Doing my "next time" checklist.

I can not even recall all the many times I have heard it said among my mama friends. "If we have another baby, I would love to do ________ next time." or "Next time I plan on doing _____ and ______ differently. " I know I have said these things myself as well quite a few times, but now.... NOW IS MY "NEXT TIME."

So the hard part is trying to remember all those things I would LOVE to plan happen surrounding my pregnancy/birth and babymoon time period. Here is a checklist of sorts of things I desire with all my heart and will strive for achieving with every resource available to me.

• make a birth quilt! I have been drooling over doing this for so long, but need help! I want to have a Blessingway where my close friends bring a special square to add to the quilt, and once baby is born, I can take pics of baby on the quilt every month. Like this: http://rixarixa.blogspot.com/2009/04/birth-quilt-in-progress.html  
• have end of pregnancy photo shoot outside with the trees
• belly henna! 
• decorate my birth room! positive sayings, lots of colors, pictures, and candles I am sure my doula friends can help me with this :) 
• stay more active in end of pregnancy, especially stretching and doing my squats
• a peaceful water-birth where HUBBY catches baby before passing baby back through my legs and straight to my chest. (that is, if I give birth hands and knees again) 
• an INTACT perineum aka NO hard pushing for hours, peaceful birthing the baby down and breathing baby out 
• wait to find out the baby's sex, just hold and snuggle my new baby for a while without caring about their sex. Even if any interventions are needed like they were with Asher a little bit, I will stay calm and focused on my baby's face and not be tempted to sneak a peek. :) 
• NO BABY HATTING! http://progressive-parenting.com/2012/04/24/three-things-we-need-to-stop-doing-to-newborns/
• more skin to skin! Anyone who wants to hold the baby within those first few hours or days.... plan to get topless! :) 
• cook lots of meals and freeze them before baby comes 
• lay in bed and snuggle baby for a few weeks with the family. Get to know each other. Be lazy. Take too many pictures. 

I am very absolutely sure there are more things on my list.... hmmm, what am I forgetting? I am sure there will be part 2! Leave your "next times" in the comments! :)

Dear belly o' mine,

 My lovely, jolly, big- ole belly.... How I love you. I love that you grow so big each day and week and make space for the sweet baby inside. I love that we can make more space somehow, though I am astonished at how big you can get. I will cherish forever the things that you have done. As I type this right now, I am resting the computer on top of you, big baby belly. You are not what most would call pretty, by any means, but I look at you with adoration. My, what amazing things this belly has done! I have grown so comfortable with all the markings and love you for your imperfections. And when I have grown so big that the time has come for this lovely new baby to join our world, I will be amazed still and in love with how very round and firm you can get. I vow NOT to take you for granted or wish you away, though you may be a tad bit  cumbersome at times, I know that I will look back with such fond memories of the times you grew LIFE INSIDE OF YOU, and absolutely be astonished and amazed by it every. single. time. 

With all my love, 

     Jess 

My instagram

I have become totallly in love with Instagram. I think it is because I am a picture maniac, but its also so cool to express my life through pictures and look back at them all through the past months. I know I will cherish these tiny moments.

Here is my instagram account: instagram.com/zjlapacefam

Magical Santa Moment

     I took Asher and Lincoln to see Santa this year. We have read some books about Santa and the north pole, and also watched some movies, but I did not understand how much Asher really "got it". Lincoln was/is beyond enthralled with Santa and I guess Asher just picked that up as well.
     It was sunday evening when we went to see Santa with my good friend Chelsea and her littles. All day long I had used it as a bribe for them to be good, "Do you want to see Santa tonight?!" and it worked, they were great through all the shopping we did on Asher's birthday. When we walked into the room with Santa their faces lit up. It was absolutely awesome and they ran right up to the front of the line, thankfully no one else was waiting, and right up to Santa to see him up close. Asher was not the tiniest bit scared. He said "hi. Ash" to introduce himself, and Lincoln was excited to tell Santa about the spiderman webshooter he wants.
    This picture captures the moment when Asher was telling Santa it was his birthday and that he was two! It really was a very special and magical moment. I got very teary eyed seeing the joy in their eyes as they talked to Santa.

