WARNING: Graphic details below. Read with caution.

Why I will never use disposable diapers anymore:

1.Kate has not had a SINGLE diaper rash in the 3 weeks that we have used cloth diapers! That alone is good enough! She used to have a rash (that we thought was normal for kids to have) about once a week. She also used to get a bad rash that would make her diaper area bloody at least once a month (and would last a few days), usually more than that though. Can anyone say, "OOOOOOOOOOUUUUUUUUUCCCCCCHHHHHHH!!!!!!" Yes, there would be screaming, tears, meltdowns, hiding, avoidance of parents, etc. No wonder she never wanted us to change her diaper before!

2. Kate now tells us when she needs a new diaper. And usually pretty quickly. She loves the feeling of a clean diaper, so she wants a dry diaper all the time. This obviously never happened before (see #1).

3. Kate is getting closer to potty training (see #2). She even told me BEFORE she went poo this week. I thought she was telling me she had just gone, so I went to change her. She kept squeezing her cheeks together and saying poo, so I took her to the potty. She has never done that before. She is aware of her functions now because she can actually feel when she goes.

4. There is NO poop factor. Actually, this was my WORST fear before starting with cloth. K would do several BM's a day and they were not pretty, so I had a valid reason to be fearful. BM's are actually EASIER with cloth than disposables. The cloth does not turn the BM's into that nasty whatever it is that you find in disposable diapers. AND, our house never smells like dirty diapers anymore!!!! HOORAY! She did have diarrhea one day, b/c she ate too many raisins the day before. Even that was better than disposables. I did put it into the wash immediately, though.

5. Huggies raised their prices (or rather decreased their box size). We would now have to buy 2 boxes a month for K. That's about $40 plus tax. She used to go through a big box in 3 weeks. With the new size boxes, she would go through them easily in 2 weeks. We have spent $35 total and have 17 diapers that will last us until she grows out of them. If I wanted a basic diaper that I could pin together, I could have easily cut the price down to $10. This includes enough elastic to make baby sister diapers when she is born.

6. I don't have to worry about running to the store at the last minute to pick up another box of diapers. I already have everything I need right here at home.

7. They are just so cute! I have used scrap material from old clothes/projects that I made for the kids, so the material is just adorable! I mean, what is cuter than a 2 yo with a bunch of ladybugs all over her bootie?

8. Kate LOVES them. And what can be better than that?

9. I actually enjoy diapering now. It's fun, not just a chore that I MUST do b/c I am a mother.

10. Can you say, "no leaks"?

11. Less diapers in our landfills and a happier, healthier earth!

I'm sure there are plenty of other reasons, I just can't think of them right now. I'm just upset that I did not discover cloth diapers before my 3rd child was 2yo! Think of how many bloody butts I could have saved Ethan from (his rashes were worse than K's, b/c of all his allergies).

Ok, since I am posting a bunch of reasons why I love cloth diapers, here are some reasons why someone might think twice about switching:

1. Yes there is more laundry. I am a clean freak, so I prefer to wash all the used diapers every night. Some people wait 2-3 days between washes, but I can't make myself wait that long.

2. You do have to stuff the diapers after drying them. This is just an extra step that some parents might not be willing to deal with. It takes me about 5 minutes to fold the inserts, stuff them in the diaper, fold the diaper, and put them away. Pretty quick, but some people hate folding laundry in the 1st place.

3. People give you funny looks and grimace when you say you cloth diaper. This is actually b/c of lack of experience on their part, but some people can't handle others thinking they are different than the "normal". I really could care less what other people think of me. Really, I'm sorry if this offends any of you, but it is so true. I do things b/c of me, not b/c anyone else tells me it is socially acceptable. I really do love all of you!

4. The extra laundry adds a little to the utility bills. Not enough to equal to even one box of diapers, though, so this one actually is still a pro of cloth diapering, not a con.

5. I don't know. Why else would you NOT want to cloth diaper?

A little late

Here are some pics of Ryan as he is heading off to his dental school interview.

Does he look a little nervous? Well, he's not. BUT at least in this picture he is smiling.

AND there's nothing like a little smile while a baby girl is sleeping.

And here are pictures that the boys drew on the back porch with charcoal from the pit. The first one is J's, and then in the other picture, the one on the left is J's and E's is on the right (turned sideways). E even added a spoiler to his. J definitely LOVES VW's like his dad!

We have not heard back one way or the other from the dental schools, but a normal timeline could be anywhere from a few weeks after the interview until the end of May. It IS still possible to get into the school even during the 1st week of classes (if someone happens to drop out). We'll keep everyone updated as soon as we hear anything.

Yes, I know, 2 posts in 1 day is a waste of my time. I should be spending it with my family, BUT Ryan is out of town right now so I am a lone parent waiting for my kids to clean up the family room so we can PARTY! We're not celebrating that Ryan is gone, we are celebrating that all 3 of my kids took a nap today. Ryan is in ______ right now. He has his dental school interview tomorrow. He had one earlier this week at one of the AZ schools, so at least he didn't have to fly anywhere for that one. He wasn't nervous at all for either interview. I would have chewed off every one of my nails, and I don't bite my nails. The 1st school said he should hear back in a few weeks as to whether it's a yes, no, or maybe. I'm assuming it will be the same for the other school also. We also found out that there is another acceptance fee that we didn't know about. So, if he is accepted, it will be a little more than we were planning on. The first fee ($1000) basically accepts the schools invitation. The 2nd fee (another $1000) is due in May to KEEP holding his seat in next year's class. Can I say OUCH! At least it will be applied to his tuition, but where in the world does a college student come up with that kind of money without student loans? Selling my pics and furniture (thanks Amber and Ashley) paid for the suit and rental car, credit cards are maxed out with the hotel and flight... Anyway, kids just finished cleaning. Let the party begin! (We miss you, Ryan)

diapers (not for the weak in stomach)

Last night we used the last of the disposables.

I spent the evening sewing velcro into the 4 cloth diapers I had previously sewn.

When I put on her new diaper this morning she loved it. A couple hours later she came to me and said 'poop'.

The dreaded word.

I went to go change it and it really wasn't that bad. It actually keeps a normal consistency in cloth as compared to disposables that turn it into that nasty stuff that sticks to everything. I just emptied it into the toilet (no swishing, no dunking) and put the diaper in the diaper pile. She had even wet in it and her clothes were still dry. I did not use a cover, just the 100% cotton 'pocket diaper'.

I put on her new diaper and she was so excited when she got another cloth one. She just kept saying, "nice". I don't blame her. I wouldn't want that plastic 'cloth' with super absorbing chemicals next to my *&@%!

I still have several containers of wipes, but I am going to make a few cloth ones and start using those. I heard they clean a LOT better than the disposable wipes. I'll save the disposable ones for when I really need them.

One day has not been bad. I think I can try it for another.

We'll see how Mom likes them when she comes to help watch the kids this weekend. I'm sure nothing could be worse than the old-style ones she had to use on most/all of us (when did they come out with disposables?)!