bumGenius 3.0 Snap Conversion

I finally decided to take the plunge and convert our cloth diapers from aplix (velcro) to snaps.

After more than 2 1/2 years of heavy use these diapers have seen better days.  They're in pretty good condition considering the amount of wash and wear they've seen.  All of the fabric (including the waterproof PUL layer) is in great working condition, we don't have stains, and the inserts are still fine, but I found myself faced with some necessary maintenance especially considering we're planning to use these diapers with our next little one.  Cloth diapers are a long term investment, but they're very frequently used and washed and they do wear out just like any other piece of clothing.  For us, we're having the typical problems of the aplix wearing out and the elastics around the legs and back becoming too relaxed.

When we started cloth diapering we tried out several different brands of diapers before settling on bumGenius pockets.  At the time, bumGenius pockets were only available with aplix (they have since moved on to their 4.0 version, which is available in both snaps and aplix), but this was fine with us because we wanted the aplix.  Even though I'm converting to snaps now, I still think that aplix is a little better for ease of use and getting a perfect fit.  However, we do have some snap diapers (Flips) so I can say that the snaps really aren't a problem to use either and snaps are definitely the way to go for long term functionality.   

We purchased the aplix knowing that it would eventually wear out and we would need to do something about it.  We didn't have any problems with it for probably the first 2 years (aside from the laundry tabs not working very well, but as far as functionality of diapers, no issues) and then the tabs on our most frequently used diapers (we have specific colors set aside as night and nap diapers because we stuff them differently) started to not work so well.  We would end up with diapers coming loose while Jack was sleeping, which equals leaks, which is obviously not a good thing.  Especially now that the weather has turned cold and Jack is back in footie PJs (and therefore doesn't have the waistband on his PJs to help hold the diaper together) it's become quite frustrating and the rest of his diapers are starting to have the same problems.  Something needed done right away!

Now, back when we first noticed that the tabs weren't working as well, I notified Cottonbabies (the diaper manufacturer) of the problem and they sent me refresher kits with their new and improved 4.0 aplix free of charge.  The refresher kits are a great option if you still want to stick with aplix.  It contains new tabs, laundry tabs, and elastics to give your diapers a face lift.  I went ahead and used one of the kits on a night time diaper and while it was totally do-able, I realized that to replace the aplix on all 23 of our diapers it was going to be quite a project.

So... I ran out of steam and stopped there.  I'm glad that I did though, because several months down the road I'm discovering that replacing the aplix probably isn't our best option.  The 4.0 aplix and new laundry tabs have held up really well, I have no complaints with that however, looking at the wear to the landing strip across the front and the way that the new tabs are sticking to it, I see that there will likely be issues with that down the road and replacing the landing strip isn't exactly recommended as it's quite a process and involves taking the diaper apart.  It's not something I want to tackle.  Not to mention, I really want to tackle this issue and have peace of mind that it's going to be a long term solution.  Even with the improved aplix, it's just never going to be as durable as snaps and even IF the landing strip holds up (which I don't think it will, at least not long term) the aplix is eventually going to wear out again and I'm going to have the start the process all over again.  And that would not make me happy.

And so we decided to go with snaps.  It's still going to be a decent project to get all of our diapers converted, but at least I'll only have to do it once!  I started out by shopping around as there are people who will do the conversion for you, but it's not cheap.  And I see why it's not now that I've started the process.  It takes a decent amount of work.  It's not difficult, but time consuming.  After pricing it out I decided it was worth the time to do it myself (of course, when do I ever pay someone else to do something that I can do for myself more cheaply?  The answer to that is erm... never.  At least not when I can avoid it.).

So I got online and researched what supplies I would need to do the conversion.  KAM Snaps is pretty much the place to go for all your snap needs.

First, I needed snap pliers to set the snaps.  They also have snap presses, which I can totally see why those are nicer, but the pliers are much more affordable so I went with that option.  I also got an awl (the tool used to poke holes in the fabric).

Then, I needed snaps.  They actually have snaps that match bumGenius colors so you can either choose to do a perfect match or you can do whatever color you want.  I ordered size 20 shiny plastic snaps, which are the ones available in the matching colors.  I decided to do 20 snaps across the front of the diapers (2 rows of 10, which is what Cottonbabies actually does with their snap diapers now that they have that option) and two snaps on each wing.  For this formulation you need 24 caps, 20 sockets (the female piece), and 4 studs (the male piece) for each diaper.  The snaps can be purchased either in sets (which are comprised of 2 caps, 1 stud, and 1 socket) of 100 or you can choose to purchase the pieces individually in groups of 100.

