More About Cloth Diapers

Well, I took the plunge and ordered some cloth diapers to start with. I found a great deal on a 12-pack of bumGenius (love that brand name!) bamboo fitted cloth diapers in size small (for 8-16 lbs.) -- $72! I have read that infants go through about 12 diapers a day. I also ordered 4 diaper covers, cloth wipes, and a wet bag. I know I'm going to need wipes solution and eventually a diaper sprayer, but any more advice about what else I will need to get started? Any favorite laundry detergents? Favorite diaper stores? (I placed my order with Cotton Babies and got free shipping that was pretty fast.)

Advice welcome!

22 weeks!

And suddenly I can feel him thumping away in there! He seems to be active mid-morning, late evening, and very early morning (when I'm up for yet another bathroom break). He also appears to be growing (see photo). My brother and sister-in-law gave us a big bag of clothes for Evan, and my mother-in-law told me she's already bought him an outfit, so we at least know that he is going to be a very well-dressed infant. :o)

I didn't feel well today -- Mike and I are sharing a yucky cold -- and stayed home, but I perked up this afternoon and made dinner. Yes, I cook too! I made a quiche with chicken, turkey bacon, and asparagus. There's no photographic evidence, but there are only two pieces left, so I think it was a hit. In fact, I may go eat another piece...

Recent Reads

Write These Laws on Your Children: Inside the World of Conservative Christian Homeschooling by Robert Kunzman. I found this look at six different homeschooling families by Kunzman, a public-school educator and administrator, very interesting, and I felt like the author used a well-balanced and respectful approach in his interviews and observations. I must admit that I skipped the chapter on the HDLA, so I can't speak to his coverage of that, but I always like reading an "outsider's" take on subjects I am somewhat familiar with.

Ally Carter's Heist Society was a fun, fast, breathless read -- kind of an Ocean's Eleven for teenagers. My sister Maggie liked it, too!

Brief Book Review and Breaking News!

Brief Book Review: Marriage and Other Acts of Charity by Kate Braestrup. I didn't enjoy this one as much as the author's first memoir (Here if You Need Me), but it was a quick read and I appreciate Braestrup's musings even if I don't always agree with her theology.




And the Breaking News: The final Hunger Games novel by Suzanne Collins, which comes out on August 24, now has a title and a cover! Behold, I present to you: Mockingjay!

Book Review: Scarlett Fever

Maureen Johnson's sequel to Suite Scarlett is one of those books you race through, not just to find out how it ends, but because it's so much fun to read. In other words, it's really funny. Scarlett is a character I'd love to make friends with, and not just because she has naturally curly hair (which she DOES NOT BRUSH), but because she has such a great sense of humor. I loved reading about life from her point of view. Since it's a Young Adult novel, there's the requisite pining over boys, but what I really enjoyed is the family dynamics. It's rare for sibling relationships to be more central to a YA book than peer relationships are, but Scarlett's brother and sisters are interesting, well-developed characters in their own right, and Scarlett's interactions with them ring true. My only complaint: enough with the cliffhangers already!

Dinner Again

This time Mike made shepherd's pie -- with lamb instead of beef -- and I was so hungry I didn't even think to take a picture of it before diving in! So I found a photo online from the recipe he used, and it honestly did look almost exactly like that.

And thanks to everyone who's given me advice about cloth diapers! I did find some good websites but I may be asking some of you for more specific advice. And I will definitely check out the store in Ann Arbor for the class -- which reminds me, time to sign up for childbirth classes, too!

Cloth Diapers

I have decided (in my first-time mom innocence) to use cloth diapers. I've already talked to a friend who uses them, and I've done some research online, and the mental commitment is made. Now for the monetary commitment: what brand to try? It is definitely an initial investment (though in the long run, much cheaper than disposable), so where should I start? Any advice?

It's a Boy!

As soon as I figure out how to scan the ultrasound photo, I'll post it! In the meantime, rejoice with us that he is growing as he should and has all the right parts! And we think we're going to name him Evan Michael...