Project Naptime: Week 1

Jaxon has never taken regular naps. For most of his life, it has been nearly impossible to lay him down in a bed after he'd fall asleep nursing. He prefers to nap in my arms. We've made do with this, and he often took several shorter naps throughout the day. Some days he might be a little fussy from lack of sleep, but it was manageable.


Once he turned a year old, though, a lack of naptime started to become more of a problem. Fussiness turned into tantrums. We felt like we were hitting the "terrible twos" way early. But on the days when he did take a good nap in the early afternoon, we noticed that he was easier to get to sleep that night. 


So last week, I decided that it was time to get serious about his nap schedule (I know, I know, finally, right?). The first thing I did was tell him he could not nurse during the day unless he was going to sleep. Amazingly, he caught onto this really quickly. On day 1, by 12 noon, he was begging to nurse and nodding his head "yes" when I asked if he was going to sleep. He nursed for 15 minutes, then fell asleep and slept for 2 hours. Success!


On day 2, we had similar results, though he didn't start his nap until around 1. Day 3, I was feeling a little lazy. I gave in and let him nurse during the mid-morning. He didn't take a nap until later that afternoon (3ish, I think). On Day 4, I went back to making him wait to nurse. I also pulled him off before he fell asleep and instead of letting him nurse himself to sleep, I patted his back until he fell asleep.


On Day 5, he nursed but pulled off before he was asleep and then fell asleep on his own! I had to stay with him, but I thought it was awesome that he was able to fall asleep on his own.


On Day 6, he nursed to sleep. Some days, it seems he is okay with being pulled off before falling asleep and some days it seems he is completely against it. 


Day 7 was church. We also combined some family visiting with our Sunday and turned it into a very long day. Surprisingly, Jaxon still managed to take 2 shorter naps. He also didn't nurse all day until we got home around 5:30. That's the longest he's ever gone without nursing.


It has been really great having him nap each day. It really helps his mood and makes our afternoons easier. A regular naptime has also brought the unexpected benefit of a regular bedtime. As the week went on, Jaxon started asking to nurse to sleep at 8. He's typically been a night owl, preferring to stay up at least an hour after the other kids go to bed at 8. Sometimes it's 11:00 and he's still awake. For him, 8:00 is early. We're also noticing that he's waking fewer times during the night. 


I really hope we continue to get good results with his naptime and I also hope that his nighttime sleep habits continue to improve. I still can't say he's slept through the night, but at least I am starting to feel like it's an attainable goal at some point in the future!


How old was your little one when they first slept through the night? Do you have any sleep tips for me?

Charlie Banana One Size Diaper Review

Charlie Banana OS cloth diaper in Robot Boy

Charlie Banana is a 2 in 1 cloth diapering system that can be used with disposable or reusable inserts. Charlie Banana diapers come in sizes (X-Small, Small, Medium, and Large) or one sized diapers. They have a front pocket opening that I love! The diapers come with 2 washable inserts. One is a small/newborn insert and the other is a medium/large insert. Both inserts can be used together for maximum absorbency. 

Charlie Banana inserts

The inserts are conveniently labeled 

The inserts are slim, which eliminates bulk between the legs. This is definitely a trim fitting diaper!

Front pocket flap

This diaper can also be used with disposable inserts that are held in place by placing them under the front pocket flap. I haven't used the hybrid option of this diaper yet, so I can't speak to its effectiveness. 

Aqua Charlie Banana

The inside is made of a super soft fleece. When asked to pick a diaper to wear, Jaxon almost always reaches for this one, so I know he loves it!

Inside of Charlie Banana OS diaper

I have to admit - I was initially scared of diapers that had leg adjustment systems. They seemed complicated to me and it seemed like they would be more difficult to get a good fit than with a rise adjustment system you can see. When we received this diaper, Jaxon was 4 months old. The elastic was set to a medium setting and I did not have to adjust the elastic until Jaxon was almost 1. I haven't adjusted it again since. While it is definitely more involved than rise snaps, if you are worried about constantly adjusting the leg elastic, don't be. You will only have to do it a few times to get the fit right the first time and then maybe once every few months as your baby grows.  

The old style Charlie Bananas adjusts using a elastic and button system, as seen in the picture above.  

