Hellobee

After I would write Little Deer’s monthly updates, I also made lists of some of our favorite baby items and the things I found most useful for the two of us at the time. Here’s a compilation of our favorite things, month by month, from birth to six months:

1) Aveeno Mommy & Me gift set – My mom got us this set for us for our baby shower. I loved the diaper cream and thought the baby shampoo and body wash smelled wonderful. Every night I would rub the lavender lotion on Little Deer before getting her into her pajamas for bed (then I would do the same with the mommy version). There is definitely something calming about that lavender lotion, and we both loved it.

2) Touch & Feel Zoo book – Little Deer’s cousin gave this to her and though she was still too young to touch the animals, this was her FAVORITE book to look at. I would lay her on our bed and hold it up for her to see. The book has vivid and simple-shaped animals and it’s a quick read. I like that she enjoyed reading it with me as a newborn and can still enjoy it today (now she loves “petting” all the animals as we read along).

3) Fisher-Price Whale of a Tub – I just love this tub! It’s cute, easy to set on top of the sink, and she seemed very comfortable in it. The tub also comes with a cute little orange whale toy that you can use for pouring water and playing. We used this tub until she was about eight months old.

4) Marpac Dohm-DS Sound Machine – This is probably our all time favorite item! I had always loved sleeping with a fan on, but when Lucy came home and was in her bassinet I worried about her getting too cold. I originally downloaded a white noise app on our iPad which was pretty good, but sometimes I actually wanted to use the iPad (and as often as newborns sleep, I wasn’t really getting a chance!). I researched sound machines and read many Amazon reviews before deciding on this one. We are so happy with it! The machine is about the size of a box of kleenex and half the height, so not too big. It actually has a motor and blows out air, so you’re hearing a real sound and not a recording. It produces a very soothing fan-like sound, and you can twist the sides or top to change the airflow which changes the sound quality.

5) Lansinoh Lanolin – This is a definite lifesaver when it comes to breastfeeding. I also used Natural Nipple Butter, but as much as I wanted to love it, it just didn’t work for me. Lanolin is a natural waxy substance that comes from wool, and it can really create a good barrier to help protect those sensitive areas. Highly recommend for those first few weeks of breastfeeding!

6) Babylegs leggings – It truly is a hassle to take pants on and off every time you want to change a diaper, especially when you’re changing them so frequently in the beginning. We love Babylegs leggings! They’re cute, warm, and it makes it so much easier. I believe we have about five different pairs now. What’s nice is that she was able to wear these as a newborn, and they still fit her legs today at almost nine months.

7) Odwalla drinks – I drank these frequently throughout my pregnancy (they were often on sale) and continued to do so the first few weeks after Little Deer was born. It’s not easy when you’re so sleep deprived to make yourself meals and stay well hydrated, so I always enjoyed having an Odwalla around. My favorite is the Citrus C Monster — so yummy!

8) Swaddleme swaddle blanket – You’ll think you’ve got swaddling down pat and then baby comes home and bam! She’s breaking out of the swaddle left and right. It’s the middle of the night, dark, and you just can’t keep those little arms tucked in to save your life (this was our experience at least!). We got this blanket at our baby shower and it served us well the first few months. We just tucked her in, wrapped the sides over and presto, she would be happy and swaddled.

1) Infantino Activity Gym – I wanted to get an activity mat that was both cute and inexpensive, and this one fit the bill. I like how it’s brightly colored and has cute patterns. The hanging animals are sweet, and it has a mirror and a little pillow too. The pillow was great for cushioning her head when she was on her back and for putting under her chest for an added boost during tummy time. You just twist the orange top and it snaps and folds up easily, though we usually had ours sitting out. She loved playing on this mat and it lasted until she was a busy crawler.

2) Babies “R” Us Burp Cloths – We got the ones that are labeled as cloth diapers (though you can’t really use them for cloth diapering since they’re so thin). I like them because they come in fun colors, are cheap, and made of a soft material. I loved the look of the fancy and thickly-padded burp clothes that come in cute designs, but Little Deer spit up a lot (especially before we figured out she had MSPI). I decided I wanted to have lots of cheaper burp cloths rather than a few expensive ones so that we could always have a clean one handy. We have 16 of these (four packs of four). We kept a few in the diaper bag, her room, the car, living room… pretty much everywhere. Though she doesn’t spit-up anymore, we still use them today to wipe her off.

3) Fuzzibunz Cloth Diapers – This was our favorite cloth diaper starting out. I loved how they’re adjustable in both the legs and waist. The snaps are in smart places so that you can tighten them around the leg and waist simultaneously. The inserts are soft and dry super duper fast. They looked cute on her and weren’t as bulky as some other cloth diapers. Ultimately we didn’t stick with cloth diapering (though I’m contemplating returning to it) but of the many brands we tried we liked these and they served us well.

