Our Sleeping Adventure

Hunter has been a great sleeper since he was born. Each time he would go down, he would be out for 2 to 3 hours which was nice. He sleeps 3 to 4 hours a night usually so I am used to getting up to feed him once or twice.

I am getting to the point where I really want to get him sleeping through the night. We are no longer in the stages where when he wakes in the middle of the night he is screaming for food. Now it is more like he makes noises long enough for me to know he won't go back to sleep without me, but the feeding is a lot slower and he kind of sleeps while he feeds. After the feeding, he is back in the crib quick and back to sleep. So, I thought maybe he could make the transition.

Usually he naps 3 to 4 times a day depending on how long the naps are. The last nap usually starts around 7:30 pm and ends around 10. He eats, plays, gets a diaper change and goes to bed around 11. He wakes around 2:30 am and again around 5:30. He is usually up for the day around 7 am.

Last night was our first night of my new experiment. Although I am tired today, I thought it went fairly well for the first night. Basically when he woke at 2:30 am, I rocked him back to sleep instead of giving him the bottle. He slept until 3:30 when I calmed him again. He made noises but no crying from 5:00 to 5:30. At 5:30 I finally fed him and put him back down. So basically he went 6.5 hours without eating. He was up again at 7.

My goal for tonight is to go all the way until 7 am without feeding him. Does anybody have any advice? I am hoping we can have him sleeping from 11 to 7 without a feeding (and without waking me lol) within a week.

9 Weeks Old

I thought I should post an update on Hunter since he is already 9 weeks old. It has gone by so fast. At 9 weeks, he has grown about 5 inches and weighs double his birthweight (14 pounds). He is completely out of his 0-3 month clothing. I can't believe how big he is.
Recently, he started opening his hands, grabbing for his bottle, making a high pitch "mommy I want my food" cry and sucking his fist. These firsts were so cute to witness. Since I didn't post an update before this, I should mention he has been smiling for a very long time. I believe he started between weeks 2 and 3. Now his smiles are accompanied by a wonderful set of cooing noises. When he really gets going, he lifts his chin, and his smile reaches ear to ear!

This is all so amazing, but it truly is going fast. I thought being at home with no work would slow the passage of time, but it hasn't. These years are going to go by in the blink of an eye.

IMPORTANT: SALE On and Update of bumGenius Deluxe 3.0 All In One Diaper

Yesterday I posted a review of the bumGenius Deluxe 3.0 All in One diaper. As I said in the review, I did not know how this diaper would perform for us in the medium or large sizes. One of my followers commented on the review, and we got to talking about this dipe via email. After speaking with her, I have decided to try the next sizes up, both medium and large hoping that the stuffing issues along with the awkward fit that follows double stuffing will disappear. She also let me know one important detail about these diapers: THEY ARE BEING DISCONTINUED!!

She kindly instructed me that Cotton Babies has them on sale right now for $9.95 a dipe. That is a $6 savings off the original price! If you are interested in this dipe, I would head over to Cotton Babies right now and buy some before it is too late (they have free shipping in U.S.). Normally I would shop at Kelly's Closet, but they did not have the same price on the diapers.

ENJOY!!

Breastfeeding Not Going as Planned!

I guess this is technically another update from my "Breastfeeding Challenges" post. It has been almost three weeks since I saw the lactation consultants. Am I where I thought or wanted to be? Absolutely not!! Breastfeeding has definitely been a rough experience. Currently, I am only able to latch Hunter on once a day. The rest is pumping breast milk into bottles. I wonder if I will ever get to breastfeed exclusively. I also wonder if I have to keep going like this, how long I will actually get to give my son breast milk. I really want to make it to that one year mark, but I just don't know if it will be possible with almost exclusive pumping.

Anyone have any advice?

Review: bumGenius Deluxe 3.0 All In One, Aplix Closure

I thought this diaper was going to be one of my favorites for my little one as I said in my "First Impressions" post. I now feel a little differently than I expected. The bumGenius Deluxe 3.0 All in One is called an all in one (AIO) because it has the absorbancy sewn into the waterproof outer. It is truly like a disposable. I purchased one of these dipes with the aplix closure (like velcro) in the small size which is supposed to fit from 8 to 16 pounds.

This diaper ended up being huge in the rise on my son when he was 8 lbs, and he is a very long baby. I had to wait until he was almost 10 lbs before I could use it which of course cuts down its life. That really disappointed me. Once he got to 10 lbs, this diaper was one of my go to diapers because of its ease of use. Just put it on and go. It was lovely. Shortly after the honeymoon with this diaper, my son revealed he is a heavy wetter. I didn't think this would be a problem with this diaper since it still had a pocket that you could stuff extra absorbancy into. I found however, that it was a problem, at least for my son.

The pocket proved difficult to stuff because of the sewn in soaker. Also since this diaper is sized, I feel like the pocket is harder to stuff in the small sizes compared to stuffing the bumGenius 4.0 One Size diaper. I have a couple of those and they are a breeze to double or triple stuff. On top of that, once this diaper was stuffed with an extra soaker, it did not fit right on my little one and led to leaks both from the gussets and from the top of the dipe at the stomach. After finding this out, the only use for this dipe was a quick wear for 1, maybe 2 hours, very disappointing.

With the aplix closure, came a wonderful customized fit once my little one finally grew into this diaper. It does have its drawbacks though. The laundry tabs on this dipe have not held up the way I expected. They are not yet ready to replace, but they don't stay in the wash, and they usually attach to some other dipe in one way or another. I have had much better luck with my Rumparooz laundry tabs. This diaper also takes forever to dry. I do not dry in the dryer so that I can extend the life of my dipes. This diaper take about 24-30 hours to dry inside and if it is sunny, 4-8 hours outside (flipping inside and out in the middle of the dry).

A couple great things about this dipe are as follows. When it works, it is SUPER convenient. Also, the lining on the inside is super soft, and it keeps my baby dry and happy! I also love the waterproof material on the interior at the top right next to my baby's tummy. I think that definitely helps prevent leaks there. This diaper being a fitted all in one is also very trim and fits under my son's clothes very well. With AIO's, you have no stuffing or pulling inserts out of a pocket which keeps hands clean. The leg gussets in this dipe definitely keep those poo messes in too!

All in all, I am sad to say I would not purchase this diaper again. I love bumGenius as you will see with my review of their one size pocket diaper. This dipe just wasn't right for us with heavy wetting and all. Also, I must be fair and say that the next two sizes up might be better and fix the small pocket issues I was telling you about along with the awkward fit if double stuffed. This dipe is just too expensive with limited versatility for us. If we were to purchase a whole stash of these, at least 12 dipes in each of the 4 sizes would be a hefty price at $15.95 a dipe (x-small is $12.95). It just would not have worked out well!

