Nausea, Heartburn, Indegistion, Upset Stomach...

And we will stop there. On day 2 of my gDiaper experiment Monkey Man exploded. No other symptoms, just nastiness all around.
There was no way I was going to navigate a new diapering method while changing 4 diapers in one morning. I also did not have enough gDiapers lying around to keep up.
Here is what I learned(since he had gDiapers on in the beginning of our crappy day)
1.No poop-tastrophe is too big to clean up, trust me.
2.Showers are much better than baths when your Little One has diarrhea(learned this the hard way)
3.Showers are also a good place to clean out whatever poo is in the liner of the gDiapers
4.Those Liners hold EVERYTHING in and even though he has had 3 or more blow outs in the gDiapers(always 30 minutes after I decide it MUST be safe ), none of the cloth outers OR the liners are stained after going through the wash
5.Utility sinks are awesome.
6.Antibacterial soap is even better

Hopefully whatever is going on in his little tummy will be over soon because I am so eager to get back with these diapers. I really do think I will end up going all cloth, which is something I NEVER thought I would do unless it involved a full diaper service.

Day 1 w/ the gDiaper

This afternoon I got my diapers.com box with my gDiapers starter kit!
It includes 2 cloth outer diapers, 3 plastic liners and 10 flushable
inserts as well as a getting started kit.
Kayden was not too sure about the feel of the diapers and tugged on them
for a few minutes but soon forgot all about them.
Change #1 was pee only and made for a simple flush.
Change #2 was.... #2 and filled the plastic liner but did not spill over onto
the cloth. As soon as I finished the change I double flushed(wipes and filler first, outer material second). They include a swisher stick with a hook(for the side of the
toilet) that breaks up the material so it flushes easier.
Then came the washing of the plastic liner, which I just washed with anti-
bacterial soap and hung up in the shower. You can wash these in the
washer but since I only have 3, I didnt want to wait for a wash.
All of this took 1-2 minutes. Very simple.
Change #3 was poo as well and I followed the procedure
above again and it went even faster.

For overnight, at least until I get more used to how much these
babies can handle, he will be sleeping in our leftover disposables.
So far, I am enjoying the gDiapers. I love that I dont have to empty the trash every day
and that dont get a horrible whiff of poop every time I throw something away.

gDiaper Challenge

A few days ago, I ordered the
gDiaper flushable diaper starter kit
from diapers.com. I have had this idea tugging at my mind for
quite a while. I need to be more responsible with the waste
my family creates. I have been thinking about cloth
but have bad memories of being a nanny for a family
with cloth. They did unspeakable things
with those stinky, real diaper pin laden, plastic pant wearing
double folded cloth diapers.
This seems like a great alternative. Plus Kayden gets
diaper rash all the time and this should* solve that.
So I am going to try these out, which is the best of
both worlds.... until my kiddo can go on the
Big Boy Potty.
Each day I will chronicle my use of these fun little pants!

Stuff Of the Week

Click to enlarge

Try this

Did you know that you can substitute yogurt for oil?



We live on yogurt in our house. Monkey Man eats muffins CONSTANTLY so I started to use Yogurt instead of oil when I make my 2-3 batches of muffins a week. I got this idea from the lid of our favorite yogurt, Stonyfield.
We also put yogurt mixed with milk in MM's sippy when he is on antibiotics and for weeks after. He thinks it is special milk and we call it "shakey" milk since it is his job to shake it all up!
He also eats it for breakfast a few times a week. When he was little and not quite the master of the spoon, I added infant oatmeal to the mix to make it thicker. He could grab it with his hands if he wanted, and I was happy because he was getting dairy and whole grains! As he got better with the spoon, I slowly backed off the oatmeal and now he get his yogurt straight up!

Want more awesome ideas for subsitution with yogurt? Download this picture below and tape it on your fridge for all sorts of awesome ways to bring a little more yogurt into your life!!

