A little bit of everything!

Well this week sure has been hectic to say the least! Paisley's diaper rash had cleared almost one hundred percent by Monday, and by Wednesday, it was back to wreak havoc! Now this may be TMI for some of you out there, but the poor baby is so raw! Her skin is split open in several places, and she is beet red from front to back. We've done literally everything, so I finally caved and took her to the doctor when she began to scream in pure agony Thursday morning. She's on two special creams, and I have to give her 2-3 baking soda baths per day.

Other than that, this hectic week hasn't been so bad. She got to see her first real snow, and it was a blast. She kept giggling at the snowflakes. It was way too cute! The only part she wasn't fond of is how bright it was outside. Here are some pictures:

I just love that snow suit from her Aunt Blakely!

I never thought I'd say this, but I'm ready to get out of this house and go back to work Monday. I was only supposed to be out Tuesday-Thursday, but of course I ended up having to take today off to take her back to the doctor. The doctor actually said that she is extremely intellectual and makes great eye contact. She's very focused, which means she is already showing signs of high intelligence levels. Her exact words!! (YES, I'm bragging! Hehe.) I am looking forward to watching her continue to grow. As much as I hate that she is getting bigger, I absolutely love watching her discover new things. For instance, she has recently discovered that she has delicious fists!!! ;) She's teething, which I'm not looking forward to her being in pain, but I just know how cute those little nuggets will be! Please tell me I'm not the only one who thinks this way!

Enough of that, though. I'll talk to you guys later. Have a great weekend!

A journey through my pregnancy.

So, this is an awesome tag that i absolutely cannot wait to do! What you hav to do is this: Answer each question with a photo. I'm tagging mommy bloggers Whitney and Melissa. You can find their blogs by clicking on their names. Let's get started!

A photo of you and your husband/family before this pregnancy.

How did you announce your pregnancy?

What were your first cravings?

First ultrasound photo. 

First belly photo

Belly photo from second trimester/12 weeks

How did you announce the gender of your baby?

Did you travel or vacation while pregnant?

Favorite part of being pregnant.

Favorite maternity photos.

Third trimester/28 week belly photo.

Photos from your baby shower/s.

Final belly photo
-This is me at 39w1d, a few hours before labor started.

Last thing you did before you gave birth?
-Made this pie. While in labor, lol.

First picture of your baby

This was SO much fun! Thanks to my YouTube friend, Rachel for tagging me!!

I tag any other blogger moms who read this post. Happy posting! :)

Date night

So, I would like to say first and foremost, CONGRATULATIONS to my awesome husband for landing this wonderful job! I am so proud of him, and so proud to be his wife. He is the hardest working man I've ever met, and even more importantly, he is the best daddy a girl could ask for.

As soon as we found out this Tuesday that he got the job, his siblings immediately volunteered to come babysit so we could go out for a celebratory dinner. Now, I have to be honest....before Tuesday, my babysitting contact list was one single person; my mother. So, of course I was hesitant in some ways. My sister in law is absolutely wonderful with Paisley, so that wasn't a concern. My brother in law has a five year old. He's pretty familiar with this, so that wasn't a concern either.

The thing is, I never really considered it "babysitting" when my mother came over to watch her. It might sound weird, but I guess it's because she's my mother. So, tonight felt like our first real date night. My mother has watched her while we ran errands, and once while we went to dinner a mile away at CJ's Chop House. Other than daycare, I'm never really without her!

We ended up going to Fatz in Camden, and it was wonderful. I made a promise not to text them, because I know wholeheartedly that they would certainly call if problems were to arise. So, I put my phone away, and my husband and I enjoyed each other's company. (Although, I did eat as expeditiously as possible!) We enjoyed each other so much, that it almost felt like we were the only ones there. We are 3 months away from our fourth wedding anniversary, and just passed our five year mark of  being together. Keeping the fire alive, especially with a new baby is so important. It is hard to fully focus on each other with our sweet girl around, and that's fine with me. It just felt good tonight to "reconnect" with each other in a sense. It also felt good to have a few drinks while I was there. ;)

All in all, date night was a complete success. Coming home to my sweet baby with her sweet giggles and heart melting toothless grin was the icing on the cake. If you've seen my Facebook, you'll know I haven't slept (literally) in days. Somehow, I'm okay with that. Every minute with her makes me smile.

