Monday, November 10, 2014

Favorite Things For Baby (Part II)

Man those babies change a lot in one year! My last list included items for the first six months of life, and most of those items I loved don't even apply anymore, so I wanted to pick up where I left off and highlight the things I loved for 6 months +! (A few obvious items we are still using and loving: Diaper Genie, Changing Pad and Music & Books.)


Bath Seat: I had to order this via Amazon from Israel, because (let me get on my soapbox here) apparently American parents can't be trusted to use this item safely. That said, if you can manage to sit on the bathroom floor and watch your child while they're in the bath, I highly recommend this seat. Its the same style I have a gazillion bath pictures of myself as a baby in. I tried using the Bumbo in the bath, but had a tendency to float and soak up water. 

Sippy Cups: Still searching for the unicorn on this product. Literally every single one says it doesn't leak. Literally every single one I've tried does leak. If you find the magical non-leaking sippy cup, I would LOVE to know.

Immersion Blender: Something many people have already, I didn't, but I loved using it while making food for Luke. Luke was able to eat most of the foods I cook already, but I really really appreciated and was inspired by the recipes and overall organization of this book, The Baby & Toddler Cookbook.  The toddler recipes are even great for myself and Cody. Easy, yummy, and with hidden nutrition. 

(Side-note: we only just recently had to upgrade to a chair mounted booster seat! No bulky highchairs needed!)

Squeeze Pouch Foods: I know that's probably not the official name, but all you mommas know exactly what I'm talking about! These are the perfect on-the-go (or tired days) meals! There are so many options and blends, from yogurt & fruit to vegetables & fruit all the way to grains & you name it! Check out the regular snack aisle instead of the baby food section for comparable and more budget friendly options.

Teething: I had a few options for teething toys and every time a new tooth was coming, Luke liked different things. Our rotation included the standard cool gel teething rings, gum massager/vibrating teether,  teether ball and just a simple wet, knubby washcloth. 

Nightlight: Our doctor suggested this as a way to help Luke self-soothe himself at night. For me, and many adults, pitch black is the way to sleep. But for babies, this isn't always the case. We've all had that feeling where you suddenly wake and it takes a second to figure out where you are. Just a glimmer of light will reveal the familiar outlines and shadows from the crib point of view. Worked wonders for us!

And the rest of the baby stuff...well its awfully fun, entertaining and exciting but at the end of the day, Luke loves his tupperware just as much as the musical whatamacallits!







Monday, November 3, 2014

Busy Board For A Busy Boy

Cody and I really enjoy making gifts whenever we can. For Luke's first birthday we settled on crafting a busy board. Plywood, paint and random hardware is all you need! 




We may still add things here & there or swap items out, like adding a bike bell, photo or mirror behind the door, etc. We measured the plywood out to fit underneath his bedroom window, 3' x 2' . Primed with Kilz, and sprayed with two coats of Rustoleum Glossy Deep Blue. Cody came up with the idea of a big bold stripe, so a quick taping and spraying of Rustoleum Glossy Safety Red took all of 3 minutes. My Dad has all kinds of random hardware around his shop, and was happy to donate to the cause! Luke loves playing with it, and tasting it, and climbing on it... And we're thoroughly entertained by the entire scene of it.