Disposable vs. Cloth: Diaper Dilemma

So my good friend Lyndsey mentioned a few months back about maybe trying cloth diapers and wanted to know if I had ever considered it. With Owen I looked at the Gdiapers a little bit, but they were super expensive compared to disposable, and, therefore, I felt totally not worth it. Not a whole lot of thought went into it after that. I was able to get a good deal on 7th generation diapers for Owen's first year, so I just did those. They worked good, and Jason and I both liked them a lot.

After Lyndsey giving me the name of a brand to look up, Bumgenius in case you're curious, I began considering whether it might be worth a try. So for about a month now I have been researching, Jason and I have done calculations on it, and this was our conclusion: It would save us about $800 over 2 years for one child. That includes all the materials to do cloth diapers, water,electricty and detergent for 2 years versus buying disposables. I also read a lot about kids not having as bad diaper rash, and, honestly, being healthier for them because there's no chemicals against their skin to be absorbed. I also like the fact of it being better for the environment. The only drawback is time. Our calculations don't include the time I would spend doing diaper duty. Even if I spent 30 minutes every other day, it would probably come up even with disposables because, hey, let's face it, time is money. But Jason assured me that if I wanted to try it, that he would support me in it.

I researched several brands of cloth diapers, and the two I want to try are by the same company. My first choice is Flip, and the second is Bumgenius. What I like about the Flip system is that you just have the outer, then you stick a liner in it. The baby has a wet diaper, you take out the insert, wipe the cover, then put a new insert in. You don't have as much to wash. Plus, they do have disposable biodegradable inserts to use in the cover when you're out and about. They're also a lot thinner than Bumgenius. However, several reviews said the insert bunches up sometimes, causing you to have to wash the outside as well. Plus, you can't dry the covers.

My second choice, Bumgenius, would be what I would use mainly at home. You have to wash the whole thing every time, but you can dry them all. They have special laundry tabs for that. They have better reviews when it comes to leaks than the Flip system, which I definitely think is important. Also, they may be better for overnights when you need more padding.

Both kinds of diapers can go from 8 lbs- 35 lbs (I think that's the top limit), so I wouldn't have to worry about buying different sizes all the time.

I'm still not sure if I want to yet, but here's my plan. I bought a day pack of Flip diapers, since that's my first choice. That's 2 covers and 6 liners. I also bought 3 doublers to use overnight and one pack of disposable inserts. As soon as my detergent comes in, I will wash it and try it with Owen. I can only try probably a day and a night at a time, but doing that several times should give me an idea about whether they work well and whether it's worth it in general. If it goes as well as many say it has for them, I'm looking forward to using cloth diapers for the remainder of the time Owen is in diapers and for this new little one as well.

This seems like a long post to be talking about diapers, but it's so overwhelming to try to research, and I had to write it down somewhere. Maybe it'll help me to stick with it, who knows! I'll probably know by mid-April whether I want to for sure or not, so we'll see!

Same old, same old

So, it's been kind of a funny few weeks since Valentine's Day. I mean, I couldn't tell you a whole lot that went on, but it seems like it was busy.....monotony is ok I guess right?

I see my belly growing bigger everyday. Curiosity has been eating me up since my last doctor's appointment when he decided he wasn't sure it was a boy after all. So my appointment is this Tuesday, and hopefully the baby'll cooperate so we can see whether it is in fact a boy or not. I just have in my head that it's a little boy now, so it'll be hard to change. But hey, this whole pregnancy was a surprise blessing through all odds, and so another little surprise of this kind is just fine with me. I just think God every night that I'm pregnant again! This is my miracle baby, and I love him (or her) beyond belief.

Owen had his two year checkup. He was in the 95th percentile for length at 36 and 1/2", so if you double it, that'd be between 6'1" to 6'3" the doctor said. Of course, that's if he stays on his current growth course. He's been pretty consistent so far. However, he's only in the 35th percentile for weight. One tall skinny boy! Just like his daddy!

I've been taking wallpaper off the walls in the new baby's room. Such a pain. However a steamer does wonders, and vinegar and hot water seems to be taking off most of the glue residue. As soon as we know the gender, I'm getting with it. Only 10 weeks till I'm full term. I have no time to waste!

I'm loving this weather! 70 degrees today. I'm feeling spring coming on, and it makes me happy. Thank you Lord for new beginnings!

So, as for cooking, it's been off and on with Jason being gone here and there on trips. The best thing I've made lately is "Chicken Cutlets with White Wine and Garlic" with a side of "Wild Rice with Mushrooms and Parsley." It really was yummy and not full of fat. The nice thing is you can make the marinade, put it in a Ziploc bag, add the chicken and freeze it until you're ready to use it. Yummy!

"Chicken Cutlets with White Wine and Garlic"

8 Chicken Cutlets (about 1 1/4 lbs total)

3 Tblsp unsalted butter, melted

1/2 cup dry white wine

3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

2 tsps fresh thyme leaves

coarse salt and ground pepper

1 tblsp extra-virgin olive oil

chopped parsley (optional), for serving

1. Stack cutlets in a double layer in a 1-gallon freezer bag. In a small bowl, combine 2 tblsps butter, wine, garlic, and thyme and whisk to combine. Season with pepper. Pour marinade into bag with cutlets and freeze. (Store up to 2 months).

2. To serve, thaw chicken in refrigerator overnight. Remove cutlets from bag and discard marinade. Gently shake chicken to remove liquid and season with salt. In two batches, heat 1 1/2 tsps butter and 1 1/2 tsps oil in a large skillet over medium-high; add half the cutlets to pan and cook until browned and cooked through. 4 minutes total, flipping halfway through and adjusting heat as necessary to prevent pan from overbrowning. Serve chicken sprinkled with parsley if desired.

196 calories!

I used the remainder of the marinade to deglaze the pan, added a little milk (or half and half) and brought it to a boil to make a little bit of a sauce. I think it would have been a little dry without a sauce, but that's just me.

Oh, and if you don't want to freeze it, just marinate the chicken for at least 30 minutes before you cook it.

"Wild Rice with Mushrooms and Parsley"

1. Cook 1 cup wild rice according to package instructions (usually takes about 1 hour to cook).

2. Meanwhile, heat 2 tblsps extra-virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add 1 lb. button mushrooms, trimmed and sliced, and season with coarse salt and ground pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are browned, about 13 minutes. Add 2 garlic cloves, minced and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in cooked rice and remove from heat.

3. Stir in cooked rice and remove from heat. Stir in 3 tblsps chopped fresh parsley and 1 tblsp fresh lemon juice and season with salt and pepper.

156 calories

Just a note, I would leave out the salt at the end. I think it made it too salty.