Back to the point: Congratulations again to Nathan, and a HUGE thank you to Monica and Josh for being so great to their niece. And of course, I can't forget her sweet big cousin, Caleb, who absolutely loves and adores her. He is truly an amazing kid, and I'm so lucky to be his aunt.

I love all of them more than they'll ever know.

Until next time, my friends!

The truth about those aspirator bulbs!

If you read my last blog post, you'd see that I am absolutely in love with the Nosefrida. Upon researching the item, I found something very interesting, but also very disturbing.

We all love those bulbs we get from the hospital, right? I mean, let's be honest...how many people said to you, "save that bulb from the hospital, you'll never find another one as good!" I know I must've heard it ten times. I still like the bulb for getting her mouth and throat clear of build up and gunk. But did you know that you're required to wash the inside with alcohol? If you didn't know that, then I highly suggest just tossing it in the garbage now, to save yourself from what you're about to see. What happens when you don't fill the inside with alcohol?

That. Yes, that's mold. Disturbing, right? I thought so. I really wanted to post that because I know so many mommies that use them. So from one mommy to the next, use alcohol. 91% is the only strength that can kill the bacteria to prevent the mold from building up, so keep that in mind. Also, it only takes about a month to look like that, so if you haven't cleaned it with alcohol by now, it's probably too late. Once the mold forms, you can't get rid of it.

Yuck!

The Nosefrida!

I realized I hadn't written a blog in FOREVER, so I decided today would be the day. I've been dealing with quite the miserable baby. First it was a ear infection that turned into major congestion and a horrible cough,then it was a tummy virus, and now we are back to the congestion. Poor thing can hardly sleep from coughing! The joys of daycare! (Although I LOVE her daycare, I hate when she's sick.)


So, after lots and lots of persuasion and hesitation, we ordered the Nosefrida, and let me tell you...it is the BEST investment ever! That handy tool gets everything out. It may look like a terribly gross concept (and it kind of is) but I can guarantee you, nothing will get in your mouth, as most people fear! Unlike the rubber bulb straight from the hospital, it creates a suction around the baby's nostrils so there is absolutely no air. This causes it to be able to suction every last drop of yucky! Don't get me wrong, the bulb is still good for getting everything out of her mouth when she's try get o cough it up; but, the Nosefrida might just be the most disgusting but genius invention out there.


I'd really like to meet the inventor and ask "What even gave you the idea to make a tool that sucks snot out of your kid's nose BY MOUTH?" And then still give her/him a hug and say thank you.

Bottom line, if you have a child who can't blow their own nose yet, you need a Nosefrida. If you have Amazon Mom or Prime, it's eligible for free 2 day shipping, and it's only $15.

You can find one by clicking here.

Happy snot sucking, y'all! ;)

You know you're a new mommy when...

·         You could probably run the country on 3 hours of good deep sleep

·         You dress your baby up like a baby model everyday but you have been wearing the same yoga pants for a week.

·         You use your bare hands to wipe runny noses, or catch spit up

·         You sometimes never even make it out of your pajamas that day

·         You have forgotten what a hot meal is

·         You feel relief when you hear your baby pass gas or have a bowel movement because you can see how uncomfortable they are….really. Sometimes I think I get more relief than she does when I hear it! ;)

·         You’ve used the Similac website to check out your baby’s poop….more than once

·         You pick up items with your toes because you can’t set the baby down, and you can’t bend over

·         You finally do set the baby down, and you immediately miss them, even if they’re beside you

·         When your diaper bag is full of unnecessary "just in case" items & ends up being heavier than baby

·         Your phone's memory is suddenly insufficient due to the thousands of pictures you've taken in the last month...and clearing them out is sooooo not happening!

·         When eau de spit up is your newest perfume and you don't care!

