10 Baby Essentials (6-9 months)

It took us a few months to get into our groove with Miles. He had some tummy and sleep issues we all had to work through. But once he hit 6 months and was sleeping soundly in his crib, we were a much more high functioning family. Here are a few things of Miles and my favorite things from 6-9 months.

1. Ergobaby Original Baby Carrier. While I loved having a cozy cloth wrap for Miles when he was younger, he now needs something that enables him to move around a little more. He's constantly trying to turn around to watch the world. We love the Ergobaby carrier so much. One of our favorite things to do is to explore our little city, especially on First Fridays. The crazy sidewalks and big crowds make using the stroller a pain, so we just strap on the Ergo and go out. It's super comfortable and can be worn three different ways. Plus, it doesn't cause any damage to a baby's hips, like some of the other carriers (google hip displasia and baby carriers).

2. B One Two Squeeze. These blocks are awesome. I can see these growing with Miles. Not only are they great as a teething toy, but they are very stackable and a good learning tool. Each block has a number with animals on it. I love these because they are super cute (not crazy baby colors) and easy for Miles to pick up and pass back and forth. Oh, and they make the cutest little noise when Miles is chewing on them with his two teeth - squeak, squeak.

3. Aden + Anais Security Blanket. I don't know if I would still be alive if it weren't for these blankets. Miles never wanted a pacifier, but he loves to suck when he gets tired and wants to sleep. But we did realize that he loved to suck on fabric, but I didn't want to give him a full blown blanket in his crib for safety reasons. I came across the Aden + Anais security blanket and immediately hit the "add to cart" button on Amazon. They have been such a comfort to Miles as he sleeps. He often wakes up and finds his blanket and sucks on it to fall back asleep. Sometimes he even rests his head on it (I love watching him on his video monitor). I'm completely comfortable giving this to him for naps and night time because it's made of thin muslin that is breathable. We love these so much that we have four in the rotation!

4. Life Factory Bottle. I don't feel too comfortable having a ton of plastic things for Miles, so I searched out glass bottles. I was scared that one tumble and the bottles would break, but we have never had an issue with the Life Factory bottles. They have a silicone holder which protects the glass and makes it easy for a baby to hold on to. What's great about these bottles is that they are versatile - you can buy a sippy cup attachment and lids so they can hold snacks and other fun items as your child grows.

5. Melissa and Doug Bug Jug. Melissa and Doug toys are always so cute. My parents got the Bug Jug for Miles to play with at their house, and it's one of his favorite things. Each bug makes a different noise when you shake or squeeze them. But Miles' favorite part of the entire thing is the butterfly's antenna. He shoves those black elastic pieces in his mouth and is so content. It's weird I know, but it's his thing!

6. Fisher Price Precious Planet Blue Sky Jumperoo. I never wanted a huge hunk of brightly colored plastic in my living room, but look at me now. We borrow this Jumperoo from my sister-in-law and Miles loved it for two whole months. Once he started to craw and pull up, he didn't want to be contained anymore, but he likes to stand on the outside of it and play with the toys. It was awesome having a place to put him for 20 minutes while I needed to do a few things or use the bathroom. I need a new solution now that he's so mobile!

7. BlaBla Knit Doll - Luigi the Frog. We bought this stuffed animal for Miles when he was just 2 months old. He really doesn't show too much interest in it right now, but we love it. I'm secretly hoping that this will turn into his lovie. Luigi the Frog is just so darn cute. I shouldn't even tell you that we took forever to choose one of the BlaBla dolls. We even returned the first one we got because we changed our minds - poor Albert the Donkey.

8. Britax Roundabout 55 Convertible Car Seat. At 8 months Miles started hating the car which is no fun for anyone. It was getting harder and harder to actually get him in his infant car seat, and I couldn't even lug him around in it because it was too heavy. So we made the move to a convertible car seat. The Britax Roundabout was easy to install and it seems comfortable for Miles as he no longer despises the car. He has a lot more room and can even see out the back window since it's not quite as reclined as his old seat. I was worried that it wouldn't fit in my small Mazda 3 but there's plenty of room. But both my husband and I are on the short side, so it might not work for someone who is 6 foot.

9. Fish Tank. For Miles' half birthday we pulled out our old fish tank and filled it up with two brand new goldfish. He loves to stare at it and the fish even come over to the side to say hi. It's a good distraction when he's getting fussy and restless. We don't have this fish tank, but I wish we did. I mean come on, a fish hotel, how cool is that?!

10. Touch and Feel Books. You should see the smile on our little guy's face when we pull a book out from his toy bin. He gets so excited and stops whatever he is doing to craw over to the book. But he loves to hold the book and turn the pages, and then stick it in his mouth. We don't let him do this to most of the books because we don't want them to get ruined since he will use them for many years. But with his touch and feel books, we let him do whatever he wants to them. He loves to pet the puppies and kitties and bite the cover. It's so awesome that he has a love for books at 9 months! I hope we can continue to nurture a love for reading as he gets older.

This is the best age yet! Miles just turned 9 months on Friday and he's such a joy to be around. He still has his moments and melt downs, but overall he is a happy baby. I get so excited for him to take his first steps and have his first birthday, but I'm trying to slow things down and enjoy him each and every day.

