Firsts and Friends

Today was a great day of firsts and friends.  For the first time in 4 months, Shari McWilliams and her son Owen, Anna Paulling and her son Sullivan, and Griffin and I were able to get together when all our sons were AWAKE!  Yay!  It was a total blast.  Of course, at this point, the play date consisted of us trying to keep our kids from injuring one another.  (They don't quite have the "gentle" thing down yet!)  It is fun to compare the first shot of these three together about 4 months ago with the picture of them from today:

It appears that Griffin felt some peer pressure from his buds to catch up to them growth-wise in the past 4 months.  As you can see, he is just as big as his 8 month bffs!  As for the "firsts" portion of this post's title, Griffin may have been feeling that peer pressure while they were over, because he rolled over for the first time this afternoon!  I was changing his diaper (hence his bare bottom), and he started trying to roll over.  So, I grabbed the camera and was actually able to capture this milestone on video!  Shari and Anna, I'm so glad you were both there to share in the excitement!  For some reason, I can't figure out how to upload a video on this tonight...So, look forward to Griffin's first rolling over video soon!

Playtime

Griffin has been quite content for the past month or so to play on his own for 30 minutes or so at a time.  Since he's now able to hold his head up and stand up when held, I started looking around for a good deal on an exersaucer.  I found one, and he loves to play in it for short stretches.  He's still a bit wobbly and uncoordinated to get the most out of it, but I can tell it will be a favorite in no time.

He has also started loving the flying game, as you can see...

By far, though, Griffin's favorite playtime activity (or should I say all-the-time activity) is looking at and chewing on his hands.  He absolutely loves bringing them together, watching them move, reaching for people and objects, grabbing things, and pulling EVERYTHING into his mouth.  Consequently, there has been a LOT more drool sloshing around in the Thompson household.  This mixed with Griffin's tendency to overeat and spit the excess up later has made for quite a bit more laundry for mama!  I find this quite frustrating at times, and Griffin simply thinks my exclamations are hilarious!

Diaper Ratings

So, quite a few weeks of cloth diapering have gone by, and I'm ready to post my preliminary reviews on the performance of each of the different diapering systems I have tried.  Hopefully, this will be helpful to those of you who are considering cloth diapering or have already started and are wondering how other systems work.  I will go through each of the systems we are using and discuss the pros and cons of each.

Fuzzibunz - We have 6 Fuzzibunz one-size diapers, and they are a pocket diaper system.  This means that there is a cloth diaper/cover combo that you insert a microfiber insert into (between the built-in fleece interior and the waterproof exterior.
Pros:
The pocket system allows for a faster drying time than all-in-ones (where the insert is stitched into the diaper).
Highly absorbent
VERY adjustable in both the thigh and waist by tightening and loosening the elastic settings
As easy as disposable diapers to put on/take off...which makes these our "out and about" diapers.
The snaps are very secure and make them easy to wash and dry
Both the liners and the diapers can go in the dryer, which makes these an easy wash/dry diaper
These keep moisture off the skin
Cons:
We have had a few leaks with poo diapers, but I think this was mainly due to having the diaper elastic and snaps done too loosely
There is quite a learning curve with these diapers...figuring out which elastic and snap settings work for your baby...and you need to readjust them as the baby grows.  This means either leaks or red marks around the waist and thighs if too tight or too loose.
There is a big jump between snap settings.  The snaps seem to make the diaper either too tight or too loose because there is about a 1" difference on each side between each snap...making each setting 2" different.
I've noticed some red marks on Griffin's back and thighs with these
They are one-use only (no matter if it's pee or poo)

