It is diaper time

We are having an EXCITING day-- at least this is what passes for excitement in our pre-baby world: our diaper order arrived today. After reading about the pros and cons of different options Mike and I decided that reuseable diapers would be the best choice for us. Ultimately we made this choice for two reasons:
Cost (article courtesy of Mary Liotta)
and health/environmental reasons (From the EcoBunz website)

After making the decision, the next phase was WHAT to buy. The idea of big saggy squares of cloth held together by sharp pins was not appealing to us. Not to mention we have no real idea of how they are folded, despite these cool instructions on the web. We first looked for a local diaper service, as their giant industrial-sized machines use less water than home washing. However, we could not find one where we live.

I spent a long time trying to research the different types available today-- the options are staggering. Then I put together an order at The Stork Wearhouse including a few different types that I think should get us through the entire diapering cycle-- though of course we have no idea what to really expect.

I will try to explain what we bought-- because I know the grandmoms especially are wondering about how these work now.

The Dr Suess yellow diaper and the blue one with farm animals are both Bumkins "all in ones", which are exactly what they sound like-- a diaper cover and liner that can be washed.

The other major option that one can choose is a combination of a cover, made of some waterproof material, but not the rubber pants of byegone days, coupled with an absorbent liner. One example of the covers I bought can be seen above with the froggy pattern. It is made by a company called Bummis (honestly, the names are one of the best parts-- we bought another kind of liner called Happy Heinys). The "inner absorbent layer" thingees are shown in the photos below the frog photo-- the first photo shows one opened up, and the second photo shows the three sizes we bought-- they are by a group called Kissaluvs.

The three pale yellow diapers in the next photo are from a company named Wonderoos-- these come in one size, but they are covered in snaps to make them adjustable. This is what is called a pocket diaper-- which means it is a moderate weight cover into which you can fit a more absorbent liner.

The next to the last photo is of what are called cotton pre-folds, this is just the basic square diaper from the past. These can be folded to fit into some of the covers, but I bought them to use primarily as burps cloths/miscellaneous baby cloths and as emergency backup.

The final photo is of me sitting amongst all my diaper treasure. Overwhelming, isn't it? And these are just the BASICS-- I avoided the posh designer covers made from wool or fleece because I didn't want to get in over my head!

It will be neat to see how they work out-- and you may have the opportunity to find out first hand, when the Maier baby comes to a lap near you...