Hello readers! I'm back with some more favorite products over the past 3 months. I can't believe Gray is all ready 7 months old! He is growing and learning so fast, and we are enjoying every bit. We had some 6 month pictures taken by a lovely Birmingham photographer so I will have to share those so you can see how much our little one has grown since his newborn pics. Anyway, here are some of our favorite items that have made our lives a little happier and easier!
ONE: This may be my favorite product on this list. I follow the Moms on Call schedule and from the start they recommend sleep training your baby with a sound machine. Before Gray was here, I started researching sound machines and I found this one by The First Years. MOC recommends staying away from ones geared for babies (because they aren't as loud and usually have lots of lights), but this one is pretty loud and has a great white noise option. But, my favorite part is that it can play music from your ipod/iphone! Laurel-Dawn and I created modern day playlists for our babes so I love to turn it on for his bedtime bottle or if he is having a fussy night. Also, I like that it can play from batteries or be plugged into an outlet. Definitely a plus when your power goes it -- it has happened to us! We use this sound machine for all naps and nighttime.
TWO: Gray loves these flimsy books by Indestructibles. He can wad them up, chew on them, pull on them ... I promise, they don't get soggy or tear! We were gifted these and now they are one of our favorite toys.
THREE: At 3 months we sleep trained Gray and transitioned him out of the swaddle. Once he was sleeping okay with both arms out, we decided to start using these aden + anais sleep sacks. I love the aden + anais brand for their soft and breathable fabrics, plus they're super cute! They provide a little bit of warmth without having a loose blanket in his crib.
FOUR: I know Sophie is a favorite for most babies, but Gray really got interested in Sophie at about three months. He loves to chew on her legs and ears and whoever designed Sophie, made her perfect for tiny hands. And he can't get enough of her squeaks!
FIVE: If you follow me on instagram, you have seen how much action this Fisher-Price Go Wild Jumperoo received once we introduced it to Gray. Gray has always enjoyed standing up and being in the action so I knew this contraption would be a hit. It was ideal for getting stuff done around the house.
SIX: I ordered 2 of these Hanna Andersson sleepers because they were on sale before Gray was born and now I'm so glad! They are so soft (and stylish!) but the best part is the front zipper. I never realized how annoying ALL those snaps would be and if you get one off ... you're done. So, this zipper is a life saver and makes diaper changes a breeze (if only). Plus, if you catch it right, Serena and Lily puts some styles on sale and they run 20% off discounts pretty often!
SEVEN: Now that Gray has outgrown his puj tub, we bathe him in this Fisher-Price whale tub. I think bath time is his favorite time of day. He loves it. He would kick and splash all day if he could! Since he's still too little for a true tub bath, we put the whale in the tub and just fill it with water - pretty easy!
EIGHT: We had a little difficutly with Gray taking a bottle. He started out just fine, and then one day he hated them. We tried several different brands until I desperately read a forum online and tried these Playtex Drop-Ins Nursers with the latex nipple. Not only are these way (and I mean way) easy to use and clean, but I read that the latex nipples are a little more soft and pliable and resemble a mother's breast. Either way - Gray likes them and I'm glad we discovered them!
NINE: Several of my friends mentioned these quickzip crib sheets and swore by them so I decided to give them a try. Well, they are fabulous - especially if you use bumpers. The sheet zips off of the base without having to take the entire sheet off or move the bumpers and mattress. I bought this starter set and it was perfect. If baby spits up (or more!) at 2 am, simply zip off the dirty sheet and zip on a clean sheet; takes about 2 minutes! If you've ever tried changing a sheet without taking the mattress out of the crib and maneuvering around bumpers, you understand how much of a time saver these are.
TEN: We made the decision to start sleep training Gray at 12 weeks to help him start sleeping through the night and establish a good nap routine. I really enjoyed this book and thought it was extremely helpful without being too overbearing. I read several baby blogs that praised this book and although it was tough, I followed the guidelines and we ended up being successful! It took lots of patience and consistency, but we are at a good point of sleeping 6:30 pm - 7 am and regular naps. Yay! I strive for routine and predictability so knowing when and for how long my baby would nap, allowed me to plan my day and look forward to my "mommy time." Granted, not every day is the same, but I have a rough idea!
ELEVEN: Fisher-Price B&W High Contrast and Sleepy Sounds. These apps are so great for entertaining a baby in the car, or calming a fussy baby or just making it though dinner with friends ... regardless, they always seem to capture Gray's attention! I know there's a ton of other options but these have done the trick so far!
TWELVE: This milk storage organizer is perfect for keeping your milk packed neatly and legibly in the freezer. We don't have a lot of freezer space and seeing bags spread all over just annoyed me, so this organizer made my day! You can see the dates easily and it fits pretty much every brand of bag!
