Now that Ruby is six months old, it's time for another roundup of the things we've been loving. Mostly, you know, so I don't forget.
Side note: I included links for the stuff, but they are NOT affiliate links. Maybe they should be so I can make a little money, but I feel like that's tricking people, or being shady somehow, so I won't do that to you guys.
We're still loving and using pretty much everything on our
0-3 month list. The only exceptions really are the white noise machine, and the Wubbanub. The white noise machine is pretty much done for us because of the battery situation. We still need white noise in the nursery, but because the batteries die in the little pod every couple of days (!), we've just been using a plug-in fan. Which is good for air circulation anyway.
As far as the "wubs", as I call it, well Ruby started preferring her fingers, and we got a paci leash. So it just became less convenient and less needed.
Onto the list!
I noticed that there's a whole bunch of toys on this list, which is
awesome. I never know what toys to buy, what she'll like, when she'll want to play with stuff. I was kind of stressed out about toys, but it turns out that what she has is awesome, and she does play with them constantly.
1.
Oball. This is one of the few toys I bought for Ruby after she was born. We picked it up because I saw other babies had them, and I thought it looked cool. She loves it! She hilariously tries to shove the whole thing in her mouth, and lately likes to throw it. The holes all over make it really easy for her to grab onto it. Mr. G and I have been known to play with it from time to time, too.
2.
Lamar!!! This is Ruby's buddy, and quite possibly her favorite toy. This product is actually called "Mortimer Moose" by Lamaze. Mr. G saw the Lamaze tag, thought it said Lamar, and thus he's been named ever since. Even the other mommies in our group call him that now. He jingles, his feet crinkle, the rings on his butt and his antlers are great to chew on. He's got a Gryffindor scarf. He's overall awesome. The only thing I don't like is that he's a plush toy, which means he's hard to clean. And he's been puked on, so he kind of smells. Ruby doesn't mind though. She loves Lamar.
3.)
Sophie. Everybody says you need this giraffe. So I bought it, and then was pretty convinced it was a huge waste of money. Until recently. It took Ruby quite a while to warm up to Sophie (I don't blame her, the material this toy is made out of smells horrible), but now she loves to gnaw on her. Be warned - Sophie causes some
major drool action.
4.)
Fisher Price Spacesaver High Chair. Right around the time Ruby turned 4 months, we got this out for her to get used to. I love it for a lot of reasons. First, it was free. Well, for us it was. My mom had it at her old house for our niece, so it was barely used and passed along to us. Score. Second, it is a nice, secure shape, which meant it's been a great place to plop the baby into when we need to do something. Like put on our shoes, or cook dinner. She likes it, so she'll stay there a while. Finally, it straps to any chair with a back. Which means it hooks to our dining room chairs, and even better, our kitchen barstools. Which means Rubes can be a part of whatever we're doing, and it is super easy to install. And it reclines. Love this thing.
5.)
Fisher Price Rainforest Jumperoo. Ruby is a big fan of this thing, but not of the jumping. First she just liked the lights and music, but now she actually loves the toys too. She has never wanted to jump (she gets really scared if you help her), and she only now is just barely able to touch the ground with her toes, so she's had books under her feet for the past couple months. Still, I can put her in here and sit next to her and stuff diapers or put on my makeup, so I consider it a win. Do NOT buy this thing new. I got it in great condition at a consignment shop for $30, and they're all over craigslist too. Also, it's freaking huge, so make sure you have plenty of space for the dang thing.
6.)
Booginhead Pacigrip. This thing has been permanently attached to my Beco (which has been permanently attached to my body the last few months). It was getting really old having to carry the Wubbanub into Target, shoved into my cleavage. Yes, that's where I carried it, because my wallet and keys were in my hands. So this paci leash solved my problems. I liked that it came from a local company. Ruby liked to chew on it, rather than the pacifier. Whatever floats her boat.
7.)
Bunnies by the Bay Bye-Bye Bunny. This thing is so cute. Ruby has a bunch of random lovies, but this is the cutest, so I got it out for her. Besides aesthetics, I also really loved that it has a handle/loop thingy on the back so that you can velcro it to stuff. Like her stroller straps, or the diaper bag. We keep it in the car, and she likes to hold it and suck on it's ears and hands. Since it's soft, I don't mind that she has it back there. Plus, it was given to her by a very sweet friend, so I get a smile on my face when I see "bunny".
8.)
Sassy Spin Shine Rattle. AKA, "the German rattle". That's what Mr. G calls it, I guess the colors of the rings remind him of the German flag? Whatever, Ruby loves this thing because of the mirror in the little spinny part. Now that she's more dextrous, she also loves trying to shove it in her mouth (of course) and throwing it/whacking it on things.
9.)
Taggie Blanket. I think this thing is so ugly, and really really wanted to make her a more aesthetically pleasing one. But it was a gift, so it was free, and already made. And you know what? She loves it. She loves to suck on those tags and will sit there with one shoved all the way in her mouth, jaw clamped tight, giving me a defiant stare. It's kind of funny actually. But whatever, she loves it, I'm glad we have it.
10.)
Cloth Diapers. Yes, I know these were in the 0-3 post. I still love them so much, I needed to mention them again. Ruby's now fully into her one-size stash, and I definitely have my favorites. Probably the Bum Genius 4.0 takes the cake (and I really love that purple color, called "dazzle"). We actually ordered 7 more 4.0s when BG was having a sale. Why? We had enough diapers, but we had a drying problem. We have 7 Bum Genius Elementals, which I like a lot too, but they take forEVER to dry. We're talking 3 days. Yes, 3 days. And when that many of your diapers take that long to dry, you run out. So we needed more pockets (even though I hate stuffing pockets), and the BG 4.0 were the answer, as the fit is great. People constantly ask me, "So... still doing those cloth diapers?" Like, they expect me to give up on them, but there's absolutely no reason. These diapers are awesome, and I love that I never ever have to buy (or dispose of) diapers. Best baby thing ever, plus I can coordinate them with her outfits. Love.
11.)
Links. Why do babies like these? I still can't figure it out, but they do. They're fun to chew on, and now also make a cool noise when banged on a high chair tray. I also liked that I could clip them to her overalls the other day, so she could no longer drop them on the floor while playing with them.
12.)
Take n Toss Utensils. We'd been putting Ruby in her high chair for a while for practice, when I saw a picture of her little baby buddy doing the same thing, but he was holding a spoon. Duh. We needed spoons for practice too! So I bought these, because they were cheap and light. It was a good call. The spoons go right in her mouth, and she always seems to get the right end in there. My mom gave us some cool rubbery Gerber spoons that I thought would be better than these cheap ones, but it turned out, no. The Take n Toss spoons are shallow enough for her to actually get the food off of. And a bunch come in the pack, so I can just grab new ones when she drops them on the floor for the 100th time. Plus, they're BPA free. Win.
13.)
Fleece Halo Sleepsack. It started getting cold around here, not too long after Ruby stopped sleeping with a swaddle. I had a plain cotton sleepsack that she was using, but I honestly didn't think she was warm enough, so I picked up this fleece one. It is definitely cozy, and I like that the "small" size is going to fit her all winter (and probably beyond). The zipper got all jacked up on the first one I bought, which was really frustrating, seen as how smart-baby has figured out bedtime routine means it's bedtime, and she screams the whole time in protest. A broken zipper prolonged that. BUT, BRU took back my broken one without a fuss, and the new one is working and still cozy.
So there you have it. Three more months of good stuff. Clearly we do nothing but play and eat around here. =)