If you really want to try this dipe, I recommend purchasing only one at first to see how it works for you and your little one also realizing it may work differently as he or she grows and you move him or her into the next size.

Minutes and Seconds

Every minute and every second for the last two and a half weeks seems like it was taken up by either visits from or visits to family and friends. It has been wonderful. Of course, with all fun during these early years of my son's life will come exhaustion for me. That is where I am at as I write for all of you today. It has been fun, but tiring, and I found myself happy to be alone with my son today. Even though the house could use a good cleaning, I decided I wanted a day for me (plus Hunter and I have a small cold that we picked up from a friend's baby).

So, I awoke this morning to a loving husband with whom I just celebrated my 3rd anniversary with. He knew I was tired and wasn't feeling well so he made sure I had a nap before he went to work. I was so thankful! After my nap, I fed the baby and bathed him. We played for a little while, and now he is sleeping. I decided I would catch up on blogging, and next I may make some cloth diaper orders. Side note, I am super excited because I think I am coming close to the end of building my stash. Kelly's Closet is of course running another wonderful deal: purchase $59 and get a free one size diaper worth $17 or more. I will definitely take advantage of this by purchasing a couple of dipes and some cloth diaper detergent that I am running out of. On top of that, at the end of the order I will have over 500 points built up so I can redeem a $30 gift certificate and use that on a couple more dipes. How wonderful!! Okay, I feel fulfilled enough to leave my tangent and continue.

I must say it was an amazing feeling to have someone close by to help me take care of the little one for so long, but it is just as wonderful to know I have the house all to myself again and no committments to visit someone else anytime soon. It all started with a weekends visit to both my mom's house and Seth's parents house. They live very close to each other. I went up on Friday night, had a bridal shower on Saturday in the area with Seth's side of the family and a birthday party for his niece on Sunday. All the while fitting visits with both sets of grandparents in between those events. We returned home to a busy week with my dad and his wife. They came to see Hunter for the first time (they live out of state) and stayed for four days. Almost immediately after they left, one of my best friends came to meet Hunter for the first time as well (also from out of state), and she stayed three days during which we visited another friend with four kids. After she left, my mom and her husband came down Saturday to visit. They decided they might buy a truck from Seth so we spent a while at the dealership that day. As they were leaving that night, Seth's brother came to stay the night because Seth was taking him to the airport early the next morning. That was a wonderful visit. That brings us to yesterday. Seth took his brother to the airport, and then my mom and her husband came down to finish buying the truck at the dealership. They ended up staying until late last night.

Like I said, all of these were wonderful visits, and I had a great time. I am just dead today. Seth doesn't get home until after 9 pm so I am sure I will take another cat nap at some point while Hunter is sleeping. I can at least say that I am getting some cloth diaper and baby laundry done. That reminds me, I can't wait to install our new clothesline, but that will be another post!

Update on the Feeding Challenges

For those of you that read my "Breastfeeding Challenges" post, here is an update. I went and saw a lactation consultant named Geneva on Monday after my blog post. She told me I have an oversupply of milk judging from the amount I had been pumping from each side every 3-4 hours when Hunter wanted to eat. That was usually around 3-4 oz a side. So she said Hunter was having a hard time sucking, swallowing, and breathing during a let down which was potentially causing some of the damage. Her advice was to pump about an ounce from the side I was going to feed on right before I put him on. She also showed me a different position to help with this which was to sit in a recliner all the way back and feed with him straight up and down on me. We successfully did this by ourselves one time yesterday. It is very hard because I have to hold him with both hands and plop him down on me often not knowing if it is going to be a good latch 1)because I don't have a free hand and 2)because I can't even see. I want to get better at this, but I don't want it to be the primary position he nurses in.

I saw Geneva again yesterday. She wipped me up a sling overnight. I thought that was super nice of her!! There is a whole learning curve alone on just the sling lol. Those things are hard to figure out, at least for me! Anyway, she helped me to get him on again and said he was doing much better. I should mention at this point we were only putting him on the right side because that was the least damaged of the two. No re-damaging occurred. I was thankful for that. Geneva did tell me that my little one was eating too much and that I needed to feed him 2 oz every 2 hours instead of 4-6 in a feeding every 3-4 hours. I wasn't sure about that part of her advice...

I also took advantage of the lactation consultants at the hospital. I saw them this morning. We got him latched on the left side which didn't hurt until the end of the food when there was a little bit of re-damage, but I thought it was a very good try. They taught me how to massage his jaw because it is a little tight. This massage is supposed to loosen it so that he can latch better over time. I will be doing that before each feed and randomly during play time throughout the day. They also said it was completely fine for him to eat that much. I found out he is almost 12.5 pounds, and he is only 6 weeks. So he is definitely getting plenty of nourishment. I was shocked because he isn't a chunky baby. He is just long. 5 pounds in 6 weeks...WOW! LOL.

So all in all, I am much more encouraged about this process. My goal is to get him on both sides several times a day with only a couple of feedings being expressed breast milk in the bottle. I don't want to cause any more issues, and I want this to get resolved sooner rather than later. It is going to hurt, but the more practice, the better we will both get...sooner. I just have to take the pain (not from bad latch going forward, but from nursing on damaged goods). That is the hard part, when to tell if it is a bad latch from the pain or just pain from the damage. But hopefully I will figure it out. I WANT TO...no I HAVE TO get throught this for my baby! I hope I at least see some kind of improvement in the next week. In the end, I know this will be so much easier than pumping!

Difficulty Breastfeeding

I knew from the moment I was pregnant that I wanted to breastfeed exclusively. It was the best thing for my baby and me. I wanted it so bad. When we left the hospital after delivery, everything seemed to be going well. One and a half weeks later, I was hit with a huge disaster...Hunter had badly damaged one of the two working pieces of equipment. I tried to keep nursing on it...big mistake. I went to a lactation consultant. She tried to help and told me to keep nursing on it as well. OUCH!! On top of all this, Hunter was tongue tied so he got clipped.

After three days of pain after meeting with the lactation consultant, I decided to pump that side and nurse on the other. I did that for a couple of weeks until my other side started to get really sore from nursing all the time. Of course, the original damaged side still was not healed. So, I had to pump both sides. I picked up a cheap manual pump that took forever but did the trick. I used it for about a week and a half.

Then after four weeks of healing, I tried putting Hunter back on. He re-damaged it in minutes. Back to the pump I went. I was so discouraged and emotional, I decided to get a double electric pump to pump exclusively. That was this morning.

