Baby Gear: Ten to Twelve Month Favorites

As you may expect, most of my 10-12 month favorites are toys! We covered a lot of the basics in the other baby gear posts and he is becoming so interactive and playful that toys were the biggies for the last quarter of his first year. 

1. Tobbles: These things are genius and so versatile. The texture is great for little hands and unlike balls they can't roll under couches or off the deck. :)

2. Table Toppers: This is one of my very favorite baby products ever. They are disposable sticky place-mats that we use every time we go out to eat. Mylo will throw a plate on the floor still so he was eating off of restaurant tables (that I would wipe down but still) until I discovered these little gems. 

3. Native Shoes: So cute, comfy and waterproof. 

4. Baby Gap PJ's: We love Gap and Old Navy sleep sets. Cute, well made, and roomy enough for my big guy. 

5. BEABA spoons and Boon suction bowls: We have several types of suction bowls and the Boon ones are the only that actually stick. Love the soft BEABA spoons for his little mouth. 

6. Bummi's Swim Diapers: We also tried the Honest brand swim diapers but they were pull ups which  is too much of a challenge for me. These ones were great all summer and we just traded on and off with two pairs. 

7. Banana Toothbrush: Now that Mr. Myles finally has (four!) teeth we have been using this little toothbrush/teether to keep them pearly white. 

8. Sensory Balls: These balls are a huge hit at our house. Easy to grasp, great texture, fun colors, float in the water, what else can you ask for?

Baby Gear: Six to Nine Month Favorites

1. Bumkins Bibs: We LOVE these bibs. They are cute, easy to wash in the sink or laundry, don't stain and keep the food off baby. 

2. Baby Led Weaning book: BLW was a huge success for us. I wrote about it here. This book provided basics on what to feed him, how to be safe, and some good recipes. 

3. Halo Sleep Sack: As soon as Mylo graduated from his Summer Infant Swaddles we started him in a sleep sack. We use the fleece one from Halo which enables us to turn our heat down at night and save money. Beware the XL size though, I just ordered it and it's so big I swear I could sleep in it!

4. Blocks: We have this Fisher Price set from Patrick's aunt and Mylo loves opening the box and taking things in and out. I love toys that will last for a long time and grow with him. He doesn't understand shapes yet but I can see this being a great toy for a while. (Bonus: Patrick's aunt said she had this when her kids were young and the uncles used to have a few drinks and time who was the fastest with getting blocks in. Ha!)

5. Zara pants: I wrote here about how much we love Zara baby clothes. Their pants in particular are THE BEST. I have been giving them as gifts right and left. They are stylish, super soft, not too tight (Mylo is a big boy!), and actually fit the size they say they should. I need to get Mylo the shorts version for summer. 

6. Happy Puffs: These little "O's" as we call them are a LIFESAVER. We bring them everywhere with us and they keep Mylo happy while waiting for food at restaurants, on the ferry, waiting for his oatmeal to be done in the morning, etc. They only have 25 calories for 75 O's so they are basically air...wonderful, wonderful air. 

7. JellyCat books: These crinkle books from Jellycat are a crowd favorite at our house. I love the cat one obviously. 

8. NoseFrida Snotsucker: This thing is genius. When Mylo had a cold I was using it multiple times a day, it's very simple but amazing at what it does, snotsucking. Ha.

9. Ergo Carrier: I tried sooooo many carriers from when Mylo was born. He hated them all. He hated the Ergo with the infant insert. Then finally when he hit six months he miraculously started loving it! We use it every day and leave the stroller behind a lot now. I also use it around the house since carrying around at 24 lb baby is no joke!

PS. 4-6 Month Favorites, 2-3 Month Favorites, & 1st Month Favorites. 

Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Month Favorites: Baby Gear

Here is some of our family's favorite gear from the fourth through sixth month stage. I'm thinking at the end of the year I'll have to put together a sort of ultimate registry guide as well, I loved what Cup of Jo posted last week.

1. Boon Bathtub Appliques: These are so wonderful, Mylo is OBSESSED with them. He loves playing with them in the bath but I also throw a few in the diaper bag and around the house for him to gum and play with. I'm going to buy these for every baby shower I attend in the future, one of my all time favorites.

2. Little Giraffe "Splash and Dry" Towel: Jenny bought this for Mylo and I can't describe how far superior it is to other towels we have for him. It's is super fast absorbing, drys quickly, is extremely soft and still big enough for him now. It's a little pricey but so worth it.

3. Jellycat Stuffed Animals: I can't get enough of the Jellycat animals and neither can Mylo. As I've mentioned before he love having soft things by his face while he sleeps and these Jellycat animals are just perfect.

4. Chewbeads: I got two sets of Chewbeads as gifts and thought they were super cute and fun. Little did I know that they would become one of Mylo's favorite toys too. They are nice to have in a restaurant or out and about because they serve the same purpose as a pacifier but don't get thrown on the floor quite as easily.

5. MAM Night Glow Pacifiers: These will be at the top of my "must get" registry items. I happend upon them by accident and they are AMAZING. I put like five of them next to Mylo when he goes to bed and both of us an can find them during the night when he wakes up because they really do glow. MAM was also the only brand of paci he would take as an infant.

6. BOB "Revolution SE" Stroller: We were lucky enough to be gifted a BOB stroller when Mylo was born. I also have the Britax B-Agile (which we love) and thought of the BOB as a fun extra. Boy was I wrong! We use the BOB every single day because the streets around our house are completely uneven and is more suited for rugged terrain. I love having the Britax stroller in my car for trips out shopping, etc and the BOB at home for exercise and long walks on uneven pavement. It will also be great when we are in Northern Idaho this summer!

