Since Kaitlin is only nine days shy of turning eight months old (!!!) I thought I would combine our favorites from the last two months into one post. Now that she is getting older she has more and more opinions about what she likes and doesn't like on everything from toys to food to clothes (ok, maybe that last one is a bit of a stretch. But there are some clothes she lets me put on her more easily than others! I'm taking it as a sign of her developing fashion sense).
These have been a few of her (and my) favorite things over the past couple of months. Some were favorites before then and have stood the test of time. I find that she is growing so fast now that she is very fickle about what is her "favorite" toy to play with, so items that she returns to time and time again are a rarity!
Xylophone by Fisher Price
Kaitlin discovered this toy after playing at a friends house one afternoon. She lit up when we played the xylophone for her and she heard the music. I knew that I had to get one for her and boy am I glad that I did. She still doesn't really know how to play it correctly, even though we have had it for a few months, but that doesn't stop her from loving to play with it. She usually jams the mallet in her mouth as soon as I bring it out for her to play with, but eventually she starts to wave her hand around and manages to hit the keys. She loves when someone else plays a song or just bangs on the keys for her to hear the different sounds. She gets really excited, bounces up and down then swipes the mallet out of your hand and jams it back into her mouth. Whatever floats your boat, little girl.
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Sassy Ring o'Links
This is another toy that we have had for several months and it continues to be a favorite. When Kaitlin was a few months old I was searching the internet for a "rattle" that she could hold in her tiny fingers. Most of the ones that I found were too big and/or heavy for her. I saw these on Diapers.com and just had to get them. The bright colors, different textures and small size really appealed to me. When all of the links are on the ring she can shake them like a rattle and she loves to hear the noise. These were a hit from the first time I gave them to her and she still loves to play with them. They are great for her to chew on and I'm convinced the different textures help relieve teething discomfort. The best part about it is that the links can be attached to anything and (almost) everything. I used to hang them from her playmat and her car seat. Now that she is a little older I attach them to her stroller and grocery cart cover (more on that below). And the fact that they are less than $5.00 makes these superstars in my book!
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Munchkin Duck Tub
You might have noticed this tub during my last What We're Lovin' post when I featured our favorite bubble bath. We have been using this tub since Kaitlin was about 4-5 months old. I already can't remember when we started using it (this is why I write everything down!) but it was basically when she was almost sitting up on her own (we helped her sit up in it the first few times until she was strong enough to do so on her own). The other infant bath we had required her to lay down and as soon as she got the hang of sitting up - even if it was assisted - she wanted nothing to do with laying down. She absolutely loves this tub. It is deep enough that she stays warm when we fill it up but not so deep that she gets scared. It has a safety disk on the bottom that tells you if the water is too hot for the baby. She loves to splash around in the water and play peek-a-boo with us around the duck head. It is bright and cheerful and it has made bath time exponentially more fun for all of us!
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Bumkins Bibs and Splat Mat
Since we started Kaitlin on solids at six months - and more specifically since I switched to baby led weaning - big mess is the name of the game. I first purchased these super bibs (for their big size) by Bumpkin and have loved them from the start. The adjustable neck fits snuggly against her and the large pocket manages to catch a lot of what she drops. The bibs are thin enough that they aren't bulky for her to wear but not so thin that they let food/water seep through to her clothes.
The Splat Mat is a relatively new addition to our house and I'm in love with it. I just put it down underneath her high chair and it catches (most of) the food she throws. Anything that doesn't make it on the mat gets thrown out, but most of it I am able to put back on her tray for her to try to eat. It is made out of the same material as the bibs and is a breeze to clean. I usually wipe it down with an antibacterial wipe after each meal and then throw it in the washer once a week. Easy breezy - an A+ in my book!
Cart Cover
Now that Kaitlin can sit up on her own we have started putting her in high chairs and shopping carts when we are out and about. For grocery shopping I used to use my Ergo (and still do sometimes) to carry her around, but now that she can sit and look around I prefer to use a shopping cart. Now, I am not an overly germaphobic person. I let her eat things that have fallen on the ground (I check them before giving them back to her, don't worry) and I will still give her a toy to play with if it has fallen on the floor (again, as long as it still appears to be clean). Since becoming a mom I learned to carry hand sanitizer with me but that was more for cleaning up after diaper changes. However, when we started putting her in shopping carts and in high chairs at restaurants I got really skeeved out. They are usually sticky and you can visibly see the dirt on them. This cart cover has become one of my favorite items, even though I'm sure Kaitlin could care less. Ours is by Comfort & Harmony but I'm sure any brand will do. Ours is big enough to fit over a wide variety of shopping carts as well as high chairs - I haven't had a bad fit yet. There are several straps to secure the cover around the cart and around the baby. Since Kaitlin is still small she does tend to fall over sometimes, but that's mostly because she's so nosey about what's going on around her she leans all the way over to look around. The cover has several loops that you can attach toys to (like our favorite Sassy links mentioned above) and a few pockets that you can use to store toys or other small items. I wish it had slightly more padding on the back area as a lot of the shopping carts are made out of hard wire, but really that is just meet nitpicking. I cannot recommend this product enough, especially if you are a clean freak!
*All opinions are my own, certainly no one paid me to say any of these nice things. But that would be nice, so if you want to pay me to say something nice about your stuff feel free to send me a sample ;) *
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