I decided to just order them in complete sets because I wasn't 100% sure what I was going to do and how many of each part I would need, plus I needed a variety of colors.  I think it works out to be about the same price-wise.

So anyway, for everything I needed (minus some Black Friday discounts) I was able to get all of the supplies for $45.86 shipped.  And I ordered on a Friday and received my package on Monday.  Definitely a good experience!  The price works out to ~$2 to convert each diaper and obviously I'll have some parts leftover.  I also discovered that I maybe have over ordered by just a little bit.  This is quite a bit cheaper than paying someone to do the conversion for you, especially when you consider the cost of shipping both ways.

My first diaper took quite a while to finish.  First, I started with the diaper that I had switched out the aplix on and WOW did I do a good job of attaching that new aplix!  It took forever for me to detach the aplix (you'll also need a seam ripper if you don't have one of those).  Once I finally got everything removed I wasn't sure exactly how I wanted to configure the snaps.  As I said, I ended up basing it on the diapers Cottonbabies now offers in snaps (like the Flips that we already own), but the problem with that is the Flips, bumGenius 4.0s, etc. also have very slightly different measurements than the 3.0s so I had to keep that in mind and couldn't copy their snap placement exactly.

After playing around with it for a bit I decided on 2 rows of 10 snaps across and 2 snaps on each wing.  To do this I have the first row of snaps placed 3/4" down from the top of the diaper, the next row of snaps is 1" apart (all of my measurements are done to the center of the snap), and each snap is 1" apart from the next.  For the wings the snaps are about 1" apart, but I really had to eyeball this because I found that the wings are a little less consistent in shape (probably the nature of the stretchy fabric), but luckily because it's stretchy it's very forgiving.  I don't know if any of this makes sense, but when I was looking at conversion tutorials I couldn't find a lot that talked about specific measurements so I thought I would share mine in case it can help someone else!  Also, KAM Snaps does have tutorials on their website with a few different configurations that are helpful to reference.

So anyway, the first diaper was definitely a process since I was trying to figure out what I was doing, but after that I made a template with my desired measurements and the process goes a lot quicker now.  It's still a process, but now I know what I'm doing, which makes quite a bit of difference!

Here are two of the diapers I have converted:

And here's what it looks like opened up:

3 down, 20 more to go! 

(Ugh.)

And then on to replacing the elastics, which I am NOT looking forward to.  It seems like quite a process (double uggghh), but I'm going to hold off on that until Jack is done with the diapers so the new elastics stay nice and tight for tiny baby legs.

Pregnancy #2: 33 Weeks!

I know I keep saying this, but WOW is this pregnancy going by quickly!  I just can't seem to comprehend that we're literally down to the last few weeks.

It's interesting how emotionally different this pregnancy is from the last one.  Just things like how last time I lived and breathed my pregnancy, thought about it all the time, obsessed over preparations, and could. not. wait. to meet the baby.  This time around, it's just... different.  There's less to prepare for because we've done it before and we have the stuff.  We're not setting up a nursery this time (which, to be honest, I'm slightly bummed about, but I know I'll be able to do it in the future.  It's just a fun thing to do in preparation for the baby!) because we're planning for baby to sleep in our room at first like Jack did and hoping to move before a separate bedroom is needed.  Hoping being the important word here.  We'll see about that.

Also, while I am very excited to meet this little one I feel like I'm more in the mindset of it will happen soon enough.  I'm sure that has a lot to do with already having a toddler to care for and being nervous about adding a baby to the already exhasting enough mix and also having a more realistic view of parenthood than I did as a first time mom waiting to meet the baby.  At this point, I'm quite enjoying that I still have an inside baby because I know it will be an outside baby (and a lot more work!) soon enough, so I'm just kind of enjoying the calm before the storm while it lasts.  Plus for all the discomforts of pregnancy, I do enjoy it.  I love watching my belly grow with baby and feeling the little movements and envisioning what baby will look like.  I like that it's just us right now.  Pregnancy is such a blip on the radar of a child's life (and my life) and I like to soak it up while I can.  Maybe this will be the last time I get to experience it.

