She had a big 6 month day. Lots of accomplishments!
Legend Baby at 6 months and ready to head to the gym.
She ate food for the first time. Dad decided fruit would be a better start than veggies. So we went with pears... And Yes, that is a REF BIB. Thanks to Mike & Crystal who found it for us =)
She
also sat up for the first time for a consistent amount of time. Prior
to today she could only sit for about 10 seconds. Today she probably
made it past a minute. Official sitter upper.
Okay... since I have a lot of friends pregnant right now. Must be something in the water... (be so kind now to give a good ol belly laugh after that comment =)
I thought I would recommend a few products I absolutely enjoy. Remember, a lot of these you can also get second hand.
First of all, prior to having a baby I was somewhat of a "gear junky". This mostly consisted of rock climbing and backpacking/camping gear. Now I am a "baby-gear junky". So here is some cool baby gear.
FlyeBaby
This thing was great for a lap baby on an airplane. McKinley could face me, she could fall asleep without being in my arms, and it gave me more freedom as well.
Ergo Carrier
I tried a bunch of different things... from a wrap, to a bjorn, etc. The wrap was nice around the house but too complicated elsewhere. The Ergo just plain ROCKS! I have the infant insert which is nice for when the baby is under 3months. Rumor has it that you can take kids around in this thing up to 2 years old. It's very easy to take off and on and to put baby in. I got a more "sporty" one so Nick wouldn't mind carrying our little one around. With the next kid I imagine we won't even bother with the other carriers.
A Jumper
We got a jumper that has hook type things (great to hang toys and teething items from) as well as has a little flat surface in front. I am so glad I accidently got one with these options. McKinley loves her jumper! I also feel better cause I feel like she's getting some kind of exercise rather than just laying or sitting in a swing. Adds good variety to her baby activities.
Highchair that attaches to counter
Don't bother with a stand up high chair. This is a one-in-all type high chair. You can take it with you wherever you are going too. I got one that spins 360 degrees so that we can easily feed our little one. I dunno yet how handy that will be... McKinley will start eating solids next week so I'll have to get back to you. But I love having this attached to our bar counter. She can play while I cook and etc. (The bumpo isn't safe on top of a table cause once they get strong enough they can shimmy it off the counter)
A Bottle Warmer
Why didn't I break down and get this sooner!!! We went the first 5 months with out this. Silly me! I did old school style, on a stove or boil water in a microwave. That method took forever compared to our bottle warmer. In a matter of a few minutes I have a warm, just right bottle for my screaming and starving little one.
FLIP Diapers
Yes, I am doing cloth diapers. I actually really really really enjoy it. Now remember, she hasn't started on solids yet =) We are also at home with our little one so we are not asking a care-giver to do this. The extra laundry really isn't that bad. I love the FLIP brand of diapers because they are so easy and convenient. You don't have to stuff a liner between the shell and the fleece. Just put the liner in the shell and viola... you are ready to go! If you are going to be at home with your little one... I would recommend exploring the use of cloth diapers. It saves soooooo much money and it's really easy compared to what our mom's had to do.
BOB Stroller
The Cadillac of strollers. I just plain love it. Not convenient for traveling.... but very easy to maneuver a kid around anywhere and anything. I actually took McKinley on part of the Ridgeline trail in Eugene in this thing. So for those who want to get out and about... this is your stroller.
SnowPeak Lantern
www.snowpeak.com
Okay, so I am promoting my brother's company a little bit here =) But this is one cool product that is great for EVERYTHING. I take this little lamp with me everywhere. It's in my room so I can read when Nick wants to fall asleep. It's in my travel bag for hotels where there is no "night light". (I hate having to check on a crying baby in the middle of the night in a pitch dark room... turn on the big light and now the baby is WIDE awake)
Breatfeeding Equipment
Stock up on all this stuff. It seems that most mom's (and baby) have a difficult time learning the art of breastfeeding so be prepared for the worse. Soothing pads - for the few hour breaks you might get in between feedings. Get Nipple shields - for when it's really painful to feed but you have no choice. Breast Shells - to allow air to circulate and so your nipples are not constantly "glued" to your bra. These things allowed me continue to breast feed through this difficult and painful time. NOTE: I was fortunate that these worked for me. Sometimes they don't work but I guarantee you you'll want to have them prior to baby being delivered cause you are going to want to try everything before giving in and choosing not to breast feed.
GoCrib
Now I know this is quite a bit more expensive than a "pack-n-play" but in my mind it seemed well worth it. We actually bought this at REI with our dividend so it seemed like a great buy to us =) The pack-n-play is just WAAAAAAAY too bulky. Yeah right taking that thing any where. We have taken our GoCrib everywhere. McKinley sleeps in it anytime we are not sleeping at home. I imagine it'll also be nice when she gets to be a crawler to giver her some "boundary" play space. (We'll see how that goes) It folds up into a back pack. Very compact and easy to blow up.
Osprey Pack
I haven't gotten this yet. It doesn't come out until next month. But i looked at the reviews and videos of it. It just seems down right AWESOME! I am excited to get myself one. It seems like the equivalent of BOB when it comes to strollers. The Cadillac of back pack carriers.
Bumbo Baby Seat
Because... it's just great!
If any other mom's have some recommendations feel free to add your insights under comments.
