My Toddler Must-Have's: 12-18 months

These were my must-have's for the first 6 months of toddlerhood:

Educational Toys

Brighton was lucky to receive a few educational toys for her first birthday. She especially loved flash cards (a letter on one side with a word and picture on the other), foam letters and numbers she could use in the bath, wooden puzzles and a shape sorter. Brighton also loved things that helped her fine motor skills and imagination like Mega Blocks. She played with those blocks almost every day for three months and still enjoys them. 

We also were blessed with some pretend play toys like a mini kitchen (my parents purchased Ikea's version for her Christmas present), a mini shopping cart and items like plastic or wooden food and cups, plates and utensils. I felt like I saw a lot of language and fine motor development once she started to pretend play. 

Art Supplies

Right after Brighton turned one, she became interested in drawing with crayons. We loved the basic Crayola crayons and water based paint, but we also got some large sticked sidewalk chalk. Painting and drawing are an easy activity and we enjoyed making art together. 

Toddler size eating utensils & divided plates

Around 15 months Brighton wanted to start using a spoon and fork. We purchased a few rubber handled versions and she still uses them at 2+ years old. We also moved from using the tray attached to the high chair as her plate and started giving Brighton her food on a "big kid" plate or bowl - the divided ones made it easy for her to eat each item without it touching (she is just like her mama that way). 

Leggings/ Cotton Pants

Because this is such a mobile and sort of klutzy stage, toddlers need to be able to move in their clothes. Leggings and cotton pants with elastic waists were a must. Target's Circo brand and Old Navy were the best price for the value and we were able to pair them with anything - she even wore leggings under dresses for church. Plus they made baby "jeggings" which were a weekly staple in her wardrobe. 

Honorable mentions: 

Sippy cups, those applesauce packs and snack cups were also a staple, but we started using all of those prior to toddlerhood. 

Brighton also had to (and still has to), wear a bow or clip in her hair to keep it out of her face and the hair clips from H&M are great - cheap, lots of fun colors and glitter and they stay put in even the finest hair. 

Baby pool or water table (for the warmer months) - kept her busy for hours!

What is on your must-have list for 12-18 months?

For my other lists, click here, here, here and here. 

My Baby Must-Have's: 10-12 months

(This post was sitting in my drafts, sorry for being so stinking late in posting this!)

These are my must-have's for the last two months of babyhood:

Vans baby shoes (hard soled shoes)

We moved from soft soled shoes to hard ones pretty quickly. Brighton started standing and then scooting while holding onto something around 8 months. By the time she was 10 months she wanted to  "walk" everywhere while holding our hands. The soft soles on her shoes were not really supportive or safe anymore but we found some great and stylish shoes at Vans (me and Matt's favorite shoe store). Although they are pricey, these shoes held up to a lot of wear and tear and constant use. We were able to find 4 pairs (two size 4.5, two size 5) for about $40 at a Vans outlet store. She loves them and they have been our go-to store for her shoes ever since.

Booster Seat / High Chair

We started using a booster seat like this earlier than 10 months (we had an older version that was red, green and yellow), but it was a must-have as Brighton moved from eating finger foods off her tray to eating off a plate on the table. This booster seat has a removable tray so while it's attached to a chair, can be scooted up to the table. We wanted to eat dinner as a family and it was good for Brighton to feel like a "big kid" in regards to eating early on. We are also able to travel with this seat if needed and it is super easy to clean. 

Leak Proof Sippy Cups

Brighton still drank from a bottle until she was 13 months old, but we started giving her water in a sippy cup around 9 months. I found that Munchkin's brand were leak proof (I tried so many) and were easy to clean. Plus they were inexpensive (2 for $7).

Board Books & Wooden Puzzles

Brighton started wanting to hold and flip through books on her own and board books (the ones that have stiff pages) were a great find. We had a few given to us from baby showers and Christmas, but I went on Amazon and grabbed a few more that I knew she'd like. We also noticed her getting interested in figuring out how things work and where things "fit" so wooden puzzles with those large handles to pick up the individual pieces kept her occupied. 

This stage was pretty simple - not a lot of gear needed for an almost toddler! 

What was on your must-have list for this stage? 

For my other lists, click here, here and here.  

My Baby Must Have's: 5-9 Months

For my other must have lists click here and here.

These are my must have's for the 5-9 month stage:

Puree Packs

I made baby food for months, but bringing little cups of food and a spoon every where we went wasn't always convenient. We started buying organic puree packs whenever they were on sale and I'm so glad we did - she got a great blend of fruits and veggies and yogurt, it was easy to take with us when out and about and the "straw" at the top taught Brighton how to drink from a sippy cup. Plus they taste amazing!

