Dirty Diaper Analogy

A two-fold analogy - What would happen if I smelled that my toddler pooped in his diaper, but I did not change it? What if I left the diaper alone for days? It would get messier, stinkier, and -at some point - the poop would get on everyone else and on furniture too. Let's say I then decide to take care of the diaper. Well, it's bigger than that now. His whole body needs bathed. The furniture needs washed. Clothing needs to be burnt. And so on. It would have been a whole lot easier to change the stinky diaper days ago. Right?
 
First interpretation - to parents - when you see sin in your children, correct it (in a godly manner) right away. Don't let the stink spill over and get on everyone and everything else till the whole household reeks.
 
Second interpretation - to believers - God is a loving Father. He knows when we have soiled ourselves. Sometimes we try to run away, because we don't want to be wiped clean. But, in the end, God will clean us up. He will dunk us in the bath tub of heaven and we will come out white as snow. He loves us and He will not let us remain in sin long term. There will be a reckoning. If you choose to run around in your dirty diaper (sin) constantly trying to avoid the Hand that would clean you...well, you will end up soiling other people and all the circumstances you touch. Sin hurts more people than just you. Let God wash you clean. Then, when you are clean, go lead others to the Great Father who would wash them clean. Be a living testimony to the grace and goodness of God.

Setting Up a Nursery - sort of

We don't have a baby nursery in our house, as our babies room in for about a year. But we have been getting our bedroom set up for the new arrival. Don't you love how I put things off until it has to be done? Ignore the paint on the walls, that was not my choice, it came with the house.

Our changing table was ruined in a "flood" in our last house (don't ask...). So, I am working out a new system. For the toddler, changing on the bed has been our standard operating procedure. But, with a newborn... no way. Babies poop like 5 times a night. They whiz while you are changing them. And, my husband does not need me turning on a light on the bed every three hours.

So, I am going to buy this diaper changing table pad (or one very similar) and set it on the pretty nightstand. It is shorter than will be comfortable for me, but it will be a great height for the girls. And, yes, Rebecca changes cloth diapers. Lydia can change disposable diapers, but she will learn the cloth trade soon!

And, since we don't have a diaper changing table with storage, I am using the white plastic bin for diapers, covers, pins, burp cloths and anything else. The little light on top will not be too bright for middle of the night changes.

The garbage can is my diaper pail. We put cloth diapers, soiled clothes, and burp cloths in this pail until it fills up and we wash them about every other day. (I intend to write more about cloth diapering later.)

And did you notice the Boppy Pillow on the bed? That is a necessity for nursing mamas!

So, there you have it - my nursery. Now, all we need is the Bubby!

Cloth Diaper Options

If you have not ever looked into cloth diapers, beware, there are a lot of options! There are so many styles and fabrics that your head will spin. So, I thought I would assemble a short post of basic cloth diaper (CD) options.

Before you go looking at websites, you have to know the lingo.
Nappy = cloth diaper to those in Europe and Australia
sposie = disposable diaper
PUL = polyurethene laminate - a water proof covering

The easiest, but most expensive option is the all-in-one (AIO). These have the simplicity of a disposable diaper. These take longer to dry, and usually do better when air-dried.
Here is a very cute AIO from BumGenius.

The most basic cloth diaper for frugal folks is a "prefold." Cloth that is shaped and ready to be folded into thirds and laid in a water proof cover. You will need to use pins or snappis for these. And, you will need a waterproof cover to keep the moisture off of baby's cute clothes. Prefolds are thick and take a long time to dry on a line, but dry well in a drier.

Waterproof covers are wonderful! There are two major brands, I like them both.
Bummies - These covers are thick and VERY durable. They also have velcro tabs that pull together and overlap for skinny babies. The only down-side, perhaps, is the elastic around the legs. It will allow for some occasional poosplosions. It is always best to air dry covers.

Prowraps - These covers are thinner and less durable. These do not have overlapping tabs for skinny babies. What I like most about these are the gussets around the legs that give extra protection against poosplosions.

That is a good starting place for someone who is just starting to look into the world of cloth diapers. While the companies I listed offer name brand products, I also recommend etsy. You can find many home-made diapers of good quality. Don't let the prices scare you. Remember how much it costs to buy sposies for baby! An investment in cloth diapers is money well-spent! And, if you are decent at sewing (and have "free time") there are a lot of patterns on line to choose from!

I hope this post has been practical and helpful. I know that some of you had asked me for info on cloth diapering. In the near future, I will write a post on washing cloth diapers.

More Pictures

Sorry that I am so slow to getting around to pictures.

To enlarge a picture click on it, then use your back arrow to navigate back to this page.

 

Rebecca meets Josiah for the first time. She is examining his toes!

  

Paul kisses the Baby.

Rebecca dresses Josiah to leave the hospital.

Tiny hands!

Lydia holds Josiah

Joshua kisses Josiah... awww

Mommy is home!

(That's Grandma S on the right end of the couch)

Grandpa S gets acquainted with Baby Josiah.

Nelson and Josiah.

Grandma W meets Baby

Grandpa and Grandma W

I LOVE cloth diapers! These were made by a friend!

(I left the water proof cover off just for the cute pictures)

Cloth Diapers

I forgot to mention y-day that I got a package of cloth diapers in the mail. This is what they look like, I don't know exactly where they were purchased. (I bought some a few years ago at the links I used below)

Indian Pre-fold - our kind friends sent us 20 of these! Adorable... I love cloth diapers!

Bummis cover - the ones we got in the mail are size small and white... SO CUTE! (Our generous friends sent us 5 covers!)