Why Are All Of The Sippy Cups Dirty

Seriously. Why. And HOW. HOW ARE THEY ALL DIRTY. ALWAYS. THERE ARE NEVER ANY CLEAN SIPPY CUPS I SWEAR TO MAUDE I JUST WASHED THEM ALL.

*sigh*

You know, and it's really only in the past... month? Six weeks? That The Velociraptor has even really  understood what in the hell to do with a sippy cup. We've been offering them since... seven months? And zie totally got that there was MILK in there (well, formula), and got that you had to pick up the cup and put the spout in your mouth, but didn't understand the tilting part of the equation. Then all of a sudden it made sense, and any time zie even sees a sippy cup they want it. OKAY.

This post is mostly to talk about sippy cups though, and which ones I like, which ones I don't, etc. and so on, because this is the kind of thing I love to read, and judging by my blog stats, so do some of y'all.

Links in this are NOT affiliate links. All products listed are ones I bought my own damn self. I have received no compensation in any form for this post.

Okay so here's the sippy cups we have.

Munchkin Click-Lock Bite-Proof Trainer Cups

These come in a "bite-proof" and "regular" model, and we have both. I think they're trying to just have the bite-proof ones. Whatever, they're the same cup. These were some of the first we bought. These are probably my second-favorite, at home.

Pros

• The click-lock feature is awesome. There is an audible click when the handle/spout assembly is on correctly.
• Easy to put the handle/spout assembly on.
• Does not leak.
• Soft spout.
• 100% dishwasher safe.
• Silicone spout.

Cons

• You have to use the handles to use the cup, so as The Velociraptor gets older, zie will outgrow these.
• Large capacity. These will easily take 6-8 ounces of fluid, which on the one hand, great... but if you have a small baby and you know they won't drink that much, and you only put four ounces of fluid in there, they REALLY have to tip up the cup to get at it. We think this made it a little tougher for The Velociraptor to figure out sippy cups.
• The spout can sometimes be a pain to get in and out of the handles. On the other hand, you know it's really fucking durable because god knows it's gone through a lot.
• No cap, so I don't really take these out of the house.
• No ounce markings on the cup, so you aren't sure how much the kid had, and if you want to make formula, you need to either get out a measuring cup or make it in a bottle and pour. 

The First Years Take-and-Toss Spill Proof Cups with removable handles

These were the other first sippy cups we got. Now that I have more choices, they are not my favorites.

Pros

• Wicked inexpesive.
• Small size, so these are really what helped The Velociraptor "get" sippy cups.
• Completely dishwasher safe.
• Removable handles, so they become handle-less sippy cups, then regular child cups as The Velciraptor grows (which is part of why I'm not getting rid of them).

Cons

• A four-pack of cups and lids only comes with two handles. Handles, seeing as how the child's HANDS are on them, often get SUPER GROSS and need to be washed. And then here I am with these extra cups on my hands...
• Jeezy muffin creezy, the handles are tough to get on. It is not as simple as "just squeeze and slide them up!" like it says on the package. No no no. You have to squeeze, the pry one side up over the lip, then squeeze just right and pry the other side up. I mean, they're secure once they're on! Getting them on is a pain.
• Hard plastic spout. Which, the kid isn't going to chew through, and since they have teeth I'm less worried, but on gums,  meh, not ideal I am told.
• Not leak-proof. There are always drips with these. 
• No ounce measurements on the cups.
• No caps.

 Nuk Learner Cup 

THIS IS MY FAVORITE RIGHT NOW. I wish we had it earlier. This was a "well, let's try this" cup I bought in the grocery store while I was waiting for my car to be fixed, and oh my gods, I wish I'd bought it sooner. My local BabiesRUs does not have these, so you might have to search. But seriously, try the grocery store, I'm not kidding.

Pros

• This is probably the easiest to learn from, I'd say. The Velociraptor took one look at this and was like OH. YES PLEASE.
• Soft, textured, grippy handles.
• Handles are easy to take on and put off.
• OUNCE MARKINGS ON THE SIDE OF THE CUP.
• Soft silicone spout. This is probably the most bottle-like of the sippy cups and spouts. 
• Super cute designs (I linked to Winnie the Pooh, but there's plenty of others).
• Easy assembly and disassembly all around.
• Completely dishwasher safe.
• COMES WITH A CAP.
• Leak-proof.

Cons

• Kind of expensive. Part of that I think is because I was in the grocery store, but they're like, eight bucks a piece. (There is a link for a coupon on the page I linked though.)
• I ONLY HAVE ONE. 
• Can only be a sippy cup - can't use this as a regular cup.