So let's talk discomfort.  I am definitely uncomfortable.  I have hit the point where unless I'm laying down, strategically supported by pillows I'm in constant discomfort.  By the end of the day discomfort elevates to pain.  I must say, I'm in less pain/discomfort right now than I was at this point in my pregnancy with Jack so that's a positive that I'm grateful for.  Last pregnancy the pelvic pain set in at 31 weeks pretty badly and just got progressively worse.  This time, it set in about the same time.  Whomp, whomp.

The interesting thing is that baby settled to head down position towards the end of week 30 (which is pretty typical).  I knew when it happened and it was confirmed at my 31 week midwife appointment a couple of days later.  Right after baby settled head down is when the pelvic pain started, now I'm thinking that maybe this is the exact thing that happened last time (baby settles head down, triggers the pain).  And of course, similarly to last time, I'm getting reports that baby's head is nice and low.  Well yeah, I can feel that, have I mentioned the pain factor?!  I guess this is just how my babies like to sit.

BUT it has yet to be as bad as last time and it comes and goes a little more.  Thrown into the mix this time is also some hip pain, which is interesting and I'd much rather deal with the hip pain than the pelvic pain if I have a choice.  The thing is, sometimes it's more hip pain (and only on my right side, not my left) and sometimes it's pelvic pain, but it seems to be one or the other.  I really, really think that getting adjusted weekly by my chiropractor has helped keep the pain at bay.  It's there, but it's not as severe as last time and I feel improvement after I've been adjusted, so that's good.  I'm just hoping we can keep it at bay right up until the end.  I'm still optimistic.  I realize that I'm getting to the end and it's just hard physically.  As long as we can keep it from progressing to the point it got to last time I'll be happy!

I must say though, even though I feel better than I did at this point in my last pregnancy it's very hard because I'm caring for a toddler all day.  I can't get around without least some mild discomfort, but at the same time, I'm lifting a 34lb toddler frequently (which is not easy or comfortable anymore) and at times he's being uncooperative, which is even worse.  34lbs feels like 50lbs when it's a limp or squirming toddler that doesn't want to be picked up.  We've had some rough days lately and I think it's a combination of me lacking patience and Jack being difficult.  He's 2 1/2, so it's normal and expected, but my is it harder to handle when just moving is getting more difficult!

The good news on the Jack front is he finally, FINALLY seems to be sleeping better (::knocks furiously on wood::).  His sleeping had been terrible in a variety of ways pretty much my whole pregnancy.  It was terrible timing.  But for the last 2 weeks it has definitely improved.  He's still not napping every day, but he's sleeping better at night and later in the mornings, which means I'm sleeping better, which means I'm feeling better in that regard.  I am so grateful for the little bit of extra sleep.  I really need my 8 hours.  Let's just hopehopehope that it continues.

Oh, names.  We're still discussing.  I've had a name in mind since the very beginning, but Mark's not so sure about it.  Around 30 weeks I was telling Mark that we really need to buckle down and get serious about the name discussion.  He insisted that we didn't have a name yet for Jack at this point last time.  Well, I consulted the blog (this is exactly why I blog!) and sure enough, it was right about that time that we had chosen Jack's name.  A few weeks later and we're still undecided, but we do have a list.  Of first names at least.  We haven't even started talking middle names yet.  Oy!

Because I can't imagine Jack being named anything different at this point I really liked looking back at his list.  So, for posterity's sake, here's The List of top name contenders:

Molly - this is the name I've had in mind all along.  It's still my top choice although I really am open to considering the other names despite what Mark says!

Lucy - this was Mark's suggestion, but was on my radar as well.  I think this tops his list.

Nora

Emmaline, we'd call her Emmie (pronounced Emma-Lean) - and right there in the parentheses is exactly my problem with the name.  I love it and the nickname, but I think that 1) people would think we were saying something like "Emily" instead of Emmaline, and 2) people would probably pronounce it Emma-Line, and 3) I think I actually prefer Emmie over Emmaline, but both Mark and I agree it seems more like a nickname than an actual name.  She would be the kid on the first day of school every year saying "I go by Emmie, not Emmaline" or "Actually, it's pronounced Emma-lean, not Emma-line".  I wouldn't rule out a name for any one of the reasons listed because none are that big of a deal, but I think there are just too many negative points for my taste.  It's still in the running though. 