The new style of Charlie Bananas use a slider system (like a bra strap) to adjust. They are also marked with sizes. I definitely prefer the new system (shown in the picture below).

The Charlie Banana diapers do run small for a one-size diaper. This makes it a great choice for smaller babies and for use straight from birth. It is also a good choice for babies with skinny legs. Look how tiny it gets on the smallest settings. 

Smallest setting of Charlie Banana,
as compared to the smallest setting of a BumGenius 4.0

Look how tiny the leg holes get! 

Largest setting of the Charlie Banana,
as compared to the largest setting of a BumGenius 4.0

The best thing about diapers with leg elastic adjustments is how pleasing they are to look at. Instead of rows and rows of snaps, you just have a clean diaper front. It gives the great look of a sized diaper, with the value of a one size diaper. 

In addition to purchasing from cloth diaper retailers, you can also buy them at Target! I find it very exciting to see some form of cloth diapers in a mainstream store like Target, where more consumers can be exposed to them. A one-size Charlie Banana retails for $20.99 and a 6 pack retails for $109.99.   

Connect with Charlie Banana on Twitter & Facebook!

I won a Charlie Banana diaper but was under no obligation to review it. All opinions are my own!

BumGenius Freetime AIO One-Size Cloth Diaper Review

BumGenius Freetime in Albert

The Freetime is an all-in-one (AIO), one-size cloth diaper from BumGenius. This diaper, designed to fit babies 8-35 pounds, makes cloth diapering about as easy as it's ever going to be. It's all one piece, and there are no pockets to stuff or unstuff and no cover or extra inserts needed.   


The soakers are attached at each end, which allows this diaper to dry extremely quickly for an AIO. Inside, mine will dry overnight. On a warm day outside, it will dry in about 3-4 hours. I find that these do dry a little quicker than the BumGenius Elemental, because of the way the diaper is able to lay completely open when drying. 

The flaps are made of two layers of microfiber topped with suedecloth, so there is a stay dry layer next to baby's skin. For added absorbency, there is an extra layer of microfiber inside the shell of the diaper, which is also topped with suedecloth. When both flaps are folded over, you're left with five layers of absorbency. 

With both flaps folded inward

The soakers fold over into the diaper -there is no wrong way to do this, so it's easy for Grandma or the babysitter to figure out. Just lay them in and it's ready to be put on the baby. I had some concerns at first that Jaxon would knock the flaps around while I was trying to change him (diaper changing time often turns into a mommy/baby wrestling match). However, the flaps stay in place and aren't easily moved. 

You can also fold the flaps like this to add extra absorbency in front for little boys!

Like it's other BumGenius counterparts, this diaper features two rows of snaps for a great fit, and the standard BumGenius snap down sizing options. I do find the fit to be slightly trimmer between the legs than a BumGenius 4.0. 

BumGenius Freetime in Albert

As you can see in the picture below, the Freetime is just a tad narrower than my 4.0, but is a little thicker. For us, that means a better fit between the legs and a slightly fluffier butt than we would have if we used our Elemental or 4.0.

This diaper fits perfectly and we have had no leaks. 

BumGenius FreeTime on top, BumGenius 4.0 on bottom

Perfect fit on the stomach, eliminating front leaks! 

This is definitely my favorite BumGenius diaper for daytime use. I love how easy it is to use. I love not having to stuff it. I still like the Elemental for its organic material, but even after sunning, mine has several stains. I was pleased to see that stains on the Freetime sun out easily. I know that's not a big deal to some people, but I really like for my diapers to smell and look clean.

The BumGenius Freetime retails for $19.95 and can be purchased at Kelly's Closet.

Have you tried the Freetime? What did you think?

 

My sweet husband bought this diaper for me, but he didn't require me to review it (lol) and I didn't receive any other compensation for this review. All opinions are my own. My affiliate links are present in this review.

Bloggers Wanted: Dyson DC24 Giveaway Event

The Dyson DC24 Cleaner Home Giveaway Event hosted by Mom Powered Media: Iowa-Mom, Powered by Mom and Real Mom Reviews is now open to bloggers!


The event is open worldwide and runs August 3-24. Sign ups are free! To sign up or for more details, click here.


If you're a reader, be watching for this exciting giveaway! You can also check out my Dyson DC-25 review if you're not familiar with the awesomeness that is Dyson.