This post is a continuation of the series on my must-have baby gear for the first year. The Middle Months covers months 4-8. You can read part one, The Early Months, here.
Must Haves:
1) Woven wrap (specifically an Amazonas Classic Carry Sling 5.1m in Laguna)
I continued to use the Moby wrap exclusively until Ethan was about six months old when he just became too heavy for a stretchy wrap. They can technically be used up to 35 lbs, but it's just not as supportive anymore. After doing some research, I discovered my love of wrapping could go on with a woven wrap! It is the same idea as the Moby, but it's made out of a specially woven material, making it extremely supportive for larger babies while still being cuddly enough for a newborn. Plus, woven wraps can be used for side and back carries that are unsafe to do with a stretchy wrap. I'll save more of my woven-love for an upcoming post on babywearing, but my Amazonas carries on the legacy of the Moby for the #1 spot.2) ERGObaby baby carrier
Seriously? Two baby carriers in the first two slots? A-yup! Again, I'll save most of my explanation and adoration of the Ergo for a babywearing post, but the Ergo has been great for short trips out and about. While I still always wrap at home, if I'm just going in to the store or am somewhere where wrapping is less desirable, I can just plop him in the Ergo and go on my way. I received my Ergo for Christmas from my in-laws, but Ethan was still too little for it. I tried it starting at 4 months, and Ethan hated it at first! I did some research and tried sticking a receiving blanket under his butt, which seemed to help, and by 5.5 months, he was just fine in it. He still definitely prefers being wrapped, but you can't beat the ease of a soft-structured carrier.
(Disclaimer: This picture was taken with Ethan at almost 10 months, but I didn't have any pictures from earlier)
3) Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn Jumperoo
As seen in this post, Ethan loves his Jumperoo, and we loved having a safe place for him to play while we did short tasks. We limited the amount of time he spent in it, of course, per recommendations, but I think he could happily play in it for at least a half hour at that age. Right around eight months, he started rebelling against it some because he wanted the freedom to crawl around, but he still loves playing with all the toys from the outside as he cruises around. And I have all of the little songs memorized. Not sure if that's a good or a bad thing!4) Graco Pack-n-Play
Once Ethan became mobile, containment became key for those times we just couldn't hold or watch him as carefully as needed. Most often, he goes in the Pack-n-Play while I'm washing bottles or fixing lunch or dinner. He has his walker in there to climb on, as well as several of his favorite toys, and while it's no substitute for Mommy and Daddy, he usually doesn't mind it too much for short periods of time. On our side, though, it's been a life saver as it keeps my little mischief out of trouble!
5) Fisher-Price Space Saver High Chair
For the first few weeks that Ethan was eating solids, I fed him while he sat in my lap. This had the potential to get very messy, but since he could already climb out of the Bumbo seat, this was the safest way. I didn't want to get a huge high chair because they are bulky and just look bad (and the ones that look nice are too expensive!), so this high chair was perfect for us! It straps onto almost any chair but functions just like a full-sized high chair, complete with removable tray and cover. Plus, when Ethan is older, it will convert into a booster seat. As an added bonus, the color works well with the walls in the kitchen and dining room, so it blends into our decor even better!
We also liked:
1) Boon Grass Countertop Drying Rack
I cannot tell you how much I made fun of this product for a very long time. It just looked stupid! I remember laughing when I saw my cousin registered for it. Who would put that on their counter??? This girl, apparently. For several months after we started supplementing, I dried bottles and parts on paper towels on the counter. It did the job, but it looked pretty crappy. So finally I gave in to our need of a drying rack of some kind. I researched and researched and imagine my surprise when every place I looked recommended the Boon drying rack. I contemplated getting the Dr. Brown's drying rack anyway just to save face, but I couldn't argue with the comparisons. I wish we'd had this since the first time we used bottles because it holds so much and looks so much better than paper towels. I even recommend it to friends! The only reason this is on the Middle Months instead of the Early Months is because I took so long to give in to it, but I'm not looking back now!2) Bumbo Baby Seat
The Bumbo was a great item and would have earned a higher place on this list if Ethan hadn't figured out how to get out of it quicker than most babies. Once he could hold his spine straight but before he could sit up stably by himself, the Bumbo allowed him to be upright without one of us holding him. Plus, again before he could climb out of it, it kept him out of trouble while I washed bottles or did laundry or even while we ate meals. There are big warnings all over the Bumbo about not putting it on a raised surface, but I'll admit it ended up on the counter or dining room table quite often, though never without us standing right by him. We started using it right around four months so he was sitting independently just two weeks later, but we still got a few more weeks use out of it before he began climbing out (and of course the first time he climbed out, he was on the counter... so maybe that warning should be heeded after all). We also received the tray that goes with it, but we didn't get as much use out of that. So even though we didn't get to use the Bumbo for as long as most parents, it still was a big help during that in between time.
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