·         When sleep sounds like a better option than any other event

·         When your new nightly routine consists of brushing your teeth, checking on baby, washing your face, checking on baby, getting in bed, getting out of bed, checking on baby…Then finally getting back in bed again just to think of needing to check on baby again

·         You're packing for a trip and realize you've packed more outfits for your little one than for yourself. There's the cute outfit, the casual outfit, the warm one, and the short sleeve one just in case the weather is unpredictable. After all, the little princess has to have options

·         Your wedding day suddenly becomes the second best day of your life

·         Your little one’s toothless smile brings you more joy than anything else ever has

·         You know where all of the best diaper, wipe, formula, and baby food sales are, but you can’t remember when Victoria’s Secret is having their semi-annual sale anymore

·         Spit up has become an accessory

·         You feel weird talking to some of your non-parent friends because you can’t think of a single non-baby related topic to discuss

·         You feel like you won the lottery every time you get formula or diaper coupons in the mail.





These are the best ones I’ve read and I contributed some of my own! Comment here on the blog to add your favorites!

Spoiling a newborn

Can you even spoil a newborn? Some say yes and some say no. Me? I'm one of the "no" people.

"Don't pick up your baby every time she cries or she will learn that it's okay."
"She should be on a schedule to prevent cluster feeding."
"She should be sleeping in her crib, not in your room."
"You shouldn't hold her all the time, you'll never be able to put her down without her crying."

Blah. Blah. Blah.

I appreciate everyone's concerns with my child, but here's the thing...to put it simply, only my concerns count when it comes to my child.

When she cries, I pick her up. I comfort her. She doesn't want it, she needs it. My body housed her for nine months, and holding her pressed up against it is familiar and comforting for her.

When she's hungry, I can tell. I will not wait one more hour just to keep a schedule. She sometimes snacks on two ounces at a time ALL day instead of ever drinking one full bottle, but that's okay by me. She is hungry, I will not deprive her.

She'll sleep in her crib when I'm ready for her to sleep in her crib. The sweet sound of her breathing has become my white noise and it comforts me. Whatever she needs, I am there immediately with her beside my bed. We do not co-sleep simply because I'm terrified of rolling over on her, but to mamas who do, good for you!

I hold her all the time. Period. I let her sleep in my arms, I hold her upright while she watches tv, I snuggle her when she's not feeling well. When it comes time to put her down, she doesn't cry. She's only going to be a snuggly baby for a short time before she wants to walk around and explore rather than being held by mommy. I will take advantage of it until she is just too old to be held anymore.

I don't think there's a single thing wrong with spoiling babies, if that's what you want to call it. They're only babies once, even though we are mommies forever. #snugglesforlife ;)

Look out, we're cleaning green!

I recently discovered how to make my own household cleaning products for just about everything, and I AM SO happy! My absolute favorite so far is the all purpose kitchen cleaner. It's nothing more than white vinegar and orange peels. Sounds stinky, right? Not at all! I eat halos this time of year as if my patronage is what keeps those little nectarines in business! I thought I'd start sharing my DIY cleaning product recipes for all of you other mamas who want to eliminate bleach and ammonia from your house now that you have a little one.

SO, what you do is quite simple.

Fill a spray bottle about 2/3 of the way full with pieces of orange peel (I keep them in larger pieces and roll them up to fit them in the bottle opening rather than having a bunch of teeny shreds)

Pour white vinegar in to fill the bottle

Close the top, and set it aside for two weeks, shaking it here and there whenever it crosses your mind. (Yes, the first batch takes a long time, but if you have two spray bottles, just start a new one when you notice the first bottle getting low.)

Drain the orange vinegar into a measuring cup, pick out the orange peels one by one, and pour the vinegar back into the bottle.

Now, I know that it seems silly to pick out the orange peels from that little top, (another reason I keep them in larger pieces) but it's really not too bad. You can use this same recipe in mason jars if you think it would be easier, but my only gripe about that, is you need to fill 2 or 3 jars to make the amount of cleaner  you would make by just pouring everything directly into the spray bottle. So all in all, making it straight in the bottle is a much quicker process to make the cleaner. Pulling the peels out really doesn't take that long, and then at the end you only have to funnel one container back into the spray bottle, rather than 2 or 3 jars. Whatever method works best for you is fine, though. :)

The orange oil from the peels seep into the vinegar, which makes for one AMAZING (and great smelling) cleaning product. It just smells so clean and citrusy. There’s no other way to describe it. The smell of straight vinegar is gone, and the orange smell is just heavenly. The natural oil from the peels breaks up dried on messes from your counter SO well, and it also helps pick up dirt and dust, etc. The vinegar is a natural cleaner and disinfectant. You can even clean grease or lots of dirt off of hands with this stuff before washing them. If you're interested in learning more, please tell me what type of cleaner you're looking to make, and I'll share my recipes for it if I have one (which I probably do)! :) Until next time, mamas!

