baby gear Archives - Life's Tidbits

08Oct 2014

Favorite Baby Gear – Months 6, 7 & 8

by Nicole ⋅ 2 Comments

It’s funny each month the husband and I remark at how this is our ‘favorite’ month and what I’m starting to realize is … every month/year/decade will always be the best! Just a few of the highlights of the past few months include Jellybean crawling, pulling up on everything in sight, holds her own bottle, clapping and producing FOUR teeth! The whole teething thing was not a high point, but her adorable smile with 4 little pearly whites certainly is.

I have already shared my newborn and 3-5 month must have baby gear. I’m excited to continue the series with more essentials for months six to eight! Careful consideration goes into each product before we purchase it. It’s important to ensure things are a good match for both Jellybean and our lifestyle. Over the past few months I have found so many baby and mommy approved items that I had trouble narrowing down the list of essentials to share with you!

Burpy Bib // This is a burp cloth and a bib in one! It’s definitely a little bit pricier than your typical bib or burp cloth, but totally worth it! I with I had invested in a few more of these earlier on. Though I still swear by the cheap burp clothes I mentioned in my newborn necessity post, I’m a big fan of these as well!

RazBaby Raz-Berry Teether // Despite not being a pacifier lover, Jellybean is fan of this teether. There are a bunch of textures on it and has come in handy when her gums have been especially itchy.

Squeeze and Teethe Elephant // This is the same brand as the as Sophie Giraffe, which seems to show up on EVERY baby registry list I’ve read. Honestly I liked the Elephant way better than the Giraffe. The giraffe has long legs, which Jellybean has gagged herself on more times than I can count and the elephant’s legs are shorter. Plus it’s nice to be a little different! Tip – this also come in a lion you just have to look past the ginormous giraffe display. :)

Snack Catcher // We call it the Cheerio cup! This comes in handy both at home and when we are on the go. Keeps, most, of the cheerios in the cup and Jellybean can feed herself without any issues.

Sleepwear – Cupcake Onsie // These are my favorite nighttime onsies. The come in the cutest designs, plus they are footless. Jellybean is pretty tall so when we tried to go up a size in clothes for her length and they were too big around the waist I realized footless onsies were the perfect middle ground. JB still sleeps in a sleep sack so we don’t worry about her toesies getting cold.

Having a Ball Get Rollin Activity Table // When the pulling up began I quickly realized we needed a toy Jellybean could pull up on and play with. The coffee table was effective at first, but it wasn’t interactive or stimulating … even with toys on the table. I love this activity table and so does JB.

Peak-a-Boo Forest // This was given to us as a gift and Jellybean has been a pretty big fan for a while. The book makes that crinkle noise, which is a huge hit. Over the past few weeks Jellybean has gone from liking the book to being completely obsessed. She carries it everywhere (by the handle) and cries when you try to take it away … sorry JB, but the book can’t bathe with you hahaha.

Booster Pads Diaper // I can’t even remember who suggested I tries these, but I was sold after 1 night. Instead of purchasing specific night time diapers we place one of the booster pads into the diaper each night and we haven’t had a leak or issue yet!! PLUS the booster pads fit into every size diaper we’ve used so far (sizes 1 -3) … no need to purchase new pads when your little one outgrows their diapers.

Munchkin Lake Buddies Bath Tub Toy // These double as bath toys, regular toys and teething toys. Jellybean LOVES the different characters and at least one can be found in every room in the house.

Puj Spout Cover // No real explanation needed here.

Butt Paste // When registering and purchasing maternity clothes I got a lot of bags with free samples. One of the samples was Butt Paste. I gave the name a little snicker and threw it into my ‘master’ bag of samples. Little did I know Butt Paste would become our go to when a diaper rash was developing. Jellybean’s skin is very sensitive and it took a few tries to find the right tush cream.

So there you have it our favorite for Jellybean’s 6th, 7th and 8th month. What are your must have baby gear items? Any recommendations for months 9 to 12??

Oh and it’s so cliche, but how do they grow up so fast?

If you enjoyed this post, please add your tidbit by commenting below. Don’t forget you can follow us on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

23Sep 2014

Nanny Share Favorites

by Nicole ⋅ 1 Comment

Nanny shares are all the rage in DC. Are they where you live? If you are unfamiliar with what a nanny share is … it’s pretty much 1 nanny and 2 babies. In our case we were lucky enough to share with our neighbors/friends who a baby girl just a few months older than Jellybean. By March we had two little cuties and two mommies who had to return to work (extreme sad face).

We were lucky to find an awesome nanny on a local listserve, though we were interviewing people from Care.com as well. Over the past 6 months I have learned that just like a baby, a nanny share also requires gear. Some items were givens, such as a double stroller, however others we learned ‘on the job’ so to speak.