Walker/Activity Center

Brighton was one of those babies that was never content to sit on your lap - she always wanted to stand up! When she showed interest in walking while holding our hands, we started letting her toddle around anytime she wanted. But whenever our backs got tired, we would use a baby walker and she loved it! We purchased the Chicco Walker that had a "play tray" with light up buttons and sounds and it helped her scoot around and get her walking "fix" in every day.


Wide Bibs
Most baby bibs are way to small to keep food off of a baby's clothes. I found a few different versions that have been a lifesaver. Brighton does this thing where she likes to hold food in her hand and keep the hand against her chest until she's ready to eat it - which means if she isn't wearing a nice wide bib food gets all over her clothes. I liked the Green Sprouts terry cloth version and the Baby Bjorn's soft plastic bib with the little spill pocket.


Back Seat Car Mirror

A photo from the mirror - little bear asleep after a long day

Being able to see what Brighton was doing in the car was really helpful (and still is). I could hand her a toy if needed, see if she fell asleep and also let her see me if needed. Most of these mirrors are made of plastic and are cheap and easy to install. We used this version and love it!


Runner Up: Soft Soled Shoes

Via

I didn't put Brighton in shoes for the longest time, but someone gave me 2 pairs of these cute little leather soft soled shoes. I loved these because they were easy to take on and off and she could wear socks with them when it was cold. It got her used to wearing shoes when we changed to a less flexible soles as well. Not sure if this was really a "must have" but I enjoyed them a lot.


Any essentials you add to the list?

My Baby Must Have's: 2-5 Months

For my newborn must have's list visit here.

Now that Brighton is almost a year old, I have been reflecting on the last year (and packing up some clothes and gear she no longer needs) and realized that I wanted to share some of the items that were life savers for us during her first year. These are my must have's for a 2-5 month old:

Bumbo Seat

Brighton was able to hold her head and upper body up pretty well by the time she was 3 months old and got very tired of the swing and laying on her back for play time. The Bumbo was a lifesaver because she could sit up unassisted and play with any toy I handed her. 

When Brighton started eating solids, we used it as her high chair and she ate every meal in it until she was about 7 months old. It comes with a tray which was super helpful as she learned to grasp food and feed herself.

  
Boppy Pillow

I used this pillow for nursing Brighton until she was about 6 months old, but it was so useful for her when she wanted to lay on her tummy but be a little less flat on the ground - it was nice to prop her up in it and let her look around and she also enjoyed reclining back on it as well. As she learned to sit up more and more on her own, I would wrap it around her and it helped stabilize her.

A Video Monitor

I knew a video monitor was a splurge, but because Brighton never slept in our room (she slept in her nursery the very first night she was home from the hospital), I wanted to be able to check on her with more than just sounds. We were able to use some gift cards to purchase the Summer Infant Baby Touch Video Monitor. This version is a little fancy because it has a touch screen monitor that allows you to adjust the brightness, sound and move the camera so you get the perfect angle of your sweet baby.

Since Brighton is the noisiest sleeper ever (she moans, groans, coos, babbles and thrashes around in her sleep), it was nice to be able to see what she was doing while she was making all that noise. The monitor has saved us many a trip into her nursery especially when we were going through sleep training!

Sleep Sacks

Brighton was never a fan of being totally swaddled but she liked to be loosely wrapped in a blanket when she slept. I loved the idea of a sleep sack because it was a safe way to give her that blanket feeling without worrying that the blanket would come undone and potentially suffocate her (yep I was paranoid!). I used both the Halo and aden + anais versions and liked both equally.

Johnny Jump Up

I joked that this toy was a baby anti-depressant. If Brighton was fussy or bored, I would pop her in it and she would immediately start giggling and would bounce until she wore herself out. It was a great way to keep her happy while I cooked dinner or did a load of laundry. We hung it in the doorway of our kitchen so she could see into the living room/dining room and the kitchen. 

Next post: Must Have's: 5-9 Months

A gift I love!

I absolutely love personalized gifts! I would monogram everything if I could (thank goodness I don't know how to sew or have one of those machines that does it for you). 

So when one of my blog readers offered to make Brighton a personalized set of blocks, I immediately agreed. 

 Aren't they beautiful? They match her nursery colors and are exactly my style! I adore them!

Jennifer is the owner of Littlest Lulu which specializes in handcrafted keepsake gifts. Not only does she make beautiful personalized maple wood blocks, she also creates headbands, pillows, bunting and even memory games for children. Please check out her Etsy shop or Facebook page!!

I received these blocks as a gift and this post about them was not part of a sponsorship relationship. I just love them and wanted to promote her shop on my own.

