Where is the Strangest Place You've...

In a vehicle:  It is strange, but extremely accessible and easy once you figure out the best place.

We started in the back seat of our Chevy Trailblazer.  I was reluctant to the first time, but we really needed to take care of it so we improvised and used the back seat.  It was easy for about 18 months because we only had one car seat back there.  Once Ian came, his car seat took up the rest of the back seat so we moved to the front seat.  This is not as easy, the seat is angled and it can get a little frustrating.  Ultimately, we found that the best place is the tailgate of our SUV.  It is a flat surface and there is plenty of room to spread out (if we move the strollers out of the way).  I'm not sure if a trunk would work as good as a tailgate, does anyone have any experience that?

Get your mind out of the gutter!

On a beach:  Watch out for sand and sun!

We took the family to our favorite beach a few weeks ago - New Buffalo, MI.  Even at the beach you have to take care of things, so we did.  Right there, in front of everyone!  The issues with the beach is the sand and sun.  You know, sand gets everywhere ....even when you're careful!  It's unavoidable, you're gonna get sand in places where the sun don't shine.  And, speaking of the sun, there is truth to skin being sensitive to the sun.  Even with shade and sunscreen, there was a bad burn on that sensitive skin.  It only lasted a few days, but we felt horrible.
Still thinking about it, huh? 

At a mall: C'mon, you've all though about it.

The last time Lindsey and I were at the outdoor mall we found ourselves too far from a bathroom and our car, so we decided to take care of it right where we were.  On a bench, outside, in front of everyone.  What made it even more strange was that there was a farmers market going on about 50 yards from the bench we were on.  Sure, a lot of people were curious about what was going on.  But ultimately, I think we didn't disturb too many people.  The problem with benches is that they don't have a lot of room.  Sure, they're long but they aren't that wide.  If this comes up at a mall again, I think we'll just move to the bathroom.
C'mon, you should know by now...

On the floor: This makes just about anywhere fair game.

What better place then right below you?  We've used the floor at just about every house we've been to.  It is especially convenient when there is something on TV you really don't want to miss...like televised sports, a good action movie, or your favorite TV show.  The floor can seem strange to those who haven't done it before.  And then, there are those people who get concerned when you don't put down protection.  I've been doing this on the floor for a while now, and I've only made a mess one or two times...and I clean up after myself.  So the floor can be strange if you're in front of others, but still a good option.
You're getting closer!

Of course, on a bed: It is where you spend a large portion of your life

This goes without saying.  It is probably the easiest, safest and least strange place.  It's the place that I'm guessing everyone with a kid has tried at least once.  It doesn't have to be your bed, I find one of my friends' bed a little nicer because it is up higher and hurts my back less than our bed does.  The only thing I'd recommend if you do decide to use your friends' bed, is to get permission first.  How embarrassing would it be if they walked in on you?  Take my advice, ask first!  Unless, of course, you are house sitting or they aren't home.  Then by all means, try out all the beds to see which one you like the best.
Did you figure it out yet?

These are all strange in one way or another.  But for me, the strangest place I have ever had to do it was in an....

Airplane Bathroom: Yes ladies and gentlemen, I have done it at 30,000 feet!

I couldn't wait to try this.  You hear all the time how small it is in there and how uncomfortable it was. I wanted to know for sure.  So, when we were flying to FL to visit my parents last November, it happened!  The first bathroom we tried was at the back of the plane and it was a bad choice, the flight attendants actually said that the bathroom in the front of the plane is much better.  They knew exactly what was going to happen...so it must be a lot more common than you think.  In hindsight, I think it was a bad choice.  I had no room to move around, my elbows banged on the walls and I'm sure the people heard all the commotion.  There really wasn't much room.  But hey, at least I can say I tried!

Yep, that's a pretty good list if I do say so myself.  I'd love to hear from all of you (and your friends - so please have them read this blog), where the strangest place you ever did it was.  I'll send the person with the strangest place a $10 gift card to Starbucks (haven't tried there yet)!

This should clear the air...
Oh yeah, one last thing.  Don't forget to bring extra bags that are air tight.  The last think you want is for everyone to smell what you've just taken care of. Dirty diapers can smell pretty disgusting.

....What did you think I was talking about?

Thanks for reading!  Don't forget to like me on Facebook and follow me on Twitter!

Stay Tuned!

The Diapering Daddy

What Do Cloth Diapers And The NFL Have In Common?

