A year.... I can't believe that my baby is going to be a year old in a week.
Toys
Theo is just not really that into toys, he plays with them, but they tend to only occupy a fraction of his day, and, once he figures a toy out he never wants to play with it again. I have tried rotating his toys in and out of storage, but even after three months he still remembers them and doesn't find them interesting. The few toys that hold his attention in the long term have been those that are unpredictable or a bit beyond his age range and ability. The toys that have ended up being a worthwhile investment and consistently been used beyond the first 20 minutes are:
Left-Right Car
Andrew and I picked this toy out for Theo during our babymoon in Japan so we are thrilled that he loves it so much. We gave it to him when he was five months old even though it's recommended for a toddler aged child and he figured out how to push it along in just a few weeks and make a "Vrmmmm" sound. Six months later he still loves it and plays with it constantly.
A friend sent this to Theo and it has been his favourite small toy. He is obsessed with dogs right now, talks about them non-stop, and he loves wriggling the ears and saying woof as he shakes it.
Plan Block Sorter
I got this toy for Theo a good bit before he was able to sort blocks because I wanted him to be able to grow into it. He loves carrying things about and so the cylindrical blocks have been a huge hit since he can fit them neatly into his hands even if he's crawling around. We supplemented it with the Plan Activity Blocks since they fit into the square hole, and he likes shaking the blocks with bells inside. But if I were to do it again I would consider getting the Manhattan Toy Co. Shape Shorter instead, since it has an open top, because when Theo does block sorting he always wants to take the lid off after putting each block through to look inside.
Nuby Bath Cups
We got these for Theo back around Christmas time because he loves his bath. I really don't like buying plastic things, so I still cringe every time I see them, but they are BPA free, and I haven't found any better alternatives. However, if anyone can recommend a good non-plastic boat that actually works I'd be thrilled. But, my reservations aside, these cups are pretty great, Theo initially loved them just for splashing and watching the water pour from the holes, but now that he's older he's able to both stack them into a tower and nest them which can occupy him for a nice long bath.
Indestructible Books
My sister-in-law gave me two of these books and Theo loves them. He's really into animal sounds and so we read the Jungle Rumble and Plip Plop Pond together quite often and I personally love the art. They also sit very nicely at the very bottom of my bag, so I can carry one around without it taking up too much space.
Wobble Around Bead Toy
Theo really got into playing with bead toys, especially a large table one at my favourite consignment baby clothes store, but because of our limited space we really didn't want to buy something so large and limited in its uses. My sister-in-law introduced me to a little one by Manhattan Toy Co and it's been a big hit with Theo, it's a newer toy, so I'm not sure if it will hold his interest in the long term, but it's still going strong after a month.
Hohner Glockenspiel
Theo's Grandmama (who is a music teacher) bought this little glockenspiel for him and in recent weeks he has gotten quite fond of it. It took him a little while to figure out how to get it to make sounds but now that he's getting the hang of it he likes taking the little mallet and hitting everything to see if his other toys make noise too. Sometimes he tries to sing when he plays it, which might be one of the cutest things I have ever seen in my life.
Baby Care
Theo's bedtime remains basically identical to the routine we have used since he was six weeks old. We don't use a sleepsack any more because it's been too hot lately, and since his first teeth arrived we started using a toothbrush which we give to him to chew on during bedtime stories and then again in the morning when I brush my teeth too. I really like Green Sprouts Toothbrush since it's soft everywhere and large enough that he can maneuver it.
OXO Bib
This bib is easily one of the best baby products I have found. I had always heard that the Bjorn bib was the best, but having used both now I hands down prefer OXO. A huge part of the appeal is its portability; it can go everywhere because it rolls up neatly into itself. I also love that it's super bendy and flexible; Theo is small, the Bjorn bib is literally too wide for him to wear comfortably because it blocks his arms from crossing his body and limits his ability to feed himself (and I literally never figured out a good place to stash it at home since it didn't fit anywhere), the OXO bib fits against his body and bends with him, and I can throw it in the laundry if I want to. My only criticism is that the "catch" for keeping it rolled up doesn't always hold and so occasionally it becomes unrolled in my bag, but it's only a minor critique since other bibs don't roll up at all.
Kleen Kanteen
Theo was a bit tricky to convince to drink water, like me *blush* he didn't like the taste of water and so he would only drink green tea for about four months. But especially as temperatures have soared in Portland I worked really hard to encourage him to drink water and had to go through a couple of different cups to figure out one that worked well for us. A friend bought a Kleen Kanteen for him one day and it's become the new go-to method of getting water into him.
Misting Spray Bottle
It has been oppressively hot in Portland lately and so I have started carrying a little mist sprayer in my bag to mist Theo (and myself) to keep cool. Theo loves getting spritzed and thinks it is the funniest thing. It's a little thing and takes of minimal space in my bag, but has saved the day a couple of times already.
Transport
Moving to Portland, Andrew and I decided to try going carless, we had been talking about it for a while and barely used the car we had in DC so upon our move we decided to give it a try. We had been talking about getting bikes for a while and really our timing ended up being perfect because at 9 months Theo was right at the age where we could start riding around with him.
Yepp Mini
The Yepp Mini was recommended to us by a couple bike shops and after doing some of my own research I concurred the advice. It's made by a Dutch bike company and is made out of a foam croc-like material that makes it comfy and also doesn't get too hot from sitting in the sun. It sits at the front of the bike, which is safer, and allows Theo to have a great view while I am close enough to be able to easily see and interact with him as needed. Theo just loves riding around and we're able to get all over Portland really easily. And I am getting so stinkin' fit, from going up all the hills in Portland.
Linus SAC Bike Bag
I've used tote bags as my diaper bag since Theo was born but my casual tote was dying a slow and terrible death after enduring six years of my abuse (first college books and then a baby, poor thing) so I decided it was time for an upgrade. I ended up getting a bike pannier bag as my diaper bag and it has been fantastic. The style that I chose is deeper than your typical bag and the top folds over (which conceals the hooks used to latch onto the bike) so that I'm not walking around with an open topped bag begging people to snatch my phone or wallet off the top. It's made of waxed canvas so I don't have to worry about the contents getting wet, and on the occasions when I really need more space, the top "fold over" section can stand up and I could easily fit a baguette inside. I actually got a second one, so that I have a place to stick groceries, picnics and picnic blankets, baby carrier, or anything else that won't fit into my main bag and it doesn't hurt that it gives my bike a nice balance look.
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