My Newborn Must Have's

I know a lot of bloggers do lists like these (and I've always found them hugely helpful), so here is mine. Over the last 7 weeks, these are the newborn items that have made it to my must-have list:

Baby Connect App for iPhone

Via

My friend Missy bought this application ($4.99) when her son was born and gave me a quick demo of it - I was hooked! It tracks daily activities like eating (solids, bottles and nursing), diapers, sleeping, play time and medical information. You can track more than one child on the application, and share it with another caretaker. It offers charts and graphs so you can start to look for patterns - it has been really helpful to know when I last fed Brighton, and also to see what her sleep patterns are now that she sleeps longer stretches during the night. I also have a handy record of her doctor's visits. I especially love the nursing timer - it has a timer for each side, allows you to pause the timer as needed and tells you which side you nursed from at the last feeding.

 
Wubanub Pacifier

Via

 My friend Jessie bought these for her daughter and swore by them. Brighton only likes (at least right now) the pacifiers that are similar to what they give you in the hospital, but this one has a little soft toy attached to it. She doesn't need a pacifier often, but when she does it seems to be in the car or stroller, and I can pull the little toy's legs underneath her harness to keep it in place so it doesn't fall out of her mouth. She also holds onto it as she falls asleep - so cute!

aden + anais Blankets

Via

 I wish they made these in adult size - these are the most beautiful, soft, lightweight blankets. They are perfect for swaddling a baby in the summer months and also as a car carrier cover - they're cotton muslin and totally breathable. We have eight of them (I bought a 4 pack and we were gifted a 4 pack) and I rarely use anything else. They are also great to use as a nursing cover, a burp cloth in a pinch and as a general blanket to cover baby.

Baby Trend Snap N' Go

Via

 We own both a lightweight stroller and an all terrain stroller (the Bumbleride Indie which I love). The all terrain is much heavier, longer and bulkier so I don't like to use it if I'm just popping into a store or running errands. The Snap N' Go is super lightweight and I can pull it out of the trunk and set it up with just one hand. The basket is huge and easy to get to, there are two (yes TWO!) cupholders, the front wheels swivel and the back wheels have locking brakes. It holds most major car seats so I didn't need to buy anything separate for the stroller. It's compact and easy!

Boppy Rock in Comfort Travel Swing

Via

Our house is pretty small so when looking for baby gear, we wanted to make sure any items we purchased wouldn't overtake our living room or nursery. The Boppy travel swing was perfect! It sits low to the ground, is comfortable for Brighton and folds up pretty small so we can move it out of the way when not using it. They don't make these anymore (my friend Tonya let me borrow hers), but you can find them on eBay or Craigslist.

California Baby Bath Products

Via

A few friends recommended this line to me and I love it! I use the Calming Shampoo and Body Wash and Lotion for Brighton's baths. It's organic, gentle on her skin and smells fantastic. I also have their Diaper Wash and use it when B's little bum starts to get red - great for diaper rash!

ERGObaby Carrier

Via

 Brighton is a great night sleeper but she has started to catnap during the day and loves to be held. The ERGObaby Bundle of Joy Carrier has been a lifesaver. I can wear her to keep her close, and it helps her sleep longer. I love to use it grocery shopping - she is close to me and her huge car seat isn't taking up the cart. It's ergonomically designed so my back is supported - I love that I will be able to use the carrier all the way up to when she is 45 pounds!

Zip Up PJ's

Via

Any brand of these seem to work, but a zipper footie pajama (instead of snaps) makes for a fast diaper change when she wakes up hungry and wet! We have both the Gerber brand and the Circo for Target brand. 100% cotton, comfortable and cute!

And the must-have's for Mama:

Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child 

Via

 This book explains the biology behind infant sleep, their patterns and how to teach your child to sleep when the time is right. The book carries you from the first weeks all the way though childhood. The book is on my nightstand and I read a few pages every week as I'm nursing to learn about the next stage of her sleep.  I like that it's not just a how-to, but also an educational read.

Medela Freestyle Pump

Via

Having a good electric breastpump was important to me since I'll be going back to work and wanted to provide milk for my daughter for at least a year. This pump is really fantastic - it's pricey, but worth it! The parts are easy to clean and the fact that it is hands free and the pump can go with you anywhere is really helpful. I've been using it to build up my milk stash (you should see my freezer) and I can pump while I eat breakfast, blog, do laundry - whatever!

Starbucks Via

Via

I know this is silly since it's not even a baby/mama item, but coffee is a must-have for me! I used to turn my nose up at instant coffee but Starbucks Via are really good! The vanilla flavor are my favorite and it makes drinking coffee super easy - just add hot water and you're set. These are great especially since I normally only have one free hand and a few minutes at a time - my kid loves to be held :)

What items were/are your newborn must-have's?

