What We're Lovin' - Seven and Eight Months

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.

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!

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!

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 ;) *

The Sixth Month

*warning - this is a long one!*

I'm pretty sure I said this last month, but the sixth month has been one of the most exciting months yet. Not only has Kaitlin grown and developed so much over the last 30 days (31? I don't know) but it has also been a very busy month - we had family in town, she celebrated her first Halloween, started swimming lessons, got her first tooth and started solid food!

Over the last month she has become even more of a woman on the move. She is scooting and rolling and turning in circles like a champion. She is still lunging for everything in sight and wants to touch/grab/chew on anything and everything. This month she got her first TWO teeth (both bottom teeth have arrived) and we got to learn about the joys of teething. I think she lucked out pretty well with the teething thing. We had a few days of disrupted naps, definitely some irritated gums and an urgent need to chew/gum on anything wet and/or cold. But other than that she handled it pretty well, especially considering she had two teeth coming in at the same time.

In addition to moving around the floors like a wild woman, Kaitlin also learned how to sit up on her own. I still use the Boppy to help balance her but she is geting better and stronger at sitting on her own every day. She started off staying upright for a few seconds and can now sit for a few minutes on her own at a time. If she wasn't constantly trying to reach for something she could probably sit for a bit longer, but that would be too boring. I started putting her in her high chair at the beginning of the month to get her used to it because by the end of the month we were going to start solid food! We started off with some oatmeal baby cereal and it was a rousing success. She made a few funny faces and pushed the majority out of her mouth the first time around but overall she seems to really like it! Actually, what she seems to love is chewing on the spoon. But if it helps encourage eating and she gets excited about it then I am all for it!

We also had Kaitlin start swim lessons this month. Although they haven't been too successful - most of the time is spent with her crying and mom/dad trying to distract her - I think she will love being in the pool eventually. We got her a new bathtub that allows her to sit in the water and splash around. I'm hoping that helps get her used to being in deeper water. Of course her little ducky tub is a lot different from the giant community pool, but hopefully it will help a little.

Our little pumpkin loved Halloween. I hosted a Halloween party with all of her (my) friends and she had a grand old time. She didn't even seem to mind being in costume, she was too busy watching all the other babies and playing with her toys. We took her to a pumpkin patch (she was not impressed) which rounded out our fall activities and started to gear up for Thanksgiving. It was a super busy and very exciting month, and to say I learned a lot would be an understatement.

A few (more) things I have learned...

Look Up
Kaitlin has always been very inquisitive about the world around her. From the day she was born she was constantly looking around, taking it all in and trying to figure out everything that was going on around her. Now that she is a bit older and can filter out more of the "stuff" that is going on, she can hone in her concentration to things that really interest her. One of her favorite things to do lately is look up. She is always looking at the ceiling when I carry her around - although what, specifically, she is looking at I'm not sure. Whenever we go outside she always, always stares at the trees and their leaves. You will very rarely find her outside with her head down. Sometimes I think she must be getting a neck ache with all the looking up that she is doing but she perseveres. Often times she is staring at something so intently that it causes me to look up to see what she's looking at. I've seen some beautiful sights this way - birds on a wire, leaves rustling in the wind, beautiful fluffy clouds - and I am thankful that she has caused me to pause, look up and observe these everyday, yet special scenes, that I might otherwise miss.

It only gets more expensive
Everyone always says that having children is expensive. But, at first, I didn't really believe them. As Kaitlin gets older I am finally starting to understand. Now that she is on formula and starting solids her food budget has increased (not hard considering it used to be free). As diapers get bigger so does their price tag. Clothes are the same way. And toys...don't forget the toys. In the beginning there is very little that babies need and what they do need you will have probably received as a baby shower gift. But after the first few months the well dries up and this little, smiling, stinky bundle of joy starts to make a dent in your bank account. And it only gets more expensive as they get bigger. Soccer teams, rollerskating parties (umm, do kids still do that?), prom dresses - I can hear my bank account screaming as we speak. Now - finally - I understand why my parents were always on me about getting a college scholarship ;)

Babies are strong

Sure, they may look cute and innocent - but babies are freakin' strong! Kaitlins little legs kick with all their might and I am always surprised at how strong they are. I can't see a six pack but her abs must be made of steal. She is constantly trying to sit up when she's in a reclined position. I started pulling her up to sitting from laying down and now when she sees my thumbs she automatically grabs on and starts to pull herself up. I barely have to help her. And man, does she have a good grip. Your hair is only safe when securely tucked away in a tight ponytail, and even then it's not a guarantee. Your ears, eyes and nose aren't safe either. I'd guard your cheeks and chin too, just to be safe.

