Diaper stripping revelation and baby's first road trip

It’s time for a revelation:

Calgon sucks for stripping diapers.  I mean, that chick on the Internet said it worked, but I tried it and it didn’t.  Maybe I did it wrong, but I felt like it made my inserts less absorbent.  I don’t know.  So, I had heard about RLR and how it is super amazing at stripping diapers, and it is!  I found this post and ordered a couple packets of RLR from Amazon.  I washed all my diapers and inserts per normal (cold rinse, hot wash/cold rinse with Calgon and diaper safe detergent) then I threw in a packet of RLR and ran them through my normal wash cycle, then rinsed them, like, 5 times.  It says to rinse them until no more suds come off, but my washing machine is a terrorist and locks itself shut so I can’t open it and look inside (I have a top loader).  How much I hate my auto locking washing machine could fill its own blog.

Anyway, the RLR seems to have returned my inserts to their previous glory of absorbency.  And they don’t smell funky anymore.  Yay!  Word on the Internet is that you should do monthly maintenance stripping.  If the RLR works as well the second time, I will buy a ton of it to have on hand since I will be doing this monthly for at least a year (but probably longer).  Calgon is still amazing for normal hard water washes and I am still adding it to my laundry, but I don’t like it for diaper stripping.

Also, Zulily has Little Monsters brand cloth diapers on sale for $10 a piece right now.  I ordered four of them, because I couldn’t resist their cuteness.  I got the brontosaurus (or Apatosaurus if you want to be all accurate and stuff) and a couple others.  I really wanted the moustache one, but I limited myself to four and I thought the ones I picked out were cuter.  Though both the anchor and the moustache were incredibly tempting.

Chubs McBabylegs went to the pediatrician for his four-month well check.  Dr. Soulpatch commented on his strength and overall buffness.  We may have a baby body builder on our hands.  Hamburglar weighs 17 pounds and seems to have evened out a bit.  He’s in the 80^th percentile all across the board, which means that he is no longer short and fat with a big fat head like he was before.  Sure, he’s still heavy with a massive noggin, but at least he’s long enough to pull it off now.  Dr. Soulpatch was wearing striped socks with tiny little jolly rogers on them, so I think this relationship may work out.  Because I like to decide if I like people or not based upon completely arbitrary and shallow reasons.

Hamburglar and I went on our first solo road trip.  Mr. Adventure couldn't make it, so Chubs and I went together.  He slept most of the way and wasn't too cranky.  It worked out really well.  The weather was crazy and we drove through ridiculous fog pockets like this on the way there and back.

But, we made it to Seattle and it only took about two hours longer than it took me pre-baby.  And Seattle was lovely, per usual.  I didn't realize how much I miss it.

We had lunch at the Jolly Roger Tap Room with my old roommate (little mahi sliders and the jalapeno ceasar salad are amazing!).  Hamburglar was grumpy being there and, at one point, I had to change his diaper.  It was not easy.  There was no changing table and there was only a pedestal sink that turned on automatically, so I couldn't put the diaper bag in there and I ended up holding him over my shoulder, trying to take off his pants and diaper and get him all changed.  I’m just glad he didn't poop because that would have ended a whole new element to the challenge. 

That night I had dinner at a friend’s house with her and her family.  She is super pregnant (due February 5^th) and I was bringing her baby clothes that Hamburglar has grown out of and she gave me a ton of size 12 month to 2 year that I will give back when I’m done with them.  Yay!  Chubs tried out her doorway jumper and LOVED it, so I bought one off craigslist for $10.  He doesn't seem to love the one I bought as much, but whatever.  He is enjoying it.  I think part of his love of the other one was the 2.5 year old that was helping him get his bounce on.

The next morning we had dim sum at House of Hong with another pregnant friend and her husband.  (They are having a girl in May and she and I are currently in negotiations for arranging a marriage.  She has offered a dowry of three chickens, but I think I can get more if I hold out a bit longer).  I love dim sum. 

After that, we set off to Olympia to visit college friends.  We had lunch and hung out and I put Hamburglar's fancy new (old) Seahawks onesie on him in preparation of the big game.  Now, I’m not saying that Chubs’ Seahawks threads are what won the game, but I don’t think it hurt.

After one night in Oly, we headed back home the next morning.  The trip was a real whirlwind and left me missing my friends even more.  I think if I pack up the wee babe and take him visiting again, we will go longer.  Three days wasn't nearly enough and we spent so much time in the car.  I think it was a bit unfair to Fatty.  But he loved my friends and they seemed to love him.

I think I may need to move back to the West Coast.  Mr. Adventure grew up near Tacoma, so he seems down, it’s just a matter of agreeing on where we live.

Also, I know I've said it before, but I love this fucking baby.  And he is my new favorite road trip companion