I wanted to share not only the nanny share must haves (and favorites), but also a ‘what’s in my diaper baby – nanny share’. I think my nanny share diaper bag is probably similar to that of daycare, though there might be a few differences …and well, that’s for another post.

Nanny share must have list includes …

City Select Double Stroller & Lock / Bottle Labels / 2 Sets of Keys / Baby Connect App

Double Monitor / Pack n’ Play / Diaper Bag / Big Picnic Blanket / Snack Catchers

Any additional must haves for a nanny share?

If you enjoyed this post, please add your tidbit by commenting below. Don’t forget you can follow us on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

24Jun 2014

Introducing Solids or Should I Say Purees

by Nicole ⋅ 6 Comments

Being part of a ‘New Mamas’ group on Facebook has been such a blessing. It has allowed me to get answers to questions I didn’t even know I had, share some of my own experiences as well as hear a variety of opinions on caring for a baby. I only actually know (like talk to in person or hang out with) a couple of the women and yet I value everyone’s take on being a mom.

One of the topics discussed when I was anxiously awaiting JB’s arrival was when to introduce solids. I followed along with the conversation. Some were introducing food at 4 months while others waited until 6 months. At the time I made a mental note and thought to myself we would wait until 6 months.

Ha. So AMATEUR of me to make ‘decisions’ such as these when I had NO idea what caring for a baby would be like. At Jellybean’s 4 month checkup we got the go ahead from our pediatrician to being solids. She recommended starting with oatmeal cereal (skipping rice cereal).

Jellybean has always been a good eater and it seemed as though she was always hungry! I often said to my husband “Should couldn’t possibly be hungry again” and then baby girl would demolish her bottle in record time. We really couldn’t make it very long during the day between feedings. As a result the husband and I decided we would go ahead and start solids at 4 months old since the doctor gave the A-OK.

I was so excited as we strapped JB into the highchair and mixed some formula with the oatmeal cereal. She looked kind of confused as we moved the spoon to her mouth. The oatmeal dribbled out of her mouth and down her chin. Throughout the entire first solid food feeding Jellybean was breaking out some seriously hilarious facial expressions. They were absolutely priceless!

Fortunately the husband and I were pretty well prepared and broke out the camera prior to giving her the food. She went from looking pissed off to completely clam {see pictures below} in the amount of time it took to snap two photos!

Guess she was adjusting to the spoon, new tastes, and the expressions on her parent’s faces. See Sophi in the lower left hand corner of the picture? She wasn’t going to miss out on all the attention Jellybean was getting. :)

It took about two weeks for Jellybean to get the whole eating thing down. I was a little concerned after a week that we introduced solids for the first time too early. So we took a little break. When we re-introduced the oatmeal with applesauce, per a friend’s recommendation, a few days later we were in business!

We made such a big deal of saying “yum yum” and praising her that she developed an amusing association to being placed in the high chair. As soon as we put her in the high chair the legs start going a million miles an hour, a huge smile emerges on her face, which is followed by shrieks and babbling. I get the biggest kick of out it!

For the most part I am homemaking the food – I mean – purees. Jellybean is a fan of apples, pears, sweet potatoes and prunes. I decided to purchase pre-made prunes, because I just wasn’t interested in figuring out how to make them into baby food. :)

We attempted to introduce peas – it was a total fail. Jellybean gagged in disgust and then acted like she was chocking … which she wasn’t (thank goodness!), but it got my adrenaline going nonetheless. We thought it was a texture issue so we offered her the pre-made kind and she still refused to swallow it. Kid already has sweet tooth … not shocking considering how many sweets I ate during my pregnancy.

Next up on the list is cauliflower, butternut squash and maybe carrots. Though, I’m kind of afraid of carrots. Our friends told us the WORST diaper they ever changed was after introducing carrots. Oh my, the joys of parenthood. =)

Once baby girl is a little bit older I plan to have her try broccoli, zucchini and mango. I’m really excited for her to acquire a taste for a variety of foods!! How to keep up with the cooking and storage of all this baby puree is a little bit daunting. Recommendations??

My favorite and must have items for baby girl eating ‘solids’ … I really think we should call it introducing purees. The kiddo won’t be having a ‘real’ solids for a few more months, but I digress. Favorite items for eating solids (so far) includes …

OXO Tot Feeding Spoon / OXO Tot Roll Up Bib / Fisher-Price Space Saver High Chair / OXO Tot Baby Blocks Freezer Storage Containers / Baby Bullet Complete Baby Care System / Earth’s Best Oatmeal Cereal

And all of these, with the exception of the oatmeal, would be perfect items to put on the baby registry!

What was giving your baby solids for the first time like? Any suggestions for keeping up with homemade baby food?