Oh baby

The internet is so dangerous. Here are some of my "wants" for Brighton over the last few weeks:

The Itzy Ritzy Peek a Boo Pod

Via

One of my girlfriends from work has this car seat cover and it is awesome. It serves as a blanket/cover for your baby, but also keeps those unwanted hands away. 

Confession: I cannot handle watching a stranger come up and touch a baby they don't know!  

Bebe au Lait Nursing Covers 

Via

 I plan to breastfeed and I have always loved seeing these fashionable covers. I love this version in grey and white! 


Organic Toys from Oompa

Via

 I love this brand and the toys are pricey, but I like the idea of Brighton not chewing on plastic! These rattles are so sweet and I'd like at least one wooden stacking set for when she gets older. 


The 4moms Origami Electric Stroller

Via

 I saw this stroller on Ellen's Mother's Day show and was drooling.  It is ridiculously expensive so we will probably never buy it; nonetheless it is also amazing given all the safety features and bells and whistles!


And of course, baby clothes!

Via

I love pretty much anything in the Gap Seed Collection and their Palapas Collection.

Old Navy has great deals on their layette sets.

This ridiculously pink and frilly sunsuit by Janie & Jack - pricey but I love it!

The organic cotton onesies from H&M are 2 for $10!

Gifts Part 2

This past Sunday I had an afternoon of girl time with my friend Jessica.



iPhone pictures don't always work out ;)

  

I have known Jess since we were unruly middle schoolers and now we live about 5 minutes from each other. We went to the local mall, got some Starbucks, went to Ann Taylor Loft (heaven!), then Francesca's (double heaven!) then to the Gap.

Where she proceeded to drag me into Baby Gap and bought me this sweater!!! 

It's the one I said I wanted  for Baby M in this post!  Baby M is going to be so stylish this winter! Thank you Jess!

And this week, my co-worker Meghan, from Lil' Chopstick gave us this amazing book:

It's a beautiful bedtime story about how the little fox asks the mama fox to tell him the story of the day he came home. She tells him how long she waited, how she wanted to give up, but that he finally came home and it was the most wonderful day of her life. 

I read it and immediately started to cry. I love it! Thank you Meghan.

I feel so blessed and loved, not just by these little sweet gifts, but by all the support and encouragement and love being poured out over our son!  He won't know what hit him!!!

Happy Friday!

Distraction

In order to distract myself from constant worry and freak outs about my son (who is living in someone else's uterus currently, halfway across the country), I have been surfing the internet looking at...

BABY CLOTHES! And BABY SHOES! And BABY HATS! And TINY BABY SOCKS!

Holy crap this stuff is cute... and expensive.

$24 for socks?!? Are they weaved with gold thread? Do they wash themselves? Will my child learn to walk faster if he wears these? Oh and P.S. I totes want them. I just won't buy them myself. Someone will have to gift these to me to justify them.

Side Bar: Do any of you read Project Baby? I freaking love that blog. It's written by a hot redheaded mama with the cutest little towhead baby ever. She did a post last week about baby clothes too! It got me inspired. Also, I now cyber stalk her. Good times. (Also, somehow she knows some of my real life friends. Weird how small the world is!)

Here are my current wants for Baby M:

Baby Gap

Baby Gap

Pink2Blue (Etsy)

H&M

NYrika (Etsy)

All Modern Baby

Gah! Kill me now. I'm dying from the tiny cuteness and sticker shock.

Happy Friday!

Baby Loot

A few weeks ago, my co-workers (whom I consider the BEST teammates I've ever had!) threw me a little Baby M Celebration. We ate lunch at a local restaurant down the street from our office and they showered us with gifts. 

I was overwhelmed with gratitude! 

Some of our team are spread out across the country, so they, along with 7 of my other teammates in NC, went in together on a few gifts - they were delivered to our house the day before the celebration lunch! Here they are:

A Skip Hop playmat, video monitor, drying rack and car seat cover!

Aren't they so amazing? They bought us the video monitor!

How funny is that little baby face popping out? So cute!

Thank you Becky, Heather, Beth, Kim, Annie, Brenda, Iesha, Jennifer, Jessica, Elizabeth, Leslie and Allyson!!!!

And here are all the amazing and generous gifts I opened at the celebration lunch:

Bottles, bottle brush, diswasher rack, teething toys and wipes, baby clothes, a gift card and some diapers. I was overwhelmed!

Dwayne and Elena got us our Ergo carrier!!!

Thank you Abbie, Nikki, Mary, Jessica, Beth R, Elena and Dwayne!!!

And one of my participants in the program I run gave us the coolest gift - his talented wife sewed this changing station!!!  It even has a place to store wipes and diapers. I love it!!!

  Pretty amazing, huh? Thank you Jon and Donnarae!!!

We feel so blessed and loved. Thank you my awesome teammates!