4) Nosefrida: The Snotsucker – This is a must have. Does it seem gross? Yeah, but it is super helpful! Those little suction bulbs that they give you at the hospital don’t work that well, not to mention that you can’t clean them out so they get super gross inside. With the snotsucker you hold one end up to baby’s nose and suck on the straw at the other end to create a suction that pulls out goobers. There’s a little foam filter in it so don’t worry — nothing will get in your mouth. It works very well, especially if you put a drop of saline in baby’s nose first. Babies are obligate nose breathers (meaning they pretty much have to breathe through their noses), so when they get stuffy they really have a hard time with feeding. Little Deer was very congested with her MSPI, so we used this just about every day. I highly recommend it!

5) Custom Baby Board Book – This one is from Pint Size Productions, but there are other companies out there that make similar books. Since Mr. Deer had deployed I decided to make one titled “My Daddy” and filled it with pictures of him for her to look at while he was gone. We read this every night at bedtime, and I’m not sure if it was what made the difference, but when he returned home she knew exactly who he was. I think these would be really fun to make with pictures of family members and anything else baby is interested in.

6) Carters Long-sleeved Onesies – These have been my favorite onesie so far. They’re super soft, hold their shape well, are true to size, and the cuffs of the sleeve fit perfectly around her wrist and weren’t too baggy. Really a onesie is a onesie, but I liked having these plain white ones that could go with anything (cute leggings perhaps?). And they fit her super well, even if you’re using cloth diapers.

7) Chicco Keyfit Caddy Stroller – Though this is the specific one that goes with our car seat, there are a ton of different snap ‘n go strollers out there. The basic idea is that you pop open this stroller and baby’s car seat fits right into it. Since we decided on an infant car seat this just made sense. I know some people skip this stroller, but we used it almost daily and loved it. When baby’s sleeping in the car it’s super easy to pop them in and go without having to unbuckle them and wake them up. This was great during those first sleepy newborn months. We used our BOB stroller too, but this one was compact, light weight, and great for running errands.

8) My Little Snugabunny Swing – We got this swing in an act of desperation when she was having trouble napping. I was able to set her in this totally awake (but getting drowsy) and she would fall asleep without a peep. She loved to look up at the little mirror ball and birdies above her head. It plays music or nature sounds, has many different speeds, and can rotate so baby can swing front to back, though I think why she loved it so much was because it went side to side. It’s very soft and cozy and she snuggled right into it. It’s also one of the few swings that plugs into the wall (most only take D or C batteries and eat through them super fast!). She napped in this swing every day from the two month mark until she was about six months old. This swing was definitely worth its weight in gold!

9) KinderGlo Elephant Nightlight – We love this little guy! I wanted a nightlight for breastfeeding because turning on the lamp on our nightstand was just way too bright. This little guy is perfect! He sits in the blue base charging but then you can take him out and set him wherever you like. He can cycle through a bunch of colors or you can choose to have it set on blue, green, or red (red is best and considered the dimmest light). It doesn’t get hot and has the power to stay on all night easily without needing to be charged. When you turn it on it will automatically turn off again in 30 minutes, but if you want it to stay on longer you just hold the button down for 3 seconds. I think this will make a great nightlight in her room later too.

 

1) Honest Diapers – After becoming cloth diaper dropouts, we found a 40% coupon online for Honest diapers and really liked them. They come in cute prints, they’re chemical-free and biodegradable, and with the coupon code they’re definitely affordable (you can always have others buy them for you with the coupon code if you really want to save). I really liked the wipes too. When I had an issue and called the company, their customer service was also outstanding.

2) HALO SleepSack Swaddle – As Little Deer grew this became our new favorite swaddle (AKA the the one she broke out of the least). We got a fleece one for nighttime and a cotton one for naps. I loved that I had the option to leave her arms out if I wanted to. When we stopped swaddling her, I just made it looser and looser until I only swaddled around her tummy with her arms out. Worked out well!

3) Prince Lionheart bebePOD Flex Baby Seat – I don’t think baby seats are really a necessity, but they are fun to have. Little Deer loved to be sitting upright so this was a good fit for us. I debated between this and the Bumbo, but I love that for the same price you get a tray table with a placemat and attachable toy. You can also buckle this to a chair so it doesn’t have to stay on the floor. We used this for quite awhile and even fed Little Deer in it for a bit until we got a high chair.

