Verdict?

The verdict, for now, is that we are back to the overnight disposables.  I don't think it can be helped!  He even fills up the OVERNIGHT disposables...and they are about three times as thick in the front as a regular disposable!

I would be willing to try the gRefills at night, but they are so dang expensive that it is not an economical option for us.  For now, the Huggies Overnight work.  It's what we're going to stick with.

Thank you for your encouraging words, though!  You are all appreciated.  =D

Trying cloth again for night time...

Since Levi is gone tonight for his Nerdy Board Game Day (the guys get together and play games they can't trick us wives into playing!), I'm all alone tonight!  I decided (on a whim) to try the Babykicks, which we've used for naps, for night time.  So I stuffed that sucker with a piece of gCloth, a doubled over Hemparoo up front, and another piece of gCloth.  I'm expecting leaks, but only because we're only making it through with disposable overnight diapers.  But perhaps I'll be pleasantly surprised...I hope so!

I'll be sure to post results in the morning.  Wish me luck!

Naptime solution for gDiapers! WITH PICS

I decided to stop being a crazy person, bite the bullet, and just use what I had to figure out a naptime cloth diaper solution.  I have perfectly good diapers at my disposal, and buying more wasn't going to do anything but waste money and make me feel even crazier!  So I sucked it up, and figured out what would work for me.

I had some older Joey Bunz that I bought used when I first started cloth diapering, and I rarely ever used them.  After the Twitter party (that I inadvertently stumbled upon) last night, I decided to just see how absorbent they were.  See, the gCloth I have boasts about how hemp "wears in, not out", meaning the more you use it and wash it, the more absorbent it becomes.  I took a 6oz. sippy cup, and poured it on a small Joey Bunz that was folded in half.  That sucked soaked it ALL UP!  Was it wet on the other side?  Yeah...but there is a waterproof liner in my gDiapers.  It didn't have to be dry on the other side!  So my solution?

One small Joey Bunz, folded in half, topped with one piece of gCloth. 

Insert the folded Joey Bunz...

...add the gCloth...

Bam!  Naptime gDiaper!

  I think it will also hold up for his longer afternoon nap, though I plan on trying my Babykicks Bumboo Pocket (stuffed with two pieces of gCloth) for that nap today.  If it holds up with no problems, I might try the Bumboo for night time.  We shall see!

Over all, I'm super pumped.  I feel like I'm doing what is best economically for my family by using what I have and fighting the urge to buy one of everything available (there are TOO many cloth diapers on the market right now!!) and hating most of them.  I feel like I am being resourceful and a good steward.  Woo!

More diaper chatter.

So, I was waiting to see how much I hearted the gDiapers before sending back the Babykicks Bumboo One Size Pocket Diapers that I ordered from Amazon.  I'm glad I didn't send them back, because it turns out even though I love the gDiapers for daytime, we need a naptime diapering solution!

I tried two pieces of gCloth for naps, but didn't get the absorbency I wanted (hopefully after the hemp wears in, it'll be more helpful).  I was using one gRefill and one piece of gCloth at naps, but Levi said that it wasn't an economical solution (those gRefills are EXPENSIVE!), and wanted to just use regular sposies.  We already use overnight sposies at night, and I didn't want to throw away any more diapers than I needed to, so I said to heck with it, I'll try the Babykicks Bumboo One Size Pocket Diaper that I already own.   I have two, but only opened one in case I don't like them.  I can send the other one back!

They are SOOOOO soft and delicious on the inside!  The hemp insert does have to be prepped, but I figured I can layer gCloth with some other Babykicks hemp inserts I have, and see how that works for a nap tomorrow.  For his last nap today, he's in a sposie.  =(  Ah well...tomorrow is another day.

But the gDiaper-ing is going super well.  The gCloth is nice and absorbent, and the little gPants are TOO dang cute.  Too cute!  I plan on modifying the more plain covers if I can find some cute appliques.  We'll see how that goes.  I'll write up a full review on the gDiapers after some more use.

Stay tuned to see how the Bumboo Pocket works out!

gDiapers for the win!

SO.  STINKIN'.  CUTE!!

Not only are the gDiapers adorable, they fit great!  He had both a wet and a messy diaper and the gDiaper held up beautifully.  He's still in a disposable at night, because he is suuuuuch a heavy wetter and I haven't found the right diaper for night time.  Double inserts don't work.  For now, we're using Huggies Overnights.  I feel better about throwing away 30 diapers a month rather than 200+!

I feel so much better now that we're back in cloth for most of the time.  I am loving the gCloth, though I did loathe the prep work.  Ugh!  Like I don't have enough laundry in my life...lol.

I have some super adorable pics to post from my nephew's first birthday, but that'll have to wait.  Night!

gDiapers are the winners. I think.

I remember why I was so overwhelmed before when choosing cloth diapers!!