Bum Genius - We have 3 Bum Genius one-size pocket diapers and 1 Bum Genius medium all-in-one diaper.
Pros:
The velcro makes this diaper super adjustable and super easy to put on and take off
This is by far the best overnight diaper.  We put it on a tad looser than usual (b/c Griffin doesn't poo during the night) and use a Fuzzibunz newborn microterry insert in addition to the regular Bum Genius insert for extra absorbency.
It keeps moisture off the skin
The snap system on the front is easier to adjust than the Fuzzibunz diapers, making them easier to figure out than the Fuzzibunz
No leaks yet!
Cons:
The velcro is already fraying a bit, and I have never put them in the dryer.  I can see how these wear more than the snap diapers.
They are supposed to only be line dried
I've noticed some red marks on Griffin's back and legs with these
They are one-use only (no matter if it's pee or poo)

Flip - We have 3 one-size snap Flip diaper covers and 6 Flip inserts.
Pros:
The snap system is super durable and easy
The leg elastic and fabric is really soft and doesn't leave red marks
You can reuse the cover for pee diapers and even some poo diapers (depending on if the poo gets on the liner or not)
The inserts are super duper absorbent and keep moisture off the skin
They are the least maintenance and easiest of all the systems we have
The inserts are one-size, and you fold them over for small and medium and leave them full-length for large
The snap system is very durable
No leaks yet!
Cons:
Sometimes, the insert gets bunched up a bit in the middle, but this has not yet affected the performance of the diaper or liner
The cover is supposed to be line-dried

Thirsties - We have 2 Thirsties snap diaper covers.
Pros:
You can use these with prefold diapers and other diaper liners wrapped in flannel
They can be dried in the dryer
The snap system is very durable
No leaks yet!
Cons:
The snap system seems to be either too tight or too large (being 2" total difference between each snap setting).  Right now, I snap one side in all the way and the other side one setting looser, making the diaper a bit lopsided.
These are a bit more inconvenient for those who don't want to mess with the inserts wrapped in flannel or the prefold diapers (These take a minute or so more to put on, but they aren't difficult at all to use.  In fact, I've had less leaks using the prefold diapers than I have with the inserts!)

Bummis - We have 2 Bummis Super Brite diaper covers.
Pros:
The velcro system is super adjustable and easy
You can use these with prefold diapers and other diaper liners wrapped in flannel
No leaks yet!
Cons:
A bit big and bulky compared to the other systems
These are a bit more inconvenient for those who don't want to mess with the inserts wrapped in flannel or the prefold diapers (These take a minute or so more to put on, but they aren't difficult at all to use.  In fact, I've had less leaks using the prefold diapers than I have with the inserts!)

Bummis Prefold Diapers - We have 6 Bummis unbleached prefold diapers.
Pros:
Really, really absorbant and soft
Great at containing explosive poos if they are put on right
Cons:
More bulky than other insert or pocket diapers
There is a learning curve involved in learning how to put on a prefold diaper correctly.  Using a Snappi is much easier than the old fashioned pin method.
Doesn't wick the moisture away from the skin as well as the other systems

As you can see, there are pros and cons to each system.  If I had to select my favorites, I would do so in the following categories:
Low-maintenance:  Flip diapers (because of the ability to reuse the cover over and over and because of the snap system, great fit, and quick drying time of both the covers and inserts)
Out-and-about:  Fuzzibunz and Bum Genius
Overnight:  Bum Genius (with extra insert)
Explosive Poo Containment:  Bum Genius and Bummis Prefold with Thirsties or Bummis diaper cover
No leak:  Bum Genius, Flip, Thirsties, or Bummis (Thirsties and Bummis have GREAT leg gussets, which really help in containing)

If I had to choose just one system to use, I would say the Flip system at this point.  This has to do with the reusability of the cover, the ease of use and washing, and the affordability.  If we were made of money, I imagine I might choose the Bum Genius one-size pocket diapers because I could afford plenty of them and wouldn't mind buying more when the velcro wore out.