If you enjoyed this post, please add your tidbit by commenting below. Don’t forget you can follow us on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

27May 2014

Favorite Baby Gear – Months 3, 4 and 5

by Nicole ⋅ 7 Comments

I found navigating the baby registry waters a bit difficult. There are SO many products out there and everyone has a different take on what one should buy. Since all babies are different it is nice to have options, but at the same time it’s so EASY to feel overwhelmed with choices.

My newborn necessity list was quite robust (you can find that here). For purposes of these favorite/must have lists I guess I am qualifying newborn as 0-2 months old. We still consistently use all items on the list with the exception of the wubbanub. Jellybean decided at some point she was over pacifiers, which is both good and bad…I think!

As Jellybean grows so does my list of must have baby items. Some stuff we didn’t know to put on the registry and I wish we had known how handy they would be!

So for months 3, 4 and 5 here are my favorites …

Puj – I really love this tub. It’s small/compact and easily fits into the bathroom sink, which means NO bending over to wash baby! The no bending over was key while I was still recovering from the cesarean. I must admit I still prefer it to the bigger tub because it’s easier. My only complaint would be baby girl falls down during her baths since she can’t sit up on her own yet. I wish there was something to help keep her upright.

Skip Hop Moby Waterfall Bath Rinser – This item came in SUPER handy when I finally worked up the courage to bathe JB without a second set of hands. I found it difficult to hold her in place, put a hand over her face and pour water over her head all at the same time. The way this thing is shaped it helps ensure the water cascades down the baby’s back instead of letting the soapy water get in their eyes.

Snugli – There are many baby carriers out there and honestly I felt overwhelmed trying to choose one. We registered for (and received) the ErgoBaby. I do love our ErgoBaby … the snugli is just SO much easier to snap baby in and go. The other positive is your don’t have to deal with an infant insert. As soon as the baby is 7 lbs you are good to go. And if like me, your baby is born over 7 lbs to start with you can just it day one! Our snugli was gifted from a friend (thanks Jessica!) and is getting a TON of good use especially when we walk the dog.

Playmat – First ‘toy’ Jellybean was really able to play with. So far it has really grown with her and whether she was 6 weeks or 5 months it’s a hit. The playmat is super colorful, plays music and the toys included each provide a different type of stimulus.

Honest Hand Sanitizer – Total impulse buy, but I love it! Smells good and we got the under 3oz size so it’s FAA friendly too.

Video Monitor – The transition from our room in the cradle to Jellybean’s own room in the crib was fairly easy. Actually it was really easy for her and super difficult for me. I missed rolling over at night and seeing her little chest rise and fall with each breath. Though her ‘noises’ would sometimes keep me awake I was comforted by them at the same time! The video monitor was the only thing that kept me from demanding my husband ‘let’ me move the baby back into our bedroom. Though JB has been in her own room for over 2 months there are still nights I check the monitor in the middle of the night just to see her little face :)

Sleep Sacks – When Jellybean started rolling over it quickly became apparent the swaddling days were, sadly, over. We have warm and light weight sleep sacks. If I had realized how soon we would need them I would have put a few small sized sleep sacks on the baby registry.

White Noise (SimplyNoise) App – At first we were really into the Sheep, however it turns off after 45 minutes. A friend turned us onto the SimplyNoise app. The only problem with using the app is our iPad has turned into an EXTREMELY expensive sound machine hahahaha. I’ve started researching sound machines, but have yet to pull the trigger and buy one (suggestions?!?).

Baby Bullet – We just started introducing solids and I’m having fun making the baby food! The baby bullet makes the process simple and is very to clean. I could certainly use my Cuisinart, however the bullet is easier.

So mamas what am I missing? Any recommendations for month 6??

If you enjoyed this post, please add your tidbit by commenting below. Don’t forget you can follow us on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

27Feb 2014

Newborn Necessity Items

by Nicole ⋅ 9 Comments

I’m not sure where the time goes, but Jellybean is already two months old! When parents say “kids grow up so far”, they seriously weren’t kidding. Not only is my maternity leave flying by, but JB is getting bigger, stronger and (of course) cuter by the day. Before Jellybean arrived I spent a good amount of time preparing for her birth. Decorating her nursery was just as important to me as purchasing the necessities. All in all we were very well prepared for Jellybean – as far as “stuff” goes … the whole sleep deprivation thing … NOT so much! Over the past two months the husband and I quickly identified our must have and necessary items for a newborn. While it is similar to my pre-baby/pregnancy registry must have list this one is bigger and more accurate.

Sleeping – Warm Onsies with Feet / Swaddle Blankets / 2-4 Bassinet Sheets

1 – Since JB is a winter baby warm onesies with feet on them (as recommended by my mother) are essential. I would highly recommend purchasing at least 5 and get the button ones over the zip-up onesies. While I know many folks swear by the zip-ups as they are easier the buttons come in handy during those 3am diaper changes. Unzipping the whole onesie makes our baby colder (and often more cranky) than quickly unbuttoning just the legs and tush areas.

