This month, my baby will be 9 months old. I can’t believe it. It’s gone so fast, yet it feels like there was never a time that I didn’t have my little one by my side. To mark the occasion, I’m revealing my absolute favorite items. Either I just loved it or it really helped me survive these last 9 months as a new mama.
1. Sposies
My number 1 is the Sposie. These things are life savers and will be going in every baby gift I give from this day forward. When my little one first started sleeping longer than just a couple of hours during the night, she was still waking up soaking wet. Her diaper just wouldn’t hold it all night and she would be soaked through. After trying the double diaper technique and going up a diaper size at night, I researched and discovered the Sposie. I decided to give it a try and she hasn’t slept a night without it since she was about 3 months old. Absolute life saver! These used to be super cheap, but I just checked and they seem to have really gone up in price lately. They are still worthing trying if your baby would sleep through the night if he or she remained dry. You can order directly from the company or you can find them at Walmart.com for ~$10/pack of 32 pads.
2. Stability walker
This is a touchy topic in mommyhood. They are considered very dangerous and I do agree that they definitely can be. You really have to have your eyes on your little one at all times and make sure you have very sturdy baby gates installed. I think there have been some tragic incidents of babies falling down stairs in these so PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE don’t get this for your baby if you have stairs in your house, or just make sure you leave this only on the ground floor where your baby will be safe. My baby just loves running around the house in her walker. She enjoys chasing me and running over her toys so it’s just a lot of fun to watch her. I’ve seen so much of her firecracker personality pop out when she’s running around in her walker.
Another option is a stationary one. These are still great for keeping your baby entertained, but safe. I’ve included two examples below. Both of these look like so much fun.
3. Aquarium
This was my baby’s favorite toy for probably the first 6 months of her life. She was infatuated with her fishies. She would lay there gazing at the pretty lights and moving fish for a long time. It also plays several classical songs. You can mount it to the side of the crib if you would like to, however, I never wanted it to distract her from falling asleep so I used it for playtime. But often times, before bed, we would look at her fish swim, because it really is so pretty lit up at night. Another great feature is that is comes with a remote so if you do decide to mount it to the crib, you can turn it on or off from outside of the nursery. Huge bonus for a new parent so you don’t wake your baby sneaking back into their room.
I found this gem at Walmart, but you can also buy it at Target.
4. Highlights magazine
This is another favorite. It is a subscription that sends a new magazine to your little one each month. They will have different sing along songs, little stories, “find it” activities, etc., which grows with your baby so it suits their age and what’s appropriate. These are a tear-resistant, washable, and have rounded corners so they don’t hurt my baby. My little one chews, sucks, and tries to rip these apart and they survive quite well.
Subscribe for only $3.33/month.
5. Uppababy stroller
Love Love Love my Uppababy stroller. When I got pregnant, I knew I needed a nice stroller. I anticipated spending a lot of time using it because I love to exercise and go for evening strolls. I also have some back pain from playing sports growing up so I needed something fairly lightweight that would be easy for me to load in the car. Sure enough, Uppababy meets those needs. It’s so easy to break down and load up. A few of the features that I love:
- The brake is a pedal and is located in the center. While I was test driving strollers before purchasing this one, I noticed several have brakes that you operate with your hand and they’re very difficult. I ended up with a hand cramp operating one of them…can’t remember the brand now.
- The flap on top of the canopy is magnetic so you can peak in at your little one with ease and little effort.
- The stroller rides so smooth. It’s not a jogging stroller so if you do a lot of running, you’ll need a jogger for that, but for strolling around the block or even some gravel hikes, this is a perfect ride.
6. JOOVY nook highchair
I love this highchair. Unfortunately, with any highchair, the footprint is huge, it’s actually ridiculous how much of your kitchen a highchair will occupy. But this one has a very nice frame. It’s not bulky, it’s lightweight and very easy to operate. One of my favorite features is that the tray doesn’t have to be fully removed like most highchairs. This one has a hinge on the side so you can just unhook one side of the tray and open to easily remove your baby from the seat. I leave the tray attached at all times so it’s nice to not have to place the tray on a chair or the floor every time you put your child in the seat or take them out.
They are sold several places, but I ordered mine on Amazon.
7. Emoji chew toy
This is a dog toy. Yes, you read that right. It’s a dog toy but it’s my baby’s favorite toy. It’s the perfect size, it’s really soft and flexible so she can easily squeak it. And it’s the perfect chew toy. Another perk is that it’s washable. When it gets dirty, I can wash it with soap and water. It can be found at Walmart.