4) Lifefactory Teether – Little Deer started teething pretty early (even though it would be months before those darn teeth would pop through). My mom picked up some of these teethings rings at Whole Foods and they have been great! They’re soft and rubbery (made of silicone) and I love how there are different textures on them. She’s pretty picky about what she likes in her mouth, and she could chew on these all day long which is awesome.

5) Arm’s Reach Mini Co-sleeper Bassinet – This is what Little Deer slept in for the first three and a half months (well, we did cosleep a bit too). What I liked about this bassinet is that you can pull it right alongside the bed, so all you do is reach over and pick her up when she needs to eat in the middle night. You can also roll the side up and it can stand alone. I went with this over a pack ‘n play because it’s much smaller (we were tight on space) and I like how it pulls right up level with the bed.

6) Baby Monitor App – Once Little Deer was napping in her swing in her room, I really wanted to be able to see her. I wasn’t willing to buy a video baby monitor though because they were so expensive, so I rigged up my old iPhone and downloaded this Baby Monitor App instead. This worked very well for us for several months. You get a really clear picture and best of all, it only costs a few dollars (assuming you have an iPod or iPhone you can use). We did eventually get a video baby monitor (for its nighttime vision during sleep training) but we still use this system today and I find it to be really handy!

7) BOB Stroller – This is our “go out for a walk” stroller (compared to the snap ‘n go we used for running errands). For the first few months I used it with the attachment for her carseat, then when she had better head control I sat her up front. She absolutely loves riding in this stroller. I just give her a teething ring or her blankey to hold onto and we’re off! Everything about this stroller is awesome, from the little window on the canopy that allows you to peek down at your child, to the bicycle-like tires and shocks that make bumps smooth sailing. I also love that it has extras you can buy for it, like the rain cover and cozy seat cushion. It’s a bit heavy-duty (which is why I don’t take it to just go run to the grocery) but it truly is awesome for getting outdoors.

8) Sassy Ring ‘O Links – Love love love these! Different textures, vibrant colors… you can do so much with them. We strung these up on her activity mat, car seat, and kept a set of them in the diaper bag. They’re fun to link together, attach to other toys, and let her slobber on.

9) Goodnight Moon – This book is such a classic. Even though it’s small, she would just stare so intently at it when we would read it together every night. It’s fun to say goodnight to everything in the book and then say goodnight to things in her room too. I foresee us reading this every night together for a long time.

1) Honest Company bath and body products – After our Aveeno products ran out, we decided to try the Honest Company’s lotions and other products. This is what I have to say: love them! The shampoo + body wash and the lotion smell wonderful and work well. I love the hand sanitizer and have it sitting on her changing table. We also use the healing balm on her bum occasionally to prevent irritation. They’re very natural products and it makes me happy to know I’m not rubbing a bunch of chemicals on her sweet baby skin.

2) Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? – This was by far her favorite book at this age. When I pulled it out at bedtime she would literally wiggle and shriek with excitement. Besides saying the color and animal, I would also make the animal sounds. When we would get to the red bird and I would chirp she would just crack up. I love that this book is classic, simple, and bright. It’s great for babies to learn the animals, colors, and in my case, animal sounds.

3) Motorola Color Video Monitor – I thought we could do without a video monitor, then Little Deer started rolling onto her tummy at night. Since she couldn’t roll back over at the time, I found I was really anxious at night and wished that I could see her. This monitor has night vision and boy is it awesome! It gives me such peace of mind to be able to check on her. It’s also nice to see if she’s really asleep or just awake playing in her crib. I like that you can move the camera remotely and zoom in. And the picture is really clear, even at night. Once we did begin some sleep training it also brought me such peace of mind to be able to see her and know she was okay.

4) Baby Mozart DVD – I know it’s not ideal to set your baby in front of the TV (the AAP recommends no screen time prior to age 2), but I personally didn’t have a problem letting her watch this 30-minute movie every now and again. Having Mr. Deer deployed was difficult, and sometimes I just needed to get something done and I couldn’t hold her. I did’t let her watch any other television, but I was comfortable with this short movie because it’s as though she’s watching toys, animals, and puppets right in front of her. There aren’t any quick takes, fast scene changes, loud noises… just peaceful Mozart music and toys and shapes floating around. Often the problem with letting small ones watch television is that they’re losing time talking and interacting with you. As I’m doing things I’ll try and talk to her about what she’s seeing (“Do you see the puppy?”) and still engage with her. All in all I’m not recommending having your baby watch television, but if you just need a moment every now and then like me, I really liked this DVD.

5) Green Sprouts Cornstarch Hand Teether – Natural and even biodegradable, this was Little Deer’s favorite teether at this age. The handle is firm but the little finger parts feel rubbery and boy did she love chomping on them.