7. The North Face "Buttery" Fleece Bunting: Another item that we used every single day this winter. Mylo loves to be outside and this little suit was our go to for wintery walks around Seattle. It is so incredibly soft and comfy.

8. Baby Einstein Musical Activity Jumper: We used this as a hand me down from Kenedee and it has been a total and complete lifesaver. Mylo loves to bounce in it and it gives us a break from holding him. He's been using it since about four months (he's tall) and I'm betting he won't grow out of it until he starts walking.

PS. First month and also second and third month favorites.

2nd and 3rd Month Favorites: Baby Gear

I'm a little late on this but wanted to share some our favorite products from Myles' second and third months.

Little Giraffe blankie - Myles is obsessed with this blanket. He literally wants it covering his entire face when he goes to sleep. Little Giraffe products are pricey but very well made and oh so soft. We love the bath towel as well (thanks Jenny!).

Little Sophie the Giraffe - Mylo loves this simple toy and it's a great one for learning hand-eye coordination.

We tried to use the fancy swings and such but Mylo just likest to sit in this simple Monkey Seat from Target. I never even put the batteries in it to shake, he just likes to chill and watch me make dinner or fold clothes.

Britax B-Agile Stroller - We have loved this stroller and travel system! The stroller is very light and easy to maneuver in restaurants and shops or at the farmer's market. The only tip I have is to not purchase the Britax "Chaperone" car seat (so huge!) but the Britax "B-Safe" instead.

Medela Pump in Style, Medela Bottles and Boon Grass drying rack -  Now that I'm back at work, we are feeding Mylo pumped milk and have loved the whole Medela system. I have some other bottles but he mostly uses the Medela ones since they lock into the pump. We use the Boon drying system in the kitchen, which I think is adorable.

American Apparel Hoodie - We have two of these and he loves them. Unlike other sweatshirts with scratchy zippers this one is soft and plastic. He looks so little in this picture, it's a snug fit now.

Trumpette "Skater Socks" - I've LOVED these adorable little socks that look like Vans. They stay on 100% of the time and wash well.

Myles adores his play gym. I put it together about the time he turned one month and he has used it every day since. He is now able to reach for and even grab the little toys, it's been fun to see him learn to play with it.












PS. Our first month favorites.

1st Month Favorites: Baby Gear

Mylo in his Snuggle Nest

Here is my favorite "stuff" from Myles' first month!

Easy access clothes: I bought a bunch of adorable clothes that he ended up wearing very briefly because they were just too difficult to get on and off! Having a fussy baby around made me grab for the most convenient and easily accessed clothing. I especially LOVE the Peek "Happy Pants", little kimono shirts, and zip (not button!) pajamas.

Old-fashioned cloth diapers: A friend's mom sent me a pack of these to us for everything from spit up to preventing Myles from peeing on me during diaper changes. We have used them constantly since day one, and have them on every surface in our house for the little messes that come up every day here. 


Bouncy exercise ball: I don't know what we would do without this one, absolute essential for us and the one sure way to get Mylo to calm down. We had one sitting in our basement for "exercising" that we brought upstairs and have used at least 10x per day since he was born. 


Mom nipple butter: This Earth Mama Angel Baby Nipple Butter has been a lifesaver for me as Myles learned to breastfeed and then when I started pumping. It smells great and is all natural. 

Biodegradable Diapers/Wipes - We love our Honest diapers and wipes! The cute prints make diaper changes a little more fun and Myles hasn't had any diaper rashes yet. 

Honest diapers and Peek Happy Pants - Love!

White Noise - I thought the white noise machines were just for Myles - not so much. I have probably used his white noise machine as much as he has to drown out all of his little baby noises in the night so I can get some sleep! We have this adorable Giraffe one that I love, it has a 20 minute or 45 minute setting. 


Portable Basinet - This Snuggle Nest bed has been perfect to carry around the house so Mylo can nap anywhere. It also traveled well to Priest Lake when we were there for his third week of life.


Dry shampoo- a new mom's best friend, love the Klorane brand.  

Zing Bars - I've already written about my love for these amazing gluten-free bars. They kept me alive after my c-section. The chocolate-coconut ones are by far the best, so tasty. 

Swaddlers - We tried to use the Aden & Anais swaddlers but either we are terrible at wrapping him or he is Houdini-baby because we were never really successful (although the A&A swaddlers are useful for about 100 other purposes!). We had way more success with the Summer Infant SwaddleMe because they have velcro to keep the little guy from busting free. 

The Baby Registry Conundrum

I've started to contemplate the task of registering for baby boy but I have to admit it's a bit overwhelming. As you can imagine, I love to do research for this type of thing, whether that be reading up on other bloggers suggestions for registry or pursuing pregnancy message boards for tips. Unfortunately,  in this case, I'm not sure how much help it has been to me. The more I read, the more options and opinions there seems to be!

There are so many questions that come up once the research begins: Which type of wrap is best? Is a travel system better for us verses a running/all-terrain stroller. Are glass bottles really mores safe than plastic? What type of swaddlers are best for baby? Not to mention cloth diapering vs. biodegradable diapers! Yes, I know I'm probably over thinking things, that's normal right? :)

I'd love to hear any advice all you mom's out there would have-- are there essentials items that you loved on your registry? Things you wish you would have registered for but didn't? What lists were helpful to you?

I know people say "don't worry, all you need is a boob and diapers!" but really I need to create a registry eventually so I'd love your help!

(photo by MoggieRocket)