One | Two | Three | Four | Five
I made it through the first eight months, and our bundle of joy makes every day exciting. Our beloved little guy is smiling, giggling, finding his voice and is super wiggly. After looking back at all the ‘must have’ items that were recommended to me, and that I researched, I now have a solid short list of favorite items that I would recommend to my best friends and buy all over again.
The DockATot Deluxe+ Stage 1 Docking Sleeper Station has been the perfect place for naps, lounging, and helped our little one sleep through the night his first several weeks (it fit perfectly in his bassinet). The cover is easy to wash and the cozy sides provide a great sense of security. We are tempted to get the larger toddler size, but he still fits perfectly in the current one we have. I will, however, get a new slip cover. How darling is this blue and white toile cover!
The Halo Innovations ‘Bassinest’ Bedside Swivel Sleeper does it all. It rotates 360 degrees, can hover right over the bed, has mesh sides (so baby and I could stare at each other), and one of the sidewalls collapses, which made it very easy to lower and lift the baby. This bassinet also features options for music and vibration to help soothe le bébé.
The Nuna Leaf Curve Baby Seat sways the baby to sleep. We love the sleek design, which goes for all Nuna products, and there are not a lot of gadgets to fuss with. Place the baby in the seat, strap him in, and give the chair a little push. When Arthur was much smaller, and he fell asleep in my arms, it was an easy transition to move him into this chair without waking him up. Now, it is part of our morning routine to let him hang out in the chair right after his morning feeding, so he can still relax and wake up, while my husband and I can run around and get ourselves ready for the day. Also, the cushion is removable and washable, and the mesh lining of the seat helps keep him cool and comfortable too.
The Tote Savvy purse insert makes me feel sane. I can still use my pre-baby purses and not have to worry about clutter. It helps keep bottles, diapers, wipes, and toys organized in individual compartments, and fits perfectly in my larger tote handbags. It also comes in a mini size. So, instead of lugging around a huge diaper bag (we typically use a diaper bag for day or weekend trips), I feel stylish and not overwhelmed with lots of stuff. Totally worth it!
The Skip*Hop® Explore & More 3-Stage Activity Center was a game changer. The activity center is the opposite of sensory overload. It is simple, which is exactly what we were looking for. This was Arthur’s first real opportunity to grab, pull, suck and push on things, and I think it really helped him with his posture and sitting up. The center also grows with baby. The platform is adjustable and it can be converted into a play table, once he’s a bit taller and standing on his own. Every time he is in it, it’s like he discovers something new again!