Playtex TrainingTime Soft Spout Cup

I just bought these this past weekend, because huh, turns out only six sippy cups - only four of which are usable at a time WHY ARE THERE ONLY TWO HANDLES IN A PACKAGE OF FOUR, FIRST YEARS is actually not enough, if you offer a cup at every meal and with snack,  unless you do two loads of dishes per day and HAHAHAHAHAH no. Ours had its break-in voyage at a Red Sox game on Wednesday. Like you do.

Pros

• Vented spout is pretty easy to get in the lid.
• Comes with a cap.
• Removable handles!
• Cups are interchangeable with other lids in the Playtex TrainingTime line.
• Fully dishwasher safe.
• Comes in two-handled or one-handled styles.

Cons

• They SAY that it's a super-easy twist-and-click system. Uh, no. I have never heard a click, and it's not like I haven't tried. The arrow goes way past the lock on the cup when I finally get it as leak-proof as I can, and did I mention...
• Be careful, these will leak, unless maybe you're luckier than me.
• Can't use as a lidless, regular cup - you have to have some kind of lid on it. 
• Handle placement is a little fiddly. They fit in to a groove on the lid, which is super cool, but I have never gotten them to fit exactly perfectly and seamlessly.
• No ounce markings. 

Nuby No-Spill FlipN'Sip Cup

This is another one I picked up this weekend, and got broken in at the Red Sox game. This is actually a straw cup, although now that zie gets sippy cups, The Kid had no problem with it. Except for the part where you actually don't need to tip a straw cup, so maybe these are a better earlier choice. Ah well.

Pros

• Soft, grippy handles.
• Built-in cap - you just slide the cap over the straw and you're set.
• Soft straw that doesn't drip or leak.
• Fully dishwasher safe.
• Fine to use with juice, not just milk or water.

Cons

• This is another one where it's like, okay, I swear I know how to put on goddamn lids, WHY ARE YOU DRIPPING.
• Also WHY DOES THE STRAW ALWAYS WIND UP OVER THE HANDLE NO MATTER WHERE I START SCREWING THE LID ON. I mean The Kid can still drink from it just fine, but it bothers me. A LOT.
• Definitely close the cap when you have it in your bag. The Man didn't before we packed up at the game, and I opened up the bag to all kinds of wet burp cloths and blankets, so that was fun.
• The straw assembly is kind of a pain in the ass. There's two parts, and it takes a lot of fiddling, squeezing, and pulling to get it in place. And it's not completely obvious when it's in there correctly, too. Definitely take a very good look at it - maybe take pictures! - before you take it apart and wash it the first time.
• No ounce markings.
• Have to have the cap on to use it.
• You cannot remove the handles.

Playtex TrainingTime Straw Cup

We actually bought this in a set with the Playtex Soft Spout Cup - which, good on you Playtex, for selling a variety pack. That is actually pretty awesome, because then people can try both.

Pros

• Fully dishwasher safe.
• Soft silicone spout.
• Removable handles.
• Single or double handles, YOUR CHOICE woooooooooooo
• Integrated cap.
• Interchangeable lids with other Playtex TrainingTime cups.

Cons

• Mostly the same as for the spout cup - like the lid being fiddly to get on.
• Another pain in the ass straw assembly, that looks ALMOST like the Nuby, but NOT QUITE, so definitely be careful, take pictures, and HAVE FUN KIDS.
• Can't use as just a plan cup; you have to have a lid on it.
• No ounce markings. 

Playtex AnyTime Spoutless Cup

This was another grocery store buy. Because fuckin' why not, right? I usually fill this with water and keep it in the living room, for sips during play.

Pros

• Larger size.
• Leakproof. This one I have actually heard the lid click in to place!
• Easy assembly and disassembly.
• Cannot mistake this valve for anything else.
• Will take the handles from the sippy cups, which is good because right now it's just a wee bit too big for The Velociraptor to hold by hirself.
• Integrated cap, which The Kid is FASCINATED by.
• Completely dishwasher safe.
• Even though there's no spout or straw, The Velociraptor drinks just fine from it.

Cons

• It is a little bit bigger and harder to hold, and it does not come with handles.
• Our valve... apparently didn't have any slits in it when we got it, so here I am, trying out this cup with the kid, and hahaha it doesn't work. The Man cut tiny slits in each side of the valve and now it's fine.
• No ounce markings.
• Have to have the lid on to use it.

BET YOU DIDN'T REALIZE THERE WERE THIS MANY KINDS OF GODDAMN SIPPY CUPS, DID YOU. And really, this is just scratching the surface. There are SO MANY. So what's your favorite?

