On Sunday, my sweet little Ben turned one and my heart melted just a little. The old saying, “the days are long, but the years are short” really does ring true when you have little ones. It seems like just yesterday that we were bringing him home from the hospital.
In the past, I’ve written about my baby must haves for 0-3 months and 3-6 months and so I thought it was fitting to share what I’ve been using these past 6 months with my little one.
I like to share things that you may not necessarily think about, but things that have been so very helpful. These are things that have saved us time, money, and/or sanity. They are things that I would go out and repurchase almost immediately if they broke. They are things I would suggest to my best girlfriend (who just so happens to be pregnant with her first little one! Hi Dana!)
So without further ado, here are my favorite baby items we have been using the past 6 months with out little one!
1. Tula Baby Carrier
If you are pregnant or have a little one and don’t own a baby carrier, I would highly encourage you to research, consider, and invest in one. My Tula is a complete lifesaver, especially as a second time mom with a preschooler running around.
You should obviously look into what carrier would be best for you, your baby, and your budget. You can get carriers for as cheap as $20 and as expensive as several hundred dollars and everywhere in between. I chose the Tula for multiple reasons. It holds it’s value, it’s built for a taller frame (I’m 5’10” and my husband is 6’2″), and it’s made to last through hopefully a few more babies.
They are more expensive retailing for around $149. However, I feel that I have truly gotten my money’s worth out of it already and plan to use it for my son for at least another year and then for any future children we have.
Plus, anything where my baby can fall asleep on my back while I’m fixing dinner is worth every penny in my book! π
2. Door Jumper
We have really loved our door jumper with Ben this time around. With Caleb we had a stand alone jumper and it was great. However, it took up a ton of room and was hard to move around the house if need be.
With the door jumper, we have been able to take it to almost any room of our house (as long as there is a door frame) so that Ben can jump while we are working on other things. He jumps while I wash dishes in the kitchen, when I hang up clothes in the laundry room, when I’m changing sheets in the bedrooms, or when I’m wiping down counters in the bathrooms. It’s so handy, lightweight, and easy to move. The best part about this door jumper is that it’s affordable. This jumper usually costs in the $25-$30 range on Amazon. When compared to the stand alone jumpers that cost upwards of $100, that’s a steal! π
3. Pushing Toys
Ben has been pushing, scooting, pulling, and rolling things all over our floors the past few months as he practices his crawling and walking skills so a pushing toy is a must in our household.
These toys come in all shapes and sizes and can be very multi-purpose. We have an old push behind toy that used to be Caleb’s which is very similar to the one above. We also have a ride-on Thomas the train toy with a high back that Ben can easily push around in the same manner. Look around your house. You may find that you already have something that can be used for this purpose.
And if you don’t have a pushing toy, you could always use a chair or box of diapers like Ben! π
4. Space Saver High Chair
Most people either love them or hate them and we definitely fall in the former category on this one. Our space saver high chair has been awesome with Ben! While it does take up a seat at our table (I believe this is the biggest complaint about them from what I’ve heard), it means that we don’t have to have an extra piece of furniture taking up space in our small dining space. It also means that Ben get’s to sit right up next to the table like the rest of us which I think he really enjoys.
This particular chair has held up wonderfully and is super easy to clean. It’s lightweight making it easy to tote to the grandparents house or on vacation and it’s very secure. It’s also much more affordable than the full-sized high chairs which is what I loved about it the most! π
5. Sophie the Giraffe Teething Toy
We didn’t have many teethers with our first son, but with Ben we received a Sophie for Christmas and he has loved it! It’s almost more of just a toy that he carries around, but I know that the soft material definitely feels good on his sore gums. This toy is really easy for babies to hold and just about as cute as it can be! Plus, it’s made of a more eco-friendly materials which makes me a little happier about something that my baby is putting in his mouth. But, let’s face…kid’s eat their own boogers. So whatever. π
6. Baby Bath Seat
We have loved having a baby bath seat with Ben because it has allowed him to take baths with his older brother, Caleb, which they both love. He was getting too big for his baby bathtub around the 6 month mark so we moved him up to this seat and he has been so much happier. Bath time is a huge hit around our house and this seat has really allowed him to play more freely while still being secure when in a big tub.
Note: When our son is in his bath seat, he is 100% supervised at all times. These bath seats are not meant to be a babysitter for your child in the bathtub, but rather act as a support for them as they practice sitting up and strengthening their core muscles. The bath seats can and will tip over if you are not careful. If you do purchase and use a baby bath seat, please make sure that you are supervising your child at all times.
7. Bottles
It took some time, but my little boy finally decided to take a bottle about 3 months ago and it made such a difference. If you plan to nurse your baby in the beginning, you may or may not need bottles. By the 6-12 month age, you may be wanting to leave the house for more than an hour or two in which case a bottle might be necessary.
We purchased a 3-pack of the Tommee Tippee bottles for Ben and they have been awesome! They are easy for him to hold and are pretty affordable. If you are just starting to introduce a bottle to your baby, I would recommend only buying one bottle at a time. Ben was really picky in the beginning so I’m glad I didn’t purchase 6 or 12 bottles at once. When you find the bottle that your baby likes, then you can always purchase a few more as needed.
8. Board Books
I love books and I love even more to read to my children so of course books had to make my must have list! We love board books for babies and by the 6-12 month age, babies begin to become more interested in the things around them. We have loved instilling a love for reading in our children so books are plentiful in our home. I always say that I’ve never regretted spending money on a good book.
I highly recommend books by Eric Carle, Anna Dewdney, Karen Katz, Bill Martin Jr., Margaret Wise Brown, and Sandra Boynton for this age. If you are pregnant and looking to begin building your child’s personal library you could:
- ask friends to bring a small board book instead of a card to your baby shower.
- buy one book each week during your pregnancy.
- register for a few books on Amazon for your baby shower.
- ask your mom and mother-in-law for your and your husband’s old books when you were a child.
It’s really amazing how quickly a child’s book collection can grow!
So that’s it! My favorite 8 baby items we have used and loved in the last 6 months with our little Ben. I feel like we have really gotten our money’s worth out of all of these items and I’m so thankful for how they have made parenting just a little bit easier.