             And why not, I do not think there is anything wrong with believing in magical things!!!

Asher's New Milestone

It is two days before Asher turns two years old.

He has reached a new milestone of epic proportions...

He pooped in his diaper and blamed it on the dog. Literally, he pointed to the dog and said, " Abby pooped" with the silliest grin on his face. HAHAHAHA. I love this kid.

Lessons I have Learned, Day 3 of watching 5 boys under 5!

1. Sugar is your enemy, especially in large quantities. LIMIT the kids sugar!!!
2. BUT sugar in your morning coffee is your best friend. 
3. Toddler-aged boys eat like teenagers. Bottomless pits, yall. 
4. Squat with your legs when you clean or pick up the kids. Your back will feel it if you do not.
5. Playtime is absolutely necessary, especially free running outside playtime. Get those energies out boys!
6. Everything is more fun and easier with a SONG! ;) 
7. Stop trying to clean up right behind them all day long. You will go insane. 
8. Go ahead and pat yourself on the back if you get a load of laundry done or do the dishes. 
9. Make some rooms off limits, for your sanity. 
10. Naptime. It is a marvelous thing. 
11. Try and have some consistency to your schedule, try and teach them things with every little activity you do together. Breakfast time- count the cheerios, playtime- animal sounds and colors, etc. 
12. Hugs can fix most anything
13. It is impossible not to smile when 5 little boys are all giggling together 
14. Give extra attention and love to your own kiddos at the end of the day, even if your touched out and do not want to. They crave the special mommy/son time. 

Proud Mommy Moment

Lincoln.

My sweet 4.5 year old still inspires, surprises and amazes me constantly. He has a sweet heart and is so curious to know more about his world right now. I just have to share a special moment I caught him in yesterday that warmed my heart. As I mentioned before I just started watching three other boys in our house and so we have a house full of 5 boys under 5 and boy is that an adventure and a whole other blog post.

At 1 in the afternoon I get all the boys down for nap except for Lincoln who gets his alone time, and I set him up on a movie while the rest of us get some shut eye.

I fell asleep with the other boys and woke up a little later wanting to check on Lincoln and make sure he did not turn on a different movie or something, and was so happily surprised by what I found. Lincoln was not watching a movie at all! He had gotten his preschool workbook and his markers and was tracing letters and coloring! He was very excited to show me the work he had done, and was not paying attention to the movie I had put on for him.

I know it seems like such a small thing but it brought a smile to my face to see my sweet independent boy really doing his own thing. I love this little man. Just had to share my proud mommy moment.

A song for my soul

"Three Little Birds"
Don't worry about a thing 'Cause every little thing gonna be alright Singin', don't worry about a thing 'Cause every little thing gonna be alright
Rise up this morning, smile with the rising sun Three little birds pitch by my doorstep Singin' sweet songs of melodies pure and true Sayin', this is my message to you
Singin', don't worry about a thing 'Cause every little thing is gonna be alright Singin', don't worry about a thing 'Cause every little thing gonna be alright
Rise up this morning, smile with the rising sun Three little birds pitch by my doorstep Singin' sweet songs of melodies pure and true Sayin', this is my message to you
Singin', don't worry about a thing 'Cause every little thing is gonna be alright Singin', don't worry about a thing 'Cause every little thing gonna be alright
Singin', don't worry about a thing 'Cause every little thing is gonna be alright Singin', don't worry about a thing 'Cause every little thing gonna be alright
Singin', don't worry about a thing 'Cause every little thing is gonna be alright
**************************
Its helping me get by on hard days and keeps me full of joy.

Weaner

wean  [ween]  Show IPA

verb (used with object)

1.

to accustom (a child or young animal) to food other than itsmother's milk; cause to lose the need to suckle or turn to themother for food.

2.

to withdraw (a person, the affections, one's dependency, etc.)from some object, habit, form of enjoyment, or the like: Theneed to reduce had weaned us from rich desserts.