What are some of your baby's favorite things?

10 Newborn Baby Essentials

Those first few weeks (or months in our case) fly by because of lack of sleep, frustration/helplessness and insurmountable joy. There were a few items that helped make those early days easier.

1. Fisher Price Deluxe Bouncer - My Little Snugabunny. This bouncy seat saved our lives for the first few weeks. Miles would take every nap in the seat swaddled and comfy. He was so content to sit in his chair and watch what was happening around the house too. I loved that it wasn't huge but could fit nicely in our living room. I think he might have even slept in it overnight when we got desperate for some shut eye. The seat has a smooth bounce and a vibrator that runs on batteries. Now at 6 months, we use this in our kitchen so Miles can watch me cook. He loves to bounce himself by throwing his arms around.

2. Ubbi Steel Diaper Pail. I searched high and low for a diaper pail that would work for both disposable diapers and cloth diapers later on. This was practically the only one on the market that wasn't a bucket. I love that it is stainless steel so it doesn't absorb the stinky odors. We ended up doing both disposables and cloth at the same time, so we had to buy a wet bag for the cloth diapers anyway. I will say that the Ubbi is one good looking diaper pail. My only complaint is that when you open the little door on the top all the stink pours out into the room. But when the pail is closed the room doesn't smell at all.

3. Timi & Leslie Annette Diaper Bag. This was my splurge for myself. I had my eye on one of these diaper bags for months while I was pregnant and once they went on sale on Zulily, I snatched the Annette style up! This bad boy is huge and has about a zillion pockets and compartments. The insulated bottle holder and changing mat are big bonuses. I did not want a diaper bag that looked like one. Any of the Timi & Leslie bags look more like large purses instead of frumpy baby bags. I give this bag two big thumbs up! It fits diapers, wipes, toys, books, extra outfits, blankets, and all my stuff too.

4. iPhone. My trusty iPhone helped get me through many late nights without falling asleep - sometimes you just need a good distraction while nursing or rocking a baby. I spent way too many hours looking at Instagram, Facebook and baby websites. But when you are pinned by a sleeping baby easy access to the internet is important to help keep a new momma sane. It is easy to feel disconnected from the outside world, but being able to catch up with my friends via Facebook and text messages made it easier for me to feel like a real person.

5. Solly Baby Wrap. Honestly, I don't know how I would have survived Miles' third month without this wrap. He would only fall asleep while being bounced, walked or jiggled. I wore this wrap while walking around the house, strolling around the block or bouncing on my exercise ball. I never tried the moby wrap because I was intimidated by the sheer amount of fabric. But I decided to try my hand at getting into the Solly Baby wrap because it's not as wide as other wraps. After the first few times, I was a pro at quickly getting wrapped up while Miles screamed. Once he was comfortably in the wrap, he settled down and I was able to get some things accomplished around the house or even sit at the computer. Now that he's older, we still like this wrap for outings. But for longer walks, we use our Ergo structured carrier.

6. Britax B-Agile Stroller. Originally, we wanted a cheap lightweight stroller that would be easy to use. Boy am I glad we changed our minds about that one! We live in a city where even sidewalks are few and far between, and a little umbrella stroller never would have allowed us to take walks around our house. The B-Agile stroller isn't small but it is super easy to unfold and is fairly lightweight. It has an incredible turning radius and front shocks so it is easy to maneuver around our little city.

7. Boppy Nursing Pillow. This breastfeeding pillow makes it onto almost every new mom's essential list. I liked it so much, that I had two. Miles and I really struggled to make nursing work in the very beginning (well really the first two months) and this pillow helped support him so I could use both hands to position him. Now we use it to help Miles stay supported while sitting so he doesn't crack his head on the floor.

8. Burt's Bee Baby Shampoo and Wash. When I pregnant, I researched everything. I knew that I wanted to use natural products for Miles and really didn't like the chemical ingredients in most baby shampoos. I landed on using Burt's Bee products because of their natural ingredients, soft scent, price and easy access. Miles has fairly sensitive skin and the shampoo and wash, lotion and diaper cream never irritated him.

9. Infantino Square Twist and Fold Activity Gym. From the start, Miles enjoyed laying on his back watching the cute stuffed toys or chilling on his stomach looking into the mirror. We still use this and he loves to reach up and play with the toys. We did add some different toys since the ones that came with the gym were a little boring for him as he got older. It has held up great to all of Miles' tugging and biting. He does a lot of his independent playtime on this mat. It's not the most attractive baby item, but it does the job without being too visually obnoxious and it folds up nicely.

10. Aden + Anais Muslin Swaddle Blankets. The super star bankets were the first things I bought when I found out I was pregnant. Miles loved to be swaddled for months and these blankets are perfect. They are breathable, large, square and soft. We use them now as lightweight blankets to take to the doctors office for when they make him strip down to his diaper and to the park to drape over the swing. They just get softer as you wash them and even though the blankets are muslin, they don't wear thin. I think this will be my new baby shower gift for every expecting mother.

But the one major thing that helped us navigate parenthood that didn't make it on the list was the help of our loving family. I battled some seriously crazy hormones and possible postpartum depression and anxiety which made things a little tricky. I seriously don't know if I would have survived without the consistent help of my mom. She's the best!

What are some of your newborn essentials?