I have talked to so many people today, I now realize I can use the pump BUT I really should try to get Hunter back to nursing to keep up my supply since I want to give him breast milk for a year. So, I am traveling to the home of a different lactation consultant today. She has been so wonderful over the phone, and I really think she will be more patient and understanding. She has been doing it for 50 years. If anyone can help, it is probably her! I am praying I can get my little one back on.

For all of you who are wondering, my baby has been gaining weight wonderfully...I have been blessed with being able to pump 2-3 oz from each side at one sitting giving my baby all he needs and storing the rest. He is getting to be such a chunker.

I will provide updates for you all throughout this situation. Probably another post tonight if I have time. If I can ever make it through this, maybe I will be able to help another nursing mom with my story and some advice later.

Review: Thirsties Duo Hemp Prefolds

I purchased the Thirsties Duo Hemp Prefolds size one. I paired them with the Thirsties Diaper Cover X-Small at first and am now pairing them with the Thirsties Duo Wrap. These prefolds are so flexible for folding and trim compared to my indian cotton prefolds. The Thirsties prefold is also absorbant. My son is a heavy wetter, and though these won't make it through past 2.5 hours, that is usually enough to make it through a daytime nap. I can't say that about the indian cotton prefolds. These did the trick, and the Thirsties Diaper Covers or Duo Wraps contain the messes. I definitely think I made the right choice in purchasing these for my newborn. With the size one, I am still able to fold down the back for a smaller rise and pull the edges around to attach to the front with a snappi. When I can't do that anymore, I will definitely fold them the way Thirsties suggests and tuck them inside my duo wraps.

I don't have one bad thing to say about these prefolds. They are trim, absorbant, soft, flexible. All the things you never thought you would see in a prefold. They dry well in the dryer, and I dry them in the sun as often as I can to keep stains at bay and save on energy costs. I NEVER reach for my other prefolds with these in the house (so glad my other prefolds were a gift). When these will no longer work as a diaper on their own, I have no doubt I will be able to add them to some of my pocket diapers for extra absorbancy so less diaper changes during sleepy time :-)
If you are looking to diaper your baby only in prefolds, I would recommend only purchasing these and pairing them with one of the Thirsties Diaper Covers or Duo Wraps. Need extra absorbancy, try sticking a hemp doubler or insert in with these. I never use my indian cotton prefolds with these in the house because of everything I mentioned above. These are a little more expensive than the other prefolds, but I think it is totally worth it. If I wouldn't have received the other prefolds as a gift and bought them instead, I would have been upset that I spent the money on them over these.

If you are looking to supplement your AIO/One Size/Fitteds diaper collection with prefolds, these are the way to go. They are going to be trimmer like your other dipes and way more absorbant. Plus, you can use them as boosters for extra absorbancy later paired inside your other dipes.
Did I mention they are naturally anti-microbial? Cha-Ching!!

If you have questions or if I missed something, PLEASE ask...I love these diapers and would love to talk more about them!

Review: Thirsties X-Small Diaper Cover for Newborns

The Thirsties X-Small Diaper Cover for Newborns is a great cover! I paired it with the Kissaluvs fitted diaper size 0 for newborns and the Thirsties Duo Hemp Prefolds. Hunter was born 7lbs 5oz with a very skinny waist and very skinny legs. This cover contained even the messiest of messes especially when he was wearing the duo hemp prefolds. The double leg gussets are the cause of this great mess container! Never a blowout with this cover! It fit great under his umbilical stump too. On top of all that, this cover kept my baby looking trim and fitting well under his clothes even with the prefold on underneath it. That is saying something for cloth diapers :-)

This cover comes in aplix closure only I believe. They really helped me to get a great fit on my skinny newborn. Since I got the x-small size and only used this for the first 5 weeks, the laundry tabs and the closure itself held up great. I NEVER dried these covers in the dryer because I wanted to get as much life as possible.
I would recommend this cover for the first several weeks of a newborns life over any other cover (even other brands). I thought when I first received it that I might have made a mistake in purchasing it since I had the Thirsties One Size covers. I was wrong, this cover fit so much better under his umbilical stump than those covers did (it just didn't look like it when they weren't being used). I only tried the others once only to take them off and replace with this cover. This cover is cost effective and well worth the money. It is supposed to be able to fit up to 12 lbs. I will say that I have pretty much stopped using this cover at 5 weeks approaching 10 lbs. Hunter is a heavy wetter, and this cover does not fit over the diapers I am using with extra absorbancy. If he wasn't a heavy wetter, I have no doubt I could use these until he reached 12 lbs.

Feel free to ask questions if you want me to clarify a point or if I have missed something. I would be happy to answer!!

Review: Kissaluvs Fitted Size 0 for Newborns

This post is a follow up to the First Impressions post I wrote about these diapers. I have found the Kissaluvs fitted size 0 was my go to diaper for Hunter (born 7lbs 5oz) during the few several weeks! It fit under his umbilical stump well, and I have never had a blowout with this diaper. I paired it with the Thirsties x-small cover. One of the reasons I loved this diaper is because the leg gussets contained everything. Hunter's legs were very skinny, but it didn't matter with this diaper! He was also very skinny around the tummy, but again this dipe's elastic around the waist was so great, it didn't leak!

Hunter is now approaching 10 lbs, and he is still in this diaper. It is still a great diaper and is supposed to fit up until 15 pounds. I have undone the umbilical snap, and he is on the second to last setting of the sizes. I do think it will fit him as long as advertised, maybe not on a chunkier baby though.

I must say this diaper cleans really well. Hunter soaks it completely and has had tons of huge newborn poos in it, and it washes completely clean in my front loader. I was shocked since the soaker is sewn in. Also, the drying time in the dryer really isn't that bad. I stick these in with my wipes, prefolds, and inserts. After one dry cycle on "mid heat" "normal dry", I remove all of those things and put this in for one more cycle on the same setting. Since my front loader has sense technology, it doesn't run very long.

One of the things that I have noticed with this diaper that bothers me is it isn't as absorbant as I was expecting. It is cotton fleece. It was great when he was first born, but he is now 5 weeks and a heavy wetter. This diaper has to be changed every 1.5 to 2 hours with him or it gets so full the Thirsties cover just can't contain it, and it leaks (not the cover's fault). If Hunter is awake, I have no problem changing him that much, but I do not like to wake him during a nap or that often at night to change him. So I am no longer using this during naps or at night if I can avoid it. I have recently purchased some BabyKicks Hemparoo Joey-Bunz Premium hemp inserts so I am going to see if I can use them with this dipe as a doubler to extend its life and maybe get back in these at nap time.