     It seems like a simple verb, but to wean is so much more than a dictionary description. It is NOT such a simple process. Weaning seemed so easy with Lincoln, it just happened on its own. Asher,who is a week shy of two years old, is still very attached to nursing during this pregnancy and does not show signs of being done at all. Mentally I absolutely do not have a problem with him continuing to nurse during this pregnancy and afterwards until he is ready to wean himself. I love the bonding, I love the nourishment it gives him. It is our special time. Here is a great link to read some FACTS about breastfeeding past infancy and its benefits to mama and toddler: http://kellymom.com/ages/older-infant/ebf-benefits/

    But nursing during this pregnancy has become something else. When he nurses I get the heebyjeebys. It feels yucky and wrong and hurts so very bad. It is partly because I am so touched-out that I want and need my own space, and also partly because I am completely dried up at this point. I love his snuggles and our bedtime routine but it all has been thrown out the window. He gets so upset that he hurts me and just does not understand why he cant have "milp". I am trying to learn new ways of getting him to sleep without the boob, and getting him to calm down when he is screaming, tired, mad, or just got hurt. My simple solution has always been to just give him the boob before now.

     I can not fully explain why I am so torn between going straight ahead with the weaning process or just pushing through and trying to make it until my milk comes in again. I had this dream of tandem nursing when the new baby comes, and know that Asher will help my engorgement in those first few weeks. I am just so torn on what path to take. For now we are just going with what happens, I am not necessarily weaning and I am not really nursing much either. What would you do if you were in my shoes?

Not finding out my baby's sex

      The first thing I always hear is "Oh, I could not do that, I just have to know. I am such a planner."
But my question is what really needs to be planned for a newborn that depends on their sex? Why does it matter so much? So you can put your girls in pink, and your boys in blue? Who cares? The babies absolutely do not care about that stuff, even at 4.5 years old my son does not care about specific colors for boys vs girls or what they are supposed to wear. I am on pregnancy number three and have not found out the sex for any of the babies I have had, and I would not change it for anything.
       Let me tell you about the MOMENT. The first instant I got to see my first born child when he was pulled from my stomach and shown to me. I did not know his sex, and I was waiting with such anticipation to   see what life I had been growing inside of me. I will never forget how BREATHLESS I felt as I waited and they showed him to me, and I saw that I had a little boy. I literally could not breath and felt my whole body swell with this intense powerful emotion that I can only compare to a religious experience. Pure perfection and joy. It was then that I knew I will always wait to find out the sex of my babies. Because that moment made it all worth my wait.
        Making sure that I love my baby no matter of their body parts is important to me. I feel like society, family, and friends pressure me with asking things like, "oh, maybe you will finally have your girl" or something like that. I am tired of hearing it. This baby is awesome and already proves its cool little existence by playing little kick games in my belly and flipping around all the time. I could sit here and scrutinize all the little pregnancy details trying to guess the outcome of baby's gender but I am not going to do that. I am going to revel in the fact that I have a perfect little creature growing inside of me and that I do not need a specific color clothes, cloth diapers or baby swing to be prepared to care for them outside of my womb.

Happy December!

It's the last month till the end of the world, ya know. ;)

Well we are gonna live it just like any other month.
 Keeping busy with a lot of birthday parties, and fun get togethers. I start an almost full time job this monday, watching two maybe three other boys! It will be a full house with lots of energy. I am excited and nervous but I think the boys will love it, as I will be incorporating a more routine schedule and school time throughout the day. I am already getting exhausted after a full day with the ones I have, and I am only 25 weeks. A little caffeine and stretching goes a long way though, and I know this new challenge will be a great learning experience for our whole family.

December challenge

I challenge myself to blog everyday for the month of december.

Even if its just a short blog, I will do this, I really do have  a lot to talk about. ~Jess

We are doing alright.

