Jumpy McJumperson

Today I hauled Baby T down to Once Upon A Child (a store that sells used baby stuff) to sell his swing and get something different. The swing was never a big hit. Lately he's been using the tray to pull himself up into a sitting position. He's also been kicking said tray until it flies open (then crying because it hurt his foot / leg to kick plastic that hard). It was an accident waiting to happen. Maybe it would be good for a parent with a less spaztic kid or one who likes movement in general.

I got a jumper to replace the swing. It is awesome! He loves it. Unlike the swing he will stay in it for longer than 5 minutes and I don't have to worry about him hurting himself. He's surprisingly tall enough to reach the ground in it. He adores being able to stand up. He has just recently discovered that some of his toys make noise as a result of him hitting them...

Oh and did I mention that he can stand up while holding onto a couch / chair / whatever? Crazy.

Well, that snuck up on me.

I have about 2 1/2 weeks before I jump into the world of full time parenting and full time school work (yes, at the same time). This ought to be interesting...

I've got a lot going on during the next few weeks. I need to:

• Deep clean the house
• Get rid of all the stuff we've collected but never use
• Finish the nursery and baby proof*
• Update Baby T's closet (since he seems to be out growing everything we have)
• Exchange some of his lil baby toys for some new toys (ie: his swing for a jumper)
• Get Baby T and I on some sort of vague schedule
• Fully make the transition from our bed to the Montessori bed (for Baby T, of course)
• Start menu planning

* I had to change the nursery around once we switched to the Montessori bed. I wanted to make toys and such accessible to Baby T if he should decide he just has to play in the middle of the night. I also need to be sure he can't hurt himself.

Uh, that's a lot of stuff...

Do you remember when I told you how awesome my mom is?

Because she made me a bunch of diapers? Well those diapers are the only thing that works overnight now. I even tried a BumGenius stuffed with both microfiber inserts and 2 large hemp inserts. He still leaked. My mom = best diaper maker ever. I think she should retire (again) and go into the diaper making business. What do GoodMama's sell for now? $35-40? Yeah, hers are way better than those.

CD: GroVia vs. GroBaby

Let me preface this review by saying that the only other hybrid diaper I've tried was GDiapers and I hated those things with a passion.

The GroBaby (GB) and GroVia (GV) shells are pretty much the same. I only have the GB shells so that's what is pictured. I compared the two kinds in store. The main difference is that the GV shells have a tab to tuck the hook under for laundry purposes. These shells are unlike most others in that there is a strip of fabric on the front to attach the hook to instead of a strip of loop. I find it easier to get a good fit because of this. I think the GV and GB hook is stickier than most and the tabs seem to actually stay down in the wash so I don't end up with a diaper chain. With the old GB shells the front fabric strip (the red part) is a little narrower but not enough to really impact use. Since they're so similar I would opt for the GB shells if you can still find them on sale.

The interior of both the GB and GV shells is lined with mesh. This allows the shells to work with the disposable inserts which I'll talk about later.

The big difference is between the inserts. Below are two inserts shown side by side. The GV on the left and GB on the right. As you can tell, the GV inserts are significantly larger. They also have a waterproof backing which prevents the shell from getting soiled. Both have elastic around the middle but the GB elastic just kind of gathers the fabric a little while the GV elastic actually provides gussets.

The GVs seem to be more absorbent than the GB inserts. I'm not sure what each is made out of but they are definitely made from different material. With the GB inserts I have to use a doubler but I don't have to with the GV ones. Ultimately, the GV inserts are far superior. It's tempting to go with the GB's since they're on sale but don't do it. You'll regret it. With the GB inserts I pretty much need a new cover at every change. I've never had the cover gets soiled using the GV inserts.

If you've never used either system, the inserts just snap right into the shells. You can see the snaps on the back of the inserts in the right picture.

Here are the inserts side by side in two GB shells. You can see how the GV inserts really fills the shell while the GB one is a little small. The GV inserts almost look like they're too big for the shell. When you actually go to put the shell on you realize they fit perfectly - even with the shell snapped down on the small setting.

Now onto the disposable GV inserts. I haven't tried the GB inserts so I won't comment on those. These things are impressive! They have gussets which help contain even the largest, runniest messes your mind can imagine. Trust me, Baby T really tested these out and they passed with flying colors. Each insert has 2 pieces of tape on the back to attach it to the shell. If you try to use the inserts with a different shell they will either leave a sticky residue where the tape attaches or bunch up because you don't use the tape. Both the GB and GV shells are lined with mesh so they work with the inserts. The inserts are truly one size. I tried them on a friends toddler and my 2 month old without any issues.

To sum it up, get some shells (doesn't matter which) and some GV inserts and I think you'll be pretty darn happy. As far as sizing goes, Baby T is around 13 lbs. There are three size settings - small (snapped down all the way), medium, and large (unsnapped). He fits comfortably in the medium setting. He's on the medium setting on his BumGenius too. I think they will probably fit an 8-10 lb newborn but not much smaller than that.

Controversial Parenting (my specialty) and my response to the crib recall epidemic

I've been continually surprised at how confident I am with my parenting choices for Baby T, especially considering the fact that I've made some decisions that are far from mainstream (baby led weaning, delayed vaccinations, family bed, attachment parenting, etc). I acknowledge that just because something isn't common does not mean that it is unsafe. It helps that I have the best doctor ever who is supportive of my decisions. I think I'd be a lot more neurotic if it weren't for him.

And now, for what is quite possible my most controversial decision yet... I've decided to transition Baby T to the Montessori bed. While I like the family bed I don't think it's a good fit for C. Plus, two adults (one of whom likes to spread out and take over the entire bed - uh, sorry about that), one infant, and at least one cat is a lot to have in one queen size bed.

We've been trying to transition Baby T into his crib but he just does not seem fond of it. Occasionally he sleeps fine in there but most of the time he hates it. He'll scream before you even fully put him down. He is, however, quite fond of my bed and the twin in the nursery. More importantly, Baby T's crib is among those that have been recently recalled. So it's the perfect opportunity to try out the Montessori bed. It'll take some hardcore baby proofing in the next couple of months but that's okay.

I'm sure you're thinking I've lost my marbles and hey, maybe I have. It wouldn't be the first time and I'm sure it wouldn't be the last time. If it makes you feel better, I'm sending out for the kit to fix our crib. It will take several weeks to a couple of months to arrive. We'll keep the crib around until we know if the Montessori bed is going to work out after Baby T gets mobile.

Here's an amazing article about Montessori beds by Christie Stanford.