Alright, I am 100% convinced, the 6-9 month baby phase is by far the most exciting baby phase!!! There’s so much development and goodness happening, and I’m here for it all! I love how their little personality is really starting to shine! They are exploring food for the first time, sitting up unassisted, and probably crawling their way around the house. It must be time for baby proofing! In this post, we will talk about starting solids (+ 8 foods the experts recommend babies begin with), cloth diapering, and of course, baby proofing the heck out of the house!
Fabulous Finds For Starting Solids
I don’t know what comes over me, but I get soooo excited to create new baby food recipes!! There’s something very satisfying about watching your little one gobble up your baby food creations! Also, knowing that the nutrients are fueling their growing brain and body is THE best!
Below are all baby food items that we use every day during mealtimes.
Graco Slim Snacker High Chair: Graco makes fantastic and affordable high chairs! I appreciate this high chair’s durability and how compact it is. I like that you can be carrying the baby in one hand and be folding the chair with the other.
BEABA Silicone Bibs: I am all about these bibs!!!! They catch everything. It’s like a little self-service bib for baby. She just picks up all the goodies from the bib that she dropped moments before. Bonus- they are waterproof, BPA, PVC & Phthalate-free, and very easy to clean!
SIPPY CUPS: Yep, baby now needs her very own cup (how in the world did we get to this point?) It’s pretty cute seeing your baby help herself to some water.
Mushie Silicone Suction Plate: I love these suction plates!! Not only do they stay in place, but they are non-toxic, and you can heat it in the oven up to 400 degrees. Winning with this Mushie, matted baby plate, and everything Mushie!
Mushie Silicon Spoons: There are all sorts of baby spoons out there to choose from. I like these because they’re cute and free of toxins. But I don’t think you’ll have any issues finding what you need when it comes to baby plates, spoons, and sippy cups.
Elva’s Baby Food Maker: Okay, I now present you the best baby food maker in the universe- Elva’s Baby Food Maker!!! We use this thing multiple times a day to create baby food creations. I love that you can steam and blend baby’s food all in one gadget! It also has a timer that automatically shuts off the system, so you can be running errands and cooking baby’s food simultaneously. This is my favorite item on this list!
MINI PAN: I found that designating a mini pan for baby food is helpful. Otherwise, all the other pans seem to be in use or in the fridge storing leftovers. A small pan is perfect for reheating small portions of food. I’d say a pan size anywhere between 5-8 inches is perfect! Target has affordable options.
WeeSprout Glass Baby Food Storage Jars: I adore these baby jars. Probably because their lids are matted, and the jar size is so darn cute! And bonus, you can pop them in the oven to reheat baby’s food. They make great storage jars, too! Oh, and you can write on the lids with the dry erase marker they provide. So many good things!
Baby Bottle Brush: We use this bottle brush to wash all the itty bitty baby items, not just bottles.
Mama Natural Blog: This mama natural blog has all the insights about the dos and don’ts when starting solids with your baby. Here are the eight surprising foods she recommends starting baby on:
- Cooked Egg Yolk (Naomi’s personal faaav)
- Avocado
- Blended Red Meat
- Banana
- Winter Squash
- Yogurt
- Green Peas
- Organ meats
TOYS & PLAY (from a RIE approach)
Honestly, I’m finding the fewer toys we buy, the more creative we have to get with what we have in the house, and the less chaos we have to manage every day. The introvert in me aligns deeply with the RIE (Resources for Infant Educarers) approach to parenting and view on toys. Which is don’t overstimulate your child, & the world around is enough for them to explore. I often think about the children I know in Rwanda and how they are truly some of the happiest kids. The majority of them do not have many toys (if any), yet they discover and create ways to be fully entertained and connected to their environment and others.
Now, we can take the pressure off ourselves as parents to buy more toys and instead watch how enthralled our children are with an empty water jug, wooden spoon, measuring cups, or a genuine connected moment with us.
Below are some baby toys that are not overstimulating.
Mushie Stacking Cups Toy: We are ongoing fans of these stacking cups! The colors, the cuteness, and all the skills activated when baby is playing with these stacking cups.
Wooden Cars: These wooden cars are cool because they also stack.
TENNIS BALL/WIFFLE BALL/BASKETBALL: What baby/kiddo doesn’t love something that rolls and bounces?
Banana Teething Tooth Brush: Oh, the beloved banana toothbrush! It remains a treasure in our home! Your baby will be obsessed, too, just trust me on this one.
Breathe like a bear book: This mindfulness book makes everyone’s heart happy (especially mama’s). The bear teaches baby how to take deep, sloooow breaths and feel more present in the body.
Indestructible books: These books are great and truly indestructible!
ADDITIONAL IDEAS: Stacking rings & link chains.