That's pretty much it for the updates.  Still working with my Hypnobabies stuff.  I had a midwife appointment this week, everything looked great and my midwife even said that not only is baby head down, she's also currently facing my back (ideal positioning for labor/delivery), which I suspected from the movements I've been feeling.  ::Fingers crossed:: that baby stays this way!  A lot of our problems last time came from Jack's posterior (sunny-side up) position so I've been doing things (like the chiropractic adjustments and pelvic rocks) to encourage proper positioning this time.  I have another midwife appointment in 2 weeks and then I go to weekly appointments.  HOW is this happening already?! 

Menu Plan Monday - Week of November 25th

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!  We had a great day even if it was long.  We were able to see both sides of the family for Thanksgiving meals and Jack got lots of play time with his cousins.  He did great even with a lot of driving, no nap, and going to bed about 2 hours late, and even made up for it by sleeping in the next day!  Definitely a win!  Then we had a glorious long weekend that went by much too quickly.

Now, onto December holidays!


Sunday:  Parents' house for dinner

Monday:  Burritos - carried over from last week

Tuesday:  Tomato Basil Parmesan Soup (Crock Pot) with Grilled Cheese

Wednesday:  Loaded Potato & Buffalo Chicken Casserole with Salad

Thursday:  Meatball Subs with Salad

Friday:  Out

Saturday:  Turkey Dinner - we ended up not getting the turkey into the fridge to defrost so we'll do our turkey dinner this weekend instead!


I'm linked at Menu Plan Monday hosted by OrgJunkie.com

Consignment Shopping: Round 3

I shopped my last consignment sale for fall 2012 a few weeks ago, but I'm just now getting around to posting about it.  It's been a little crazy around here.  Hard to believe, I'm sure :)

This sale I predominately shopped for Baby Dos considering all the great stuff I was able to pick up for Jack during round 2 of shopping. 

Here's what I got:

Newborn size: 3 sleepers

0-3 month size: 3 sleepers, 1 sleeping gown, 1 hooded, fleece zip-up coat (with ears!  So cute.)

3-6 month size: 5 sleepers, 1 short-sleeved onesie, and a 2-piece sweat outfit with pants and a jacket

Nearly all the items are Carter's brand.  The 2-piece sweat outfit is Old Navy brand.

Not pictured: 10 pairs of 0-3 month baby socks in a variety of colors (I picked these up for $2, can't beat that!), and for Jack: 3 pairs of sweatpants (2 cotton, 1 fleece), and an Old Navy brand zip-up hoodie.  I wish I would have gotten pics of these, but they're already washed and being worn and I don't want to dig them out of his drawers.

I paid $47.50 for everything, which works out to a little over $2 for each item.

LOVE shopping the consignment sales!

Tried & True Recipe: Whole-Wheat Pizza Crust

Pictured is an individual-sized Margherita pizza

I've shared recipes for our favorite pizza sauce as well as our take on Margherita and BBQ Chicken pizza toppings.  Now it's time to share our go-to pizza dough recipe.  It's comprised of more than half whole-wheat flour so it's a little healthier than the usual all-purpose white flour recipes and it's so simple to throw together and easy to work with.  This recipe is easily doubled if you want to make two pizzas (or you could split one recipe into two single-serve pizzas) or you can freeze a ball of dough to pull out to use another day or make up a second pizza at the same time and pop it in the freezer before the final bake for a homemade frozen pizza waiting for a busy day when you need a quick meal.  I've also used this dough to make sandwich braids, calzones, and stromboli, but we most often use it for pizza.  Very versatile! 


Whole-Wheat Pizza Dough
adapted from Confections of a Foodie Bride

Yields 1 ~14-inch crust (depending on how thick or thin you like your crust)

3/4 c. Warm Water
2 1/4 t. (or one package) Active Dry Yeast
1 t. Honey (or you could substitute sugar)
3/4 c. All-purpose Flour
1 c. Whole-wheat Flour
1/2 t. Salt
1 1/2 t. Extra-virgin Olive Oil (plus additional for brushing on crust)


Combine water, yeast, and honey (I usually just do this right in the measuring cup) and set aside.

