Baptism and Cloth Diapers!

Baptism and cloth diapers. Seems like an odd combination, huh? Well, those are the two major things to happen to the Van Wyk household over the last few weeks. First, I'll start with cloth diapers. Right from the get-go, we decided that we were going to do cloth diapers. To diaper one baby from birth to potty training with disposables costs $2500-$3000. So multiply that by 2 babies, and you have $5000-$6000!! Ouch! So, that was pretty much out of the question. Cloth diapering from birth to potty training can range from $800-$2000 (including utilities), depending on the type of diaper used. We chose the most economical option, which is prefolds and covers. We estimate that it will cost us around $600 from birth to potty training for 2 babies, which is a much friendlier number. :)

For anyone who isn't familiar with cloth diapering these days, prefolds are the square cloth diapers (think old school). But nowadays, there are no pins, just velcro and/or snaps, and plenty of cute and fun options to choose from for covers. You just set the cotton prefold inside the cover and velcro it around baby, just like a disposable diaper. Many people are impressed that I'm so green...when in fact, sadly, budget was the main motivator!

So far, I'm amazed at how simple it's been. In fact, I'm sad I didn't start sooner. I'm doing laundry all the time anyway, so the diapers aren't a big deal. Plus, I don't have to fold them (just stack them), and they aren't stinky at all yet since the babies all the babies eat is breast milk. (Who knows what I'll be saying when they start solids??!) Oddly enough, I think I secretly look forward to changing cloth diapers because I always think about how much money we're saving, AND it somehow feels like I'm going the extra mile...it's kind of a sick sense of accomplishment!

Now, on to the second part of the title: Baptism. Yesterday was a very special day for us. Peter and Joy were baptized at our church. We were honored that Steve's father, Rev. Case Van Wyk could baptize our babies. His voice cracked with emotion as he baptized them, and Steve and I had tears in our eyes--especially given our long journey to get to this point. It is no doubt God knew the perfect timing for us. (If you aren't familiar with the story, you can check the very first entry "Many Answered Prayers" on this blog). We had a large number of family members and a few close friends in attendance, not to mention our church family. Everyone there knew our story, and have been a great source of comfort through the rough times, so it was neat to see everyone rally around us and rejoice with us!

I do plan to put some pictures of the baptism up, once I figure out how to load them onto the computer from Steve's camera. Although we know the focus isn't on what they're wearing, I have to point out that Joy is wearing my baptism gown, and Peter is wearing Steve's (which is made by his grandma out of his mom's wedding gown). The little booties were made with love by my mom. :) We are definitely blessed!

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD.
Isaiah 55:8

2 months

We are now officially past the 2 month mark...9 weeks, to be exact. Every day seems to be a new adventure, both for us as parents, and for the twins. As parents, we are discovering more and more what each baby likes and dislikes. We discovered that the babies LOVE laying on couch pillows on their tummies with their legs folded underneath them. It seems not only comfortable, but also a way of expelling excess air...especially for Peter! Of course this is always done only during the day with supervision. Peter and Joy are beginning to enjoy bath time more, and only yelp a little when they initially get into the water.

The babies have had plenty of adventures--many trips out to see friends and family, to the dollar store, and a couple 1 1/2 hr. stroller rides on 20 degree days! They were extremely bundled up and quite toasty warm inside their many layers of clothing and blankets. I did, however get lots of curious looks from people! I'm finding that the stroller is one of the best ways to calm fussy babies, as well as an AWESOME form of exercise for me (the double stroller itself weighs close to 50 lbs, and when you push it through the snow, it makes for a great workout!).

Sleeping at night has been getting better and better for us. We are now getting 4 or 5 hours between feedings at night (which amounts to about 2 1/2 to 3 hrs. of sleep at a time for me). Initially, we were making a big effort to keep babies awake in the evenings between 6 and 10 pm, but we discovered that it doesn't necessarily help. On nights when they slept all day and napped in the evening, they often slept great at night, and on nights when they were awake during the day and I made extra efforts to keep them awake at night too, they often had rough nights. So there seems to be no rhyme or reason! We hear that babies tend to turn a corner at around 3 months, so we are anxious to make it to that point.

We also had another weigh-in at our 2 month appointment today. Peter now weighs 12 lbs 3 oz (66th percentile, up from 18th percentile last appt!), and Joy weighs 10 lbs 10 oz (up from 7 lbs 7 oz a month ago). Joy's weight is now in the 44th percentile, up from the 7th percentile last time. I am so proud of them, and also of my progress and accomplishment as a breast feeding mother!