Cloth Diapering, One Year In

[Contents: poop]

Okay first, can we stop, take a minute, and realize that the Velociraptor is A YEAR OLD ON SATURDAY? HOW DID THIS HAPPEN. WHAT. HOW. WHAT.

...

...

Okay.

Meanwhile, we are still using cloth diapers. Sometimes we even go out in public and use cloth diapers! Usually after we are sure that zie is done pooping for the day.

Why does the pooping matter? Because once your child is eating solids, and no longer has those soft, water-soluble breastmilk or formula poops, the poop has to go in the toilet. I mean it can go in the washing machine. It will also stay in the washing machine, and you know, I don't really recommend that. So while sometimes we are lucky and the poop is just a poop nugget and we can flip it in to the toilet with no effort, sometimes (most times) we are not lucky and removing the poop takes more effort. This is not something I want to engage in in a public bathroom, especially with the terrible toilet tissue they give you.

Oh, so how do you remove the poop? Some people swear by diaper sprayers. We currently rent, have read reviews of all of them talking about eventual leaks even with correct installation, and don't really feel like messing with the old, old, sometimes cranky plumbing in this house. Some folks swear by "dunk and swish", which I'm sure works if you don't have a low-flow toilet (this method relies on the force of the flushing toilet water to remove the poop). We tried using toilet paper to, well, wipe the poop off, and I mean it works? Ish? And will do in a pinch, but mostly we use a little mini rubber cookie spatula that I got from my MIL, because bless her, she tries (I'm not actually mad about it, just bemused sometimes at what she gets), and I was never going to use it for its intended purpose ANYWAY. It sits in an empty Talenti container next to our toilet (so if you've been over recently, yes, that is a poop scraper; welcome!). It works pretty good. We usually take some toilet paper and wipe off the spatula after use. We also have a can of those lemon-scented disinfectant wipes next to the toilet, for any accidental poop-on-surfaces that happens. Finally, we have a wet bag in the bathroom now, so we have to move the poopy diapers as little as possible.

As for how the diapers are holding up, PRETTY GODDAMN WELL. Some of the hook-and-loop on the Flip covers is showing its age; once we use fewer diapers in a day again and I can spare them, I'm going to send them to the woman I found on Etsy who converted a few others to snaps for me. Snaps are really the way to go for most covers I've used. Except for the Thirsties Duo Wraps; all of our size 2 Duo Wraps are hook-and-loop and are fantastic and I love them. We also had one of the Diaper Safari covers delaminate; I tossed it because wev they weren't my favorite anyway. The Bummis Super Whisper Wrap I bought from someone (who said it was new, and I have no reason to disbelieve them) also delaminated, but since it's two layers of PUL facing each other, we still use it and it's fine.

We are still using a mix of prefolds and flats, depending on what fits best in the cover. The size 2 Duo Wraps definitely do better with a prefold in them, as does the Super Whisper Wrap, as do the Diaper Safari covers. The Flips all get pad-folded flats in them. If it's the pre-nap diaper, I try to use a prefold, or a flat with a doubler stuffed in the middle. Now that The Velociraptor usually naps at least an hour and a half, and sometimes three and a half hours, we need the extra absorbency.

Overnights, we are using a disposable. Now that I have bigger prefolds and covers big enough to handle them, I suspect we could try a Duo Wrap and a medium or large prefold in it overnight (daytime use, we are still using just the small prefolds in the covers). Especially since sometimes, even the disposables leak. This is why I have a waterproof pad under the sheets in the crib.

We've also changed our wash routine slightly. Rather than overriding the water level sensors on both the pre-wash and main wash cycles, I only override on the pre-wash. I figure the more we can dilute whatever's in there and rinse it out, the better. For the hot, main wash cycle, I just let the water sensors do their job. I've been doing this... maybe two months now? And we have had zero problems. Diapers still get clean, rashes not appearing.

We did for a while battle a nasty yeast rash, that took over a month and two tubes of prescription antifungal ointment to kick. During this time we used disposables - not that the ointment wasn't cloth diaper safe (it was... more things are than they tell you are, seriously), but because I wanted to bleach the diapers and ensure they couldn't reinfect The Velociraptor's poor bottom. Plus, the ointment itself says if you're using cloth diapers, to not use plastic covers, and uh, hey, yeah, PUL is plastic. BUT we did finally kick the rash, and it hasn't come back TOUCH WOOD, even though we've been back in cloth for a while. So all of those posts that are like OH, NO, BLEACH WON'T KILL YEAST... uh... yeah it will. Bleach kills PRETTY MUCH EVERYTHING, WITH SUFFICIENT CONCENTRATIONS THEREOF.

So yeah. Stuff is still holding together and working well, and we're pretty happy. I look forward to letting my child run around in just a prefold and Snappi this summer.