When Old Becomes New

After buying diapers and pull-ups for six years now, I started to consider using cloth diapers. Though it is something that we don't see much of these days, rumors persisted that they were still in existence. Okay, so what really happened is that I saw a couple of really cute cloth diapers and wished that our diapers had that cuteness about them. That's true in part. I do like cute stuff. I also noticed the ease of the "new" way of cloth diapering. We were still buying diapers for two boys and I didn't like spending $40 every two to three weeks. My hope was that cloth diapers would save us money and, at the very least, would encourage earlier potty training. Thus, I began my quest for information.

Who knew there were so many options and products to consider in regards to cloth diapering?!

My cousin, Serena, spent several hours via facebook's instant messenger talking to me about cloth diapers. She told me about some of her favorite cloth diaper websites like cottonbabies.com, kellyscloset.com, and jilliansdrawers.com. I was reading terms and names that meant nothing to me! You see, cloth diaper people have a different lingo than the rest of us. Thankfully, one the websites has a Cloth Diaper 101 page which includes an explanation of common cloth diapering terms. This is a true story.

The following is an abridged version of the list and may cause your head to spin. You have my permission to skip this section as long as you look at the cute baby on the right.

• AIO - Common abbreviation for All In One diapers.
• Bummis - a brand of cloth diaper cover.
• Bumkins - a brand of diaper cover and an all-in-one.
• Cloth Diaper - A cloth diaper is a washable, reusable diaper made of any one (or several) types of fabric. A cloth diaper usually requires a cloth diaper cover.
• Contoured Diaper - it does not have elastic at the legs or waist.
• Chinese Prefold Diaper (also abbreviated CPF, UBCPF and IPF) - A flat diaper (thicker in the middle than it is on the sides) that comes in multiple absorbencies and sizes. This diaper is the foundation of an economical cloth diapering system.
• Diaper - the American word for nappy.
• DD ('sposies) - Disposable Diapers
• Diaper Cover - Cloth diaper covers come in all shapes, colors, fabrics and sizes. They are used to 'cover' up a cloth diaper and keep your baby's clothes dry.
• I(d)SO -In (dire) Search Of...
• Flat Diaper (flats) - A "flat" refers to a diaper that is typically 27"x27" square.
• Fitted Diaper (fitteds) - this has elastic at the legs and at the waist. It also has some type of closure to hold the diaper on the baby.
• FSOT - For sale or trade...
• Nappy - the European word for diaper
• Nylon Pants - styled similar to the traditional plastic diaper pants but are made of breathable nylon material.
• One size diaper (OS) - usually fits a child from birth up until about 30 or 35 pounds.
• Pocket Diaper - usually made of two layers of fabric sewn together to form a pocket for an absorbent insert.
• Plastic Pants - commonly used when I was a baby. They are made of vinyl, a material that releases dioxins when warmed. We do not recommend using plastic pants!
• UBCPF - Common abbreviation for an unbleached Chinese Prefold Diaper
• WAHM - This abbreviation is commonly used for "Work At Home Mom".
• Wool Soaker - basically a diaper cover made exclusively of wool.

Whew! That's over. Anyway... to sum up, we took the plunge and invested in cloth. Thank you, Serena and Amy, for your input and patience. Noah has been using them for about a week now and we like it. Noah has not told me that he likes them but I think that's because he doesn't talk yet. Just a guess.

We can now commence with more pictures of Noah sporting his new cloth diaper and covers.

I just thought I'd check out the antique effect. The jury's still out.

I get the best smiles and laughs from Noah when I burp. *gasp* "Say cheese" does nothing for him.

Noah did not appreciate his picture being taken this time.

Baby's got back.

Pardon me?

Oh! That's funny!

Black and White effect. :0) I like it. Noah likes Buzz Lightyear.

The rear view.

Cuteness! Doesn't it make you want your own cloth diapers?