I have been bad at keeping up with this blog this past month! It is mostly because the computer has been broken and it was a pain to try and update from the phone. Welp, we got a new computer and I am gonna jump back on the updating. Things are going very well here. The boys are adjusting and my belly is growing. I am about 25 weeks now. I feel pretty great. More energy, am able to babywear Asher again, but not for long. I am absolutely not wanting to breastfeed him anymore but am trying to push through. He was in no way ready to wean, but I am all about dried up. Ill post more on that whole situation as it totally warrants its own blog post. Lincoln has been so lovey to "baby Mars" its so incredible to see him understand the process and treat my belly as the baby it is going to be. The Pace family is doing great and Ill post some pic updates very soon! Happy Holidays!

Silly pregnancy smells

Random odd pregnancy super sense. This time around fresh cut grass smells distinctly strong of ONIONS! Every where I go, if someone has recently mowed then it smells weirdly of bulb onions.

Hearing our baby's heartbeat

Watch "Baby Pace #3 Heartbeat" on YouTube

I had to record hearing our baby's heartbeat for the first time. It never gets old. That sound is one if the most soothing and comforting sounds in the world and I love it. I wish I had gotten my face too, I was smiling ear to ear. Its wonderful to hear and know your baby is strong and healthy.  The midwife was awesome and our appointment was great. This is the practice I am doing co-care with until I find a midwife to attend my homebirth. :)

Turning my rejection into ACTION.

       So yesterday I called the woman I was hoping to be using as my Midwife for my homebirth. I had heard great things about her, her credentials looked awesome, and she took our insurance! I thought I had things all planned out.
       See in North Carolina midwifery is a little bit different then in Ohio. In Ohio midwifery was a-legal, it was like they didn't care either way, which I prefer. But let me just say this is a SUCKY TIME FOR HOMEBIRTH IN NC! That sounds horrible, but what I mean is North Carolina has deemed it illegal for professional midwives to catch babies, while it is still OK for Nurse Midwives to do homebirths, they are restricted so much that I was told I would be un-able to have my birth with a "legal" nurse midwife, because I am a VBAC client! I have already had a successful vaginal birth after cesarean but I was turned down because of my "risk"!!!
      I couldn't stop crying on the phone and afterwards yesterday. It felt like a smack in the face, how is my cesarean from 2008 still haunting me! I thought I had conquered it!!!! I know I still have options. My husband is reminding me of this, my doula is reminding me of this, and I know it is true. I will figure out how to find, and pay for a CPM that can attend my homebirth although it is "illegal" according to the state. It is just so dumb. I birthed with a CPM last time and I feel very comfortable with their knowledge base, in general.
     So this is where my ACTION comes in to place. I need to raise the money to have my homebirth. Since this is our last child I really feel so strongly the need/desire to birth where I want, in my home with my family. I will find a way to get more doula clients, before this birth. I will find some kind of craft or service to offer people in order to raise the funds. I WILL find a way to birth at home. It is what is important to me, afterall, and they always say "Where there is a will, there is a way."



http://midwifethinking.com/2011/02/23/vbac-making-a-mountain-out-of-a-molehill/
http://vbacfacts.com/hbac/
http://creatingyourcalm.com/call-to-action-nc-midwives-and-homebirth-families-need-your-help/
also this: http://birthwithoutfearblog.com/2012/05/24/introducing-the-bwf-birth-fund/ 

We are expecting Baby Pace #3!!!!!!

 

    We are very excited, albeit a little bit nervous, to announce we are expecting a new baby! Things have been so different this time! I am already about 15/16 weeks pregnant, and knew almost immediately that I was pregnant...before it would even show up on a test! It took some time to get used to for ourselves, and then for many different reasons we thought it would be cool to keep it a secret a while longer. Well, THE SECRET IS OUT! Now I am excited to start blogging all about my pregnancy and our journey to welcoming a new baby to this world~
     Here is a little on how everyone is coping with the new changes:

About 12 weeks along! Pouching out a little. :)

 Me~ Well, of course, I am very excited to be pregnant again! You all know I really love pregnancy and birth. But, this time, WHEW I have been sick non-stop and it doesn't show signs of slowing. I started feeling the wonderful baby flutters about two weeks ago and it always gives me this rush of excitement and a warm feeling of love for my baby. I feel encouraged to surround this baby with love and warmth while they grow comfortably inside my belly. I am focusing on staying positive and being around only things that will make me feel calm and loved.  I am most definitely pursuing a HOMEBIRTH again! I could not imagine bringing this baby into this world any other way.

