Top 10

Someone asked me the other day what has been my most useful gift, and I had to really think about that for a while. I couldn't answer with one particular thing, for there are way too many things to list. In fact, I never got back to that person, because I really needed time to think about it. Here recently, I've been pondering what are the Top 10 most PRACTICAL things that have been the most useful in my journey and adjustment to motherhood (and fatherhood to Hugh). Most of these were not gifts, but you very well could give these as gifts to new parents. These are not in any particular order. I will start with one for now.....

1. Burp cloths: Okay, duh. I mean, who DOESN'T need burp cloths when parenting a newby? Well, I mentioned burp cloths not so much to highlight the fact that I needed a burp cloth per se, but instead a specific type of birth cloth. (What the heck? Did I just type birth cloth? Whoa, I'm tired. It's after 9:00 p.m. and those kinds of things happen to mothers after 9:00. LOL. ) So, I created my own little burp cloth, for we use these little doo-dads EVERY WHERE WE GO. We don't leave home with 'em, much less walk around the corner without them. I cut up old flannel receiving blankets, as well as purchased cute, flannel print, and I sewed them into long, slender burp cloths. Why flannel? Glad you asked. For one, flannel is UBER absorbent. It soaks up anything and everything. My other plain-jane, cheap white ones seemed to have a film on them when I'd go wipe up a spit-up explosion. There are high dollar quality cotton "diapers" used for burp cloths, and those seem to soak them up, but they are white. I wanted CUTE. So, sewing more on top of that made it too heavy and one-sided(will explain in more detail in the next paragraph.) For example, today I got Laney out of her car seat and was just about to close the car door and head into Wal-mart when she erupted ALL OVER MY RIGHT THIGH, down my leg and all over my foot and toes. It was one of the biggest spit-ups EVA, and I had no warning AT ALL. She's a sneaky little thang. My leg looked like I had dunked it in a pool. If I had wiped my leg off with the normal, white cloth, it'd soak it up, but the first wipe would only smear and streak it down my leg, only picking up some. Then, I'd fold it in half and wipe of more. I would then proceed to say "ewwwww!!" since it was all over my fingers by this point, which would explain why I would reach for another burp cloth, thus carrying around several burp clothes that take up necessary space in my small diaper bag. Since I had my handy-dandy flannel-roo today, I was cleaned up in a "hurr-y".

Secondly, flannel sticks to your clothes if it's not a HEAVY burp cloth. Nowadays, you'll find people making super-duper cute burp cloths, but they are the thick ones just topped with print fabric, which only smears burp explosions, compared to flannel. And they are so HEAVY. People think more bulk is better to soak it all up, but really it's a hindrance b/c it falls off the shoulder too easily. I don't even use my thick one that I bought from some lady who was selling them at a consignment sale. The key is to have a thin, absorbent cloth, like flannel or microfiber, so it doesn't take up space in the diaper bag,...so it sticks to your clothes when you bend over to get up from a chair(you don't have any free hands), to squat and wipe up spit it on the carpet or pick something up, AND..(take a breath) so it's soft on your babies little face. You're going to wipe that pretty, little face for a whole year, so better make it soft and coze. I made some of them long and slender, because they drape over the shoulder well and stick to my shoulder better. Others, I made them wide, for there are times when you need a wider cloth. I did top some thinner burp cloths with flannel, and that was fine, but there wasn't flannel on the flip side, so as to stick to my cloths, and that was one of the best features of flannel. Mine also carry the "homemade look." I'm by NO MEANS a professional. I just bought my sewing machine with Christmas money, and I didn't even know how to thread the needle and fill up the bobbin. I was glued to the instruction manual. But if you really want to do something, you'll do it. I really wanted to sew, so I sew now. I sew whenever I get the chance. It's fun to me. I love to create!!! As a summary, the best burp cloth of all is two pieces of flannel sewn together, nothing in the middle, and decorated just the way you like it! The flannel is absorbent enough by itself!

I bet you never thought there'd be so much science to burp cloths. Just ask the mother of an acid-reflux baby, and you'll learn quickly what the best route is to burpies.