Neglected updates

Diapers

Photo by Lori Ann.

I once chatted about diapers and what route we might take: reusable, diaper service, or disposables. I was still pregnant at the time. Well, 22 months later, I’m letting you know what we did. Sorry to have kept you up at night wondering for so long.

For Henry’s first three months, two of which both Tim and I were home, we used cloth diapers. My awesome friend from Sarah shipped us a big set of extra-small Fuzzibunz that she used with her first child. About every two to three days I’d head to the laundromat and throw the stinkers (though at that point Henry’s poop smelled like buttered popcorn thanks to breastfeeding) in a washing machine and bring them home to air dry by the window in the sun, which helped us save money on dryer cost and keep the white diapers white.

This was a really great setup … when we were both home and the diapers still fit Henry. Then we went back to work. Henry went to school. We started using disposable diapers full time. Cloth diapers, though cheaper in the long run, seemed like a big expense when we looked at the $100+ cost for a set of 12 all-in-ones, and day care required disposables anyway. The two to three visits a week at the laundromat, even if just for 40 minutes, was not fun anymore after going back to work full time and waking up multiple times a night to feed my baby. Affording the diaper service stayed just out of reach. We now buy Seventh Generation disposables in bulk.

I don’t have the energy to give a full-on diaper review other than to say they work for us and keep Henry’s bottom (and hopefully somewhat the earth) un-irritated and the poop and pee off the floor. That cloth diapers or the diaper service didn’t fit our immediate budget and were hard fit logistics-wise does not mean they aren’t completely valid options or that the expenses aren’t worth it. We pay a little more for the Seventh Generation than we would for a more “mainstream” brand, but buying in bulk helps. And we can’t leave Henry in a Seventh Generation diaper for 12+ hours a day like you can with some of the other brands (which sounds like a bad idea anyway), but the overnight diapers are pretty sweet. Speaking of overnight:

Henry’s first night sleeping in his own room

Total nonevent. I was so tired the first night we put Henry to bed in his own room that I almost forgot it was Henry’s first night in his own room. He woke up once or twice, but went back to sleep easily. Now he sleeps through the night from about 7:30 p.m. to 6 a.m. Our bedtime routine has changed a little since he’s gotten older, and now that he’ll entertain himself with singing and talking to his hippo (and in anticipation of the post-crib, big-boy bed) we are trying to sleep-train him with a toddler clock that turns green when it’s OK to get up. It’s a slow process, but we’ve started early. Fingers crossed.

I’m sure there are other ignored promises of news I’ve made on this blog, but these are the two I could think of. Don’t remind me of any others.