One other thing I do not like about this diaper is how rough it feels if I let it dry in the sun. This diaper is super soft when you first receive it and remains that way for the most part (maybe 70% as soft) if you dry in the dryer. BUT, I like to dry in the sun when I can to save on energy costs and naturally bleach Hunter's diapers, and this dipe is so rough and tough on his skin when I do that. I have resorted to only sun drying these dipes once a week to keep the stains at bay, but drying in the dryer the rest of the time to keep them comfortable for my baby.

All in all, I loved this dipe. 8 out of 10 in my book due to my disappointment in the absorbancy. It was perfect for those first few weeks of his little life, and it is still a diaper I reach for often during the day. I would recommend this as your go to dipe round the clock the first 3-6 weeks (depending on weight and amount of wetting) of a newborn's life paired with the Thirsties x-small cover. If your babe isn't a heavy wetter, I'm sure it will be your go to dipe much longer than that! I cannot say enough about this diaper, and how easy it was to use! It is soft (most of the time) on his delicate skin, and I think Hunter even loved this diaper. It contains even the messiest of poo's, and will not leak if the baby is not a heavy wetter due to the increased absorbancy. Did I mention how trim this diaper is? If fit really well under his clothes, and EVERYONE has commented on how they thought I was using disposables because of how trim this diaper was (cloth diaperers and disposable diaperers alike). I will definitely be using this dipe on the next baby...it has held up well!

I think the price is really good on these dipes, and for first time moms, it takes the worry out of irritating the umbilical stump over prefolds. Having a boy and want to circumcise? There is plenty of room in the diaper to add a fleece liner for those first few weeks if you are using vasoline to keep pee off of that little wound. Just to clarify, a fleece liner would be needed if you are doing that because vasoline will cause repelling on your dipes, you don't want it right up next to them. Fleece liners are inexpensive as well, and you might reuse them later on if you want to keep the solid poo off your dipes and make cleanup easier.

Unfortunately, since Hunter is a heavy wetter, I will not be purchasing the next sizes up in this diaper. Trust me, it makes me sad to say that!

If you have any questions about my experience with this diaper, please feel free to ask!!

My Birth Story!!

Where to begin? Well it was a Tuesday, and I had a doctor's appointment scheduled for the morning. I went in, and my doctor could not believe that I hadn't had the baby yet. I had been 0 station, 80% effaced, and 1 cm dilated for 3 weeks. On top of that, at this check, the doctor said my baby had dropped even lower to a +1 station...must have been why I felt all that pain the night before.

He wanted to strip my membranes to get labor moving naturally in a couple of days, but since the baby had dropped lower it would have been very painful. He didn't want to attempt it for fear of sending me off the table. So he offered other options, wait naturally for potentially a couple more weeks, or get induced. Which do you think I picked. INDUCTION! I wanted everything to go naturally and to deliver at the natural birthing center, but I couldn't take being pregnant anymore!

Induction options were very slim...he couldn't break my water again because the baby was so low so we talked about Cytotec. It is a small capsule they insert to help women efface, but since I was already almost completely effaced, he thought it would send me into labor. No side effects for baby! So I said yes. I asked when the soonest was that we could induce. He chuckled and said that night. I SAID YES!

We traveled to the hospital that evening knowing that I had to deliver in Labor and Delivery instead of Family Beginnings, but my doctor said if there were no complications, I could do everything the same. Well, my nurse had a different idea. We got in, she hooked me up to an IV, and said I was on an all saline diet and couldn't get out of bed. What? I was sooooo mad! On top of that, she tripped over my IV and fell on the floor. I know it hurt her, but she almost ripped the IV out of my arm!

Praise the Lord that 1.5 hours after we arrived, she went off duty. Our new nurse was from Family Beginnings YAY! The first thing she did was remove the saline from my IV, tell me I could eat whatever I wanted, and tell me I could get up to encourage labor. By this time my first dose of Cytotec had been inserted so I got on the birthing ball with some minor contractions.

Around 11 pm, the contractions were getting stronger, but they were still pretty puny. My 2nd dose of Cytotec was inserted and BAM...15 minutes later I was having STRONG contractions 2 minutes apart. There was really no warning or build up like there would have been if the labor progressed naturally. These contractions hurt sooooo bad! All that would soothe me was my chocolate pop tarts LOL!

This went on until 3 am when they informed me I was 100% effaced now, but only 3 cm dilated. AHHH...I couldn't take much more...I wanted in the water, but they said it might slow my labor if I wasn't 5 cm. At 4 am they let me in the water, but I was still only 3 cm. From 4 am to 5 am, I went from 3 cm to 8 cm WOOHOO! The water helped me to relax and let my body do its job! At about 6:40 am I started to push in the squatting position in the water. It HURT, but the squatting position was great. Once the doctor could see the baby, he had me return to the traditional position in the water. Our baby boy Hunter was born at 7:23 am on Wednesday 4/27/2011, one day before my due date. He was 7lbs 5 oz and 21 inches long. He was so beautiful! I was in labor for a little longer than 10 hours and only pushed for 45 minutes. I still got to do the water birth and natural labor with no pain killers. I was so happy!

Below are some pictures of our little bundle for your enjoyment!

Hunter right after he was born.

Hunter smiling during a diaper change :-)

Play time!

Hunter right after his first big boy bath in the tub!

Beaba Babycook for Baby Food??

Okay, okay...if you have been following my blog or you know me, you know that I am planning to breastfeed exclusively, no formula.  You may be asking, why is she thinking about baby food already?  Well I am guilty of being a planner.  The baby isn't even here yet, and I am thinking about his next stage of development lol.  I want to make sure I do my research and do what is best for my little one!

Since I am in to the natural thing and the saving money thing (natural childbirth, breastfeeding, cloth diapering) I figured that adding one more thing to the list couldn't hurt.  I really want to try making my own baby food.  We don't own a blender or food processor, and I don't know if I will ever have need for them outside making baby food due to my husband's very boring taste buds.

So...I came across the Beaba Babycook instead.  This product really gets me excited.  It costs approximately $150.  It steams, blends, warms, and defrosts vegetables, fruits, and meats in 15 minutes or less.  No supervision with the steaming and blending either.  Hmm...sounds like my kind of convenient.  You can freeze many servings that you just prepared at one time meaning that you can make a week's worth of baby's food in a short amount of time with little effort.

So let me get this straight, I can make a week's worth of baby food in under 30 minutes one day of the week, have no trouble at all warming that up, not have to worry about putting a ton of effort into another person's meal plans, do what is healthiest for my little miracle with no preservatives, and save $300-$600 over buying baby food at the store?  SWEET!  Sounds like this is a no brainer to me.

So, I need some real life experience to guide me in this.  Has anyone else used this product?  Did you like it or dislike it and why?  Did it really make all those things easier to do or do you think steaming, blending, defrosting, warming separately are just as quick and easy?  I want to make sure I am not kidding myself before I go out and get one of these things :-)

Any input is appreciated!

