Diaper duty

For a long while now, Todd and I have been considering going the cloth diaper route.  Some friends in Cheyenne used cloth diapers for their little girl and we were impressed.

I know what you're imagining: a rag, some diaper pins and a plastic bloomer to prevent leaks.

Not so!

That option does still exist, but it's not the only one.  In fact, the number of brands and diaper styles is a little overwhelming.  Cloth diapers today are soooo much more advanced.  They're basically shaped like a disposable - only you throw them in the washer, not the trash.

This was one of the appealing factors to us when considering going cloth.  We're not crazy granola folks or anything, but we do believe in being responsible and we felt good about not contributing to the clogging of our landfills.

Also, the amount of money you can save with cloth diapers is amazing - upwards of $1,500 before your child is potty trained!

To help us in our decision we turned to a store in Denver called The Giggling Green Bean.  It's where our friends learned about cloth diapers and where they ultimately got theirs.


Before Rosie arrived, the weekend before in fact, Todd and I took a cloth diaper class at the store to learn about the different options.  The Bean has this great program where you give them a $50 deposit and they give you $100 in merchandise to try for two weeks.  At the end of that time, you send back what you don't like, keep what you love and they figure out the difference.

What a great opportunity to try out the different styles to see what works for you!

Let me help you visualize some of the options.  After some research and several questions for the girls at the Bean, here is what I finally decided on for our trial.  The red and orange diapers are called pocket diapers; the purple is an all-in-one; and the green is a hybrid...

This diaper is Rumparooz brand and is what our friends used.  The snaps along the bottom are used to adjust the rise.  So, when your baby is smaller you use that bottom row and as they grow you move up to the next row.  The snaps along the top hold the sides together in the same fashion as a disposable...

Why did we want to try this brand?  Well, first of all we've seen it in action.  Secondly, it has a patent-pending double gusset that is supposed to really fight leaks.  Those pads to the right are what you stuff down the center to provide extra absorbency...

This Baby Kicks brand diaper is also a pocket style.  The girls at the store agreed they thought this brand has a more trim profile than the Rumparooz.  Since bulk can be an issue when you're dealing with cloth diapers I thought a slimmer fit was appealing...

This is what's called an all-in-one.  This is the Tots Bots brand from Scotland.  Basically, it's the same idea as the pocket, but the soaker pads are sewn in.  I knew immediately I didn't like them.  You have very little control over the soaker pad which means it will always be bulky.  But, I gave it a try just to verify my first impression.  Yep.  Not happening.  I do like, however, how the Scots describe this product and how to use it.  "Wee in their nappy," is used many times on their website...

And the hybrid...

This is a GroVia brand diaper.  Hybrids come with a shell you snap liners into...

The idea with these is that you buy about 10 shells and 24 liners.  When it's time to change baby, you don't have to dump the whole diaper in the wash, just the shells; unless, of course, there is a mess on the shell.  The other diapers require you to wash the whole thing every time.

Ok, let's take a test drive!

Here is the Rumparooz.  Rosie looks pretty happy, right?  Really, I was too, but I did find them to be a bit bulky...  

And the Baby Kicks...

Again, I liked it overall.  It did have a more trim fit, which I really liked, but I was a little disappointed it didn't have very many snap options like the Rumparooz.  I worried about running out of room as she grows.

Are you noticing how her legs are ALWAYS kicking?  Baby Kicks, indeed...!

I didn't even take a picture of the Tots Bots.  I found the sewn in soaker annoying and bulky, just as I assumed, and they just didn't fit as nicely.

Here's the hybrid at work.  With this particular brand you can choose between Velcro or snaps for the side closures.  I wanted to go the Velcro route during our trial period because everything else we chose had snaps.  For purchasing, I would go the snap route.  That Velcro was crazy adhesive and stuck to everything...

I loved the hybrid!  It's super easy to use.  Snapping the liner in and out is a breeze.  The shell can be used more than once if not messed on.  They weren't super bulky.

It was the winner!

A cute picture of Rosie's bum sporting the GroVia...

We're pretty sure we'll be moving forward on cloth diapers!

This week I will be calling The Bean to talk to them about the hybrid.  There's a brand we are interested in that is made mostly in the USA, but the store doesn't carry them.  Currently, anyway.  That may change.  The GroVia brand is made in China (as are the Rumparooz and Baby Kicks) which makes us unhappy.  It kind of defeats the purpose of trying to reduce our "carbon footprint."