Alright ladies, pull up an extra chair next to your computer and call your husband over.  Tell him that you can finally explain how cloth diapers work.  Who knows, maybe you'll even be able to convince him that changing diapers is fun because of this revolutionary way to explain diapers and how they work.  

Or better yet, once he comes over you can tell him that you finally understand what each position on a defensive line does.  That may really get his juices moving!  ;-)  You see, with this chart I have easily explained to the football illiterate what a defensive line is and does and to the diaper illiterate what all of the components of a diaper do.  

This is just in time for football too, I watched my first Bears game of the season last night....although I did lose interest pretty quickly because it is pre-season.  For those of you that don't know....these games don't really mean anything.  It was strange to see Peyton Manning in a Bronco's Jersey...!

Back to the game changing chart I have come up with.  With the exception of the 2 Safety Positions, this chart is pretty accurate in my mind.  Why?  Good question!  Most of the time you don't double up on the doubler (you don't typically have 2 doublers in a diaper - but you always want 2 Safety's in football), but you never know...I have a heavy wetter and have been know to triple up the soaker pads.

Here's a breakdown of the positions/features starting from the Middle Linebacker/Soaker Pad:

• Middle Linebacker / Soaker Pad
• Middle Linebacker
• commonly leads the team in tackles
• leader of the defense - without him, defense fails
• Soaker Pad
• commonly leads all of the diaper components in absorption
• catches almost all liquid - without it, diaper fails
• Tackle / Soft Inner Lining
• Tackle
• Makes sure the ball carrier doesn't get up field
• Soft Inner Lining
• Makes sure solid waste stays put
• Defensive End / Leg Gusset
• Defensive End
• Makes sure that the ball carrier stays within the defense
• Leg Gusset
• Makes sure that the solid and liquid waste stays inside the diaper
• Outside Linebacker / Velcro or Snap Closure
• Outside Linebacker
• Outside containment - keeps everyone contained where they need to be
• Velcro or Snap Closure
• Outside Containment  - Keeps all components contained where they need to be
• Cornerback / Waterproof Outer Lining
• Cornerback
• Defend against the pass
• Waterproof Outer Lining
• Defend diaper against leaking
• Safety / Doubler
• Safety
• Last line of defense in a play, if a play gets away from defense
• Douber
• Last line of defense in a diaper, if a diaper gets too full

There you have it.  I hope this helps my fellow gender  understand just a little bit more about how a diaper works and why they are so intricate.  AND I hope I have helped the female gender understand just a little bit more about how a defensive line works in football.  

I have done a great service to the world with this, I know it and my ego is getting bigger by the minute!  Seriously though, if you have questions, comments, editions, or subtractions to this please let me know.  I love hearing from you.  

Please don't forget to follow me on Twitter @DiaperingDaddy and "Like" me on Facebook, just search for The Diapering Dad.

Thanks for reading....stay tuned!

Dan - The Diapering Daddy

diaperingdaddy@gmail.com

I Have a Confession...

Let's be real for just a minute.  I know that I am all about Cloth Diapers and how they save us money, are good for the environment and baby...I get it, I really do.  The issue that Lindsey and I ran into every time we put Nate down for the night - we not only had to wash his we diaper the next day, but we also had to wash his wet cloths, the crib sheets, his blankets and stuffed animals and we had to wipe down the mattress.  We tried everything....we doubled, we tripled, we aimed his squirt gun up, down, left, right...any which way and nothing worked.

Well....almost nothing...

You see, we did find a solution to the issue.  It is something that I am embarrassed about, but I don't think that we're the only ones out there, or at least I hope we aren't.  We use disposables at night, and haven't had one issue since making that switch over a year ago.  Every morning, the diaper weight about a million pounds and it's all pee pee.

Phew, I feel better now.  I honestly don't think that there is a solution out there for Nate, if there is, I haven't found it or I've already tried it and it doesn't work.  I'd love to get some feedback from the Cloth Diaper community.  Am I alone out there going disposable at night?  That means I'm using less that 400 disposables a year...that's not that bad.

Thanks for listening to me!  More to come, so you'd better stay tuned!

Please follow me on Twitter @DiaperingDaddy
Please like me of Facebook "The Diapering Dad"
I have no contests or giveaways to lure you in.  All you'll get out of following me is satisfaction in knowing that I really appreciate it!

14 Months....what was I thinking?

To all of my faithful followers, all 19 of you.  I know that I promised the world to you when it came to diapers.  I know that you have been clicking refresh on my site for more than a year now....you feel like the bride left at the altar, the guy stood up for a blind date, the kid who has waited for a diaper change for way too long.   For that I am sincerely sorry!

