DISCLAIMER: I was actually asked to write this post! So before anyone gets all up in arms about me espousing my hippie, granola beliefs with respect to diapering, I'm only trying to fulfill a request. No guilt, no judgment, no persuasion (although after reading this I'm not sure why you wouldn't want to jump on the cloth diapering band wagon!). Just a few thoughts and observations from my own experience. Alas...Lynne, here you go!
So Kurt and I decided to use cloth diapers before Maddie was even born. Our reasons were threefold: environmental, financial, and comfort (as one of my friends puts it, "would you want to wear paper underwear?"). We started with a diaper service. For $17 per week, they delivered fresh cloth diapers to our door and took away our dirty ones. No washing, no picking up, no hassle. They were always very prompt and very nice, but ultimately we didn't have a good experience. With traditional cloth diapers, you have to fold them and lay them inside a waterproof cover. Although we tried several covers, we could never find one that cinched up tight enough around Madelyn's little legs, so they were always leaking either onto her clothes or onto the diaper covers, which you have to be able to use over and over. I also got frustrated with folding the diapers because I could never get them folded and into the cover fast enough before she would pee all over. Plus, at $17 per week (or approximately $70 per month), the service really wasn't that much cheaper than buying disposable diapers.
I was seriously considering bagging the whole cloth diapering thing when my friend, Monica, referred me to Babyworks here in Portland. They are THE BEST! They have all kinds of different cloth diapering systems in there and are so patient in explaining how they all work. I will always be grateful to them because they introduced me to Fuzzi Bunz (visit www.fuzzibunz.com). Fuzzi Bunz are what they call a "pocket" diapering system, meaning that the absorbent part of the diaper is stuffed inside the outside, waterproof cover before you even use the diaper so it functions just like a regular disposable diaper in that there's no folding necessary and no reusing of the covers. The inside lining is fleece so it's super soft against baby's skin and it wicks away the moisture very quickly and effectively. Plus, there are graduated snaps around each leg and the waist so you get a custom fit. You use each diaper once, just like a disposable, and then put them in a dry sac to be washed every other day. No soaking, no swirling around in the toilet (although we have found it very helpful to have a sprayer attached to the side of our toilet to help remove some of the, ahem, chunky stuff before being washed in the washing machine). Initially, I was worried that washing the diapers all myself would be time consuming and messy, but it has not been a problem at all. It takes us about 15 minutes to spray the diapers with a stain and odor remover and then we just put them in the washer for a regular cycle and then the dryer for a regular cycle. That's it. Stuff the inserts inside the covers and we're good to go. SO EASY.
Plus, Fuzzi Bunz are the CUTEST diapers ever...almost as cute as the buns inside them!!
Anyway, we love our Fuzzi Bunz. Oh! And I forgot to mention that even though there's an upfront cost when you buy your own cloth diapers, you save nearly $2000 over the life of a diapered kid, and that's not even counting reusing them with subsequent children.
Whoa! Deep breath. For those of you who actually made it all the way up to this point, thanks for sticking with me. If anyone has any specific questions or thoughts, just post a comment! And I should also mention that Babyworks does most of their business in long distance orders, so if you can't find Fuzzi Bunz in a store near you, visit their website and place an order. They have a 30 day money back guarantee...use them, stain them, wash them...if you don't like them you can return them for a full refund. Awesome!
Auntie Kelsie left yesterday evening to spend one month practicing medicine in a remote hospital outside of Kampala, Uganda. Uganda!!! We are so excited for her...and a bit envious if we're being honest! It's just hard to believe that in 24 short hours (although they'll probably feel long to Kelsie!), she will be half way around the world in Africa. So amazing. We can't wait to hear her stories and see her photos when she gets back. We will miss you, Kels, and we're praying for you every day!
In honor of Kelsie's African adventure, Maddie took a ride on her giraffe this morning. I'm sure Kelsie will see many giraffes but hopefully she won't find herself riding any :)
So most of the time, Madelyn is wide-eyed and busy busy busy observing and exploring her world. After all that activity, however, she's bound to eventually get tuckered out and need some chill time...
...which she evidently knows how to do pretty well! The only things missing are a nice cold microbrew and some football!