First Impressions: Bum Genius 4.0 One Size Pocket

The Bum Genius 4.0 One Size Pocket diaper looks to be a very durable diaper.  As the name shows, it is one size meaning it is supposed to fit your baby from 7 to 35 pounds.  This is accomplished by using 2 rows of snaps to give you 3 size settings.  Again as you can see from the name, it is also a pocket diaper which means it needs to be stuffed with an insert before using.  There is no sewn in absorbancy.  Once you stuff the diaper, you put it on baby and you are ready to go.  The outside layer is waterproof.

This particular diaper comes in both snaps and aplix closure.  I opted for the snaps in hopes that the diaper would last longer.  It has 2 rows of snaps for the closure which makes for a more customized fit.  This is the case because the snaps do not need to be placed one right above the other, they can be placed diagonally from each other as well.

I really enjoy the fact that this diaper comes with 2 inserts.  One is a newborn size and the other is longer for later growth stages.  The longer insert can be snapped down to newborn size if you have a heavy wetter and need 2 inserts at the same time early on.  The newborn insert can be paired with the longer insert later on to add absorbancy.  Of course, since this is a pocket diaper, you can mix and match the inserts that you place inside to meet your needs.

The inside lining of the diaper is really soft.  The leg gussets are nice and stretchy so I think they will contain the majority of messes.  As with most one size diapers, I am concerned that there may be some leaking if I try to use this dipe early on.  It is supposed to be used from 7 to 35 pounds, but I don't think I could get a good fit until 10 to 12 pounds.

This diaper is also bulkier than the sized Bum Genius AIO that I have.  That is to be expected since this is a one size diaper, but it does mean that you lose trimness.  The great thing about pockets though is they have a shorter drying time than the all in ones because the inserts come out of the diaper.  This is good if you are more on the go.  For me, drying times don't really matter.  I will be home the majority of the time, and I plan to utilize the sun whenever possible as a dryer.  Ahh, that reminds me that this diaper can be dried in the dryer if you desire.  Keep in mind that any diaper with a waterproof layer might not last as long the more you dry in the dryer.

I guess I should mention a huge plus for this diaper.  It only costs approximately $17.95 per dipe.  This is a very economical and convenient option since you could technically use this dipe through potty training.

Compared to the Smartipants One Size diapers I have, I think this one will hold up much better, provide a more custom fit and contain more messes.  I am really excited to try it!

Easter

I find myself truly disappointed at my thoughts over the past few days.  I have not taken the last three days to reflect on what the Lord has done for me.  Good Friday passed with hardly a thought about Jesus' sacrifice on the cross.  I need to make sure that I think of His sacrifice and the joy that He has brought to the world today!  I am so happy to be alive in Him.  Praise the Lord for salvation and forgiveness!

Have a Happy Easter, and don't forget to remember the miracle of the resurrection and what it means for the world :-)

First Impressions: Bum Genius 3.0 Deluxe All In One

I am super excited to try out the Bum Genius 3.0 Deluxe All In One.  All in one diapers are probably the most convenient of the cloth diapers I have seen.  They have the waterproof layer and the absorbant layer sewn together.  It really is almost exactly like a disposable, same ease of use...put it on and take it off.  There is no stuffing or folding.  This all in one is a sized diaper that comes in xsmall, small, medium, and large.  I ordered the small which is supposed to fit from approximately 8 to 16 pounds.  All of the sizes cost approximately $15.95 per dipe except for the xsmall which costs $12.95.  I only ordered one of these dipes because I wanted to make sure I really liked it before investing a lot of money in to them.  Since they are sized, $15.95 per dipe is a little more expensive when you are on a budget, especially since you can get a good one size for just a couple bucks more.  Just like a disposable, this dipe looks like it will be able to get a great fit no matter how the baby is shaped.  It has an aplix closure which allows for a custom fit.  In the end, I think I will love it and the custom fits will outweigh the con of the higher cost.

There are several things I think I will LOVE about this diaper.

• The leg gussets are very stretchy.  I feel like they will contain even the messiest of messes. 
• The lining on the inside of this dipe is sooo soft!  I can't help but think my baby will love how this feels next to his skin. 
• This dipe also has a microfiber core which I think will be super absorbant. 
• The laundry tabs worked great during my initial prep washing. 
• And perhaps my favorite thing: not only does this dipe have the absorbant layer attached to the rest of the dipe but it ALSO has a pocket where that absorbant layer is so that you can add extra absorbancy if needed.

The only thing that I could see as a potential con for this dipe besides being a little more expensive is that it takes a long time to dry since all the layers are sewn together.  For me, that is not a big deal!  I plan to hang dry this dipe anytime I can anyway, but it can be dried in the dryer.  The convenience of this dipe totally wipes out the con.  This is a diaper that anyone can use on my little one.  It is actually how I convinced the grandparents to never use disposables on my little baby cuz it is just like one!  So I am very excited to see how this dipe holds up to the test!!  I think I will LOVE it!

Pictures to be added soon, hubby has the laptop at work!

Long Time No Write, Baby Isn't Here Yet, Feeling Down Before Delivery

What a crazy past couple of weeks.  My hours have dwindled at work to almost nothing which has been great.  I have been taking my PTO days to rest.  In saying that, my rest has been averaging to 14-16 hours a day of sleep.  I have been so tired.  I can't believe how tired I am even when I sit around and do nothing all day.  On top of being tired all the time, my sleep really hasn't been great.  I wake up all the time either with contractions, bathroom breaks, pain in my abdomen from rolling over or pain in my hips from all the pressure of laying on my side.  Maybe that's why I sleep so much lol.

Also, because of the early contractions I was feeling (last episode were consistent, painful contractions for 12 straight hours) I am getting to the point where I just feel like this baby will never come.  I know he will make his appearance soon, but it is hard to believe with all the false labor lurking around.  (Reminder to myself, I am only 39 weeks and 1 day...his due date is April 28!)

I think because of all this going on, I have not really been social.  Talking to people on the phone or even in person has just been something I am avoiding.  I am trying to forget so hard that I haven't had this baby yet so I don't drive myself crazy, but the baby is the only topic others want to discuss.  I totally understand this and would probably be doing the same thing if I were in their position so I am not mad or frustrated at all.  I just don't really feel like talking to anyone (besides my husband) until the baby gets here.  I find being alone helps me to focus on other things.  If you know me, you know this is crazy for me.  I am like the most social person I know.  Weird...