I could give you excuses, but we all know that excuses are like diapers.... they're full of crap.  So I'm just going to pretend like it was my intention all along to not post for over a year.

Ian, Lindsey and Nathan

Good, now that we've moved past that I can talk about diapers for 2 kids......!  Yup, our first son is now 18 months old and we're going to start with cloths on our 1 month old in about a week (once we get through all of the free disposables we received).

I am going to share with you what's worked with cloth diapering over the past year, what hasn't and how we've had to modify our theory on using cloth diapers.  Don't get me wrong, I love it and we use them for all but 1 diaper change a day.  We can also take what we've learned and use that with our new son, Ian.

It was quite nostalgic the other day when I put Ian in his first cloth diaper, we used a Chinese prefold with a Thirsties cover. Oh how did I miss the days of infant poop!  Yes, really, I did.  It is so much easier to take care of then toddler turds.  For one, Ian is only eating breast milk so he is very consistent in his movements.  Nathan, on the other hand eats anything he can get his hands on which makes for a cornucopia of poop.  From size, color, shape and smell you never know what to expect.  It's like Christmas....only with poop!

Speaking of that, I happened upon this very informative chart that will help us identify the types of stool our children have.  Which type do you prefer?

I thought the following picture was also appropriate given that I am a dude and most of the time you hear about girly things like diaper cakes and whatnot.  So, if any of you ever decide to through a baby shower for a friend....don't forget about the husband.

The Blowout Blog: A Debate of Doo Doo Pooportions

What diapers handle blow-outs better: CLOTH or DISPOSABLE?

I'm sure by now, we've all seen this commercial. I've heard some pretty interesting comments about it from several people, including my mother. And like her, I am a little bit grossed out by watching this. At first, yes, it is very funny. But then you realize exactly what's filling those diapers...then, you think back to the last blowout you had to clean up....then you remember all the poop everywhere. You had to clean poop from nooks and crannies that you never even knew existed on your little bundle of joy. Then, and only then, do you think about this commercial and maybe get just a little bit queasy!

Since I am a CD'er 99% of the time*, I'm not sure how well these Luvs actually work and I don't want to purchase them for fear that the chemicals in them may just suck the life out of my son making him baby jerky. OK, that probably won't happen but have you ever really wondered what kind of magic chemicals go into absorbing THAT much poo and pee??? I'm not real comfortable putting that next to my baby's skin.

*To clarify on my disposable usage, we use the ones that are given to us for vacations and longer stays away from home and if we have to purchase them we buy the expensive natural kind...which aren't that good at catching blow-outs in our experience.

Back to Blowouts... Lindsey and I use several different brands/styles of CD's and here's a list from best to worst on how well they've worked for us (knowing that all babies are different, these results are from our experience):

1. 
   
   FuzziBunz One Size


2. 
   
   BumGenius 3.0 Fitted (Small so far)


3. 
   
   Tots Bots EASY FIT One Piece One Size Pocket Diaper


4. 
   
   BumGenius 4.0 One Size


5. 
   
   Prefolds with Thirsties Diaper Covers


6. 
   
   GroVia All In One

Again, let me say that these are from our experience and with our baby's poop and pee. You may or may not have had similar experiences. The one that really confuses us is the GroVia, we're not sure why it's not holding in as well???? We've stripped the diaper, we've asked for help at the local CD store, we've tried everything. I don't want to put all the blame on the diaper, so we'll take some of the blame (the same goes for the prefolds and covers....I'm sure we're doing something incorrect). With that being said, this is our list. Take it or leave it, but please comment on it!!! :)

Of all the diapers you use, how would you rank them? I'm curious to know if there are any similarities or differences? For one, Nathan poops off to the side most of the time and on rare occasion, it wraps all the way around the front above his manhood. Another is I am not sure how tight to make the diaper. I feel bad when it pushes in on his stomach too hard. But again, what experience do you have?

Oh yeah, I almost forgot about disposable diapers. If I had to rank them, I'd put them right along with the prefolds and diaper covers. When Nate has a blowout there always seems to be poop coming out of the legs or up the back. We've not seen that with the FB's yet (knock on wood). Like I said earlier, we haven't tried the new Luvs so I can't give you a completely fair assessment of disposables. But I still don't think they'd be a match for the FB's.

