Five days before the start of Eli's fifth month, Dionne and I finally accepted the fact that it was time to use a larger diaper on our not-quite-so-little boy. We had battled with the green-stitched "Infant" diapers for weeks before finally caving to reason.

As signs of growth and development go, outgrowing a diaper obviously is not nearly as sentimentally charged as a baby's first words or first steps. It is, after all, a diaper, and Hallmark does not commemorate such things. But, still, it seems like a significant step. He had worn the same familiar green-stitch diapers when we were still in the hospital; the "regular"-sized diapers he now wears could conceivably be the diaper he'll be wearing when he is potty-trained.

It only took a couple of diaper changes to realize that we should have made the switch weeks before, and since diapering is quicker with the larger diaper it is more enjoyable for Eli as well. Less time battling the laws of physics means more time for belly zerberts, peek-a-boo, and other important family rituals.

The move to a larger diaper meant experimentation with various diaper folds, but we quickly decided to stick with the standard fold down in the back. Yes, Eli now appears to have a bit more junk in his proverbial trunk, but I think that should be viewed as a badge of honor.

The "regular" diaper also meant retiring the stash of extra small Thirsties which carried us through the first few months. Of all of the wraps we've tried, Dionne and I use Thirsties as our primary workhorse. True, the Velcro wore out a little over the course of the five months, but I know for a fact that those wraps aged better than I did over that time.

In addition to the small Thirsties we've begun using, we've incorporated several Thirsties DUOs into our personal stash as well. As someone with (apparently) freakishly large hands and feet, I've grown skeptical of things labeled "one-size-fits-all," and I appreciate the fact that Thirsties acknowledges the simple fact that, generally speaking, a wrap that fits a 40 lb. baby would simply swallow an 8 lb. baby, no matter how many snaps and buttons the wrap has. The Size Two DUOs we are using are designed for babies ranging from 18-40 pounds, and they are available with snaps or Velcro.

We are proud to carry DUOs in our online store, along with the one-size-fits-all EconoBums and Flip wraps. We have been very pleased with these one-size wraps, and we have also been pleased with the Kissaluvs one-size wraps we intend to carry as well. Hopefully, we'll still like them as much when Eli is tipping the scales at 30 pounds. At the rate we're going (growing), we'll let you know in a couple of months.