Favorite 2-6 month Baby Items

I blogged about my favorite items for a newborn baby, but now that I'm six months into motherhood, what would I recommend?

Well, first I'd like to say that pretty much everything on my first list I still love. The only thing I'd take off the list is the Sleep Giraffe/Sheep. While adorable, the 45-minute timer kept waking Nora up when it turned off- argh! So instead I'd go with this Homedics Sound Machine, which is reasonably priced, plugs in so no batteries are necessary, and can go all night long. :)

I'd also love to reassert my love for the Rock n' Play. Mostly because even though we transitioned out of the RnP about 3 months ago, when Nora has a little cold she can sleep in the RnP so much better than in her crib because it's elevated. We also still use it for naps. I wish they made one of these for toddlers! (photo below is from my phone about a month ago. She's cuddling with suck monkey).

Okay, new items:

1) Changing table from Ikea. I know, I know, I still have never shared pictures of the nursery. But our changing table (the Hemnes Chest) is great. It's just the right height and the right price. It has nice drawer space. I found those cute bins at Target and they fit just perfectly in there. I love how it looks!

2) Large playmat. Nora still loves her activity gym but is getting too big for it. Once babies can roll, I would recommend this Tiny Love Super Mat. My parents had one for our visit in October and it is super soft and padded, with lots of space for rolling. There is also a mirror and places to attach toys.

3) Munchkin Spoons. These do what they're designed to- they're easy to use, long enough, not too deep or too shallow, and they're bright and cute.


4) Highchair. Or rather, the lack of a highchair? These things take up so much space and they aren't cute. For our tiny house, we just wanted something that didn't take up space, and this Fisher Price chair/booster seat fits the bill. It's super easy to clean, fits on any chair you already own, and will work through toddlerhood. It's not particularly cushy, so baby will need to be able to sit up straight at least mostly unassisted to sit in here- which they should be doing anyway before eating most foods. It has five stars and over 1000 reviews on Amazon!
5) Crib sheets. One of my top pieces of advice for those preparing for baby's arrival: do NOT buy a "crib set". These are sets that include sheets, then usually a crib bumper and crib skirt, and maybe a blanket. Except... you can't use the blanket in the crib, and you really shouldn't be using a crib bumper either. So basically you've only used half of the set. Instead, I recommend buying sheets individually. We also have a breathable bumper which works pretty well. Anyway we got our sheets from Carousel Designs and they are so cute. You can individually buy sheets, crib skirts, curtains, and yes even crib bumpers and pick the material you want for them ("design your own"). They are maybe a little pricey but I got three different sheets and it was still cheaper than a crib set.

6) Glider. I have to preface this by saying I never would have been able to afford this on my own, but we got the Carter glider from Room and Board as a gift from Kevin's grandmother, in charcoal. I wasn't sure at first how much we would use a glider, but I can testify- I have used it every day since Nora arrived. Heck, the first 3 months I spent the majority of the day there nursing! It is such a great chair. Classy-looking, soft, comfortable- I love it. I plan to own it for a long time! The nice thing about it is it could easily be used in another room after we are done using it for the nursery.

7) Hands-free pump bra. Pumping is not fun at all but this item is essential for your sanity- at least it allows you to read a magazine or check your email! I love the pictures amazon has for it, too....

8) Board Books- Goodnight Moon, The Night You were Born, That's Not my Monkey, Moo Baa La la la, Time for Bed, The Little Hoot/Pea/Oink books, and many others. I'm always surprised how much Nora already likes books. She likes holding the pages and flipping them. I'm sure she's not paying attention to the storyline yet but she loves the pictures.

9) Snap n' Go Stroller. We bought this specifically for traveling and it's been great. Works with our Chicco carseat, folds super easily, light-weight, has lots of space beneath the stroller. You can just put your carseat in it, go through security and right up to the gate where you can check the stroller and the carseat separately. It's also great for car trips or quick outings where you want a stroller but wouldn't want to pack up the Bob (which we love but it's pretty heavy). Unfortunately once your baby is out of the infant carseat it's no longer useful.


10) If you're making your own baby food, you'll probably want an ice cube tray or two to freeze the puree into individual portions (Nora eats 2 cubes per meal right now). I like this one because it's easy to get the cubes out after freezing and it has a sliding cover. I usually move the cubes to a freezer bag after 24 hours but sometimes I don't take them out right away so the lid is a nice feature.

11) A Jumperoo. I debated between this and an exersaucer. I think she would have liked the exersaucer but in the end I'm glad I got the jumperoo because she just started jumping in it and it's so funny to watch- she gets super excited about it. She started using it at about 4 months old and still likes it, though I have a feeling once she starts crawling it's not going to be fun for her to be stuck in the jumperoo. Still, I'm definitely glad to have another place where she can entertain herself for awhile!

12) Teething toys. She didn't like Sophie the Giraffe at first (a glorified doggie chew toy), but now she definitely enjoys sticking Sophie's legs in her mouth and making her squeak. She also loves this Ring of Links and has enjoyed them for months. This Winkel Toy I like because it looks like an atom- and she likes because it's easy to grab and it rattles. We have a number of other toys but actually one of her favorite things is just plastic measuring spoons and cups. She's totally fascinated by the 1/2 tablespoon right now- ha!

13) Halo sleepsack/Carters sleepsack. Now that we're finally done with swaddling, we've entered the world of the sleepsack- aka how you keep the kid warm at night without blankets in the crib. I like the Carters fleece sleepsacks, but the 0-9 month ones only fit Nora up to 6 months, and they don't have any larger ones. Halo makes some super soft fleece ones too but they don't have sleeves. That's what we're using now and I like them.

So there you have it! I'm probably forgetting some things, but these are all things I would definitely recommend!

*Some of these links are Amazon associate links, but I have earned nothing for recommending these items in my blog, and the recommendations are my own.