As an update, all of you that have been reading or following this blog for the reviews, I am so sorry I haven't posted any lately.  I really wanted to keep going with these, but I just haven't had a chance.  I do hope to post another one or maybe two this weekend to catch up.  On top of the first impressions reviews, hopefully I will get to start writing performance reviews soon since he will be here!  I'll let you know how my whole stash of cloth diapers hold up, what worked for me while he still had his umbilical stump, so on and so forth.  I am excited for those reviews!!

So to all those mommas out there, did you ever find yourself a little down right before the delivery of your baby or a little less social than usual?

Getting Ready for the Little One

So I know it has been forever since I have written a post.  This last month has been so crazy.  It started with 2 other baby showers which were awesome.  I was so thankful for all the encouragement and gifts!  Then I needed to get the nursery ready so I spent the next two weeks finishing up in the baby's room.  Washing everything that I had just received, prepping the remainder of my cloth diapers, picking up medical essentials and organizing everything else.

Then out of nowhere, I had contractions 5-7 minutes apart for 2 hours.  I saw the doctor the next day.  He said the baby is at a station 0 which means he is really low and is engaged in my pelvis.  He said there are a lot of women who go into labor at 40 weeks and they have to push their baby to station 0 because the baby is so high.  So basically that means when the time comes, I will have less pushing to do which is great.  BUT, he also thought it meant that I was going to go early since I was only 34 1/2 weeks along when this happened.  He put me on bed rest for a little while to ward off labor.  It has been almost 2 weeks since then YAY!  I turn 37 weeks on Thursday which is technically full-term and can officially deliver at Family Beginnings on April 8th.  We aren't hoping that I go into labor early, but we are praying that we at least wait until the 8th.

So the last couple weeks after I got off bed rest has been work, doctor's appointments, chiropractor's appointments, eat and sleep.  Very busy!!  But, it will all be worth it soon.  I can't wait to meet our little one!!

All that being said, it might be a while before I am able to post again.  I really wanted to finish first impression reviews of all the cloth diapers, but I just don't think that is going to happen.  I will do my best, and I hope you all stay tuned!!

First Impressions: Smartipants One Size Pocket Diapers

One of my friends tried cloth diapering for a little while and decided it wasn't for her.  When she found out that I was going to give it a whirl, she asked if I would like her stash.  OF COURSE I accepted.  I was so excited.  Included in her gift were 12 Smartipants One Size Pocket Diapers.

At first glance, I thought these diapers were going to be great.  There are two rows of snaps for the sizing so there are three size settings on this diaper (pictured to the side and below).  The diaper is supposed to fit from 7lbs to 35 lbs.  Even though it is supposed to fit at 7lbs, I didn't think this diaper would have a good fit until at least 10lbs to 12lbs.  The leg gussets don't really get tight on the smallest setting so I feel that if they are used on a baby that small, leaks may occur.  I must say though that this dipe is a very economical option being priced at only $14.95 a diaper including the insert.

This diaper has a snap closure which I really liked at first.  I thought to myself that it might last longer than Aplix or Velcro.  Also, on one side you can overlap the snaps which I thought would be great for any custom fit I needed to attain (pictured above).  One thing about these dipes that I found though was that even though they were used and had been washed multiple times, the snaps were super hard to unsnap.  This really concerned me.  I kept thinking about how I would punch my baby or my belly every diaper change to get the things undone, and that was a VERY unpleasant thought.  I also started to think more about how the dipes only have one row of snaps for closure.  This concerned me as well just in case the overlapping feature wasn't quite enough to get that perfect fit.

This diaper features a unique pocket style.  It has openings on both the front and the back of the dipe (pictured on the side, you can tell this by the green stitching on the ends of the insert).  This is to keep mommies and daddies from having to take out the insert after each change before putting the dipe in the pail.  Instead, you can just leave the insert in, and it will agitate out in the wash.  At first I thought this might be cool, but I am not sure how that will work with our front loader.  Also, for me personally, I am not sure how much it is really going to bother me to pull the insert each time.  I would probably do it anyway for fear of a failed try at agitating out.  The other thing I noticed about this is that on the smaller setting, the insert sticks out on both sides, and it can be difficult to get it to lay flat inside the pocket.

Like all pocket diapers, a great feature is the shortened drying time of the diaper.  The inserts can be dried in the dryer, and the cover can be hung to dry.  The hang dry really doesn't take that long which is a plus.

I want to remind everyone again that these reviews are just my first impressions.  I have not had the baby yet so I cannot give a review for actual use of the dipes yet.  Even though my thoughts on these dipes tend to be more negative, I really really want to like them.  There are a lot of great features so if these hold up once the little one comes, you all will be the first to know.  You never know, my mind might be completely changed!!

UPDATE: Seth's Crazy Car Month!!

Well...last time we talked, Seth had 13 and 1/2 cars out for February.  God apparently wanted to show us that He wasn't done yet.  Seth finished the month with 20 and 1/2 cars out.  That is craziness.

If we turn back like the Israelites did after this provision, we have a lot of maturing to do.  I find myself praying a lot about how we are to steward what the Lord has given us.  If He lays it on your heart, will you pray for us too?

BABY SHOWERS: 1st of 3

So I woke up yesterday morning, and I was super excited because it was the 1st of 3 baby showers that my friends and family have set up.  Now I know 3 baby showers really sounds like a lot, but let me explain.

The one yesterday was put on by two good friends in the city I live.  My family (both my mom's and my husband's) live about an hour from us.  So...the baby shower here is for all my friends that live close to us. Then my mother is throwing me one for her family to attend, and my mother-in-law is throwing me one for her family to attend. Both families are fairly large.  There, hope that makes a little more sense.

Anyway, I just wanted to get on here and say how thankful I am to all of my friends for the lovely encouragement and gifts that I received from them.  This day was truly special, and I am so glad that I got to spend it with all of you!

My two friends who were hosting made delicious treats.  One made chicken cheese steak which makes me very, very happy.  And the other made these awesomely delicious chocolaty, ice creamy, andes mints thingys.  MMMM...

The encouragement really came in the form of a prayer time.  Oh how lovely this was!  I was seriously on the verge of crying multiple times.  Thank you guys!!

Here are just a few of the fun things that I received...Baby Hunter is going to be so happy!
Several onesies - striped, gatorfied, monkeyfied, caterpillarfied ;-)
Cute sleepers with monkey feet
Teethers
Pacifiers
And the essential of all essentials...a nursing cover!!

Yay!  Thanks again to you all.  You have no idea what it meant to me for you to all join me in this exciting time!!

2:37 AM - Awake, Hungry AND Heartburn UGH

It's 2:37 AM, and I roll over for what I think is going to be my normal nighttime bathroom visit...YEAH RIGHT! I come back to bed and cannot fall asleep.  So begins this early morning.  Worried that I will wake Seth up by getting up a second time, I try to get out of bed as quietly and delicately as I can.  PHEW...I made it.

