Mommy Must-Haves | 6-9 Months
Every few months (or sometimes weeks) Everly is growing out of things, be it toys, clothes, habits, foods or behavior. Sometimes I wonder if I'm keeping up - do I have the right toys, am I playing the right games, feeding her the right food, using the right baby gear and encouraging brain development? It seems like a juggling act sometimes! We all want to be the best moms we can be, and I've realized just being available to my baby girl is the best thing I can do for her. The latest toys, baby gear or clothes aren't going to make my girl into the person she was created to be, she will become that person by me showing her unconditional love and praying that God picks up where I fall short. All that being said, there are things that can make our lives easier as moms, and I thought I would share a few of those things with you!
I like to think I'm a pretty minimalist mom and stick to the essentials (most non-essential items were gifted to us). This is probably a product of us always having to pack up and move. I don't want to have a house full of items that my baby doesn't use and that make it feel cluttered. Obviously every mom is different and will find different products useful, but I thought I would share my must-haves for 6-9 months to hopefully help you along this journey! I did a lot of research on brands and products (I had a lot of time on my hands before she was born) and these were the ones that made most sense for us. You can also go check out my must-haves for 0-3 months and 3-6 months as well. Let me know below what products you guys loved when your babies were 6-9 months!
I have the Fisher-Price First Steps Jumperoo, but any brand will do. This was great for 6-9 months because Everly started standing up and squatting and this gave her a place to do that in a controlled environment. This toy got her legs moving by teaching her to jump around, and the one I have even extends so that she can take a few steps. It also has a bunch of toys on it that make noise, light up and will keep the attention of your little one.
High Chair
We started feeding Everly at 6 months, so this is when we needed a high chair. Because of our lifestyle, I knew that a clip on high chair seat would be a must for us. They are so convenient to travel with and can clip onto any table or counter. We chose the Inglesina High Chair and absolutely love it. We got it in black thinking it wouldn't look dirty as quick, but I realized no matter what color you get it's going to look dirty. The good news is the material wipes down really easily, and you can throw the entire thing in the washing machine! It also folds down really compact and it so easy to take on and off the table. We even took it in to a gas-station on a road trip and strapped her to the table at Subway so we could all eat together!
You guys I love this company! They were started in the city I am from, Winnipeg, and they are an all natural product line. No fillers, eco-friendly and free of petroleum, mineral oil, parabens, triclosan, phosphates, palm oil cocomide DEA. I started feeding Everly real food at 6 months, and lets just say her diaper has become a lot less pleasant to change since then. Thankfully I have some amazing products from Tiber River to combat some of those new issues. First off, their diaper pail spray smells like candy canes. Sometimes I debate spraying it on myself as perfume. Whenever I change her diaper pail I always spray it around the room and it gives a nice fresh minty smell (not a fake cover up like Febreeze). Also since feeding her real food she has gotten a few diaper rashes. I use their Cheeky Monkey Diaper Cream, which also smells amazing, and the rash always goes away right away. Lastly I use their Bottoms Up Body Lotion on her after every bath. It smells like lavender and is so soothing and calming before bed (maybe that's why she sleeps so good!) and she has never had issues with dry skin or eczema.
Baby Monitor
Okay so obviously this is a must for most people from birth, but because we lived in a hotel for so long and Everly slept right beside us, I never had a need for it until she was a bit older. We have this Motorola Wifi Monitor. I did a lot of research on which monitor to get and this one stood out for a few reasons. Number one is that it connects through wifi, so even if you aren't home you can check in on your little one (ie/ if you're on a date, if Jason is on the road, etc). We got the monitor itself and use our phones or ipad as a viewing camera. You can also do so many things remotely through your phone/ipad: talk through the monitor, play music, check the temperature, get movement notifications, take pictures, zoom in/out and tilt the camera. The only thing I will mention is that you need secure wifi with a password or it won't let you connect. We have only had issues with this at some hotels we have stayed at.
Sound Machine
I have mentioned a portable sound machine in a previous Mommy Must-Haves post, but this Graco Sound Machine I keep in her room. I have this on every night when Everly sleeps and during the day when she naps. It provides white noise so she can't hear us outside of her room (our apartment is pretty small). When she was little she would fall asleep in a loud restaurant or at Jason's hockey games, but now that she's more alert even the littlest noise can wake her up. It has a bunch of white noise sounds and songs built in, as well as a night light and adapter to plug in your Ipod. At night I play white noise and during the day I put the music on. I thought having two different sounds would help her differentiate between sleeping patterns.
BPA Free Bottle/Cup
I started using this around 8 months when I started breastfeeding less often. I wanted to make sure she was still staying hydrated! I have filled it with water, lemon water, orange water (an orange blended with water in the Vitamix) and I have also use it to give her smoothies. I got gifted this item and am in love with the fact that it's stainless steel, BPA/BPS free and the part she sips on is medical grade silicone! It also grows with your baby, starting with a bottle top, then a sippy cup and then a straw. She is currently loving the sippy cup attachment. Check it out here.
Baby Food
Okay so this isn't a "product", but it is something I wanted to include! We started feeding Everly at 6 months and I stuck to one food every day or two in the beginning to make sure she wasn't allergic to anything. I started with iron-fortified cereal, then meat, vegetables, beans and fruits. From 7-9 months though her pallet started expanding and I had to get more creative with foods. I will share a post soon with some of the combos Everly likes! I like to make most of her food myself because we are avoiding sugar, processed foods and anything unnatural for her for as long as I can manage. Sometimes when we are on the road it isn't possible to make her food, so I always get her Earth's Best baby food from Target that is organic and full of real natural ingredients or Larabar's that have real minimal ingredients.
Best,
Stacey