Griffin's Birth Story - Part 4

As I mentioned in Griffin's Birth Story - Part 3, Oliver was able to deliver Griffin, and he placed our little son on my chest, amidst tears and loads of emotions.  I reached down and held my vernix-covered boy and laughed with joy.  I simply could not believe he had just come out of me!  It's hard to describe the emotions that wash over you when you deliver your first child...I remember thinking that it felt surreal, like a dream in slow-motion.  He was born at 1:56am on December 27th, 2009...just a little under two hours after my dad's 50th birthday!

Since I was on my back and the umbilical cord was still pulsing, I could only see the top of Griffin's head and his little arms.  I rubbed the vernix into his skin (it's supposed to be an amazing moisturizer for them) and attempted to soak it all in.  Soaking it all in is, in fact, impossible, as I found.  It is one of those moments in life where you wish you could grasp it all fully...  C.S. Lewis describes this overwhelming state as "joy," and he says that these moments are like little tastes of heaven that we won't fully be able to grasp or consummate until we are there with the Lord.  Isn't it amazing to know that the birth of your first child is only a teeny, tiny glimmer of the fullness and consummation of joy we will have in heaven?!  Soon, I was able to see my little son's face for the first time, and I had/have never laid eyes on anything so beautiful...so perfect.  All my life, I've dreamed and wondered about what my child would look like, and finally, I knew.  The bond was absolutely instantaneous...Well, I suppose it was just an increase of the already established bond I had developed with him in my womb.  I kept thinking of what a gift, a precious blessing, we had been given, and I was so thankful to finally have him in my arms.  I was also quite thankful that I didn't die during labor like I felt I would :)

Oliver cut the cord, and I delivered the placenta quickly and easily.  I must say, that sucker was HUGE!  The midwives showed it and all its parts to me, and it was fascinating.  It's just the craziest thing to think that my body was capable of growing a baby and a whole new organ on top of it!  Apparently, the umbilical cord was the longest many of the ladies had ever seen, and they said we were blessed that it didn't cause any complications during the delivery.  It was wrapped around his neck, but there were no issues with that because it was so long.

Immediately after the delivery of the placenta, the ladies got to work checking me for tears.  I had a 2 degree internal tear from Griffin's fists being under his neck during the delivery, and I had the choice whether to be stitched or not.  I chose not to because the skin was laying together nicely and would heal well on its own.  The only stipulation was that I needed to be extra conscientious about keeping my knees together and not sitting straight up for 2 weeks.

After that was determined, Lisa and the ladies got the bed changed, an ice back between my legs, and helped me get set up for nursing Griffin for the first time.  This was more difficult than I imagined.  He had a hard time latching on, and it was quite a fiasco.  Later, we hired a lactation consultant to come out to our house and help me with nursing, and she was a great help.

It wasn't long (around 3 or 3:30), and all the relatives arrived to meet the baby.  My dad, step-mom, and brother and Oliver's mom and brother came into the room to meet our little one.
My dad with his first grandchild:

My step-mom with her first grandchild:

Oliver's mom with her first grandchild:

It was just pure giddiness in the air, and they were all able to watch as Lisa did the newborn exam, including the big weigh in.  Griffin weighed 8 lbs, 14 oz, 22 inches long, and got a 10 on the Apgar score.  He was just absolutely perfect.  I could not believe how beautiful he was!!!  Three months later, I still am not sick of staring at him all day.  Maybe that'll never end!

After a while, the family headed home to get to bed, and we were thinking that way as well.  I have never, EVER been so completely and thoroughly exhausted spiritually, emotionally, and physically.  We attempted to nurse some more, and I did the necessary trip to the toilet.  Whoa is that the weirdest feeling in the universe!  After 9 months of having all my internal organs completely displaced and my diaphram being pushed way, way up into my ribcage, standing up with a sudden, enormous void made me feel like my organs were going to fall out onto the floor!  I felt like I had been punched repeatedly in the stomach, and I could hardly breathe.  Shuffling to the toilet was tough between that and the light-headedness!

At about 5 or 5:30am, Reilynn took our first family photo and headed home herself.

