Since Ruby insists on growing up so fast, it's time for another round up of our "things loved". Here's our 6-9 month edition. You'll see that it's mostly toys (yay!), but that's partly because I left out all feeding/eating related items. Those have definitely been some of our favorites, but they have their own separate list here. We're still loving most of the stuff on our 0-3 and 3-6 month lists, and I have to say that the Jumperoo is actually finally being jumped in!
1.) Rain or Shine Kids Pouch. This is probably MY favorite thing in this "things loved" round up. This pouch is awesome. It can attach to both the stroller and our Beco (and probably our car seat, I guess, but I never have). It is waterproof on the outside, and soft and fuzzy on the inside. There's a pocket for my hands when I use it with the carrier, and the pouchy part is adjustable to keep Ruby's feet covered and her socks contained if she kicks them off. This is the number one thing that other moms have asked me about when we are out and about, and though it is kind of pricy ($68), it is SO worth it. Especially if you live in the drizzly Pacific Northwest!
2.) Ikea Mula Bead Roller Coaster. I'm not sure what it is about these bead thingies, but Ruby can't get enough. Ours lives in her room, and entertains her while I take care of dirty diapers. Win! It's light, so she always pulls it into her lap for easier bead-reaching access. Bonus? It's super inexpensive.
3.) Ikea Mula Shape Sorter. Best $5 I've spent. Ruby doesn't really "sort" the shapes, but she loves tapping them together, pretending to drink out of them, and sharing them with the dog. They're hollow in the back, so they're very easy to pick up. The box is great for emptying (a super favorite activity at this age), and because it is wood, it also makes a fantastic drum. With the exception of the mailbox-looking piece, we call the shapes by their proper names (cylinder, cube, triangular prism), so maybe she'll be ahead of the game when she starts Montessori preschool! We play with this toy every day, it is that loved.
4.) Learning Curve Baby Teethers. I have a family member that likes to buy gifts, but doesn't use gift receipts. While she claims, "anything can go back!" we don't like asking her for the receipt. As a result, a sweater that was... um... not my style? got turned into these two teething toys for Ruby. We love them both! The fruit are cute, and fun for shaking, not just chewing on. The star teether is much softer than other teethers of similar style, which Ruby seems to prefer. She has no problems chomping down on this one.
5.) Gerber/Nuk Mesh Feeder. I cannot find more of these anywhere, but if you do, snatch them up! We had the Munchkin brand mesh feeders, and I could not get them clean for ANYTHING. Nasty! I borrowed one from a friend and ended up just buying her a new one because I couldn't clean it. This Gerber/Nuk one I found one day while trolling Target. It was on clearance for $2, so I threw it in the cart. I love it because the mesh part comes completely out of the handle part. Which means you can replace it if it gets too gross. But it also cleans up much easier! I always rinse immediately and pop it in the dishwasher (but if I'm not about to run the dishwasher, I keep it soaking in warm water and dish soap). No problems. Ruby loves frozen applesauce drops in here, and I love that it distracts her long enough for me to prepare her real meal.
6.) Bumbo. Some babies are meh about these chairs, but Ruby LOVED hers. We actually started out with my niece's Prince Lionheart Bebe Pod. It wasn't a good fit for her, so we barely used it. Then, at a playdate, she tried out the Bumbo. She was in love! A friend noticed, and offered us their Bumbo, as it didn't fit her son's chunky thighs (a problem Ruby does not have). We lent them the Bebe Pod in return (which did work better for him), but she told us to just keep the Bumbo. I will definitely use it for future siblings! I do think they are overpriced though, and there are an abundance of them available used. In fact, the one we have was bought used by the other mama (she only paid $5 for it). So definitely buy this item used (they clean up great)!
7.) Rugby Stripe Bins. This is how we keep all those toys contained! I looooooove these things. They're stylish, inexpensive, hold a ton (and we got the "small" size), and the somewhat flexible sides allow Ruby to reach in there and pull stuff out herself. We keep one upstairs in our room, and one downstairs.
8.) Kid-O Go Car. This thing is so so cute. One of my students gave it to Ruby at my little class shower. I was very fond of that student, so the car always makes me smile. But also? Ruby loves it. "Beep beep" is one of her favorite sounds, so the car goes beep beep all over the place (she especially likes it if it drives on her or us). It's design is easy for her to hold, too. I think this toy has a lot of longevity as well, it frequently gets absconded from her at baby class. Last week, a little boy took it and crawled all around the room with it for a long time. It comes in other colors, but the little boys always seem drawn to her pink toys!
9.) Fisher Price Rock a Stack. I bought this toy for Ruby simply for the nostalgia factor. But, she really enjoys it. She likes to take the rings off by grabbing the bottom one and flinging. She also loves to bang them together, hammer with the center pole thing, and also chew on it. She doesn't stack them yet, but that just tells me that this is another toy that will last a long time.
10.) Loveys (the link is not for the one pictured, but another one we have). Around 8 months, we decided we felt comfortable with Ruby having a lovey in the crib. It was our hope that when she woke, they'd keep her occupied and/or comforted, and she'd fall back asleep. Sometimes it works! We actually keep two in there, so one of her hands can always reach one, and she only gets them when she's in the crib, so she's happy to see her "buddies" when she's in there.
11.) Munchkin Lazy Buoys Bath Toys. Right now, these are the only bath toys Ruby has, but she loves them! Their heads fit nicely in her mouth (haha), and she likes to try to catch the water that comes out of the holes. When she was still bathing in her infant tub in the sink, we always had the water going (she had a clean water tub), which meant you could make awesome water spouts with the spinner part! Now that she's in her big girl tub, she still likes spinning it around, and she LOVES it when we make seal noises at her.
12.) Vtech Blender. This is another toy that gets daily use. It was a hand-me-down from our niece, who loved it, and Ruby does too. The songs are ridiculous, but for some reason, really appealing to babies! The toy recognizes when you put a shape (or anything) in, and makes a fun sound. There are buttons to push, and a knob to make the blender "blade" go. I don't love that Ruby likes to stick her hand in there and move the blade part herself (I don't want her to think that's ok to do to a real blender, not that she'd ever be left alone with one), and when I googled it for a link, I found that a lot of parents have found the blocks to be a choking hazard! Now that I think about it, they could fit through a paper towel tube, so I guess I should have known, however, Ruby has never tried to shove a whole block in her mouth before. I also read that the sparkly stickers on the blocks (which Ruby is obsessed with) have come off in other babies mouths. Ours are still stuck tight, even with regular washing, and the toy is at least four years old. Ruby loves it so much, I'd still recommend it, but as with anything, use your own judgement!
So there you have it. In other exciting gear-related news, we've put away the swing, bouncy seat, infant tub and playmat for good. All of these were borrowed from my brother (along with a Boppy and My Brest Friend, which we haven't used for ages), which means that they get to go back to his house! Yay!
Glad you liked it, Becca! =)
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