I think to myself, if I just get online for a little bit, maybe I will get tired and go back to bed.  Then it hits me, a wave of thirst like no other.  Well, I better get to the kitchen fast.  Downing a couple of cups of water, I start to feel hydrated again.  I go back to the computer to try to make myself tired.

BAM...Heartburn hits!  OUCH!  I have been fortunate enough not to experience this often during this pregnancy, but when it hits, I run for the door.  This feeling just kills, and I feel as though nothing will soothe it.

On top of all of that...here come those wacky pregnancy cravings followed by real hunger pangs.  Last night, Seth took me to Cracker Barrel to wine and dine me after a long week of past hours work nights.  So I gladly accepted this gift LOL.  Well I had leftover chicken and dumplings in the fridge, and I could just hear them calling my name.  Really...they wouldn't stop no matter how much I tried to ignore them.  Chicken and dumplings at what was then 3:18 AM?  Seriously...paired with heartburn?

Well I have now finished my chicken and dumplings and this post at what is now 3:51 AM.  Are you wondering if I am tired yet?  The answer is no!  AHHHHH...This is driving me nuts.

I just want to say a few words to this lovely miracle inside of me...WHAT IN THE WORLD ARE YOU DOING TO MY BODY??  I guess I will have to ask him that later when he can actually answer...

UPDATE: Handing My Job Off to Another

Okay...so the person that got hired to take over my job ended up getting a different one better suited to her capabilities.  I was SOOO happy for her because I believe that she deserved it.  Still...it stunk in general knowing that I am in month 8 of pregnancy and now had to wait on another person to get hired AND hopefully train them by the time the baby comes.  That was a hard week to process through.

THEN YAY...a guy that we originally interviewed accepted the position.  This was such a relief knowing that once again, my job will be in good hands!  He doesn't start until March 8th, so I still have to wait 8 more days BUT I think his training will go fairly quick.  After that I can start to chill and just review his work until miracle boy appears :-)  So much stress has been lifted from me since he accepted.  I am so thankful!

I just need to remember that the Lord provides...just like he did in this situation!

First Impressions: Unbleached Indian Cotton Prefolds

These prefolds are perhaps some of the cheapest cloth diapering options.  The average price ranges from $1-$2 per diaper depending on the shop, size and/or brand.  Not too shabby for those trying to make the cloth diapering decision without really cracking their wallet up front.

My first impressions of these prefolds were good.  They are very fluffy, and I LOVE how they plump up after being dried.  They are so easy to wash and dry as well.  They have a pretty quick drying time when thrown in the dryer.  I have the unbleached prefolds so I think that these prefolds might not show stains as much, and I will probably hang dry them in the sun to naturally bleach them from time to time.  I guess we'll see ;-)

I currently have 24 of these in the infant size (up to 15lbs).  The only thing that makes me nervous about these prefolds is they aren't as flexible as the Thirsties Duo Hemp prefolds.  These prefolds seem a little bit harder to fold, and because they have the standard 4x8x4 layers, I think they will be bulkier on my little one.  I won't truly know until I try them of course.  I also just want to clarify to you, I LOVE the thought of prefolds.  Prefolds in one form or another will be one of my go to diapers.  I just think that these prefolds will be my second choice to grab compared to the Thirsties Duo Hemps.

Despite the added layers, I do think these prefolds will be a good option overall!  Maybe I will even change my mind about their flexibility issues.  I am excited to try them.  Only 2 months left, and I will get to!

REMEMBER, these prefolds require a waterproof diaper cover.  I am pairing them with the Thirsties Cover and Thirsties Duo Cover.

Who Doesn't Love Giveaways??

Change-Diapers is doing an awesome giveaway at the moment!  Value up to $119.99!!  You have to check it out to believe it!

I would recommend this to anyone who is already a CD'er, but for all my friends out there that use disposables, here's your chance to check out cloth diapers.  Don't be frightened!!  You'll get addicted, I promise!

Check out the link below to the giveaway!  It's easy to enter!  You can also find Change-Diapers under the "Great Thoughts, Great Blogs" section of my sidebar.  Her blog is called Fitteds and Pockets and Snappi's, oh my!

$120 Cloth Diaper Package Giveaway

ENJOY!

Natural Childbirth: Meeting My Doulas Part 2

Okay okay, I know I'm a little bit late on this post.  I am sorry for that.

So meeting with my doulas went awesome.  I am super excited, and they have boosted my confidence for the natural birthing process.  They showed me different exercises that I can do to relieve pressure that I didn't know before.  I tried them out and they totally worked!!  I think I am going to go out and get an exercise ball too...to learn to balance before the birth.

I have also been experiencing pain in my pelvis, and they suggested that I go to a chiropractor.  Honestly, I didn't even know pregnant women could go to them.  I had no idea that an adjustment during pregnancy could help the pain or even make it go away.  Who knew?  Well maybe you did...

They also suggested perineal massage to help stretch my tissues.  There is a lot of success with this natural method of preparing for childbirth.  Lots of moms don't tear or have a need for an episiotomy if they do this during the last couple weeks of their pregnancy.  Have a story and want to share with me?  Vitamin E oil is what my doulas recommended to me in for perineal massage.  They said it contributes to the elasticity of your skin.  So...I am going to give it a try!

The doulas also suggested using evening primrose oil.  At first this sounded really awkward to me, but it is supposed to help ready your cervix for labor because it contains prostoglandins.  So again, I am up for anything natural that might make this process easier LOL.  I am going to give it a try!

So there you have it...I learned several new things that I can be doing over the next couple of weeks to prepare.  Personally, this just makes me more excited for my birth experience.  I know sometimes there is a lot of fear about labor.  I do know that it is going to hurt, but right now I am just focused on doing the healthiest things I can to make it go smoother for me and my baby.  Wow...it is a great relief to focus on that little miracle that will be joining your life than on the pain!!

Again, I just want to mention that you should not take this post as advice in any way.  Speak to your doctor before you try any of the above.  These things may not be for you.

Stay healthy!!

Natural Childbirth: Meeting My Doulas Part 1

So it is February 22nd, and I am patiently awaiting the arrival of my doulas this morning.  I am so excited.  This may sound weird, but I am excited that we are going to talk about all the different things I can do to prepare for the birth either that I have never heard of or in more detail than my childbirth education classes.  I know there are still so many questions that I have, and I can't wait to hear the answers.

You might be wondering why I am so excited to prepare for that special day.  Well...the more you prepare, the less it hurts pretty much!  Women in today's world are so apprehensive about natural childbirth because of the pain.  IF they only knew all the things they could do to lessen the pain so they could make a healthier decision for the birthing process.  I am going to attemp to list out some of the things that come out of this meeting later on today.  AS ALWAYS, once I list these things, you should consult your physician before performing them!  The advice I get today will be tailored specifically to me so you should seek out information and advice tailored to your body!