We'll see how this goes!

Long time, no write...but for good reason!

My last post was Nov. 6, the day after mine and Todd's first anniversary.

Three days later Rosemary Loraine Kittel was born.  She was exactly one month early to her due date!

Since then, we have been a little preoccupied with figuring out life with baby!  My goal, however, is to get back on the blogging bandwagon so family and friends can keep up with the Kittel household!

At this point, back tracking on old blog post ideas just seems a little too late in the game. I doubt I'll cover much that's happened over the last two months and instead will try to be a little more up to date.

This about sums it up though...

Rosie three days old:

Rosie one month old...

Rosie two months old...

First year anniversary weekend

Yesterday was mine and Todd's first year anniversary!

I have to admit, sadly, with our first baby on the way neither of us had really thought too much about our anniversary.  We've been pretty consumed with baby prep and not so much how we would celebrate.  

In fact, the trip we took to Denver this weekend was initially set up to do some baby shopping.  Then we put two and two together and realized it was also our anniversary weekend, so we modified our trip to fit in some couple time.  Kinda sad, I know!

We had dinner at a fabulous restaurant in Cherry Creek, Denver called North.  It serves modern Italian cuisine that is just de-lish!  We both had the salmon filet with faro and it...was...perfect!  I'm salivating now just thinking about it.  

Afterwards, we went out for a drink.  Well, Todd had a drink.  I had a club soda and lime...

The next day we got down to bid-ness with baby shopping.  Denver was pretty much a bust.  We didn't find a single thing we needed there.  Ft. Collins, Colo., however, was a total win!  We found everything we were looking for there!

We also attended a "diapering class" for cloth diapers, which is something we're considering.  I'll chat more about this in the future, but to ease your minds - we are not doing it the old school way with folded material, pins and a plastic shell.  Those are still out there...but cloth diapering has come a long way since then and we're considering a different route.  But - more on that later!  Here's a pic of the instructor demonstrating some of the diapers...

The one big item we've had trouble figuring out is a nursery chair.  While Casper has many furniture stores to choose from, none of them have anything I would use for a nursery chair.  A big, fatty, Lazy-Boy recliner is not my ideal baby chair, though Todd would be thrilled with that!  

So, we've been looking for something that a) looks nice, b) is super comfortable, c) Todd fits in, and d) is that magical low price.   

Not surprisingly, this doesn't exist.

Several friends have chosen the Dutailier brand chair; one that, I have to say, doesn't meet my aesthetic or price point requirements.  But everyone has said these chairs are super comfortable and one girlfriend, whose husband is even taller than Todd, said it is perfect for them.  

The only place we could find that had them on the floor for trying out was BabiesRUs.  I have never been in this store before.  Honestly, I don't even remember shopping in a ToysRUs either.  I must have been pretty young if I did and it wasn't a place we ever went shopping as kids.  So, this was a new experience!  

I didn't take full advantage of my maternity status, but thought this was a nice touch for moms-to-be who can't or don't want to hike from the nether regions of a parking lot into the store...

We tried the various brands of chairs out and decided the Dutailier is indeed the most comfortable. And...we decided for the money we are probably getting a better, (hopefully) longer lasting product than the "knock-off" versions they had sitting nearby.  Todd fit in the chair, which glides and reclines - something I know he really wanted in a chair.  It's not exactly pretty or cute, but at this stage in the game, I don't care so much.  I just want it bought and in the room.  I want to be comfortable in it.  Check and check.

We didn't walk out with one, but instead decided to see if we could find it cheaper online.  Todd did!  By a couple hundred dollars, no less!  It's not the color combo we wanted (dark cloth to hide our black labs' hair and light wood to match the rest of the furniture in the nursery), but again - I've ceased to care.  Let's just get the darn chair at the better price and be done with it!

The chair and footstool will look basically like this, only with dark brown cushions...

So, that major purchase is off the list!

Next...we DESPERATELY needed extra storage for Little Kittel's room.  It is currently in such disarray you can't even walk through it.  That's because we have no place to put half the stuff we have for her!

