Mommy Choices, Why I Chose Cloth

So, when your first pregnant you are completely inundated with information. You have to figure out the best products, pediatrician, parenting methods, feeding method, all the way down to what kind of little socks to put on tiny feet. One of those choices a lot of parents think about is diapering. For most it's a no brainer, they use regular disposable diapers and wipes and think nothing of it. For others it isn't so easy. I was one of those people.

When I first got pregnant I never really thought about it. Then I learned about modern cloth diapering, and it intrigued me. The thought of not having to run out at 3 am for disposables and the cost of diapers really drew me in. With my daughter I was young, 19, when I got pregnant and eventually became a young single mother. Cost savings was a big deal to me. Yes, it does cost more up front, but it pays back quickly.

Then came the environmental portion of the equation. Scientists have estimated a regular disposable diaper to take 550 years to bio degrade in a landfill. You then add up the amount of diapers you go through in the first year alone (it's a lot). This just blew my freaking mind. How are we not just swimming in disposable diapers?

So, I researched and researched and really wanted to pursue this. At the time I was living with my Mom. Since I was living under her roof I asked for her opinion. She was very against me laundering them myself and even said that it's only worthwhile if you use a service, like she did with me. So, in the end we went with a service. Now, don't get me wrong. There is nothing wrong with using a diaper service, but it doesn't save you any money really and you only get 1 type of diaper.

When I went back to work when Rosie was 3 months old and she had to start daycare we slowly started switching away from the service. I got modern cloth diapers for daycare and washed them nightly. When I got my tax return that year I ditched the service completely and jumped right in with finishing my stash. Now, with my son I am completely addicted! They are cute! We now have a massive stash of over 100 diapers and growing (not everyone does this or needs to, it's just a hobby for me).

Meet the Family!

Vintage Rosie (yes it's a girl in a Batman shirt)

So, as I've said before, we have a very diverse family. Our family may be a little on the odd side, but it works for us. We love each other and are there for each other daily. So, first up is myself:

My name is Andrea, but I use 'Drea' for short. I'm 23 and a mother to 2 beautiful kids. I have a cosmetology license, but after going through beauty school and working in a salon for a few months I've decided that working in that industry is not for me. I'll be a student at the local community college this Fall. My goal is to become an RN. My journey through becoming a mother has given me a huge interest into the process of making babies. So, I'm hoping to focus my career on that. My major interests are food, baking, Harry Potter, video games, and having a weird liking of cat GIFs.
 

 So, now comes David, my fiance. He is 25 and works a freelance video game tester. He also suffers from OCD. He thinks the germs are out to get him. This makes certain things in our house a little weird, but more on that later.

Besides doing game testing he spends his time doing things like playing more video games, playing Magic the Gathering, Comic Books (mostly DC though), and Star Wars (he really loves Star Wars).  He also really hates pictures of himself. I pulled this one from last Thanksgiving, the other guy is his Dad.

My first child, Rosalie aka 'Rosie'. She's now 2 and a half (holy crap!) and was born August 13th 2010. The whole story of her birth is traumatic at best, but I'll touch base on that later (more than likely).

Rosie does have a different biological father. It was a long time ago and he is no longer in the picture. David has been her Dad since she was 8 months old, he is the only father she knows and loves him. We have talked about having him adopt her after we are married, but we will cross that bridge when we get there. Rosie is a well adjusted 2.5 year old that loves Bubble Guppies, Pokemon, and making giant messes.

Lastly, is my second child; Cade. He was born on
12-31-12 and is nearly 3 months old. He is my little rainbow baby. David and I had a loss before we conceived him. He is the best little boy ever.

Now, a little on him. His name is from the Star Wars Universe. David wanted to name him after his favorite character from the graphic novels and I'm fine with it. Cade enjoys sleeping, eating, staring at faces, and sitting. You know, typical baby stuff.

This is our geeky little family! As time goes on I will add more to our story. I love being a mom in our unconventional family. I hope you all love us too.