Cloth diaper update

I know that I promised an update a couple of weeks ago, but it took awhile for the covers to get here and then, as any of you with kids know, life happens and I haven't gotten to many of the things that I would like to do in the past few weeks. But anyway, I am finally writing this post, so here it is for all those who have been waiting with bated breathe...

Cloth diapers really aren't bad. They are not quite as convenient or quick as disposables, but once you get the hang of it, it's not bad at all. And for the amount of money you save and the fact that it's better for the environment, it really seems to make sense to me. It took me a little while to figure out how to do the diapers without them leaking since apparently Josiah is good at soaking them quickly, but now that I use two diapers with every change and use one as a liner folded in the front, it's been going great! I must also say that Snappis are great! They hold the diaper together and are extremely easy to use, and the diaper covers are even easier and are just like putting a disposable diaper on. As far as the mess of dealing with soiled diapers, it's nice that Josiah is already on solid foods, so BMs are not much of an issue since I can just drop them straight in the toilet, spray some pre-spot cleaner on them and dump them in the diaper hamper. I have been washing the diapers every other night while he's in a disposable (right now I just don't have enough covers to do cloth at night too), but I need to figure something out so that the hamper doesn't wreak when I open it to put another diaper in there. I've tried putting some baking soda in there, but it just doesn't get rid of the urine smell that permeates the room when I open the lid. I keep the window open when possible, which helps a lot, but I'm still working on a better, more permanent solution. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

So the long and short of it is that I am sticking with cloth diapers although I do use disposables if I know that I will have to do a diaper change while I am out. Although that could change if I get a small diaper pail liner that I can carry with me for soiled diapers. So, I encourage any of you with infants to consider doing a trial of your own, and perhaps you will find that the little bit of extra work is worth the savings in your pocket as well as knowing that you are doing something better for the environment. However, I am still trying to figure out what I am going to do with Micah - if I am going to let him stay with what he knows, or make him convert too. Since he is a bit older, he will definitely have his own opinion on the matter and I'm not sure it's worth the fight. However, I am wondering if I make him convert to cloth too if he might just get potty-trained instead. Or perhaps I should just stick him in underwear with a diaper cover, sort of like a cloth pull-up. I wonder if they make such a thing... But, one hurdle at a time. Right now I am trying to figure out if anything needs to be done about his stuttering that he recently started.

p.s. One other plus about cloth diapers is that the covers are just so cute! I have been meaning to get a picture of him in one, but haven't gotten around to it yet. Maybe with the post that I am planning to do about all of Josiah's recent advancements...

p.p.s. Thanks Karen for the link - I found it EXTREMELY helpful! I also found information for laundering diapers, dealing with leaks, and a chart of good detergents to use on thirsties website - www.thirstiesbaby.com