*DISCLAIMER* - Do NOT use this product on granite counter tops. I am not sure about marble, but my mother has granite, and they specified no citrus and no vinegar. You may want to do some research before using this product if you have anything other than standard composite counters.

TAG! You're it! Super mommy tag.

I was actually tagged in this, and another tag by a fellow YouTuber who heard me mention having a new baby in my most recent beauty vlog. (UD Naked 3 Palette!)



1.       How many kids do you have and what ages? I have 1 daughter, who will be 3 months the day after tomorrow.

2.       Do you feel like you have it all together every day? (Cleaning, laundry, baby, etc.) For the most part, I do. Paisley loves her play time in the swing and bouncer, which does give me the opportunity to do some laundry and cleaning.

3.       When do you make time to shower? Day or night? I shower every morning. Paisley is usually still asleep until right after I shower.

4.       Do you wear makeup every day? On the days I work, I do wear makeup. On the weekends, I don’t bother!

5.       Do you style your hair every day or ponytail it? Luckily, I am a curly headed gal, so I just let it dry on its own after I shower.

6.       When do you find time to do your hair and makeup? When the kids are awake or asleep? Either or. As long as P is sleeping or playing!

7.       Do you work out and when? One hour at night, 5 days a week.

8.       What’s your house cleaning schedule? Do you clean daily? Of course I clean daily…I’m a new mommy!! I’m always picking up little things here and there. A sock here, a blanket there, cleaning bottles, etc!

9.       Do you ever get overwhelmed with all of your responsibilities as a mom? Honestly, I have not felt overwhelmed quite yet. It does get stressful sometimes, but I have not gotten to that point…yet.

10.   How often do you have alone/me time and how do you relax? Every night when P goes to bed around 9:00, I lie in bed and either play on Facebook, YouTube, read, or blog now.

I’m tagging few specifics, but also everyone who reads this! Same title, same questions. I can’t wait to read yours!

TAG! You're it! Mommy life tag.

 was actually tagged in this, and another tag by a fellow YouTuber who heard me mention having a new baby in my most recent beauty vlog. (UD Naked 3 Palette!)



1. Are you a SAHM or working mom? Working mom


2. Would you have it any other way? Absolutely! Hopefully within the next year, I will be staying home with princess.


3. Do you co-sleep? She sleeps in our room in her rock & play sleeper because of her reflux, but she does not sleep in the bed


4. One must have gear for baby? Boppy, her MAM paci, and her soothe and glow seahorse


5. How many kids do you plan on having? I say three, but my husband says two. We’ll see about that. ;)


6. Date night? How many nights (or day) per month? Usually we set aside one night a month to go on date night. Sometimes two.


7. Your child's favorite show? She is obviously too young to be mentally involved with a show, but she loves to watch and listen to the sounds on baby’s first tv.


8. Name 1 thing you bought before you had your baby and you never ended up using? Wipe warmer. HORRIBLE investment!


9. Your child's favorite food? We’re still on formula for another month or so. :)


10. How many cars does your family have? Two


11. Weight gain before pregnancy, during and after, and now? I actually lost 15 lbs right before I got pregnant. I gained 31 lbs during pregnancy and I have lost it all but 1 lb.


12. Dream vacation with your kiddos? Disney World…it’s kind of a dream for me because I’ve never been!


13. Dream vacation without the kiddos? Italy. Anywhere in Italy!


14. How has your life changed since your baby has been born? I can’t even explain it. I see life differently because of her. She gave me a whole new reason for living, breathing, and smiling


15. Finish the sentence: "It makes my heart melt to see......" Her smile light up the room when she sees her mama!


16. Where do you shop for your kids? It seems like everywhere I go, I buy her something. I really like JC Penney, and of course Walmart and Target are always good


17. Favourite make-up and skin care products? Don’t get me started! Are you kidding? :)


18. Huggies diaper jeans: yay or nay? Eh. Not a huge fan for my daughter.


19. Have you always wanted kids? YES!!!!!! It has been my dream since I was a little girl. I treated my dolls like my babies.