2 – I had originally planned on using swaddle pods, however my baby HATES them. We are talking blood curdling screams as we zipped her into them. We quickly learned that while she absolutely wants to be swaddled she wants the old school method. The aden + anais Muslin Swaddle Blankets are perfect. They are big and enable even the worst of swaddlers (read me … my husband is the swaddle pro!) to wrap the blanket around and get a tight swaddle.

3 – I figured 1 bassinet sheet would be plenty… HA! Amateur I tell you – AMATEUR. Between spit up, regular linen changes and oh yes a couple of diaper blow outs having extra bassinet sheets was extremely helpful (thanks mom!).

Diapering – Pampers Swaddlers / Sensitive Wipes / Changing Pad Liners

4/5 – We tried Huggies and Pampers Swaddles with Jellybean was first born. I must say we had less blow outs/leaks with the Pampers Swaddlers. Like a mentioned before I’m shocked at the shier volume of diapers and wipes we go through. STOCK UP before the baby comes or consider Amazon Mom, it saved us on more than one occasion.

6 – I would recommend getting a bunch of these. They come in more handy than I thought they would and save me from having to wash the changing pad cover as often. It’s almost as though Jellybean knows when I’ve removed the old diaper and I’m starting to put the new one on and BAM in the 30 second switch she pees hahaha. Instead of taking the whole cover off I just quickly switch out the liner and I’m back in business.

Feeding – Boppy / Burp Cloths (thick ones) / Glider / Baby Connect App

7 – The Boppy has come in handy both for nursing as well as propping the baby up as I get situated. Sometimes two hand is just necessary. ;)

8 – Although pretty burp cloths are definitely nice to have it is best to have a lot. I’ve also found thicker burp clothes are better to help absorb any of those bigger spit ups which leak through the thin cloths. My mom suggested we buy these, which are both affordable and thick.

9 – I spent the first few days at home attempting to find the best location for nursing. I sat on the couch, the big chair in the living room, the glider and even tried breastfeeding in bed (worst place of all!). I found the glider to be the easiest and most comfortable place to breastfeed. There is a learning curve with breastfeeding (at least there was for me) and being able to sit comfortably and have good support for both my back and arms made the process a little bit easier.

10 – After leaving labor/delivery and getting somewhat settled into our recovery room the nurse handed us a sheet of paper. She explained that all feedings as well as pee/poppy diapers should be tracked. Given how exhausted we both were the idea of writing all the down seemed like a lot of work. I quickly remembered my neighbor had recommended an app, which made tracking everything easier. I downloaded the trial version and got to tracking. The app is user friendly and my favorite part is you can pause and resume feedings as necessary. I rarely pay for apps for my phone, but this one was well worth the money!

Other – Cradle Swing / 2 Stroller “Cuddle” Blankets / Wubbanub Pacifier / Dawn Dish Soap

11 – Originally I was against spending this kind of money on a swing not to mention it is pretty big and we live in a condo and have limited space! When I figured out Jellybean like to swing side to side and not front to back I started toying with the idea of buying this swing. The hubby’s work friends gave us a gift certificate to Babies R’ Us which just about covered the cost of the swing. After a little push from my parents off to the store we went. Jellybean takes a ton of naps in the swing…it’s definitely a MUST HAVE!

12 – These blankets are great for cuddling on the couch or keeping baby warm while traveling from one destination to another. And let’s not forget how incredibly soft these blankets are as well!!

13 – This pacifier is not only cute, but practical. The toy part lays on the baby’s chest or you can prop it up in the swing so the pacifier doesn’t pop out of his/her mouth as easily. Makes for less getting up and down to pop the pacifier back in…winning!

14 – So has your baby had a blow out yet? Well let me tell you when it happens it is GROSS. What’s worse is trying to get the poop color out of the clothes (and/or whatever the poop got on). Oddly enough the thing we’ve found that works the BEST is dish soap. I have no idea what the difference is between the dish soap and baby oxiclean and/or dreft, but a little dish soap and warm water and we say goodbye to the stain! Obviously after we get the stain our we run it through the wash using dreft so the clothes don’t irritate Jellybean’s skin.

So there you have it – my pretty robust must have list for a newborn. What items couldn’t you live without having a newborn/infant in the house?

If you enjoyed this post, please add your tidbit by commenting below. Don’t forget you can follow us on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

1 2 Next »

Tag Archives: Baby Gear

Favorite Baby Gear – Months 6, 7 & 8

Introducing Solids or Should I Say Purees

Favorite Baby Gear – Months 3, 4 and 5

Newborn Necessity Items

Post Navigation