I will always think she is the best/brightest/smartest...

I think every mom/dad/parent/grandparent must think - at one time or another - that their child is gifted. Just think about all of the new things that baby learns in the first year of their life. When is the last time you have seen someone learn so much in such little time? Especially during the middle of their first year, they are mastering so many amazing tasks and learning new things every day. Personally, I don't really know much about when babies are supposed to learn what. I know rough timelines of when certain milestones are supposed to be achieved, but the time frame is usually so wide and varied that it isn't really much help. The phrase "every baby develops at their own speed" gets thrown around a lot and for good reason - it's true. I am continually amazed at what Kaitlin learns and accomplishes on a daily basis. I am almost always certain that she is ahead of the curve, mastering things many babies her age aren't learning yet. Sometimes I am right, sometimes I am wrong - but I don't really care. In my eyes she will always be the best, brightest, most talented, funniest, sweetest, intelligent baby/child/person I  have ever known. It's hard not to compare your baby to someone else's, just as it is difficult not to compare your pregnancy to someone else's. But in the end it doesn't really matter what Johnny, Jack and Jane are doing. What matters is what your baby is doing at that moment and how proud of them you are. Just rolled over for the first time? Shout it from the rooftops! Found her fingers/toes/fist for the first time? Blast the news out on facebook/twitter/newest-social-media-too-cool-for-me. I hope I never get over the excitement of my child(ren) learning and accomplishing new things - big and small.

What We're Lovin' - Six Months

As Kaitlin gets older her personality and preferences are starting to come out more and more. She is starting to show interest in some things more than others. I thought it might be fun to highlight things that she (and I) are loving every once and a while. Kaitlin just turned six months old last week, so these items are good for babies from around 4-5 months and older. Where possible I have tried to include a link to where you can buy these items too!

JellyKitten Bredita Bunny

This is Kaitlin's favorite toy to date. It makes a soft rattle noise (without being too loud of obnoxious like some of her other rattles) and is super soft. She absolutely loves to chew on the bunnies ears, legs and feet. Poor bunny has been through the wash more times than I can count! I love it because the soft chime noise is easy on the ears and it is small enough to bring with us everywhere we go. This was given to me as a gift and it looks like it's only available in the UK/Europe. JellyKitten is a range under the very popular  Jellycat brand.

Rainforest Jumperoo

Kaitlin has been in the Jumperoo since she was about three months old. At the time her feet couldn't reach the ground and she didn't really know how to jump, but she LOVED being able to be upright and look around. She started off slowly, touching her feet to the ground and playing with one or two of the toys. But within no time she was jumping around like a crazy person and playing with all of the toys and gadgets. Since Kaitlin is super active (I swear she doesn't stop moving) this is a perfect toy for her. And it gives me some time to get things done around the house with both hands - I can leave her in it for 15-20 minutes before she cries out for me. This was, by far, one of the best items that I registered for. We have been getting so much use out of it and she is still on the lowest height setting, which means she still has lots of time to grow into it!

California Baby - Calming Bubble Bath

I like to make bath time fun but it also has to be relaxing. Since we give Kaitlin her bath right before bed time I don't want to wind her up too much. I have been using California Baby almost from the beginning and love it. The light lavender scent of the Calming series is just perfect for getting ready for bed. It is all natural and non-drying which means it is safe to use every day without irritating her soft, baby skin. And since it is made from all natural ingredients I don't have to worry when Kaitlin sticks a bubble-coated hand or foot into her mouth. It might not taste good but I know it won't hurt her. And perhaps the most fun thing about this bubble bath is that it comes with a bubble wand! Kaitlin goes back and forth between loving and hating bubbles (depending on how tired she is when she's in the bath) but for the most part she is intrigued by them and loves to watch them float around the bathroom. It's probably the most expensive bubbles I'll ever buy, but I think it's a cute touch to add the wand, making bath time even more fun for babies and for parents.