At this point, it's almost cheaper to use disposables, but I'm willing to give the hybrid a shot because of all that guilt I mentioned before.  I bought an Everyday g's pack from Diapers.com.  I'm super happy with the price I paid for the gDiapers.  Diapers.com had the Everyday g's (6 pack) on sale for $59.99!  You can use the referral code LMID6287 to get $10 more off that, if you are a first time customer!  I also got three packs of the 6-pack gCloth inserts for about $90.  All told, I spent about $150 there, and then I bought two super cute colors off of gdiapers.com (the Good Vibes Stripes and Grateful Red) for about $40.  Less than $200 for what I hope will be an awesome system!

I figured that the gCloth would work for every day use, and the disposable inserts would be for travel, vacation, and longer outings.  We can't flush the liners at my house, because we have a septic system, but elsewhere that would be super handy.  The gDiapers are, according to my friend Margaret, super trim.  That's one of the major concerns I have, because too much fluff makes me feel like my little guy is uncomfortable.

So I think I'll be sending my Babykicks back once they get here today.  I feel like a crazy person with all the waffling I've been doing, but in the end, I feel comfortable with the choice I made with the gDiapers.  Let's just hope they fit him correctly...LOL!

If not, I'll be back with more crazy.  =D

Here we go again...

So, I've been feeling really guilty.

It's all these disposable diapers.  I feel terrible throwing them all away!  Not only that, but I saw this article on another blog about chemical burns kids were getting from the new Pampers Drymax.  Poor babies!

A friend of mine bought three of my Smartipants.  They weren't fitting Oliver anymore (they were gapping at the legs, and leaking everywhere!).  She offered to let me try a few of her Green Acre Designs diapers before I decide to buy them from her.  I also bought a couple Babykicks Bumboo diapers to try those out.  I put all my eggs in the Smartipants basket before...I won't be doing that again!  The Babykicks will be here Friday.  I can't wait to try them out!  I already have four BabyKicks Joey-Bunz that I bought used, so I'm excited to see how well they work with the diapers!

Anyway, if you've also got a long and lean baby, which diapers fit best for you?

Prayers needed.

I found through someone's weekend links that a fellow blogger needs our prayers.

Heather's daughter Emma is in the hospital.  Emma's story is amazing, and you can read it here.

Through all of the trials...Emma's illness and multiple hospitalizations, and even through Heather's own brain tumor (which was removed), Heather has maintained an unshakable faith.  It really puts into perspective the things that we face...how minuscule my problems seem today!!  I am praying hard for Heather and her family...for little Emma.  Praying for strength and courage...praying for peace.  I hope you'll join me!

Please post about this amazing story.  Ask others to pray.  Prayer is so powerful!!

Edit:  I also just read about a friend who lost her son yesterday morning.  She was just over 20 weeks pregnant, and her son was 11oz. and 9 inches long.  Please keep the Evans family in your prayers, as well.

Giveaway with Purpose!

Some blogs will give away anything.

But this blog?  A completely different story.

MckMama bought an iPad.  She bought it with an idea to give it away to multiply her impact.  She wanted to raise money for a Child Survival Program that she visited while in Kenya. 

From her blog: "It's a beautiful program that helps developing world mothers and babies during the woman's pregnancy and the child's infancy. Prenatal care, health care and vaccinations, spiritual encouragement and training in income generating opportunities for the mother are provided."

Anyway, for an entry to win the iPad, enter here.  You have until midnight tonight!

So far, this amazing woman has raised $20,050!  She turned $500 into $20,050.  God is so amazing!

Happy Easter!

Today, as I sat at Starbucks sipping my Iced Skinny Vanilla Latte reading The End of Reason: A Response to the New Atheists by Ravi Zacharias, I had an overwhelming sense of what today was all about.  Maybe it was the thought of these "new atheists" like Sam Harris and Richard Dawkins disbelief in God when I have personally experienced time and again the power of God (and the transformation and renewing touch of His hand), but on the drive home I decided to text some of my loved ones and celebrate our risen Savior!  It is so moving to think that today celebrates His victory over death itself...all to give us life again.  What an awesome thought!

After the past few weeks and all of the things I've been going through, I realized that most of the things I was worried about were completely unfounded.  Of course I can't think about what it would be like to have another child right now...it's not time for me to have another child!  When the time is right (and God will make that clear, just as He did the first time), it'll be just like Lisa said in her comment...the second child will just "fit".  I am particularly bad about adding tomorrow's (or three years from now!) problems to today.  But it's like it says in Matthew:

Matthew 6:34
Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

As for all of the Mommy stuff, it seems silly to compare myself to these seasoned "supermoms".  Of course I am going to stumble...this is my first rodeo!  Some of these women are raising three or four children at a time..they have been around the block a time or two when it comes to temper tantrums and whining children.  I, however, am experiencing all of this for the first time!  I was being ridiculously hard on myself.

There were some things that I do need to honestly confront, like why I slid back into some destructive behaviors.  Those are things that I'll be working on in my daily quiet/devotional times, and I'd appreciate your prayers to keep me encouraged and lifted up.  Also, pray for my faithfulness in these quiet times...without them, life turns to crud pretty quickly!  Pray that I'll take the time not only to meditate on the Word and for prayer, but also to listen...truly listen...to what God has to say.

