Jolly Green Baby

We have decided to embark on the cloth diapering adventure for our wallet's sake and for the love of the earth. Gretchen Smeltzer (friend thru my brother) graciously passed down a whole mess of cloth diapers and covers to us a few months back and the idea just expanded from there. I started researching all of the different ways we could go about taking on this challenge and finally have wrapped my head around it. We will use Chinese prefolds, Thirsties covers, snappies instead of clothespins, handmade flannel wipes, and Northern Essence wipe solution... I went to Cutie Tooties here in Knoxville the other day and purchased a few things to get us started. The owner was there and was extremely helpful, and should be, as she has cloth diapered toddler triplets! I cannot even begin to imagine the amount of laundry that family has done! I am going to set up a registry there, so if anyone is looking for gift ideas, this would be amazing!



A few fun facts about cloth diapering and why it's a great choice:
- On average, Americans throw away enough diapers per year to fill a football stadium three miles high (SICK!).
- It takes 500 years for one disposable diaper to break down in a landfill.
- From birth to potty trained at 2nd birthday, the average savings for using cloth diapers is approximately $1500. And if you use reusable wipes, add another $800 onto that.
- Once you collect the supplies for one baby, you can use them (or pass them on) to other children to use as well.

I'm convinced. Chris and I are going to need some practice, but we figure that we have to change his diaper anyway, might as well save cash and the planet while we are at it. Being good stewards of what God has given us serves more than just our needs... maybe it will teach others that they can do the same, even if it seems a small gesture.

In other recent happenings, I made a mobile of sorts to hang above Noah's crib. Though we weren't really going for a "Noah's Ark" theme, his room and bedding (thanks to the Giusti fam) has been decorated with animals...so I found these felt photo frame projects on super sale at Wal-Mart and decided to make a little mobile. Those are pictures of Chris and me throughout the past few years... the original idea was to use our baby pictures, but I got impatient and used current pictures of us together. I am no crafting pro, but I am pretty proud of the way it came out.


We started our birthing classes last night... let me just say that the videos we watched last night should be shown in every sex-ed class across America. Wow. One down, four to go... we are hoping we make it thru all five weeks. The biggest lesson I learned is that gravity works in your favor, so if being upright more often will kick this delivery into gear, I won't be sitting/laying very much in the next 7 weeks.