Zack~ He knew. Even before I could tell him the news, Zack knew. :) He has been very nervous this time around and I do not blame him. He (we) are very worried about finances, mostly to fund the birth, as a newborn baby and child really does not cost a lot. But the birth.... well that can really be a lot of money. He was joking around with me tonight about baby names and I think is really warming up and getting more excited. Once the baby is really moving around and responding to his voice inside my belly is when things get a little more real for him.

Lincoln~ This little boy HAS BEEN AMAZING! He is so very excited to have a new baby brother. Of course, we do not know the sex, nor do we plan to find out, but we feel this one is a boy again and Lincoln feels the very same. He from the very beginning has called the baby "Baby Mars" so that has been his/her nickname. Lincoln rubs on my belly and kisses it and he talks to the baby all the time! Its awesome what a difference a few years has made on him. Being 4.5 he will probably remember this birth, and that makes it even more special. Lincoln also is such a big boy helper to me, especially when I am sick, he runs to get my throw up bowl or gum. :) awesome little dude.

Asher~ It's been a rough few weeks for little man. We have him night weaned now, because I really don't want to be full time nursing two! Either the milk tastes different or is not coming in as much but he tries to nurse almost constantly now throughout the day. He knows something is going on, and DOES NOT LIKE IT ONE BIT. He is being extra clingy and wanting to be mommy's baby a little while longer. Poor guy. I think things will get better for him. We are really working on doing more big boy things and hoping that other distractions will prove more fun then hanging on mommy all day.


Well, that's whats been going on in the Pace household this summer! Super exciting!!!!!!! I will be updating more and more about my journey to a NC homebirth and our progress as a family. :)

Being a doula for my best friend

   It is almost time! I am a crazy mix of emotions for my next upcoming birth I am attending as a doula. See, this one is going to be a different dynamic completely, I will be a doula for my best friend at the birth of her first baby. I am going all the way up to Ohio for it, hoping to be there from 38 weeks until after her baby is born.
   Heather, my sister, and I have been a trio of friends for over 10 years now!  We have been through so many things together, including our crazy rebellious teen years, my marriage, and the birth of my two sons. She has been an ever faithful ear to listen to all my crazy birth rants and has taken it into her own hands to become educated and aware of her options for her first birth.Seriously, this girl new more about birth before ever even conceiving then most people do that have children of their own.
  She decided on a wonderful Certified Nurse Midwife and a hospital delivery with a doula (me!) and taking a really wonderful homebirth friendly childbirth education class. I am super excited for her to experience this.
  I know it is going to be hard. The hospital we are going to is not exactly known for being natural birth friendly. I know that we will have to fight for her right to birth her way. I know that she will be surprised to feel how labor really feels, but I have confidence in this girl! Heather is an extremely strong willed person, always has been, and I know that she will fight for her birth with all she has, and I will be there to support her in whatever she does. Birth is such an unpredicitable thing! I can not even guess how hers will be: long, short, easy, or harder. But my job is to be there for her no matter what, and to support her in every decision she makes.
    The toughest part though, is going to be what my "job" entails when it comes to being a doula for my best friend. Am I her doula first, or her friend first? Because as her friend there are definitely some things I would do and say that a doula would not! So this is where I am struggling for the moment. Finding the right balance and choosing whether just to wear the "friend" hat in the delivery room, or the "doula" hat at all times. I will post again about her birth experience. I am beyond ecstatic for her to experience this life changing event! I know it will blow her mind away! :)  (Birth is kinda like that....mind blowing!)

Toddlerhood, a poem

I found this poem, and had to share it!

