Gwoss

In Eloise's words, what I'm about to write about is "gwoss" so feel free to stop reading now. But if you're a mom (or not squeamish) then you too are well versed in the following:

I'm talking about pee and vomit.

Eloise, I'm sorry to divulge information on the internet that will embarrass you as a teen, but you are a heavy wetter. You also have a tendency to vomit everywhere if we put you in your crib and leave the room rather than rocking you to coma-sleep. It's not that we're okay with you throwing up and sleeping in it, but after a few hours of trying to get you to sleep in your crib we are exhausted and two minutes of crying really shouldn't be such a big deal. You do always manage to sleep through the night and wake up cheerful the next day. The surprise for us in the morning is a urine-dampened and/or vomit-scented baby which results in an immediate load of laundry, crib and carpet clean and a bath. (As a result Eloise's Piglet, her bed sheets and her hair are quite possibly the cleanest ever.)

Back in January we were having problems with Eloise waking up often because she was wet. We experimented with different diapers and ended up using wool diaper soakers which worked like a charm. Until now. Since Eloise sleeps 12, sometimes 13, hours a night we find that her diaper and soaker just can't keep up so we've been experimenting once again with different combinations. So far a Blueberry or bumGenius pocket diaper with two bamboo liners, an additional bamboo-terry liner and the wool soaker have worked the best but after a wet week we're back to the drawing board.

I did some research and heard about the great absorbancy of Tots Bots Bamboozle diapers so I ordered one from New & Green and a Bummis Super Brite cover for on top since we had so much success with these covers when Eloise was small (not even one newborn poop blowout!). We used a wool soaker on top of it all and I am pleased to report that Eloise and her bed were totally dry when she woke up this morning.

Unfortunately, we let her cry for a few minutes after a marathon bedtime last night and though she may not have been wet from pee, she had thrown up everywhere. Gwoss.

OCLD

Exhibit A.

I am pretty sure I'm developing OCLD: Obsessive Compulsive Laundry Disorder. Stemming from the fear that our laundry will get away from us and I'll be faced with a five-load bender, I find myself pulling semi-dirty, like coloured washables from every room in the house just to make up a full load. I happily sort piles and leave them on the the laundry room floor, much to Chris' dismay, and always fold a load before going to bed at night. I do this knowing that another load of diapers is just around the corner.

But it hasn't always been like this. Before Eloise arrived Chris and I would let the laundry hamper topple over before giving in and putting on a wash. Having a child and cloth diapering certainly changed this, and now there seems to be no stopping me. The other day Molly suggested that cleaning was my 'hobby'. Hmm. I don't like to think about laundry like that, but there is something about clean clothing that brings me a weird sense of pleasure.

And I am pretty much certain that stuffing and folding cloth diapers in front of the tv is basically therapeutic.