One thing we have done with our diapers is add in hemp inserts. This has been a huge help in the battle against blowout. The hemp, although slow at absorbing, in combination with another insert (microfiber, cotton, etc) proves to help with keeping the mess at hand. Yes, it adds some extra weight and bulk, but not nearly as much as doubling up on the inserts. We found a great deal on 10 of them used on eBay! If you use cloth and don't have hemp....get some! If you don't use cloth....start to!

Please, please, please commend on this post. I'd really like to know what is working and what isn't for other people. I also want to know if anyone has any suggestions on the GroVia....it can't be that bad, can it?

As always, thanks for reading!

Dan the Diapering Dad!

Homemade Utility Sinks and Cloth Diapers....hold your laughter till the end!

Hi all!

So, I've been a busy daddy since the last time I posted a blog (I really had no idea parenting an infant was this much work)! A quick update on Nathan (shown above in his green Thirsties cover with matching pacifier), he's so much fun to be around lately. He just had his 2 month check-up yesterday and Doc says he's doing really well. Then they gave him his shots....now, not so great! But he'll get over the pain soon -- I hope! Although last night was pretty rough for the little guy.

I love how alert he's been lately, I think he's actually starting to recognize me. Raising him is going to be a lot of fun, then when I'm old he'll take care of me....the circle of life!

Why did I title this Homemade Utility Sinks and Cloth Diapers..........? Keep reading!


Project #1 - My Homemade Utility Sink

After 2 months of cleaning off cloth diapers, I've finally had enough of getting poopy back splash all over my clothing, the walls in the bathroom and who knows where else. So I went on a mission to find a solution. I had this great idea about inventing a brand new sprayer that I would call the Poo Poo Wand, but since i have no idea how to find all the right fittings, glue and whatever else you need to turn a PVC pipe into a spraying wand I decided to go a different route.
I went on Google and searched something like "reduce back splash with cloth diapers" and came across very little that was helpful. Then I saw something that looked like a 5 gallon bucket on top of a toilet and thought to myself "self, that looks like a good idea". The one online was very elaborate with hooks and a larger base and holes for sprayer hoses and whatnot. The only thing that really got my attention was the fact that they put a hole in the bottom of the bucket to drain into the toilet. So I decided to try to make something similar. These three pictures show you what I came up with.

Basically, I took the 5 gallon bucket, drilled a 1.5" hole in the bottom and bought a drain plug/stopper and put it in the bottom. Then I bought some clamps (as seen in the pictures) which ended up being free after a mail in rebate. I was going to use the clamps to hold the diaper to the side of the bucket, but that took too long. On top of that, the bucket did not sit on the toilet seat the right way so I decided to use the clamps to hold the bucket into position by clamping it to the toilet seat lid. It works perfectly now.

When washing diapers, I hold the diaper inside the bucket (about halfway down) and start spraying. This virtually eliminates all back splash onto me and it stays inside the bucket. I do caution spraying diaper covers, they seem to splash back a lot more...it probably has something to do with the waterproof "plastic" lining.

The best part is, with the hole at the bottom I'm able to use this as a utility sink in my apartment for when I need to clean off things like paint brushes, muddy boots, etc. It's perfect!

Please feel free to critique, offer suggestions or mock me by commenting on this post!


Project #2 - My first (and maybe last) attempt at a cloth diaper

In my last blog, I talked about attempting to make my first fleece diaper. Well, I tried. It was hard to find a pattern and when I finally did I was excited. Lindsey went out and bought some camouflage fleece fabric and I bought some velcro and elastic. Once we had everything, I started working on the diaper.

Since this was my first time ever following a pattern, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I cut out the patter, cut out the fabric and started sewing. Everything seemed fine until it came to the elastic. I have no idea how to sew elastic onto anything. I broke 3 needles trying to do it. I had a conversation with my mom and a sister-in-law and they told me what I was doing wrong....I was pulling the fabric too hard through the machine putting too much stress on the needle. Once I got through that I was done....take a look below:

I still have yet to put the velcro on the diaper because, as you can see, this diaper is huge. It's almost big enough to fit me! My mom went online and found the same pattern (I think) and ran into the same issue. So, if there is anyone out there with a good diaper pattern (this was a fitted diaper) can you please send it to me?

If I can get my hands on a better pattern, then I'll try again. Until then, I'm going to put my sewing skills on hold.

The good part about trying to make this diaper is, I have something i can give Nathan when he turns 16!!!!!!!

What about diapering?

I'm glad you asked. Lindsey and I got our hands on some used Bum Genius velcro All In Ones a few weeks ago. They are size small, so they should fit Nathan for a few more months (we hope). I LOVE THESE DIAPERS! They are so easy to use and wash. There is no removing or putting in inserts, spraying them down seems easier than the other diapers we have and they fit perfectly.