Catch you later today :-)

Want to hear more about healthy/green living?  Become a follower of my blog, and we can learn from each other.  You can become a follower if you have a google account or you can subscribe via email from my home page.

My New Button :D

This thing took me forever to figure out how to create, add to my blog and then add a "grab box".  Hmm...probably a couple of hours.  But once I figured it out, I felt like I conquered the world!  YAY...now if I could only figure out how to keep these stinking borders off of my pictures, that would be amazing LOL ;-)

So, help me spread the word about my blog and "grab my button" to place on your blog.  I would definitely appreciate it!!

Special thanks to Tea for Two Scraps.

Seth's Crazy Car Month

Faith is an awesome thing...I find the Lord teaches me lessons constantly.  Seth began the month with only 4 and 1/2 cars out.  He carried that balance all the way through the 15th.  I knew the Lord would provide, but I couldn't imagine what would come next.

BAM...in a couple of days Seth now has 13 and 1/2 cars out.  The Lord is truly faithful.  Seth and I are learning through him working in this business about the Lord's provision.  This is especially relevant since I will be leaving work when the baby comes.  Seth and I both find this hard at times, but we know this is best for our family.  The Lord continues to show us that He will be there.

All I have to say is WOW!

First Impressions: Thirsties Duo Hemp Prefolds

I have 5 of the Thirsties Duo Hemp prefolds in size 1.  Size 1 is supposed to last from 6-18 pounds.  These prefolds are made from a cotton/hemp blend.  The hemp is supposed to dramatically increase the absorbency.  One thing I have noticed about these prefolds is they are much softer than the indian cotton prefolds that I have.  I really like the feel, and I think my little one will too.

These prefolds are only 2 layers thick...a huge difference from the 4x8x4 indian cotton prefolds.  The duo hemp prefolds are much trimmer because of this, and I am excited to see how they will fit under all the cute onesies I have gotten.  Because they are a prefold, they do require folding which is super easy.  You can either stick them in a cover folded or snappi them on your baby.  They do require a waterproof cover.

I have pictured the prefolds below.  The second picture demonstrates the two layers.  I like how the layers are separated from each other for faster drying times.  These diapers need prepped.  Hemp has natural oils in it so I am going to be prepping these with 8-10 washes with drying cycles every 2 washes.  This is so that the diapers will not repel liquid.  Also, these prefolds should be prepped separately from other cloth diaper laundry so that the oils from the hemp do not cause repelling on the other dipes.  These prefolds can be washed with your normal cloth diaper laundry after they are prepped, and they can be dried in the dryer or hung in the sun for natural bleaching.

Prefolds really are the cheapest way to cloth diaper your child paired with covers.  At the time of this post, these prefolds cost $7 each.  That may sound pricey for a prefold, but I think the increased absorbency with less layers, trim fit, and increased flexibility will make it all worth it if they work well!

I have actually chosen to use these for my newborn (paired with diaper covers) along with the Kissaluv's fitteds because of their ability to fold easily and trimness.  I will be able to fold the rise down to the size I require which is not so easy with my indian cotton prefolds.

Another nice thing about prefolds is that you can use them as a doubler for increased absorbency in other diapers later.  Again, because of the trim fit of these prefolds, I don't think it will make my pocket diapers too bulky when I add these as a doubler.

All in all, I am really excited about these prefolds, and I hope they hold up.  If they do, I plan to purchase them in the next size up as well.  I'll let you know how it goes :-)

First Impressions: Thirsties Diaper Cover vs. Duo Wrap

I have 6 of each of these types of covers.  There is a difference between them.  The Thirsties Diaper Cover is a sized cover.  There are 4 sizes.  The Thirsties Duo Wrap is more of a one size mentality.  There are 3 sizes built in to each cover.  Total, there are 2 sizes you can buy which means fewer covers and 6 sizing options.

The x-small size of the diaper cover is the size that I purchased.  It has a lower rise in the front for the umbilical stump.  I already had 6 of the duo wraps, but I was nervous they would irritate the stump.  Pictured below, I have placed the two covers side by side.

The x-small is on the left, and the duo wrap is on the right.  They are both supposed to fit starting at 6 pounds.  The x-small can be used up to about 12 pounds, and the duo wrap size 1 can be used up to about 18 pounds.  As you can see, they are about the same size which is good for those parents desiring to save money and purchase fewer covers by choosing the duo wraps.  You can also see the difference in the rises (for those concerned about umbilical stump).  The cover on the left is slightly lower in the center than the duo wrap on the right.  You can tell because the front of the cover does not cover up the tag whereas on the wrap, it does.

Both of these covers are waterproof (they kind of have to be to be a cover lol).  The next picture shows you the inside of the cover (looks the same as the wrap).

The inside is shiny, and the nice thing is you can just wipe and re-use if the cover is not thoroughly soiled after a diaper change.  That means using less covers each day which also means purchasing less covers overall YEAH!!  Also notice that for the hook and loop closure (aplix...velcro is a brand name of the hook and loop) there are laundry tabs.  To demonstrate, the right side is attached while the left is not.  Attaching both sides is nice when the covers go into the washer so that you don't end up with a diaper chain in the washer.  On the inside front, there is a flap...perfect for placing prefolds in the cover!  FYI, these can be washed with your cloth diapers, but to preserve them the longest, they should be hung to dry.

This picture shows the duo wrap on its largest setting.  It allows you to see that there are 2 snapped sizes and the unsnapped size.

This picture just gives you a nicer view of the double leg gussets that both covers have.  These double gussets are for superior leak protection, and I am excited to see them in action!

I am really excited about the duo wrap.  I am not sure how much the x-small cover with the umbilical rise is actually going to help. I was nervous the duo wrap would be bigger and irritate the stump so I purchased the x-smalls.  I guess I was expecting more of a dramatic difference.  I will just have to see it in action on a baby.  My first thoughts are that the duo wrap could be fastened in such a way that it could be just as low.  I am not saying that purchasing the x-smalls were a waste of money, but I will be able to better answer if they were really useful instead of the duo wraps after I try them.

Overall I think these covers are going to be awesome.  They seem to have a great reputation for no leakage, and if they work, I will definitely recommend the duo wraps to all to save money!  At the time of this post, the diaper covers are about $11.50 each, and the duo wraps are about $12.75 each for solid colors.  I believe the duo wraps are also available in snaps or aplix closures.

I will be pairing these covers with the Kissaluv's fitted diapers, the Thirsties Duo Hemp prefold diapers and the indian cotton prefold diapers.