Baby Favourites 2-6 months

Theo has changed so much during the past four months, I kept meaning to write another post about my favourite baby products but I  didn't want to write a gazillion of them, so I kept putting it off. But, since I loved stalking bloggers to see what products they recommend, I thought that it was only fair to share what we use too. This list is a bit long but includes almost everything we use.

Toys
Theo was slow to take an interest in toys. Even at 6 months he's often more interested in looking at things than he is in playing. But at this point we've accumulated a handful of things that I like a lot and cycle through for him to play with.

After reading Simplicity Parenting Andrew and I felt it would be best to limit our number of toys and get simple ones that allow for open ended play. Of course Theo is too young for open ended play at this point, but we've tried to find toys that can engage him both now and in the future. He's quite fond of stuffed animals and we have six creatures of various sizes and species that we rotate through, and then these toys:

Kathe Kruse Doll This was the first toy that Theo took to. It's almost like a little blanket with hands, feet, and a head attached. Theo could grab it easily and he loved gumming on it. From 2-4 months it was really the only toy he liked and we took it everywhere with us.

Wooden Teething Ring My mother-in-law got this for Theo and it's easily his favourite toy; when he first saw it he burst out laughing and grabbed it. The beaded section is strung on a very sturdy cord and bends so that it can be manipulated and the two rings make it much more interesting to Theo. Even when offered more colourful toys, he prefers his wooden teether over everything else. (The one down side is that it can be a tiny bit noisy, so when we're somewhere requires a quieter toy that won't clatter if dropped, we use these silicon teething rings .)

Sofie the Giraffe I know a lot of people dislike Sofie or consider her overpriced, but I ended up getting her for Theo because his favourite thing to chew were my fingers and Sofie's legs were the closest thing I could find as an alternative. We also use her as the go-to toy when we're at the table, since she can be easily wiped down if she gets pureed food on her.

Squish This is our latest addition to Theo's toy collection, it was one of my family's favourites and offers long term versatility that I like a lot. Theo likes the sound it makes when he shakes it and will play with it for a long time exploring the way it stretches and moves.

Wubbanub Although I know some people that use wubbanub pacifiers from the beginning, our use was delayed until Theo was around 4 months. It's our morning and outing pacifier, since it's easy to keep track of and does double duty as a toy. Theo still hasn't mastered consistently getting a traditional pacifier into his mouth, but he can put his wubbanub in by himself; it's great when he wakes up earlier than usual, I'll give him the wubbanub and he'll play with it for a while and then, when he's sleepy, put it into his mouth and fall back to sleep.

Bedtime
Theo started sleeping in his crib at around 6 weeks and we've been following our bedtime routine quite religiously since then. Most nights Theo heads to bed at around 9-ish. First he and I take a bath together (although if we've stayed out late we skip the bath), which is relaxing for both of us (when he was younger he'd sometimes fall asleep in the water). Then we put him into his pajamas and sleep-sack and then Andrew will come in and read him a bedtime story. Then I nurse him, sing him a song, put him in his crib, give him his pacifier, and he goes to sleep.

California Baby Bubble Bath: This bubble bath is the best ever. It makes so many bubbles and smells delightful. Theo loves trying to eat them and smacking the water to pop them.

Pamper's Extra Protection: Theo will happily sleep up to 14 hours at night, and is miserable if he wakes up before he's slept for at least 12, but he'd get so wet that he'd have trouble staying asleep during the second half of the night and occasionally soaked his pajamas. I started using Pamper's extra-protection and he's slept better ever since. They're scented, which I dislike, but it hasn't bothered his skin and gives him a better night sleep, so I suck up my objections and use them anyway.

Aden and Anais Sleep Sack This sleep sack was a gift that I would never have thought to get on my own but completely love.  It's super cozy and thick and when Theo had to transition out of his swaddles it was fantastic to be able to segue into a sleepsack that was the same soft muslin fabric. We have a Halo sleepsack for backup, but Theo likes his A&A sack the best and gets a bit cold at night otherwise.