Strollin'

One of the most essential items in your baby gear arsenal, a stroller can make or break your day. I was bitten by the stroller bug when I started my registry. I was quickly lost in patterns, features and compatibility with what my family(aka my sister) had used. Determining your stroller needs can be intimidating, so lets get started with the basics:


Travel System: This includes a infant car seat, car base and compatible mid size stroller. Most new moms go straight for the Travel System because it seems like a great all in one package. The price for these systems range from $150 to $900. After starting with a Graco Travel System, I quickly discovered that the stroller was too big and bulky for every day use. It was nice to just snap my infant car seat into the stroller and go, but at 4 months my son no longer tolerated strollin backwards and at 6 months, he grew out of the infant seat altogether. I sold the whole system on craigslist before my son reached his first birthday. My "next time" decision would be to purchase a great infant seat with a multi use stroller(like a Phil and Ted Dash or a Baby Trend Snap and Go) that can adapt to a variety of infant seats. While the matching sets are great, functionality is much better.

Lightweight Strollers: This is the stroller that you will use the most. You will keep it in your trunk at all times, travel with it and put some serious shopping miles on it. I have two lightweights that I have loved. The Combi Cosmo, right, in the orange, is great because it has a bump bar with cup holder, a shade that goes way beyond any other lightweight, a super compact folding feature and carry strap that makes it my #1 airport stroller, 5 point harness, seat recline and a great price of around $89. They also make a great double of this stroller that my sister has. It has a great drive and is surprisingly narrow.



I also have the Mia Moda Cielo. This is what I call my James Bond Stroller. It folds up to the size of a large briefcase and fits easily in the back seat. If you don't feel like popping open the trunk every time you make a run to the store, this is great. It has the 5 point but no cup holder for the child and no bumper bar. The bumper bar is nice to have because it creates a boundary for your child and they don't try to climb out every 10 seconds. Still, this thing is awesome. The one hand steering is unparalleled and it can fit down the most narrow of isles.





Umbrella Stroller: plain and simple, they usually run around $20(or up to $130 for a stroller like the McLaren) and have a lap harness, some have a 5 point. This will be the stroller you buy for grandparents or if you really need to travel light. Chicco makes a great one, the Capri, I found one at Baby Depot for $60. It has a nice canopy and 5 point with great handles.





All Terrain/ Jogging Strollers: Picture this: your baby is 6 weeks old, you've just be given the clear to exercise again and you have images of your sporty self running behind your brand new jogging stroller. Next imagine standing in the stroller isle of your nearest Babies-R-Us or specialty stroller store and wondering what the difference is between the $300 contraption and the $160 version sitting right next to it. Let me make it simple for you. If you run or rollerblade, you need a fixed front wheel to keep you going straight. A hand brake and safety strap attached to the handle are essential, while an ipod speaker and adjustable handle height are just plain nice. If you are more of a hiker, fair/ amusement park goer, a free rolling front wheel is what you need. The nice thing is, if you are both, they make a free wheel that will fix when you up the pace. The Jeep Overland was my choice because I do rollerblade. Now, they make a free/fixed wheel, which I would love to have. These type of strollers are bulky and not ideal for everyday use unless you own a Hummer and want to use lifting it in and out of your car as your arm workout for the day. I have a mid size sedan and could easily fit it in the trunk once I popped the rear wheels off. The Ipod player was great but you do have to keep in mind that your child's ears are inches away from the speaker, so no blaring your work out playlist.
There is also a bike trailer/jogging stroller that converts from one to the other. Check out the Schwinn Mark III, I also have one of these but it stays attached to my bike because it is a pain to attach and re-attach. It is great to ride with but remember to put down the plastic rain cover, it will cut down on drag and keep dirt from flying into your child's face. My first trip out with this, I kept the rain cover up and at the end of the ride, my son had a dirt mustache!

So there is my list and opinions. The bottom line is, research, research, research! Go to the store, ask lots of questions, take it for a test drive and be realistic about expectations. PS... there is no need to match your stroller to your pack n play to your high chair to your swing! Take matching out of the equation and get what will fit your family best. And remember, when you are picking out your colors, you may use this for all of your children so stay neutral!