20. Best part about being a mom?  This can’t be a serious question, lol. EVERYTHING! Watching her grow from a tiny speck with a heartbeat inside of my body, to a happy, healthy, smiling, playful baby has been amazing in every single aspect.

I'm tagging a few specifics, but also everyone else who reads this! Same title, same questions. Can't wait to read yours!

+

Pregnancy. Does it affect friendships?

Well, it shouldn’t. Unfortunately, it does. I could sit here and write a scathing blog about how terrible you find out your “friends” are when you become pregnant. I had barely a handful of friends by the time I was 2 months pregnant. Everyone was excited and over 150 people “liked” my announcement of pregnancy, but there certainly weren’t over 150 people who kept in contact with me. Even family kept their distance as if pregnancy were some disease. And you know what? I don’t want to hear it’s because we couldn’t “party” anymore, because we weren’t big “partiers” to begin with. Regardless, I WAS STILL FUN!



But, instead of sitting here and focusing on and ranting about the negative things, I will just say that I am thankful for that small handful of people. You truly find out who your friends are, and your friend count dwindles down dramatically. Here’s the thing…I don’t care.  I’ve always heard that 4 quarters is better than 100 pennies any day.



Pregnancy absolutely affected my friendships. Some in a bad way, but so many in good ways. I became friends with people I never saw myself as being friends with, (not because I didn’t like them…but because we just never talked on a personal level), I reconnected with some friends who I had lost touch with, and I made new friends…all through the common bond: Being pregnant and/or having children. To be honest with you, once my daughter was born, I found myself more interested in other mothers as friends, anyway. I know it might sound snobby, but it’s true. Motherhood is my life, and I like to surround myself with other people living the same lifestyle. My mommy friends of course take a back seat to family, but these are the girls I now consider my second family. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t turn my nose up at you if you don’t have children, but I promise you non mom friends of mine, that you do NOT want to hear me ramble on constantly about spit up, teething, bodily functions, and drool. Unless you care about and love Paisley as much as you do me.  Quite luckily,  I actually have a friend or two like that. Oh yeah, my best friend is better than yours! ;)


To wrap things up, I just want to say “Thank you” to the few friends that never left my side, the old friends I reconnected with, and the new friends I made along the way. I am so excited for these old, new, and renewed friendships to flourish, and to watch your babies grow and play with mine. I’ll take playdates and mommy dates over a night at the “club” any day. To my friends without kids, thank you for showing support, effort, and love. That is the true definition of friendship.

The truth about motherhood.

Motherhood. It is the most amazing thing I have ever done with my life. But, it is not always easy. Easy and natural are two completely different things. Being a mother came naturally. I was made to be Paisley’s mother. However, it did not come easily by any means. I had an easy pregnancy, and even an easy labor up until the emergency C-section. The obstacles immediately started at 9:26am, when she entered this world, only to go straight into the NICU. Since then, we have encountered many more obstacles. Sleepless nights, lots of crying, food allergies, ear infections, stuffy noses, nasty coughs, early stages of teething , a completely inconsolable baby at times, and of course lots of yucky diapers and being thrown up, peed, and pooped on. Doesn’t sound too easy, does it?



Being a parent can make you acquire what I feel really are superpowers. I mean, I never know I could do so many things with my hands! Bounce a crying baby while feeding her, feeding myself, flipping through the channels on TV, and even Facebooking about my amazement at the fact I’m doing all of these things at once. Most commonly, my hands are occupied by holding her, but they are still capable of even more. Oh yes. If you had asked me two years ago if I could see myself wiping tears, drool, and boogies or even catching flying vomit, I would have laughed. These are regular occurrences now. Do I have a problem sticking my pinky in her nose to dig out a boogie? Nope! Did I plan on catching vomit in the palm of my hand? Nope! And we’re back to what comes naturally. It’s basically an instinct to catch bodily fluids from any orifice. Is it yucky? Absolutely. Does it gross me out? Nope!



Parenthood is about more than just having a child. It is not just about one new life, but three. As we welcomed a new life; mine and my husband’s lives also became new. Absolutely for the better, I might add. Nathan and I are not just a married couple anymore…We were a family of three. –And how exciting is that?–  The moment I laid eyes on my daughter, I felt the love everyone was talking about, but stronger than I could have ever dreamed of. I had no idea I could love something or someone so much, and it grows by at least double every day. It is truly unexplainable. Motherhood itself is the most empowering feeling in the world. You grew a life inside of you; a life that depended solely on you for nine whole months. It doesn’t get much more empowering than that.



