Ladies Love Cool Ben (LL Cool B)

Yesterday we went around the corner to a new friend's house and had lunch and a playdate! It was great. Ben was very happy for most of the afternoon, and it was so neat to see all the babies together, all around the same age. The girls patted his head and face and wrapped their arms around his arms and he was fine with it. He looked a little surprised every time he got a little hand to the face, but he just hung out. He reminded me a lot of how Scott used to run his game. He would stand aside, by himself, quietly scanning the room, and somehow a girl or two would just start talking to him. He wouldn't even look surprised. What I call antisocial, he calls "technique". Apparently it is handed down genetically. Also genetic: Scott's inner heater. We all sat around in pants and t-shirts, and Ben fussed his way all the way down to a diaper before he was finally happy. Like his Dad, he just wants to lounge around with his shirt off, otherwise he overheats. I find it extremely amusing (except during the time it takes me to figure out what the problem is).

He loved all of Elana's stuff (she is on the left) and Cindy (her mama) is even using the same cloth diaper service that we are. We gabbed about how much we love the service (Central Coast Diaper Service) and the lady that runs it (Monica). So now that we have been using cloth for almost two months (even on one road trip) I thought I would do a little blog about how we do cloth. Be-caaaaause, there are a ton of ways to do it. It can actually be insanely overwhelming. We do the easiest, most straightforward version and I was so intimidated when Monica came to do a demo! She even looked at me like, "are you gonna be okay?" I must have gone pale a little when she showed me how to fold them.

Okay, so- she drops off a big bag of prefolds on Thursday. Squares of fluffy white cotton. Altogether we pay for 70 a week ($20), but some of them are at our house and some of them getting cleaned. So, while I am watching TV, I fold them, usually a day or even two later. Its no rush we have plenty of diapers. Scott will do it, too. Whoever has the time and finds two hands free in the living room. It goes really fast, actually, I thought it would be more time consuming but its really not.

We put the water resistant bag they came in down into our diaper pail (which is just this nice looking trash can we got at WalMart) and the diapers stacked in the top two drawers of our changing table for easy access. We have five diaper covers- a shell that is constructed like a disposable, made out of PUL, a water resistant fabric. When they get poop on them, we just rinse them out and throw them in with the laundry. When we change him, we lift out the dirty diaper and drop it straight into the pail, lay a clean diaper inside the shell, spray him with a mist that prevents rash, and pull the diaper cover back around him and velcro it. We do have to change him a little more often (about every two hours), but thats no big thing, it keeps his little butt clean. When I go out, I throw about 3 prefolds and an extra cover into the diaper bag. I have a pack of wipes and what serves as a wet bag for dirty diapers and wipes. I put the dirty diaper inside (It will fit 3) and the wipes in the back pocket if I can't find a trash can close by. On the road trip I kept a trash bag in the trunk and tossed the diapers in there. When I was at my Nana's, I kept it in the bathroom. They are stinky diapers, don't get me wrong, but the pail does an excellent job of keeping the smell contained. I literally do not smell it at all in Ben's room. And the trash bag in the bathroom while we are travelling- same thing. Smell contained.

For night time we have had to get creative and try some different things. For several weeks we have been doubling up the prefolds (putting one down flat behind a folded one in the diaper) and using a larger cover. The only issue with that is the bulkiness, which makes it hard to handle when he is squirming, and he can only really wear a gown to bed, with a sleep sack. Which is fine, but we love putting him in little footie pjs. Plus, if he wets through two of them, there really isn't more you can do with prefolds. So we just ordered more of what is called a "pocket" diaper (Bum Genius), which we have in a one size fits all. Basically it is a disposable diaper constructed out of soft cloth, with a water resistant outer layer, and a slit in the soft inner lining. In the slit, you stuff it with either the microfiber inserts (pads) that come with it, or whatever you'd like (hemp inserts, prefolds, whatever works for you). The advantage being that you can get a lot more absorbency with a lot less bulk. The inserts are nice and thin. Usually I would just toss these into the diaper pail, and Monica will wash them with our prefolds, but I took one with us to LA, and needed it again. So, I washed both the diaper and insert in the sink, hung them over the shower for the night and fluffed them for 5 minutes in the dryer in the morning. It was that easy. And yes, he had pooped in it.

So, thats what we do! Its easy, and I love it. I love that I don't have to shop for diapers, I love putting soft cloth against his skin, and I love how much less I am putting into the trash. Its truly easy and it works for us!