As we sat on the front porch together after putting our little punkin boy down for the night, I told Levi how I felt that today was so awesome because it's like we get to join Christ in resurrecting and getting to start fresh...something I felt I needed after the mess of the bad choices of the past month or so!  Levi said, "That's what tomorrows are for."  And he's right...no matter what happens today, or another day, there is a tomorrow just waiting to happen (you know, until there isn't, lol).  Anytime I find myself being disappointed in the day I'm having, I can just remember that tomorrow is another opportunity to get it right.  Am I going to get it right all the time?  Of course not.  And I need to start taking the time to savor my tiny victories!!

Today, I tried hard to love well.  I also managed to deep clean the master bathroom, do three loads of laundry, cook dinner, and spend quality time with my husband and son, AND visit with my mom, dad, sister, brother-in-law, niece, and nephew.  Those victories more than make up for yesterday's (or the day before, or the day before that...) failures!  I hope I can remember that next time I start beating myself up.  =)

Happy Easter!  May God richly bless you and your family today and every day.

Mothering with Purpose.

After my pitiful Mommy post, I decided to get down to it and get it together.  But first, this adorable picture:

What a little stud!  I'm telling you, he could be in magazines with that face!

/MommyGush

Anyway, I ended up going to bed at like 6pm last night.  Levi got home and graciously took the whiny little tot for me, and instead of running off somewhere to wallow or vent, I just crashed out.  Hence why I am awake at 3am!  So, I found this blog called Inspired to Action which I found through this post on Simple Mom.  What a timely gift from God!  There are so many things written there that I needed to hear!!

One of the things that Kat of Inspired to Action write about is what she calls "Purposeful Motherhood".  What an awesome description!  It's what I want to be...a Mother who lives with purpose.  One of the things Kat recommends in order to begin Mothering with purpose is to write a Mission Statement.  It's something I will be working on this week.  Perhaps it's something I'll also share here, we'll see how it goes.  She posted this quote by G. K. Chesterton (someone I've been meaning to pick up a book on after reading many of his musings in Ravi Zacharias books), and it really hit close to home for me:

How can it be a large career to tell other people about the Rule of Three, and a small career to tell one’s own children about the universe? How can it be broad to be the same thing to everyone and narrow to be everything to someone? No, a woman’s function is laborious, but because it is gigantic, not because it is minute.

Wow.  Today was a day where I definitely felt that my function was laborious.  And when Kat talked about leading our children with passion, purpose, and vision, I realized she was right...I had the passion...it was the other two that needed work.

Another thing she recommends is rising early.  I am particularly bad about this, because I rarely want to get up when the alarm goes off.  But rising early has many advantages (just as you read when you clicked that Simple Mom link...if you didn't, do that!)...it's quiet time that I can spend with God.  Reading the Word and mentally preparing myself for the day that lies ahead.  It's something I used to do every day, and I stopped the last month of my pregnancy when I was busy anticipating my little guy (who, by the way, showed up a week late), and that was nearly an entire year ago.  Levi and I spend time doing a book study at nights, but it's been a very long time since I spent a significant time in the Word.  And if I am completely honest with myself, IT SHOWS.

I'm looking forward to bettering myself both as a Mother, and spiritually.  I know that it may not be easy, but with God's help, I know it can be done!!  Please keep me lifted up in prayer as I begin this journey of Mothering with Purpose.

Getting it together.

Sometimes I read other people's blogs, and feel like a big fat failure.
These moms have super powers.  They manage to keep a clean house, clip coupons, save money, raise a family with four kids, and look great doing it.  Some days, I barely get the dishes done, I've given up on couponing, my ONE relatively well-behaved child is driving me bonkers with this separation anxiety business, and most days I don't even make it out of my pajama pants.

I know that I'm being a bit ridiculous, but sometimes...it's just so hard.


I knew being a parent was going to be a hard job, and even with the wonderful support and help I get from my husband Levi, it still seems like I rarely get a break.  I feel like I haven't got the time to work on me (yet here I am ranting about it), and it makes me crazy.  Worse yet is that I feel myself slipping back into old habits, and that makes me feel even more like a failure.

Then I think about having another baby.  It's something we keep talking about these days, and I just can't imagine adding another human being to the chaos that can be my life.  I know it's not time right now, but it's even scary to just think about it.  I don't know...perhaps that changes.

I feel ridiculous even complaining about it, because I know there are moms who have it worse off than me.  Their kids don't sleep well, or they don't eat well, or they don't have husbands who are willing to help like mine does.  They have money problems and live paycheck to paycheck, and I ought to be thanking God daily (which I do) that I am blessed to me a stay at home mom with a husband who loves and cares for us and has a stable well paying job in today's economy.  I need to quit my whining and just GET IT TOGETHER already.  Yes, this job is hard.  But is there a better job out there for me?  Not a chance!

And the smiles.  OH the smiles!  And the giggles!  And how can anyone resist this little face:

Yes, it's hard.  But it's so worth it.  I'm glad I wrote this post.  I was feeling a little hopeless when I started it, but now I'm feeling a little more energized to start making the changes I need to in order to get it together.

I can be supermom, too!!