We got settled into our king-sized bed, all together, and feel into a much, much needed sleep.  The next morning, Oliver went out and got us Atlanta Bread Company breakfast, and we were ready to head home by about 1pm that day!

Teddy Love

3 Months Old Today!

Our sweet boy is 3 months old today, and he is loving life, as you can see!  Here are some shots that show his growth over the past few months from an 8 lb 14 oz, 22 inch newborn to a 17 lb, 26 inch boy:

First Week:

1 Month:

2 Months:

3 Months:

A Man and His Son

New Diaper Stash

They've arrived!  I never imagined I would be so excited to open a package full of cloth diapering supplies!  Here is the new stash:

After I get some experience with each of these brands/styles, I will be sure to write reviews on each.  Starting from the top left, there are Bummis organic, unbleached prefolds with Bummis wipeable, velcro diaper covers, FuzziBunz one-size pocket diapers, Bum Genius one-size pocket diapers, one Bum Genius medium all-in-one diaper (got that for free with a coupon!...am already not so much of a fan because it takes SO LONG to dry without the insert being removable), Flip wipeable, snap diaper covers with microterry inserts, and Thirsties wipeable, snap diaper covers.  I also got a Snappi (prefold diaper fastener, which takes the place of pins [thankfully!  I've stabbed myself WAY too many times already]), 4 extra Bum Genius inserts to be used in the different diaper covers, and a Planet Wise wet/dry bag for diaper changes on the go.

From my experience today, I am having some difficulty figuring out the right fit with the FuzziBunz one-size snap diapers.  I can't quite figure out how to get it tight enough so it doesn't gape but not so tight it leaves red marks on his skin.  The Bum Genius' are SUPER easy, and the Flip covers and inserts have the potential to be my favorite for great fit, ease of use, and ability to reuse the cover because of its "wipeabiliy."  

I put Griffin to bed in a cloth diaper for the first time tonight, and I used the Bum Genius with an additional insert (called a "doubler").  We'll see how it works out!

Griffin's Birth Story - Part 3

As I mentioned in my last post, Griffin's Birth Story - Part 2, I began to feel the urge to push at 10pm, while in the tub.  I decided to get out and get walking again to get things going and get this baby out!  Like I said, I wasn't sure what I was supposed to feel when I was fully dilated and ready to push.  Looking back, hindsight being 20/20, I probably should have had Lisa, my midwife, check me when I first started feeling the urge to push; however, I was near exhaustion and getting quite delirious, and I can say that I wasn't thinking quite clearly at that point.  I remember walking around and giving long, longing glances at the comfy, king-sized bed, wishing I could just lie down, stretch out, and take a quick nap.  The room, the hallway, the bathroom...pretty much everything...was spinning and felt dreamlike.  So, as I walked and walked and walked, feeling the urge to push about every other contraction, I would try to breathe through the urge rather than let Lisa check me!  This seems crazy, and probably because it was...But I was terribly afraid that if I did let Lisa check my progress, she would say something like, "Oh, honey...You're only 8 cm."  I felt that I couldn't handle hearing how much further I might have to go, so I kept declining a check.

The next several hours were extremely rough.  I remember thinking things like, "I will never, ever do this again," and, "I think I might actually die before this baby gets here!"  Rational thoughts were beginning to be quite rare, and I was feeling almost completely asleep as I walked between contractions. It's hard to explain, but the labor gets so intense that your mind begins to look for any possible way of escape.  Many women go through the "self-doubt" phase at this point in labor, expressing that they "can't do this."  I had made up my mind before labor not to voice these types of feelings, and it was a good call.  If I had allowed myself to proclaim doubt or fear, it would have been like an all-consuming tidal wave, which would have weakened my resolve to finish what I started.  Who knows...I might have called up an ambulance and had myself shipped to the hospital for an epidural for all I know!  A major, MAJOR help was my friend, Reilynn, who was acting as my doula.  As she prayed for me through each contraction and massaged my back, I heard her pray things like, "Thank you for this contraction, Lord," and "Give her the strength to make it through this contraction."  These prayers acted like reminders for me to put my weakening, feeble, exhausted self into God's hands and to be strengthened, mentally and physically by Him.  Each time I looked at Reilynn, with pleading, fearful eyes, she would encourage me, telling me how great I was doing and how impressed she was with my progress and focus.  So, even when I felt like I was failing or being a huge wimp, she was there to support and focus me on the reality of the quick and relatively easy labor I was having.