To the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with dough hook (or in a large bowl) add flours, salt, and EVOO.  Once the yeast/water mixture is frothy (~5 minutes) add to other ingredients.  Knead on medium speed (or by hand) ~8 minutes.

Cover mixer bowl with a towel and set aside in a warm place (I usually put it in my oven with just the light on) to rise for 1 hour, 15 minutes or until doubled in size.

Pre-heat oven to 450-degrees (don't forget to remove your dough first if you're using the oven to let it rise :) ).

Lightly grease pizza pan.  Press dough out to your desired thickness.  Lightly brush dough with EVOO (I usually just concentrate around the edges).  Bake for 7 minutes.  Remove crust from the oven and top with desired toppings.  Bake for 10-12 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and beginning to brown.

Enjoy!

Menu Plan Monday - Week of November 18th

Woot!  SO excited for Thanksgiving!  It's my favorite holiday :) 

I'm also kind of looking forward to it so that I can stop being angry that so many people are already celebrating Christmas prematurely and infringing on Thanksgiving.  I'm tired of being annoyed.  Maybe next year people will further erode the Christmas season by stretching it to start right after all the back to school hype and then I'll be over the whole thing by the time Turkey Day rolls around :/ 


Sunday:  Ruben Sandwiches with Chips

Monday:  Butternut Squash Soup with Grilled Cheese

Tuesday:  Buffalo Chicken Pizza

Wednesday:  Chicken Burritos

Thursday:  Thanksgiving!

Friday:  Turkey Dinner

Saturday:  Leftovers


I'm linked at Menu Plan Monday hosted by OrgJunkie.com

Menu Plan Monday - Week of November 11th

Sunday:  Parents' house for dinner

Monday:  Beer Cheese Soup with Pretzel Rolls

Tuesday:  Kale and Butternut Squash Pizza

Wednesday:  Parmesan Tilapia with Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Thursday:  Butternut Squash Enchiladas

Friday:  Mini Corn Dog Muffins with Baked Beans

Saturday:  Out


I'm linked at Menu Plan Monday hosted by OrgJunkie.com

Hypnobabies, Chiropractic Care, VBAC, and 30 weeks!

I know I keep saying this, but this pregnancy is flying by!  I'm 30 weeks pregnant and definitely feeling that I'm firmly into 3rd trimester.  Nothing major, just tired, general mild aches and pains.  Certainly nothing to complain about! 

I've been seeing a chiropractor on a weekly basis mostly in an attempt to avoid the pelvic pain I experienced last time, but it has also made a difference in my overall comfort (and it's just great for pregnancy, there are a lot of benefits.  So glad I decided to start going!) so I'm optimistic about how the rest of this pregnancy will play out.  Additionally, I'm sleeping so much better since I started getting adjusted, which I hadn't planned on.  Seriously, overnight, better quality of sleep.  Granted my schedule is still set by a 3-foot-tall dictator, but when I AM sleeping it's quality sleep, which is important and much more than I can say for the sleep I was getting up until now.  I'm totally sold on chiropractic care. 

Last weekend was our final Hypnobabies class.  I really enjoyed the classes and I'm so glad we did them, but I'm also glad that they're over!  They took up a big chunk of already too short weekends and made for a long day.  Now that the classes are behind us I'll spend the time from now until the birth basically compounding what I've learned.  I'll continue working with it every day, practicing the techniques, and very importantly, surrounding myself with positive thoughts.  Hopefully all this work will be worth it and lead to a great experience during my birthing time.

So obviously it's been implied, but I don't know that I've actually yet stated, I am planning for a vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC).  Based upon my circumstances I'm a great candidate and the risks of a VBAC are lower for me than that of a repeat cesarean.  We're doing everything we can to stack the deck in our favor in order to achieve a VBAC. 

Last year, before we were even trying for another baby, I switched to a new practice because I knew I wanted to attempt a VBAC and I knew that I needed a new care provider to give myself the best chance possible.  The practice I'm currently with is comprised of 3 Certified Nurse Midwives (CNMs) and 1 OB/GYN.  I rotate between the 3 CNMs and will only see the OB if something becomes higher risk or if I end up needing a C/S after all.  The practice definitely subscribes more to the traditional midwifery model of care than the medical model and overall I just think this is exactly where we need to be.  They attend births in the hospital, but they're extremely supportive of my attempt at a VBAC and I think they'll really be great partners in this process.