Even with the obstacles and frustration at times, there has never been anything so worth it; sleepless nights and all. Every kiss, every toothless grin, every time her little hands grasp my finger, every time that beautiful sweet baby falls asleep in my arms: That’s what makes it worthwhile. That’s what makes me feel like a superhero. So, I close this in saying that the truth about motherhood is this: While it is not easy, it is amazing. There is absolutely nothing in this world that I would trade it for. It is full of exhaustion, unexpected illnesses, and all things of the like, but it is also filled with love, and more happy moments than you could ever begin to count. I wish I could sit here and explain to you how much I love not only my child, but also being a mother. There are no words that could even begin to touch the depths of it. In short, it rocks, and I highly recommend it. That’s the truth about motherhood.

Battle of the Wipes: THE WINNER!(s?)

I have to go with Huggies One & Done. They smell great, they clean great. I just can't say enough good things about them! Pampers Natural Clean came in at a very close second, though. I did not put prices simply because wipes are moderately priced to begin with. There are no "mega expensive" wipes in this battle.

I hope you enjoyed the battles!

Battle of the Diapers: THE WINNER!(s?)

So, I have to say that this is kind of a tie. You decide. The baby dry are best for overnight use, while Target Up & Up are good for daytime use. Don't get me wrong, Up & Up are great for overnight use too, but the Pampers Baby Dry are a little better. They're great for day or night, just like Up & Up. They're just specifically made to handle lots and lots of pee pee :) We use a mix of both in order to save money. If you had to choose based on price alone, Up & Up diapers would win, hands down.

I hope you enjoyed the battles! 

Battle of the wipes. Number 6, Target Up & Up Unscented

Target Up & Up Unscented

Softness: 5 out of 10.

Thickness: 1 out of 10 – These wipes are SO thin! – But they do not tear when wiping, so I did not give them a flat out zero for that reason.

Cleanup: 1 out of 10. I could never seem to get a “good grip” on her hiney with these wipes. They just kind of slid around. They cleaned her pee, but it literally took me about 8 wipes to clean a blowout one day!

Smell: Unscented

Moistness: 1 out of 10. They dried quickly after opening, even being shut properly. They also dried after only one swipe across her hiney during a diaper change.

Overall Opinion: 1 out of 10. They do the job….barely. I wish they were as great as their diapers are! I got a 3 pack of small refills at my shower. They were not even worth free. I sent them to the daycare just to get rid of them.

Battle of the wipes. Number 5, Huggies One & Done

Huggies One & Done

Softness: 10 out of 10 – These wipes are super soft

Thickness: 10 out of 10 – These wipes are pillowy and thick

Cleanup: 10 out of 10 – I can almost always get away with just one wipe like it claims. A blowout takes two sometimes. I have never had to use more than two of these during a diaper change.

Smell: 10 out of 10 – I LOVE the green tea and cucumber scent. It is very light and fresh.

Moistness: 3 out of 10 – This is the one downfall. These wipes are not as “wet” as other wipes are. However, they still clean well. They do dry quickly once opened, though. I do find that they moisturize my daughters skin very well and do not leave her dry or chafed

Overall Opinion: 8 out of 10. I think these wipes are the bomb, other than their drying out and not being very moist to begin with.

Battle of the wipes. Number 4, Huggies Natural Care

Huggies Natural Care

Softness: 5 out of 10. These are average in softness

Thickness: 5 out of 10. These are average in thickness

Cleanup: 7 out of 10. It took about 3 or 4 to completely clean her blowouts, but I did not feel they left her as as clean and fresh as the Pampers Natural Clean wipes.

Smell: No smell

Moistness: 10 out of 10. I had no problems with these wipes drying during use, or in the tub they came in.

Overall Opinion: 7 out of 10. They are pretty good wipes, but there are much betters wipes on the market

Battle of the wipes. Number 3, Pampers Natural Clean

Pampers Natural Clean

Softness: 8 out of 10. These are very soft.

Thickness: 8 out of 10. These are not “plush” thick, but they are still relatively thick.

