Diaper Stash Evolution

So, over time our stash has changed and changed again.  Yesterday I let Vinnie wear undies all day, (he never made it to the potty) so I could get ALL of the diapers clean and inventory what we are using.

Luke is full-time in Pull-Ups right now.  I was buying him cloth trainers but found that he either outgrows them or the PUL doesn't last, so they weren't worth the investment.  They also don't hold resale value like the diapers can.

He has had times where we thought he was *almost there* with potty learning....and full set-backs (like a leg cast!) that have him barely even attempting to use the potty.

Vinnie knows when he is stinky and needs changed and doesn't like the feeling when he wets a diaper, but doesn't seem ready to go on the potty just yet, so we'll be doing diapers for at least a little while longer.

So, I've got the stash broken up this way:

Day-Time Use at home: (stuffed with microfiber car wash towels)
12 BG 3.0s
6 BG 4.0s

Day-Time Use on the go: (stuffed with various hemp inserts)
13 Alva Baby Pockets

Night Time Diapers: (stuffed with Thirsties Duo Sz. 2 Hemp Prefolds)
6 Alva Baby Pockets

Bamboo Fitteds: 
(Vinnie is technically allergic to these, but I use them with a liner on wash day or as back-ups)
2 Soggy Bottom Baby
4 Bagshot Row Bamboo
1 MamaGoetsch Creations Pocket Fitted


We have a total of thirty one day-time diapers and six night time diapers in our regular rotation and I wash every 3-4 days.

I use Ecos laundry detergent, "home-made booster", apple cider vinegar, and dish soap. (I don't buy Dawn so I use whatever we have, normally Palmolive.)  The home-made booster is equal parts of oxyclean free, washing powder, borax, and baking soda.

I start with a cold rinse of all the dirty diapers.  I follow that with a hot wash including 1-2 scoops (from the Oxyclean container) of the home-made booster, Ecos up to the 2 line and a healthy splash of apple cider vinegar (probably 1/2-1 cup).  If there is any odor left in the washer, then I will run another hot cycle with a squirt of dish soap, baking soda, and apple cider vinegar.  I use the "heavy duty" cycle on my machine which includes stain clean, an extra rinse, and an extended soaking time.  After the diapers are clean, I rinse them on a rinse only cycle with cold water.  It doesn't normally take more than 1 cycle to get rid of the vinegar smell and any suds.

I dry all of our diapers in the dryer, since line-drying is not an option for our allergic boy.

Ear Tube Surgery & A Broken Foot

So, after my last update, both boys were sick with double ear infections.  We also found out Luke had a perforated ear drum.

That week, we went to the ENT and he confirmed that Luke's ear tubes were still in his ears but weren't in place, which was causing the recurrent ear infections.  Dr. Keyes scheduled Luke's ear surgery for July 16, first thing in the morning.

Dr. K also checked out Vinnie's ears and said that he looked like a candidate for tubes as well & that if he were to get one more ear infection he'd qualify, since the insurance requires 4 or more infections in a "season".

Luke's surgery went well, they didn't let me go back with him, but he was okay with Dr. K & the anesthesiologist.  They played Batman and Dr. Doom!

About 9 minutes after he went in Dr. K came out & told me he was done and about 3-4 minutes later a nurse came to get me because he was waking up.

We stopped at Dunkin Donuts on the way home & got a treat for the boy!

Luke had a fever and was slightly dehydrated on the 17th, so we had to go to the ER to get him checked out & make sure he didn't have an infection.

On the 18th, two days post-op, Luke was feeling fine and like his normal self.  He and Aaron were playing a game where Luke "superman jumped" from the arm of the couch & Aaron caught him.  For some reason Aaron decided NOT to catch him and Luke took a hard tumble.

He wouldn't walk for about 2 hours and just sat with ice on his foot until Tim got home and we could go to Patient First (urgent care).

After a LONG wait the doctors there (several) decided it wasn't broken and sent us home with a useless ace bandage.

Over the next couple of days Luke still wouldn't walk normally or bear any weight on the big toe part of his foot.

On Monday, the 22nd I called and got him an appointment to the CHKD orthopedic doctors.  They saw him on the 24th and just based on the x-rays Patient First sent over, determined that he had in fact broken his foot.

So, Luke got his first cast.  They couldn't do red/black stripes so he opted for a blue cast instead.

That evening I sewed up some "socks" to cover and protect his cast from getting grimy.  So far they are doing their job, since he's had it on almost 2 weeks and it doesn't have a foul odor & isn't black with filth.

National Root Beer Float Day!

August 6 is apparently National Root Beer Float day! I only found out, today, but amazingly enough we actually have A&W Root Beer and vanilla ice cream in the house!

So, after dinner, while watching "Escape from Planet Earth", my boys are all celebrating this fun holiday!

Luke enjoyed his first ever root beer float, until the ice cream melted, and then he just wanted plain ice cream.

Vinnie had his "chocolate" coconut "icecream".  When you weigh only 19 lbs at 2 years old, you're allowed to have seconds on anything you ask for...so he ate TWO bowls of ice cream!

Even Daddy enjoyed a root beer float!

Mommy doesn't drink root beer and can't have ice cream, so I didn't partake in the holiday.