Toddlerhood by Hollie McNish..

Now you can walk and now you can run
Now that new words drip each day from your tongue
Now that your mind is becoming itself
Now that your child is developing strength
Now that your thoughts have become independent
Your brain is conceiving it’s first self reflections
Now that your dreams are becoming to grow
Now that your own self is starting to show
Now that your confidence is swelling each day
And all baby like features are floating away
Now that your self is making it’s moves
We complain and claim that its terrible twos
Our first shitty label for small humankind
The minute they start to know their own minds

Keeping busy and losing friends

I am in between births for a while, and my hubby is gone in SC for a few weeks. The boys and I are trying to keep busy! Running errands, gardening tons, building things together and lots of play dates. Figuring out how to change up things with Asher as he has completely become this little baby bully lately! I feel like I cant take him anywhere. But when i watch him its not out of aggression that he is acting out, its like he is getting overwhelmed or wanting my attention. I dont know! I will be watching him more to see what we need to do. Really its coming from the way Lincoln treats him, so we are working on that here too! Ahhh the joys of being a parent. I always struggle with this age. I started blogging when Lincoln was his age and struggled too, though they are completely different kids with different ways of doing things.

On that note, I have learned so much about friendship and what that truly means in the last few days. I found people who you thought might be a great friend can end up hurting you the worst. I will keep that in mind for the future and stick to keeping people around me that exude positive energy and wont turn on me in a second! I am 26! Not in high school anymore, I did not even know that people still got into drama fights at this age. I am blogging about it only because I need to vent, and remember how the event made me feel.

I will do a pic update next time! I got lots of great pics from our mini beach trip. The girls come to stay for the summer in about a week and a half, too. Look forward to having them around. Good night world... 

Summer Goals!

Wanted to set out a few summer goals for myself and my family. Ill add more when I think of them:

• I want to lose another 15 lbs and KEEP it off. 
• Work hard at my garden and help it yield the most it can
• Make fresh salsa from my tomatoes, and pickles from my cucumbers! 
• Come up with some creative ideas for the ridiculous amount of sweet corn we will probably have
• Work with Lincoln at writing his name and ABCs, and hopefully have him at least writing 50% of them by then end of summer, depending on how he takes the direction 
• Work with Asher at understanding words and communicating 
• Increase the hits from my website and doula work this summer
• Spend lots of time with my sisters, go camping, workout together 

loving this place

I am absolutely loving this new place we have here in NC. Despite the bugs, everything has been so wonderful. I drink my morning coffee on the front porch while the kids play, I run in the yard barefoot and the kids run around nakey butt just because they can. I work hard on my garden and I enjoy being outdoors more than anything. When zack gets home from work the kids and our dog run out to meet him at the gate and they play in the yard some more, or ride around on the riding lawn mower. Its so silly and entertaining. Then after we eat a dinner all together in our lovely dining room we play outside some more and catch fireflies. Totally loving this place.


I do not want to leave.

GroovyCheeks Cloth Diaper Review and Giveaway

I am more than excited to be doing this GroovyCheeks Cloth Diaper Review and Giveaway! I had emailed GroovyCheeks about a month ago with interest in their diapers and wanting to find out and possible doing a review since our local awesome cloth diaper store (All About Baby Boutique) just started carrying their bamboo diaper line. They were incredibly generous at GroovyCheeks and sent me one of each diaper to review. They sent both a bamboo and a cloth, and agreed to give one my readers a chance at winning one of their Cloth Diapers!

A little information about the diapers from the groovycheeks website is in order, I do believe.
About the One Size fits most All in One Bamboo Diaper: ." It is constructed the same as our cloth diaper but made with high quality, renewable bamboo fabric. The interior is soft against baby's skin yet able to wick wetness away at the same  time. 

Exterior fabric 70% bamboo / 30% cotton, with waterproof PUL coating to prevent leaking. Interior fabric is 100% bamboo microfleece for a soft touch against baby's skin."