At about 1:00am, my water still had not broken, and I was still feeling much like I had at 10pm, with the irresistible urge to push about every other contraction.  Finally, I decided that it was time to be checked.  I laid down on the bed, and I remember how wonderful it felt to lay on my back!  It felt so good to rest and stretch my back that I almost forgot about being in labor!  Anyway, Lisa checked me and said, "Oh, hun, you are ready to go!  How long have you felt this way?"  I said, "Since about 10 o'clock!"  She explored more and found that the only thing holding the baby back from being born was this one edge of my cervix that needed to be pulled to the side to allow the baby's head to descend!!!  So, she explained the I needed to allow her to pull the cervix aside as I pushed through the next several contractions.  She also prepared the bed and herself with chuck pads for the inevitable bursting of my amniotic sac.  She said, "Don't think I haven't been splashed before!"  Well, no amount of chuck pads could have protected her enough...In about two or three pushes, my water burst with so much force (and water) that it flooded the entire king-sized bed, her shirt, her pants, and everyone else that was anywhere near me!  It washed up my back (not that I cared at that point), and I felt an incredible sense of relief of pressure.  Although the amniotic sac being in tact saved the baby from any stress from labor, it made the intense parts of my labor feel much more "pressurized," if that makes sense.

After my water broke, we were off and running.  That nagging little edge of my cervix was out of the way, and the baby's head was working its way down the birth canal.  I pushed for a little under an hour.  After talking to lots of women and reading lots of books, I had commonly heard that by the point the baby is crowning, you are basically numb down there from the pressure.  They say that dilating from 8-10cm is the worst of it.  Well, I am here to say that is SO NOT TRUE!  Wowsers...  Yes, pushing did feel different and natural, but whoa, boy...It hurt!  Each push was more intense than the last.  All the ladies were thrilled with how quickly he was coming down, and they expressed that they were very impressed with how I was pushing like I'd done it before (which was so encouraging for me).  As the intensity increased, I remember looking around with "wild eyes," thinking, "oh my goodness...how am I going to get through this?!"  When the ladies saw this look, they would remind me that this was the hardest thing I was ever going to do and that I needed to push aside my fear and focus on pushing through the pain.  These reminders were exactly what I needed to hear.  I needed them to acknowledge what I was going through and motivate me to do what needed to be done, and they did exactly that.  Regularly, Lisa offered the mirror so that I could see the progress.  Strangely enough, I was reluctant to look every time because of the pain; however, I'm so glad I did.  I touched him for the first time as his little head started to poke out, and I felt and saw a head quite full of dark looking hair!  I didn't have the strength to look during crowning, but Reilynn was taking pictures for me to look back on.

As the baby was crowning, Lisa was pouring oil on my "area" and instructing me to push with short, softer pushes until his head was out.  This was the pinnacle of the pain of childbirth.  I've heard people call this the "ring of fire," where you feel so stretched that it feels as though you're on fire.  Lisa commented, "You're stretching beautifully.  No tears!"  What she didn't know was that Griffin was descending through the birth canal with his fists under his chin.  So, when his head came out, I tore internally with the unusual pressure/friction of those little arms and fists.  In other words, there was no resting point at the neck.  Also, the cord was wrapped around his neck once, but it didn't cause any issues during the birth.  Lisa instructed Oliver to get ready, because she knew that he wanted to deliver Griffin if possible.  I'm not sure if it was the delirium or what, but I had no clue how close we were to having our little baby in the world!  On the next push, Oliver reached down, with the midwives' help, and pulled Griffin out!  I watched him cry as he put our son on my chest/belly, and I laughed and laughed with joy.