Cleanup: 8 out of 10. These left her very clean, but it did take about 3 or 4 to completely clean her blowouts.

Smell: These diapers have a very pleasant light and fresh smell from the aloe.

Moistness: 10 out of 10. These wipes did not dry out easily, and the aloe makes them even better!

Overall Opinion: 9 out of 10. I love these wipes! I can’t even say enough good things about them. I just wish they were a tiny bit softer and thicker.

Battle of the wipes. Number 2, Pampers Sensitive

Pampers Sensitive

Softness: 8 out of 10

Thickness: 4 out of 10 – I found these wipes to be extremely thin

Cleanup: 0 out of 10. It takes at least 5 of these bad boys to clean up a good blowout.

Smell: These wipes are unscented. I did find that they did not “freshen” my daughter down there after a blowout, which left her smelling unpleasant until bath time.

Moistness: 4 out of 10. These wipes dried out about halfway through the package if not used quickly. Each wipe also dries only about halfway through wiping her little hiney.

Overall Opinion: These wipes are okay. We had quite a few packs from the hospital, and they were worth finishing up. There are much better wipes on the market, though.

Battle of the wipes. Number 1, Pampers Baby Fresh

Pampers Baby Fresh
Softness: 6 out of 10. These are slightly softer than several other brands.

Thickness: 5 out of 10. These wipes are not thin or thick in my opinion.

Cleanup: 5 out of 10. 1 wipe will suffice for a wet diaper, but it takes at least 3 to clean a dirty one.

Smell: 2 out of 10. The baby powder scent is UNBEARABLY strong. I do not like the smell of baby powder to begin with, though. So your rating of the smell may be different. However, it is a very, very powerful and strong smell.

Moistness: 2 out of 10. These wipes dried out before I could finish the tub. It made it about 3/4 of the way before the wipes became too dry to use. (I had the ones in the green plastic tub, not the travel pack as pictured above, so they may differ.)

Overall Opinion: 3 out of 10. They’re not the worst wipes, but I would not pay for them. If you’re given these wipes for free, then they may be worth it. Again, this is just my opinion.

Battle of the diapers. Number 8, Target Up & Up

Target Up & Up

Blowout rate: 10 out of 10

Softness: 8 out of 10. They are pretty soft inside and out.

Scent: Unscented

Wetness indicator: These diapers do have a wetness indicator

Absorbency: Great for daytime and overnight use.

Fit: These fit somewhere between true to size and a slightly large. My daughter wore other brands in
size 1 for about 2 weeks before fitting into her first Up & Up diapers

Price: $27 for a pack of 180 (.15 cents per diaper)

Overall opinion: I think these diapers are FANTASTIC. They are almost (if not exactly) identical to Pampers sensitive…and literally half the price! My ONLY complaint is that they are not quite as soft as Pampers brand…BUT they’re still soft, and if these were the only diapers on the market, I would be totally content. :)

Battle of the diapers. Number 7, Parent's Choice

Parent’s Choice

Blowout rate: 0 out of 10…but I would give it a negative rating if I could. These diapers couldn't hold a thing.

Softness: 0 out of 10 - These are very scratchy. Not soft whatsoever, inside OR out. It's like putting notebook paper on your baby's bottom.

Scent: Supposedly unscented. However, I did find these to have a VERY, very strong chemical smell

Wetness indicator: These do have wetness indicators. They’re slightly different than normal, and to be honest, I find them strange. It is a front to back strip of teddy bears that are blue. When the diaper is wet or dirty, the bears will disappear.

Absorbency: 0 out of 10. HUGE thumbs down. They can maybe hold 1 or 2 pees when the baby is a newborn. Saying it holds 2 pees is really giving them the benefit of the doubt.

Fit: These ran very small. We had size 1, which was somewhere between a size newborn and a slightly small size 1.

Price: $20 for a pack of 96 (.15 cents per diaper)

Overall opinion: These diapers are horrible! Absolutely horrible. I would not put these on my own skin, much less my daughter’s sweet sensitive baby skin. Again, they are very scratchy, and I cannot even understand why anyone would use these! They were so rough, that like I said above, you may as well be putting notebook paper on your baby’s bottom. If you have not tried them yet, my advice is to keep it up and NEVER try them!