Must Haves:
1) Ring Sling (specifically a Sleeping Baby Productions Slingified BBslen Wrap Ring Sling in Passionfruit)
C'mon, you had to see this one coming, right? While I still use my woven on a daily basis and the Ergo whenever I'm running to the store, the ring sling has become my go-to for short tasks (like when Ethan's refusing to be set down when I need to wash bottles), walks around the neighborhood, and even quick errands. Since he started walking at 9 months and loves to get down and run around, I needed something I could quickly pop him in and out of but that didn't leave me holding onto a bulky carrier while he played. I've already talked a lot about ring slings in my intro to babywearing, so I'll wrap this up by saying I wish I'd had this earlier, and it's my new must-have carrier for older babies/toddlers.
2) Baby Gates (specifically the KidCo Gateway and Safeway gates)
After Ethan crawled 1/4 of the way down the stairs when his daddy was supposed to be watching him (but was actually playing a game on the computer), I quickly researched baby gates and ordered these from Amazon. They were fairly easy to install (though they have both been reinstalled to fix things I didn't think of when I hastily put them up), and they do the job without being too complex to figure out. Ethan loves throwing balls through the slats of the one at the top of the stairs and hanging onto the one at the bottom of the stairs, so they double as toys (though I doubt the manufacturer would recommend this usage). With an active baby, gates are CRUCIAL!
3) Push Toys/Walkers (specifically Chicco Toys Play 'N Ride Train)
I hadn't originally planned on including toys in these lists, but, honestly, there wasn't as much new gear for these months, and Ethan LOVED his walker. Plus, I think it really helped him with his coordination for learning to walk. If you'll recall, he was pretty good at cruising around with it from the beginning, as seen here, and his first steps were taken to reach the train, as reenacted here. And it also helped him learn opposites like "open" vs. "closed" and "in" vs. "out" as seen here. Even months after he learned to walk, he still loves pushing it around, putting toys into the seat, and playing with all the buttons and levers. He hasn't quite figured out riding on it, yet, but our 3-year-old neighbor loves doing that when he visits, so I'm sure it will continue to grow with him. My only complaint is that the backrest/handle comes out extremely easily so Ethan often yanks it out and throws it, but he has trouble getting it back in by himself so then he gets frustrated.
4) Puffs (specifically HAPPYBABY Organic Puffs)
Again, we're low on gear for these months, but I don't know what we would have done without puffs. They were a great first finger food and provided reassurance that my child could indeed eat table foods, despite all the evidence otherwise. We still had a rough initial start with puffs, but he soon had it down like a pro, as you'll see here. While they aren't extremely nutritious, they got him used to chewing and are a great thing to have in the diaper bag. For a couple of months until he was able to eat off our plates, we would keep him busy with puffs if we went out to eat. Even now, I'll dole out some puffs at a restaurant while we're waiting for our food to come. Both times I've flown with him, puffs have been key to a happy baby (as seen in the photo above). And if he's in a mood where he's refusing all the food I offer, I know I can always count on him to scarf down some puffs so he's at least not quite as hungry. I know some people never even bother with them, but puffs will always have a place on our shelves when there's a baby in the house!
5) A sharp eye and a sense of humor
From years of playing with and working with babies, I've always said my favorite age is 6-9 months. And while I still have loved the months since then, I think this was foreshadowing my having a walker at 9 months and all the mischief he can get into! I seriously cannot take my eyes off him for a moment or else he's trying to climb on top of tables, finding inedibles to eat, or yanking the cat's tail. Is it any wonder the house hasn't been this dirty since he was a newborn? In all seriousness, these months are a lot of fun, but if your child is anything like mine, you'd better keep on your toes!
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