I've been looking and looking for a cool vintage piece, but haven't had any luck finding something.  Leave it to Ft. Collins and their Antique Row to help us get the job done!

We saw several pieces for a decent price and finally narrowed it down to this...

It's a 1920s pie safe.  It's been refurbished some, but was in pretty darn good shape.  I'm very happy with it and can't wait to get it in the baby room!

We got home that night with just enough time to warm up our wedding pie and have our one-year anniversary bite.  We used the forks Linds C. got for us to eat with at our reception...

The rhubarb pie that served as our "wedding cake..."

Happy first anniversary!

A whirlwind anniversary to celebrate a whirlwind year!

33 weeks and counting

Little Kittel's due date is Dec. 9.  That still sounds far away, doesn't it?  We haven't even had Halloween or Thanksgiving yet, so Dec. 9 is forever away, right?  

Not really.  We are at week 33, which means if Little Kittel comes right on schedule we only have SEVEN weeks to go!

SEVEN.

There is a big mix of excitement and gravity in this realization.  

Certainly we are excited.  We've wondered what she will look like (we're betting on blue eyes after her mama and daddy), and how she will behave. What will she sound like?  I think about how good of a daddy Todd will be and how sweet he'll look holding her.  I imagine all the fun family things we'll do together and the girl things just she and I will do.  

Then there's a reality check where I know having a baby won't be all smiles and sweet coos.  When I think of all the responsibility and all the things we don't know I start to feel overwhelmed.  

How do we know what we're doing?  How tired will we truly be?  What is breastfeeding really like and how do you do it?  How do we know what she's crying about?  Is she too hot?  Too cold?  How do we know if something's wrong - like if she isn't feeling well?  What do we do about it? 

Now, I've got a lot of experience babysitting kids of all ages, which I think has helped me feel comfortable around children, but I'm guessing no matter how many babysitting hours I've logged I'm not truly prepared for having my own kid.  

Most upsetting to me lately is that for everything I imagine our life to soon be, I feel like that's what it is: imaginary.  

Me having a baby seems very, very surreal.  No matter how many baby clothes I wash and fold, or how many times I go through all the gear we've now got, I sometimes can not get my head around it even as I'm about to cross the finish line.  It's not that I didn't want a baby because I did - very badly, in fact.  But going from that desire to start a family to actually starting one is a big reality pill to swallow.  

I've worried that this surreal feeling is keeping me from connecting with Little Kittel like I should.  However, several girlfriends have told me the feeling is normal and I've got nothing to worry about.  They would look at their baby after it was born and wonder when its real mom was coming to pick him or her up!  

These seven weeks (if she doesn't come early) are filled with holidays and events and are going to go quickly, I know.  Before we know it she'll be here!  

I can't believe it.  

Baby transportation

Our stroller and car seat...I mean travel system...arrived last night!

I have been anxiously awaiting its arrival.  I put so much thought into this choice that I couldn't wait for it to show up.  

Would we love it?  We better.  Would Todd love it?  He better!  Would it be comfortable for both of us to use?  We're both tall, Todd being very tall, would the handles be a good height for him?  Is it relatively lightweight?  I didn't want to heft a massive stroller in and out of the car.

Turns out we do both love it!  It will fit both of our heights due to the adjustable parent handle; and while I wouldn't want to pack it on my back and hike Everest...the weight is just fine.  

Personally, I love the modern, streamlined look of the neutral colors - a simple black and gray.  I like that we can get our money's worth out of it with a second baby sometime down the road.  It's not pink, it's not blue, it's neutral - and not yellow or green neutral.  I also like that it doesn't have a design on it like so many do.  No circles, dots, stripes, animals...just sleek.  

Todd pulling it out of the box last night...

And becoming a little frustrated as he put the stroller together.  It was kind of like doing the lights for our Christmas tree.  It puts him in a bad mood and kind of takes the excitement off the event at hand!

But it was relatively easy, and it got done.  And afterwards he was pretty happy with the choice.  And I am too!  Here I am with my 31 week belly giving the stroller a whirl...!

We just need a second car seat base for Todd's truck and we'll be all set to take Little Kittel everywhere we go!  

Baby room

Our baby room is painted!

I worked hard today to get the color up and, if I do say so, I think it looks awesome.  