Sleep
Baby Bed Rail: One of our newer purchases is this baby bed rail. Since we are CoSleeping, it suits our situation perfectly, and it gives us more peace of mind during nap hours when we are not sleeping right next to the baby.
Portable Blackout Curtain Shade with Suction Cups: We actually go back and forth using black-out curtains. Nonetheless, I still love the curtains because they don’t require a rod, and they suction to the window with ease. Also, the curtains are portable, so you can take them when you are traveling.
SNAKE PLANT: I’ve officially turned into a plant lady. And, I must say, snake plants are one of my favorites because they are air purifiers. They make for the perfect plant for the baby’s room (or, in our case, the family room :)), and they don’t require a whole lot of skill to keep alive, so that’s a confidence booster.
White Noise Machine: If you haven’t jumped on the bandwagon of adding white noise to your baby’s room, then now is the day, mama! I promise it will help your baby stay asleep while you are cleaning the house and what have you.
FRIGG PACIFIERS: I adore these beautifully designed pacifiers from Denmark! Plus, they are quality materials (free of BPA, PVC, and phthalates).
VIDEO BABY MONITOR: This is a high-quality camera for a relatively affordable price. You can see and hear your baby while they are sleeping. It also comes with a zoom lens (Award Winner).
Travel
Boba Baby Carrier Classic 4GS: We are still going strong with babywearing, and I must say the boba baby carrier has stood the test of time and remains Naomi’s preferred way to travel! It’s the perfect snug fit and has excellent support for both baby and mama!
P.S.We also use the Ergobaby Omni 360 but not nearly as much as the Boba. When we do use the ergo, it’s to face baby outwards so she can get a new perspective of the world.
Baby Proofing Your Home
Safety Outlet Covers: Why are outlets so stinking enticing to babies?!? Adding these little plugs to your outlets gives you more peace of mind and is one simple step towards baby proofing your home.
Child Safety Strap Lock: These strap locks are suuuper simple~ they come with adhesive tape so you can put them on your dresser, fridge, cabinets, or toilet. They make baby proofing easy!
Additional Baby Proofing ideas are mounting your furniture and T.V. to the wall, corner guards for sharp-edged furniture, baby gate, cabinet lock latches, and electrical outlet boxes.
Clothing
Cozy Knit Beanie from Etsy: I feel the need to add this beanie to every single baby item post because it’s that stinking adorable!
CLOTH DIAPERS: I am officially cloth diapering with Naomi. Yep, you heard right. I am a proud cloth diapering mama! It makes me so happy knowing it’s better for the environment and for my baby… and just way more sustainable and cost-effective. As for now, I am in the process of trying out various ways of cloth diapering (Hybrid, Prefold, Pocket, All in Ones… there are so many options). I’m excited to share what I’ve discovered and why I seriously love cloth diapering (sounds weird, but I do!) However, I will save it for a separate post because there’s a lot I want to say about this topic.
Baby Care Supplies
Hyland’s Baby Oral Pain Relief Tablets: This homeopathic medicine helps with oral discomfort, swelling, and irritability. Hyland’s has daytime and nighttime tablets. You let the tablets dissolve on baby’s tongue, and it provides some acute relief. Another remedy that helps is to add filtered water to a cloth, freeze it for 30 + minutes, and then let baby gnaw on the frozen side of the cloth. This helped numb Naomi’s teething discomforts, even more so than the tablets.
Dr. Teals Coconut Oil Pure Epsom Salt: Baby constipation is almost inevitable when baby first starts on solids. Some of the things we tried to relieve constipation were pressure points, leg exercise, belly rubs, sips of water throughout the day, and epsome salt baths at night. The combo of all our efforts supported baby to get things moving again!
P.S.If you decide to use Epsom salt, make sure it’s pure and unscented.
The Boon Bath Mat: After a long search for a good bath mat for baby, we finally heard about the Boon Bath Mat! We tried several mats before the Boon, but they either didn’t suction properly or didn’t provide enough traction for the baby’s moving self. The Boon checks all the boxes and is designed specifically for babies!
What this mama is currently loving
Insight Timer App: This is the best free meditation/sleep/anxiety app out there! They also have fabulous sleep stories and music. It’s entirely free, but there are options to donate directly to the different facilitators. This app just has an overall good feel to it!
The Happiness Lab Podcast: This podcast discusses everything under the sun about mental health and deepening your joy and happiness. I’ve been a fan of this podcast since the beginning, and I’m still just as impressed with their flow of content! Without a doubt, this podcast will add value to your life!
Unruffled Podcast: Janet Lansbury is ammmazing and has a wealth of knowledge on respectful parenting. She teaches parents how to be gentle with their children, not overstimulate them, and allow them to express their emotions fully. I love love LOVE everything she is about!
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