I'll have to wrap up this story in the 4th (and final) installment a bit later...but here are some pictures to tide you over :)  [WARNING:  These are, in fact, pictures of labor and the birth of a baby; however, there are no private parts shown.  Things shown:  a brand new baby covered with vernix, blood, and non-private parts like legs and my belly][SECOND WARNING:  These are also THE most unflattering pictures ever taken of me...But, I suppose that's the nature of giving birth-You aren't exactly concerned about looking your best at the greatest moment of your life.]

More to come...

Continuing in Cloth

A while ago, I blogged on starting out in cloth diapering. By way of update, the past couple weeks of cloth diapering Griffin have gone great! We have had less leaks and less diaper rash, and both mama and baby are quite happy with the switch. As I mentioned in my last post on the topic, I invested about $30 or so on the cheapest, old-fashioned bare essentials to get my feet wet and see if I could handle the extra work. I decided that if I could make it with the old-fashioned prefold diapers with pins and pull-over plastic pants, I could invest in some nicer cloth pocket diapers, velcro covers, and supplies. After a couple relatively easy weeks, I've determined that the switch to cloth is much easier than I imagined and have used a bit of our tax return money to purchase some diapers from kellyscloset.com. The package should arrive tomorrow or Friday, and I never imagined I would be so excited to get a bunch of diapers in the mail!

The routine goes as follows: I change Griffin at least every two hours. During the change, I pull off the plastic pants, turning them inside out, and then hang them to dry if there is no poo on them. Then, I put the diaper on top of the "diaper pail" (a small, plastic trash can with a pop-up lid) to take care of post-diaper change. After wiping off my babe's bottom, I clean it with California Baby's Diaper Area Wash and wipe it clean with a cotton pad. Once his little bottom air dries, I either put on the diaper or put a little California Baby Diaper Cream if there is a bit of pinkness. As for folding the diaper, I've tried several different folds and have found one that has contained every major poop blowout Griffin can throw at it. It's the twist fold: http://www.thediaperhyena.com/twist_fold.htm , and it creates a sort of pocket at the rear to contain messes. Once I pin it up, I put on the plastic pants, making sure no cloth is sticking out, and away we go!

As for the dirty diapers... I spray each poopy diaper with a mix of white vinegar and water and place it in the diaper pail, which I've lined with a pillowcase that I toss in the wash with the diapers. I wash the diapers every other day and begin with a cold rinse cycle with a smidge of Oxyclean. Then, I put them through a hot wash with 1/4 the normal amount of detergent and two rinse cycles. Normally, I then put them in the dryer, and they're done; however, today I noticed quite a few of the diapers had quite a bit of yellow staining from his breastfed baby poo. So, I did a bit of research, and determined that bleach was not the ideal solution due to bleach being a major skin irritant (and I know Griffin has pretty sensitive skin). I read on several websites that sun is the best remedy, and I hung the diapers out on the line to dry. I must say, I was shocked to walk out and collect all perfectly white diapers from the line after a couple hours basking in the sun!!! This is not only easy, but it saves the extra energy and water it would take to wash and wash and wash them white!



At this point, Griffin is cloth diapered all day and still wears a disposable at night. I plan to switch his nighttime diaper to cloth when the package of nicer, more absorbent diapers arrives. I'm sure I will blog about these new diapers after they arrive. I've ordered several different kinds...some BumGenius one-size pocket diapers, some FuzziBunz one-size pocket diapers, some Thirsties, Bummis Super Brite, and Flip diaper covers, some Bummis prefold diapers, some Flip inserts, and some BumGenius inserts. We'll see how each of these systems work out, and I'll let you know!