6) Taggies Tag ‘N Play Elephant – I don’t know what it is about tags, but she’s obsessed with them. So what could be more perfect than this pink elephant that’s covered in them! Her cousin gave this to her, and around the 4-month mark she became really interested in it. She loves rubbing her fingers along all the tags and sucking on them.

7) Baby Merlin’s Magic Sleepsuit – This thing is awesome. Its purpose is to help babies still feel cozy and secure as they transition out of being swaddled. While this wasn’t super magical for us (some babies you can just zip them up and they fall right asleep), it did help keep her sleeping on her back which I liked. There was quite a long period of time where she would roll to her tummy but couldn’t remember how to get back over to her back… so she would just cry and cry until I flipped her over. That just wasn’t working for us. I would zip her up in this at night and she would rub her hands on the soft fleece fabric and smile at me, snug as a bug in a rug. It’s made of a foam padding material, and even with a onesie and socks on she never gets too hot.

8) Gap Ruffle Dot One-Piece – I love babies in jumpers! At this age with the warm weather I find them to be essential. My mom bought us a bunch of cute Carter’s ones and we have a few from the Gap as well. It’s nice to just have one piece of clothing rather than a onesie and pants.

9) ERGObaby Organic Baby Carrier – This is an awesome carrier! I tried the K’tan and BabyBjorn with no luck. The Ergo is so comfortable and easy to take on and off. We mainly use this for going out and running errands. It’s a lot easier to grocery shop with both hands free. At this age especially, Little Deer was easily overstimulated in new/loud situations. Having her tucked in against me really helped her feel more comfortable. She can still look out to the sides and watch everything going on, but she’s nice and secure against me. This carrier is supposed to be good ergonomically too for babies (compared to front facing ones). I expect us to get lots of good use out of this guy!

1) Aden + Anais Security Blanket – Starting around six months (when we began to do some sleep training), Little Deer began to get attached to this blanket. I always had a “blankey” as a little girl, so I definitely liked the idea of her having a comfort object. I know that you’re not supposed to have anything in the crib with babies under one, but this is so thin and made of muslin that I felt like it was completely safe (I put it over my face to test it too). She loves rubbing her hands along the satin edges, and when I hand it to her before a nap or bedtime, she just buries her face in it and snuggles it. So very sweet!

2) Carter’s Footed Pajamas – I don’t think you can have too many of these pj’s. They are soft, cute, and keep her nice and warm at night under her sleepsack. Easy peasy!

3) HALO Sleep sack – Once we were finally done with the swaddles and sleep suit, we moved on to the sleep sack. I liked the HALO brand and have been very happy with this sleep sack. We bought two fleece ones and use them both for naps and nighttime. Though she gets pretty grumpy about being put in it, once she’s zipped up she’s cozy and happy.

4) Pearhead Baby Keepsake – Though more of a gift idea, we did these so many times around the six month mark that they’re worth mentioning. Not only did we make these for ourselves, but they made great Mother’s and Father’s Day gifts. You just roll out the dough, place their hand down, and you’re done! No need to mix anything or create a big mess. I love that we can look back and see her little hands and feet from this age, and I know our parents have loved receiving these as well.

5) IKEA Antilop High Chair – Once Little Deer hit six months and started eating, we wanted a cheap, cute, and easy to clean high chair. This met all of our needs! For only $25 I don’t see how you can go wrong. I love the the look of it, the bright red, and how it takes two seconds to clean up. It’s served us very well so far and I can’t imagine needing anything more!

6) Hippopposites – I love when I can buy books that Little Deer loves at a young age, yet will read and enjoy as she grows older too. This book originally caught my eye while I was pregnant, but I didn’t buy it until much later. I love that it has simple and brightly colored pictures that Little Deer enjoys looking at, yet it covers some pretty big concepts that she will continue to learn and understand over the years (example: opaque vs transparent).

7) The First Years Stacking Cups – This is hands-down one of her favorite toys. She loves pulling them apart when they’re stacked together. They also stack on top of one another to create a tower. She was obsessed with knocking them down whenever we did this, and it definitely served as a motivation to get her crawling! They also have numbers on them and a corresponding number of holes (fun for pouring water during bath and counting later one).

8) Insulated Blackout Curtains – We had been hanging up some make-shift blackout curtains that I made, but finally decided it was time to buy some good ones. We bought these and have been very happy with them. They make Little Deer’s room very cozy and dark and definitely help with naps during the day. These were pretty inexpensive too which I always like. We got them in red, though they come in many different colors. I heard the lighter colors do not block light as well, but we’ve had no trouble with red.

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What would you all add as your favorites for the first six months?