The Little Mouse, The Red Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear Theo has no patience for passive narrative bedtime stories like Goodnight Moon or The Big Red Barn, he loves extremely dramatic stories with lots of emotions and drama. The Little Mouse is the story of a mouse trying to save his strawberry from a bear that the narrator has convinced him is coming. Theo loves this book more than any other, Andrew or I read it to him every night.

Eating
Theo started eating solids between 4 and 5 months at the recommendation of his pediatrician. It's largely exploratory at this point, on any given day he'll eat anywhere from a teaspoon to half a cup without any rhyme or reason. We do lots of veggies since he hasn't been particularly keen on fruit or rice or oatmeal.

Inglesina Fast Table Chair So far we've just used this chair that clips onto the table as Theo's high chair. Our apartment lacks any practical place to keep an actual high-chair. I think it's important for Theo to feel like meals are a time when we're all together and this puts him right at the table with us. We used to pull his bouncy seat next to the table and he'd sit between us ever since he was newborn, so he expects to be with us during dinner.

Kidsme Food Feeder I bought this for Theo mostly on a whim but it's ended up being invaluable. He didn't really take to solids until we tried it and it's great since it allows him to have more control over his intake and explore new tastes and textures as he's comfortable. Oftentimes when we introduce him to a new food we'll start with it in the Kidsme and let him decide what he thinks of it. Once he's decided he likes the a new food he prefers how quickly he can eat with a spoon, but he prefers starting with the Kidsme.

Outings
I try to get Theo outside as much as possible, we generally go on a walk every day, usually to the grocery store or along a bike path near our apartment. Theo loves going on outings and gets super excited when a gust of wind hits him. We still use our Armadillo stroller, and it's been fantastic, the only weakness I've found so far is snow, which most compact urban strollers don't handle very well (you'd need something with rubber tires, like a jogging stroller). 

Slouch Headwear Hat Theo tends to be pretty warm, so unless the temp is below 40 we usually just use a light weight beanie as his outing hat. I really like Slouch's beanies since they're great quality and look super cute. Their size range is also a lot better than the other beanies that I looked at, which want you size up constantly.

Robeez boots These were basically Theo's only shoes until very recently. They stay on his feet (unlike every other pair we tried) and like his Slouch hat you don't have to buy the next size up every couple months. Theo has been wearing his for the past three months and they still have some room for growth, so they might make it through the entire autumn and winter. They're super soft and warm. 

7am Enfant Baby Shield I originally got the JJ Cole Bundle Me in the infant size, but Theo has such long legs that he ended up outgrowing it at 3 months. I decided to do more research and see if there was a better option since I hadn't been particularly impressed with the Bundle Me's performance. I had heard that that 7am Enfant's products were great but pricy, which is part of why I was so pleased when I discovered the versatile baby shield. The Baby Shield comes with two different cover weights, so it can be use from autumn through spring, unlike some of the heavy weight buntings that are only useful during extremely cold weather. It's been perfect for us, the heavy weight cover is so toasty warm that we can put Theo into it without any other bundling even when it's very cold.

Beco Gemini Carrier Now that Theo has gotten a bit bigger we've transitioned from the K'tan carrier to the structured Gemini carrier. I like the versatility of it and I've found it very comfortable to wear. Some days Theo just wants to be carried constantly and so being able to put him on my back while I wash the dishes or make myself lunch has been very handy.

Reading

Zero to Five: 70 Essential Parenting Tips Based on Science by Tracy Cutchlow

I discovered this book through Science of Mom and loved it. The information is extremely helpful and I found the author much less divisive than many parenting writers. She lays out the information in a helpful but relaxed way that I found much more approachable. Here is Science of Mom's review which prompted me to buy the book. 

Mama OT
I found this blog while researching Bumbo seats. Theo really liked sitting and I was questioning my minimalist decision to limit my baby gear, but a quick google search led me to Mama OT who discourages Bumbo's and explained better alternatives. Mama OT has become my go to website whenever I'm thinking of adding a new toy or product to Theo's collection or when I'm trying to figure out the best ways to encourage him in his physical development. While there is a lot of information available now about good and bad baby toys there's a lot less about baby gear; which is surprising, since gear can have a much greater impact on what a baby does during the day that a particular toy. I highly recommend this blog.