Cloth Diapering: What We've Decided

As I've mentioned a couple of times before, Nick and I have decided to cloth diaper our little one. It was an easy decision for us because of the amount of money it will save us in the long run! However, the initial cost of cloth diapers is a HUGE investment so we decided to start stocking up on them early! Today's post is going to discuss what we've decided to go with and why. I hope to make a video about this that goes into more detail later on in my pregnancy but this will give you a quick overview!First of all, we decided to go with two different types of systems. The pocket system and the all in two system. The pocket system is one of the easiest systems because it is very similar to a disposable diaper. All you have to do is put a liner in the pocket and put the diaper on the baby! The all in two system is just a tad bit more complicated. Instead of having a pocket to put the liner in, you have to place the liner on top of the diaper. The nice thing about the all in two system is that the liners can be replaced so that you can reuse the shell over and over! I really hope this makes sense. If not, I'll make sure to clarify it in my video.Here are the pocket diapers we chose:We went with the FuzziBunz one size pocket diaper. The one size diapers are nice because they can adjust to the size of your baby as it grows. They don't usually fit newborns well but once the baby weighs about 12 pounds, they work great!
I love the colors that these diapers come in! They range from brights, to pastels, to primary!
The FuzziBunz have an adjustable leg elastic that is great for babies with skinny and chunky legs!


The second pocket diaper we decided to go with were the one size BumGenius! diapers! Again, these won't fit newborns but should work once the baby hits 12 pounds.
I was a little disappointed with the color selections for this diaper but with all of the fantastic reviews I've read on it, we couldn't NOT try them out! :)This diaper is adjustable in rise. There are a series of snaps that you use to adjust the fit.

Here are the all in two diapers we chose:
The first brand we chose were the SoftBums diapers! I have heard nothing but fabulous things about this diaper and I have been super impressed with the quality of them! These diapers are also one size but they will fit newborn babies! They have a very soft shell as well as a nice soft lining.
If you look at the diagram, you can see that the lining for these diapers is removable so that you can reuse the shell over and over. The lining is a nice cloth that just snaps in and folds over. The size of this diaper is adjusted through an ingenious elastic drawstring that tightens or losens the leg gussets as the child grows!
The second all in two diapers that we chose were the gDiapers. This is a very different type of diaper because it fits into the hybrid category. With this diaper you can choose to use cloth liners or disposable/flush-able liners! These diapers are sized which means they will not grow with the baby. However, because they are sized, they have a much trimmer fit than most one size diapers.The inside of this diaper has a plastic snap in "hammock" which holds the two different types of liners. Once the liner is wet or dirty, all you need to do is pull it out, wash off the plastic, and replace with a new liner! How easy!

As you can see, we have a variety of options! I did not go with one type of diaper because of the fact that I do not know what will work best for my baby. There are certain circumstances when these two different types of diapers will be handier. For example, when we are traveling, we plan on bringing the all in two diapers so that we do not need to carry as many shells with us. When we are hanging around the house, the pocket diapers will be handy so that Nick won't have any troubles changing the baby himself!

I am so excited about cloth diapering and will continue to post about our experiences. I hope to share some of the cloth diapering accessories that we plan on using as well as how to care for them. I really hope that you enjoy learning about cloth diapering with me!

Nursery Dilemmas (Part 2)!

Onto our next set of nursery dilemma! :) Actually, this really isn't so much a dilemma as indecisiveness. So today's dilemma deals with crib bedding and nursery decor.

I found this amazing ebay store called "Children's Mart" and they sell some of the cutest bedding I have seen yet at fantastic prices! All of the sets sell for $49.99! Each set I will show you is a 13 piece set and everything except the mobile and lamp will be included in these package deals.

So here are our options...

If we have a girl.

I'm leaning towards the pink set. What do you think?

If we have a boy.I can't decide which of these I like more! They are both so cute!

So give me your input! Which sets do you like? Keep in mind that these will probably be used as the baby's bedding once it grows out of the crib too!

Nursery Dilemmas (Part 1)!

So one thing that I've been doing A LOT lately is researching and looking for good deals on nursery furniture. The one place that I've been finding amazing deals is Wal-Mart. So what's the problem? The problem is that I like the deals but I also like the furniture to look nice! I keep checking Craig's List and Ebay but seem to keep striking out in those two areas. However, I keep thinking "What if?" Who knows if something huge might come up later right? Help me out here!

Ok...so here are some of the sets that we have picked out. Maybe you can give me guidance!This first set is SUPER CHEAP! $240 with free shipping! It's a great 3 piece set and even though it may not be the best quality, it has received some awesome reviews! "So what's the problem?" you ask. The bed is not convertible. Is it necessary to have a convertible bed? I get mixed answers and I have mixed feelings about it. That's the only problem we are finding. If it were convertible, this set would be a no-brainer for us!Here is the second set we've been looking at. Also VERY CHEAP! This set is $250 with free shipping! It is also a 3 piece set that has received fabulous reviews. I can't decide if I like this bed more than the other style BUT, this bed is convertible. The problem we are facing with this set is that the dresser is dinky. Is that a big deal now? Probably not. Will it be in the future when our child gets bigger? Possibly.Now onto our third option. Here is a two piece set that is GORGEOUS! It's a very reliable brand (Storkcraft) and is very well made. I love that the dresser can be used as a changing table but I have decided that I want a separate changing table since we are going to be cloth diapering and need all the storage we can get. Here lies the problem, this set is very expensive and getting the matching changing table would just be an additional cost! This set costs $336 and the matching table costs $118.

So what would you do? I know it's still early but we were kind of hoping to get this part of the nursery done before we found out the gender (on the 31st). So should we wait a little bit longer or should we go ahead and make a decision? Any advice that you could give would be great!

Oh, as a little side note, I should mention that my parents have offered to help us buy the furniture but that doesn't mean I really want to spend tons of money.

I'm Pregnant!

Wowza! It's been months since I've posted anything! I'll try to fix that, I promise! :)

So do you want to know where I've been? I've been getting ready for a baby! That's right! I'M PREGNANT! After 15 months of trying, we finally did it! Hallelujah!

I am currently 18 weeks along and my due date is January 20th!

One thing we've been horrible with is making sure to take pictures of my growing baby bump and let me tell you...IT'S GROWING! I get so many comments about how big I'm getting and that makes me SO happy! I can't tell you how long I've waited for this belly of mine to finally pop out! It's just so much fun!

Well, here's a video that has kind of been a recap of the past few months. It will be easier for you to watch the video than for me to type everything out. Sorry for my laziness...it comes with the pregnancy! Haha!