So far our experience has been night and day.  Last time I was with a huge practice where I saw someone new every time.  Appointments were extremely quick, they were doing things their way, and I was nothing more than a file to them.  I really should have explored other options (I really wish I had found my current practice last time, I really think things would have gone differently), but at the time I thought MY knowledge could overcome whatever my care provider situation is.  I've since learned the importance of having a supportive provider whose views align with your own.

Anyway, despite having a great experience so far, I was kind of holding my breath until the appointment where we discussed everything in detail.  In order to move forward with a trial of labor after cesarean (TOLAC) the patient has to sign off on paperwork indicating that they understand the potential risks.  It's a good thing really because the it gives the provider a chance to ensure that you're giving informed consent and it gives you the opportunity to ask any questions you may have. 

And I had questions.  A whole long list of them, because I definitely do not want any surprises when we get to the end.  I wanted to know ahead of time just where they stood on issues that are important to me in an attempt to really gauge how supportive they are.  I was nervous going into this appointment because I really felt that this practice is the best fit for us and what if when I asked all of my questions I found out things weren't going to go quite the way I was imagining?  Well, I'm so happy to report that after thorough questioning I'm more reassured in my providers than ever.  I really think they're going to partner with us and support us through this process.  I don't feel like I'm going to have to fight for what I want or second guess their recommendations.  Trust is priceless and of the utmost importance in a situation like this. 

As of right now I'm just really looking forward to everything coming together and seeing the process unfold.  I hope I can maintain a positive outlook right up through the end!

Menu Plan Monday - Week of November 4th

Annnd it's November.


Sunday:  Late lunch

Monday:  Chili con Queso Mac & Cheese (using leftover Pumpkin Chili) with Steamed Broccoli

Tuesday:  Zuppa Toscana with Breadsticks

Wednesday:  Parmesan Tilapia with Butternut Squash

Thursday:  Baked Chicken Chimichangas with Mexican Rice and "Refried" Beans (from the freezer)

Friday:  Italian Subs with Chips

Saturday:  Out


I'm linked at Menu Plan Monday hosted by OrgJunkie.com

Happy Halloween!

From the cutest little lion I know!

As you can see, Jack dressed up like a lion for Halloween this year.  Leading up to Halloween I kept asking Jack what he wanted to be.  He just didn't quite get the concept.  If we suggested costumes he'd say yes to anything we suggested, but he didn't have any ideas of his own.  So I tried to figure out if he did understand what the heck I was talking about, what he might want to be.  Lately he's been pretending to be a dinosaur stomping around, and roaring like a lion (he really likes to watch The Lion King).  He was a dinosaur (dragon?) for his first Halloween, so a lion it was!

ROAR!

I thought about making the top, but I ended up being able to purchase one more inexpensively from eBay than it would have cost to make, but I did make the pants using this tutorial.  They turned out really well!  Of course there was a hiccup as the evening before we needed the costume I sat down to work on sewing the pants and we promptly lost power.  Ugh...  Thankfully it was only for a few hours, but I found myself finishing up the pants around 11.30 at night after a long day.  As I was working I realized that, being the procrastinator I am, this is very likely not going to be the last Halloween I'm up late finishing a costume.  Note to self: it's okay to work on things ahead of time!

Power outage aside, the costume was ready to go for Halloween festivities!  We had a party with his playgroup friends (is there much cuter than a bunch of toddlers dressed up in costume?  I think not.) on Tuesday and then Jack spent Trick-or-Treat helping us pass out candy.  The weather was gross this year so I was very thankful that he's not yet old enough to realize he was missing out on going Trick-or-Treating.  This was probably going to be the first year we let him go around to a few houses, but considering he didn't even know to miss it, we were not taking him out in the cold rainy weather!  Next year.

He did have a blast handing out candy though!  He loves kids so he spent the evening in our big window (in costume, of course) watching everyone else and waving hi.  He also helped to put candy in trick-or-treater's bags and yelled "Trick or treat!" back at the kids, and then "Thank you!" after he gave them the candy.  He's so silly.  He definitely enjoyed himself though and that's what matters!