About their One Size fits most All In One Cloth Diaper: "The interior pocket holds the 6 layer microfiber insert for super absorbancy. Durable, adjustable snaps for correct sizing from birth to potty training. Hip snaps also incorporated to prevent leakage. Exterior fabric has a soft waterproof coating in a variety of colors. Interior fabric is a super soft microfleece to keep baby dry and comfortable. " 

A few tibits of info about these diapers that I love: 

• They are made by a WAHM (a work at home mommy!) 
• The bamboo diaper has a dark colored lining inside so it hides stains! AHHH!! 
• They are super friendly, and fast to respond at GroovyCheeks
• The bamboo diapers are breathable and antimicrobial, great for rash prone bebes
• The cloth/microfleece is great for overnight use, its supersoft and absorbant

SO I am going to review both types of the diapers Bamboo in Green, Cloth in Black.
(but the giveaway is for the CLOTH ones, your choice of color)

Softness

 Bamboo: OMG these diapers are crazy soft! They are the definition of fluffy and I want to rub my face on them like a kitty cat! See ~

Cloth:  The cloth diapers fabric was one of the most soft microfleece lining that I have ever felt on a diaper. Super soft and silky feeling. Here is a picture of the inside soft fluffy goodness~

Absorbancy  
Bamboo: Holds in poo fantastically, and we had an issue with his heavy pees. The inner thigh lining would become wet after a few hours, and it didnt seem to bother him but I emailed Mika from GroovyCheeks about my little issue and here was her fantastic response: 
    "    The bamboo diapers do become saturated on the outside quicker than the
cloth. This is due to the outer layer being bamboo. Bamboo, as you
probably know, is more absorbent than synthetic fibers such as polyester.
Once pee gets on the outside of the diaper (on the other side of the
waterproof PUL layer) it saturates the diaper quickly. This is due to the
outside of the diaper being bamboo instead of polyester.
I rectify this issue with one of two things, I either change my little
girl every 2 hours (where I change the cloth every 3 hours) or I add an
additional insert to the bamboo diaper and it seems to work. I actually
just put a washcloth in with the bamboo insert and it works great for me.
That is the only downside of the bamboo. It is great for breath-ability
and any rash issues but the outside will become saturated if left on too
long or without an additional insert (or washcloth). "
Cloth: Had no issues whatsoever with leaks. The diaper held in several hours at a festival sitting in pee with no leaks, and holds in poop perfectly. Very absorbant insert and the inner thigh gussets held everything and were not too tight.

Fit
Bamboo: fit like a glove on my 17 month old. The diaper had so many snaps it was perfect for adjusting to what my son needed. Not too tight, not too loose.

Cloth:  Same perfect fit as the bamboo diaper. No complaints. My son walks perfectly with it on, no waddling with a big diaper between his legs. Does not leave any red marks on his belly or thighs.

Durability
Bamboo:The diaper itself has stayed in amazing condition even after repeated beatings from a toddler and an old washing machine. (although always hung to dry) The inner lining of bamboo has some aesthetic issues with wear and tear but works perfectly. *Pardon the playroom mess in the background :)

 Cloth: Still looking great after a month of use. A few little threads here and there sticking out that I needed to trim off. Is to be expected and totally has no effect on how well the diaper works. Overall, looks great! 

Colors 
Both the bamboo and cloth have vibrant colors to pick from. The bamboo one in green I especially love for how earthy it looks, and the cloth diaper colors are very shiny and gorgeous! I love the pretty blue one I have.


Overall, I am extremely pleased with the GroovyCheeks company and their diapers. I am so happy to be able to offer one of the All In One Cloth Diapers to one lucky winner. 

But in case your not the one to win, you can buy the bamboo diaper from All About Baby Boutique  http://www.allaboutbabyboutique.com/catalog.php?item=596
 and as they do not yet carry the Cloth Diapers there yet, you can purchase those straight off the groovycheeks website http://www.groovycheeks.com/Online_Store






a Rafflecopter giveaway


PS I was not compensated for this review. I did it cause I like to, and cause they sent me a diaper to try out and tell yall about!