Here's a taste of one of Maddie's favorite pastimes. As you can see, there's a very fine line between "I'm really enjoying this!" and "Get me out fast or I'm going to pop!"
Madelyn was dedicated at our church, Mosaic, this past Sunday evening. For those of you who might be unfamiliar with baby dedication, it's a very informal but meaningful ceremony when we commit as parents and as a church community to raise a child to know the Lord and follow Jesus. Both sets of grandparents were there as well as great-auntie Cheryl and many of Maddie's honorary aunties and uncles within our church. We also shared the celebration with our dear friends Took and Jeff who had their little guy Max dedicated as well. Those two seemed to know that it was their night! Just before we all walked up on stage, Max started babbling. Maddie turned directly to him and answered right back, and for about the next three minutes, they were just talking talking talking, looking right at each other. Of course, it was when the pastor was talking so it was quiet enough for everyone to hear. I think they just wanted to give a little testimonial before being officially dedicated :) So cute!
Well, 2008 has gotten off to a very good start for the Olmsted's. Our little joy is four months old, and we fall more and more in love with her every day. Madelyn has quite the little personality! It seems she learns something new every week and then spends every waking minute of her day practicing her new tricks. Let's see: she knows how to squeal and screech (truly ear piercing...we've literally had to leave the table at restaurants because she was so loud!); she blows bubbles with her mouth; she scrunches up her nose and does this little huffing sound; she bounces and bounces in her "jumperoo;" she rolls from her tummy to her back; she gives kisses (just have a tissue handy...they're juicy!); and she reaches for objects and can almost always pick them up and get them to her mouth (in fact, when she sees something she wants, her mouth opens first and then she tries to grab at it!) She is such a happy little girl. Life is so fun for us right now. We just sit around and watch her and make fools of ourselves trying to make her smile and laugh. We think we remember having lovely, meaningful conversations before she entered our lives but we can't at all remember what they were about. Now, all we do is talk about her and try to imitate her adorable little expressions and sounds. Proud? Smitten? Completely :)
I should probably also mention that I returned to work on December 28th...quite an adjustment for all of us. I am extremely blessed to have gotten a part-time position in my same office working with the same fabulous people and even more blessed to have my mom coming to my home to watch Maddie while I'm away. I know... absolutely nothing to complain about! And I don't complain. I am so grateful for my job and for my mom's willingness to sacrifice her free time to help us care for our daughter. I never worry about Madelyn while I'm at work. But I do miss her profoundly. I really thought that I would need and appreciate a couple of days away from the home each week to continue pursuing my career, but I don't. Not at all, in fact. I enjoy my job and we need my job right now, so I'm very thankful. But I have to be honest and say that I look forward to the day when I can stay at home full time with Madelyn and any other little one God wants to bless us with!
By the way, Grandpa B. has added a new nickname to the list: Bugtussle. Somehow, it just totally fits her little personality!
Ok, so I know I'm terribly late getting these photos posted, but things have been a bit crazy around our house lately. I turned 29 on December 12th...my last year in my twenties! Wild! Christmas came, like, a minute later and we had quite the social calendar, although Kurt and I joke that we were only invited to so many gatherings because we also happen to be Maddie's chauffeurs. Having nearly all of our extended family close by is such a blessing, but it also means a very busy holiday. Thankfully, we love all of our family and genuinely enjoy spending time with everyone. Of course, this year was especially fun with Madelyn in our midst. She was such a trooper and had smiles and coos for everyone. She was too young, obviously, to really get what was going on around her, but she was ultra alert and wide-eyed, taking in all of the faces, lights, presents, and food (she's going to eagerly welcome solid foods, we can just tell!).
All of the family and presents and decorations and treats were wonderful, as always, but having an infant really made this Christmas especially poignant for Kurt and me. After all, Christmas is all about babies, or one baby rather. I watched my daughter on Christmas Eve as she slept in my arms and imagined what it must've been like for Mary so many years ago...it wasn't at all difficult. We didn't have a manger or any barnyard animals at the Olmsted house (thank God), but the absolutely unconditional love and wonder and thankfulness you feel when you are holding your very own little child is transcendent of time, culture, race, class, and religion. For that reason, it's been the best Christmas we've had thus far.
We pray your holiday season was equally as wonderful, and best wishes for 2008!!
