things will "quiet" down. I finished our walk and just enjoyed the moment until we got home. Then the moment was gone LOL As soon as we opened the door the "noise" of my brood in the living room playing Wii together filled my ears. It was comforting to hear. Someday can wait a little longer.

A Brand New Year

Welcome 2010! I hope everyone had a safe holiday.
It's been awhile since I've written but the chaos was overwhelming. We had a great holiday. The kids were really spoiled this year. Mom and Dad went a little overboard. Dan and Brianna are at that age where clothes are the priority. I took them shopping and allowed them to pick out most of their stuff with the exception of some online shopping I snuck in when I could. Sayre and Lucas now have everything they need for the Wii. More remotes and games then I can keep track of. The big surprise was new bikes. We were quite the sight walking through Walmart pushing 5 bikes. It was even funnier with Ava sleeping contently on my back in her Toddlerhawk. Craig had the great idea to let the kids open their presents on Christmas Eve, except for the bikes. He wanted to let them think they were done and then surprise them in the morning with the bikes set up in the living room.



Poor little Ava was sick for her 1st Christmas. She started with a fever on Christmas Eve. I assumed it was from teething. She's been working on #4 for about a week. By Christmas morning she wasn't sleeping and her eyes were all gooey =( Even through it all she was her normal smiley self. We ended up at the Walk in Clinic on Saturday. We were there for over 5 hours only to be told what I already knew.. Double Ear Infection. She is on the mend and back to exploring everything and anything she can.



New Year's was a quiet evening at home. We usually order Chinese from our favorite restaurant Foliage and watch movies. This year was a little different. Dan now has a girlfriend so he was at a party with her. **telling myself to breathe*** I'll admit I'm not prepared for teenagers. He is constantly on his cell phone, mostly texting. I think they send over 200 messages a day. And he is spending every weekend out with the girlfriend. Yes it's already started. My baby is turning into a young man and I can't do anything to stop it. It's scary! Last night he bought her a dozen roses. It was so sweet and somehow reassuring. I guess the best compliment you can get as a mother is raising a great kid. I hope this is a sign of what is to come from my boy. I hope to write here more often now that everyone is healthy and the holidays are over. It will be nice to return to our normal crazy =)

Adventures in Cloth Part 1

Whenever I think of cloth diapering, I recall the diaper service that my mother used with my baby brother. They arrived in a van with a stork on it to bring us a load of prefolds, rubber pants and lots of pins. Cloth Diapering really has come a long way in the past 25+ years.

I remember when I first considered clothing diapering. I was 7 months pregnant, shopping for the perfect crib on the internet. I stumbled on a natural baby company and saw my first Bumgenius diapers. They were so cute! I mentioned cloth diapering in passing to Craig and his exact response was "EWWW! No way!" So the discussion would be sidebarred for another day =)

I didn't bring it back up again until Ava was about 2months old. At this point Craig's memory had been jogged about the expense of disposables. I had just quit my part time job to stay home so it seemed like the perfect time to start cutting corners. Needless to say he hesistated. It took me awhile to bring him around to the idea. He had the same concerns that most do.. "What do we do with the poo?" "What about the stink?" "You're going to wash them in our washer?!"
I have to say he has been very supportive, reluctant at times but supportive. Sometimes he even changes a few LOL

I ordered my first 3 Bumgenius pockets from Diapers.com. I had a gift certificate so it's was the sensible place to start. When they arrived I was so excited I didn't even bother to prep them. I immediately threw one on my little piglet and for the next 20 minutes took pictures of her with her pretty, pink, fluffy behind.



Recalling this memory reminds me how confusing it was for me in the beginning. I would browse stores and the lingo would be foreign to me... AIO, OS, BG, FB, GM.. HUH?! I was very luck to have some nice mommies on the message boards to help me. Now that I am "seasoned" I have been priviledged to help a few mommies begin their cloth adventure and even converted my SIL to using CD's full time. (Thus the reason I am writting this entry. I am going to have a place for people who are seeking advice.)

I am at a point in our own Adventure where I feel like I know what I am doing. I know what I like and what doesn't necessarily work for us. I've branched out and started making our own wool and fleece covers. I know how to troubleshoot if a particular diaper has a case of the stinkies. I have my favorite stores that I check regularly for sales or new stock. I admit I was one of those women with 4 windows open on my computer, hunting for the perfect deals on Black Friday =)



I recently started revamping our stash to clear out what isn't working and replacing it with what does. While doing this I looked at the original 3 Bumgenius we started with. They have had their aplix replaced with snaps and are still my go to diaper when going on errands but they spend most of their time in our diaper bag. I contemplated selling them on diaperswappers.com as I have done with many diapers that we may not reach for as much as other. Then I thought of that day when they first arrived and the mini photo shoot I had with Ava and I couldn't do it. They were a little milestone to me, almost like the outfit I brought her home in or her first pair of shoes. Who knew you could get attached to a diaper? LOL ......... TO BE CONTINUED