Yes, we are having a girl, but I wanted turquoise walls.  I think her room is going to be so cute once we get all the furniture and finishing touches in there.  

The color we chose is Behr's Jamaica Bay.  We got it 50 percent lighter than the original sample.  I love, love it.  I've put a lot of work myself in this room.  I'm the one that ground the cracks out, mudded them, sanded them, mudded and sanded again...  Todd used the paint sprayer to put the primer on, but this paint job is all me!  

The only thing left to do in here is clean down the closet and paint the baseboards and trim white.  Technically, I should do the window trim too, but we didn't get around to priming it earlier and right now I just don't care.  We can touch that up later.  

At the moment I'm content to just sit with my feet up on the couch!  

Registry rationale

Putting together a baby registry is HARD WORK.

After talking to a few girlfriends who have recently had babies, I feel better that I am not alone in thinking this.  It's funny how smart gals with common sense can be overwhelmed by putting together something as seemingly simple as a baby registry.  

There are so many silly and unnecessary products out there and it's hard to cut through the noise to figure out what you really need and when.  

I have spent hours reading baby product books and researching, comparing features, and reading product reviews until I've narrowed down the items I think we'll like best.  I've kept by my side the sample registry list I found in a magazine and slowly - very slowly - I have either checked an item off as "registered for" or scratched it off as "not necessary."  

Some items have been saved after being written off as not worth it once I consulted with others who have kids.  Like the Boppy pillow, for example.  It seems like a gimmick to make you spend money on yet another baby "supply."  Why can't you just use a pillow if you need support?  One friend did just that, but she was outnumbered by four others who absolutely insisted that the Boppy was a lifesaver.  One girlfriend told me last week they have three, I believe - one for each floor of their house.  My youngest sister went so far as to just buy me one out of fear, I think, that I wouldn't register for it.  So, the initially silly Boppy was saved and arrived last night on our front porch.  

I find I have to really think through even little things like sleep sacks.  Little Kittel will be a winter baby, so she'll obviously need something on the warmer side.  Ok...a fleece sack it is.  In fact, two fleece sacks in case an accident in the middle of the night warrants a change.  But which size?  How long are babies, particularly newborns, in those sizes?  What if she's like another girlfriend's baby who, I just learned, runs hot.  On to the list went a cotton one, which then required another round of deciding on colors.   

And so it has gone for the last month.  Read, review, compare, list.  

I am happy to say the list is almost done!  Just a few more items to decide on and the registry will be good to go!  Now which stroller system should we use...?  

Big, life-changing news

If you didn't already know, or you missed the "public" announcement on facebook...

We're expecting!

And we're expecting a baby girl!  Todd and I found out last Tuesday at our first ultrasound that the little bun in the oven is indeed a girl; and from the ultrasound photos below you'll see there is very little question.

Being pregnant hasn't been too much of a secret, especially since at 22 weeks you can tell just by looking at me (or if you follow me on pinterest you've probably noticed a lot of baby-centric pins).  But I hesitated making any big announcements until after we were assured everything was A-ok from the ultrasound and previous blood tests.

We actually found out there was a Little Kittel on the way right after Easter.  At that point I was about eight weeks and had no idea until I started calculating time tables while making Easter dinner.  I told Todd my thoughts and decided to take a test the next morning.

I read the directions a few times, then did as instructed.  When I came back to check, there it was, a faint + staring back at me.

Though we had decided to start rolling the dice I don't think I was truly prepared for the reality looking me in the face.  I was excited, happy, scared, and rather in disbelief.  Being my first baby, I had absolutely no idea what to expect, so, I immediately ran to the local bookstore to pick up that famous book that answers that question.

And so we've boarded the baby train!

Check out our Little Kittel on the way...

If you look carefully at the top right photo you'll see the word "girl" typed between her legs.  The doctor described that photo as, "it's like the baby is sitting on a glass table and you are underneath looking up," to which I replied, "She better not be behaving like that!"  The doctor then came up with another analogy about sitting on a Xerox machine.  It didn't exactly right the image in our heads...  :)

A few more snapshots of her...

And my favorite...the very clear profile of our baby...

It's crazy to think that's INSIDE me...that I'm PREGNANT...and I'm going to be a MAMA!  A lot of times it still doesn't seem real.  But then I look at this photo and think of how this is just the beginning.