Restoring Contacts after iCloud Debacle

[lrsmithfl]

I have an iPhone and IPad using the same Apple ID. My kids have an IPod which I've set up to use my AppleID as well. About two weeks ago I changed all 3 devices to use iCloud Backup. Yesterday the contacts list on my kids' iPod was purged. Today I noticed that my iPhone and iPad contact lists were purged as well. Before I list the steps I've taken so far to rectify this situation, here is my end goal. I am going to change the kids' iPod to use a different AppleID, but keep my iPad and iPhone on the same AppleID.
So the first thing I did was restore my phone using a backup I had on my computer from two weeks ago (before I switched to iCloud backup). I saw my original contacts list, but then it reverted almost immediately to the purged contact list. Grrr...
Then I deleted all iCloud backups, and turned off iCloud backups on the iPod, iPhone, and iPad. Did another restore of my iPhone. Saw contact list which then almost immediately reverted back to purged list. Grrr.
Assuming some type of delay exists from the point I told iCloud to delete all backups to the time it actually occurs, I turned off my home router so that Wifi did not exist. Restored my iPhone. Contact list was there and survived. Turned off Wifi on phone. Turned router back on.
Now....not sure how to proceed. I want to reenable ICloud backup and IPhone and Ipad and go forward without losing my contacts. I am leaving iCloud backup off on the IPod and will change to new AppleID.
Any help would be appreciated!

[cjmnews]

The backup should not be erasing your contacts. Each device should have a separate backup, just stored in the cloud, the iPod will not have a backup.

I think that you have Contacts being synchronized with iCloud turned on with all your devices.
I think that someone or something deleted the contacts on one of your devices, and iCloud replicated that change across the devices.

You may need to look at your Cloud settings for your Contacts.

See if there is an option to say that your iPhone is the master copy at the moment. If there is not a setting (I don't sync contacts with the cloud, my contacts are corporate, the other 3 iPhones with the same ID must not get my contacts as they are not authorized) then you may need to update every contact in your iPhone with some change (Add a note to each one) to make sure your phone has the latest update time (thinking that cloud works similar to audiobook syncing with iTunes, the last one wins) then turn on your cloud again with the iPhone, and see that the contacts get replicated to the iPad.

My family and I share personal calendars through the cloud, but use local backups (4 16 GB phone backups would not fit in the free space, and I don't trust the cloud yet [who has access to the keys to the cloud? how do they control/prevent unauthorized access... I am a bit paranoid working in a security group ])

[Sparkee]

I'm using iCloud to sync contacts, calendars, note and reminders and have not had an issue yet. But I also keep local backups on top of the info synced with iCloud never relying on iCloud or iPhone backups. Restoring should re-populate your iCloud contacts syncing them to your other devices. I have occasionally recovered a few contacts and notes from my MacBook Pro's Time Machine back ups which simply added them to my other devices as it should have.

I would contact Apple Support if you are Restoring and having your restored data erased from your iPhone due to a iCloud sync.