I think I change my mind every time I put up a post. For now, my favorite CD's are AIO's!!!!*

*my opinion is subject to change at any time without notice :)

That's all I have for now, as I leave please enjoy the cartoon I've placed at the bottom. Also, I love comments and feedback so please let me know what you like/don't like/want to see me do or do differently. I wont be offended by anything you say (most likely).

Thanks for reading!

- Dan the Diapering Dad!

Fussy Baby and Fuzzy Fitteds

Hola Amigos,

I'm not necessarily looking for advice, maybe I just want to vent a little so here it goes. Nathan (who is now 7 weeks old) has been a bit of a terror at night....heck, who am I kidding...he's been pretty fussy non-stop all day. Every time we think we have the solution, it stops working. We've had him diagnosed with acid reflux due to a weak muscle in his esophagus and he's been prescribed medicine. That seemed to help a little, but he's still fussy. We also use Mylicon which helps as well, but still doesn't fix the problem....they just seem to be band-aids.

It always seems to be related to his stomach...gas issues. He'll fuss around for about an hour or two, let out a couple big farts then fill his diaper with more poop than it can handle and he's good for an hour or so. Then we're back at it again!

-- I would like to know how to get the poop stains off of the elastic on our diaper covers....any suggestions??? --

The worst part is, we don't know what's wrong so we really can't help him. We feel bad for him! If you're the praying type, please say a prayer for us (more importantly for him) that we can get past this so he can be a happy baby.

Aside from the above issues, Nathan can be a fun baby! I think I was able to make him smile at just 3 weeks and we've been working on building up to the first laugh....can't wait!!!! Another great thing about him is that when other people are holding him, he's well behaved and in a good mood. Maybe we just need to have people over ALL THE TIME!

MEN, PLEASE READ THIS!
I have a confession to make, but I don't think it's completely my fault. I think this whole notion that Dad's are kind of moronic when it comes to babies is sort of true. Last night, for instance, Lindsey was going to a meeting so I took Nathan over to a youth event with me. The LAST thing she told me before she left was to get the milk and bring it with. So she left and then I left. We met up a few hours later at the youth event and Nathan started to get fussy. Lindsey went to look for the milk and to her surprise it wasn't there. When she questioned me, all I could say was....I forgot! How the heck did I forget? It was the last thing she said to me before I left the house? A word of advice to Dads -- DON"T PUT OFF WHAT YOU NEED TO DO RIGHT NOW, CAUSE YOU'RE JUST GOING TO FORGET! Seriously if she tells you to bring milk, turn off the TV get off your can and go to the fridge. Put the bottle in the "to-go" bag and put it in the diaper bag. LEARN FROM MY MISTAKE....DON'T PULL A DAN!!!!!

OK, I'm off my soapbox...I hope that I can save just one man from making this mistake! God Speed gentlemen.

Now let's talk about diapers...this is a diapering blog after all!

Lindsey and I have been having some difficulty with the absorbency of prefolds. They are leaking through our covers after one pee, which isn't good cause we thought we'd get a minimum of 2 uses per cover before washing. This sent Lindsey on a mission to find a better diaper to use with the covers. After much research and conversations with friends and fellow CDers, she found that fitted diapers would be a good way to go.





Looking online, she found some in wool and some in fleece and all were very expensive compared to prefolds. So she decided to stop by our local cloth diaper store, Comfy Bummy, to pick one up in fleece to see how it would work. We ended up loving it and here's why:

• soft material that pulls moisture away from skin
• full wrap-around coverage
• can be put in the dryer
• the elastic around the legs adds another barrier to keep unwanted poo and pee off of clothing.
• (I just figured out that I can use bullet points...watch out!)

Since the price is so expensive for the fitted diapers, Lindsey and I are going to try and make our own using a pattern we found online and some fleece we bought at the local fabric store. Our friend Amanda is the inspiration for this project. Since we really like Velcro, we'll be adding that to the diaper. The only concern at this point is how exactly to sew the elastic into the diaper. The good news is, we can use the million extra flat-folds we have to practice. I hope by the time I put up my next post, I'll be able to show off our handy work!!! Something to look forward to....right? OK, don't answer that!

Have any of you made your own fitted diapers? Where did you get the patterns? Any advice or suggestion for us before we move forward?

Thanks for reading and have an awesome day!!!!!

I'll talk to you soon,

Dan the Diapering Dad