Life with a Baby

LeapFrog Learn & Groove Musical Table

@ 1 month

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I’ll do a favorites post every month/stage as Autumn grows, changes, and develops.

What are some of your favorite things for 6 month olds?

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Life with a Baby: Baby Favorites @ 8 months

August 12, 2014

Can someone please explain to Autumn what ‘inside voices’ are in a way that she will understand? Please.

Our dearest little Autumn is a loud mouth. And she is a yeller and shreaker. For example, if she is really happy she yells and shreaks, but she does the same when she is mad. So that just means that there is a lot of noise all the time. Except, when we are outside. Wanna shut her up? Go outside! It’s like a magic trick. Walk out of the threshold and zip, quiet. That is part of the reason why I’ll take her out on 3 1/2 mile walks on the weekends quite exercise time.

So of the things that bring on the shreaks of joy are…

Baby Favorites @ 8 months

Follow Me Fred

I picked this pup up at a tag sale for $5. Such a deal since she loves him so much. He bark, plays music, and moves around. The best part is that he moves around with just a light touch so she can operate him herself. A plus for us, there are different settings, including a ‘mute’ one that allows for him to move around but without the noise. A definite win for us.

As Autumn is not yet standing on her own we took off the legs so it can just sit on the floor with her. More often than not it is on our bed and she bangs away at it while we are getting ready in the morning. There are 2 modes, which is controlled by the book in the center. Autumn likes the mode that sings ABC’s to her. The alphabet song is her favorite thing to calm her down and excite her. I’ve lost track at the number of times I’ve sung it or the number of times she has spun that toy to hear it sung to her. It’s kinda driving Price lately so he flips the book to the different mode and when music plays Autumn gets annoyed and flips it back to hear her ABC’s.

ciao! baby Portable Highchair

Price’s mom gave us this chair so that we could easily feed Autumn while traveling. We used it when we went camping and when we went to Maine this summer. It has also worked well in our backyard. It’s easy to clean, set up, and use. The highchair is light and has a bag so it’s easy to toss in your car and take on the go.

Kiddie Pool

Since Autumn loves to be outside so much this kiddie pool is getting great use this summer. It’s like tubby time but better. I’d love to get to the beach with her but there is so much to plan, pack, and carry. But this kiddie pool allows for her to be in the water without all the sand involved.

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Check out more Baby Favorites:

@ 7 months

@ 6 months

@ 1 month

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I’ll do a favorites post every month/stage as Autumn grows, changes, and develops.

What are some of your favorite things for 8 month olds?

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Life with a Baby: Baby Favorites @ 7 months

July 10, 2014

Oh what a month!

Autumn is getting closer to getting on the move, or at least that is what she so desperately wants so she has been getting quite frustrated when she can’t reach something. Instead of being held she wings her body down to the floor so we always need to be on high alert that we have a good grip on her. Once seated on the floor she does amazingly well at sitting on her own. We still put pillows all around as she’ll randomly fall over and those cries are the worst after you hear that thud.

Oh, and teething is the worst!! But we’re totally enjoying her big grins with her 2 bottom front teeth peaking through her gums. At least they def help her chow down!

Baby Favorites @ 7 months

Activity Cube

When we were staying at Price’s brother’s house over the 4th of July weekend, Autumn played with their activity cube that they had for their kids. She really liked how there were all different toys right at her level. She liked the gears, the rotating disks, spinning things, and the colors. She liked it so much they just gave it to her. So now I’m sure she will be standing up and holding on to it in no time! Ahh!!

Activity Walker

In addition to the activity cube that we got as an awesome hand-me-down, we got a walker. Autumn lights up when she is moving around as she can’t yet do it on her own. However, she equally gets frustrated that she sometimes ends up moving the wrong direction so there is some yelling at times. But I think it all equals out.

Baby Jogger City Select Stroller

Okay, so I am going to do a seperate post (on of these day’s…) about this stroller but until then, just trust me when I say that it is really, really awesome. We have been walking all over with Autumn in this stroller. It was great to use with the carseat but now the peanut is actually big enough for the stroller seat, which has a better sunshade than the carseat, which works out well with the summer sun. We’ve hoofed a lot of miles with this stroller and I love it so much because it’s lightweight, easy to open/close, and is great on the cobblestones, sidewalks, and unpaved park paths we visit.

Motrin Infants’ Drops

Infant Motrin… how we love thee!

Teething is rough man. ‘We’ toughed it out for a while with some teething rings and orajel but the thing that really makes things bearable is the Infant Motrin. Autumn got 2 teeth back to back in June and now all signs point to her getting another tooth as she sleeping is sucky, she is extra cranky, and eating solids is taking a long time again (assuming it hurts more to eat those yummy baked sweet potato fries I make!). But she def mellows out when we give her a dose of Motrin as it is helps with “relieves minor aches and pains due to the common cold, flu, sore throat, headaches and toothaches.”

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Check out more Baby Favorites:

@ 6 months

Carlson Labs Super Daily D3 for Baby

@ 1 month

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I’ll do a favorites post every month/stage as Autumn grows, changes, and develops.

What are some of your favorite things for 7 month olds?

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Life with a Baby: Baby Favorites @ 6 months

June 17, 2014

Oh boy, another month has sped on by!

This past month has been so much fun. We’ve watched Autumn take some big changes in what she likes and can do. She is a champ when it comes to eating the Baby Led Weaning way. Yum steak! And she is 90% with sitting up. She does really well for a while and then just will flop on over. ha! She has been doing well with her swimming class as she gets to enjoy ‘swimming’ after the rubber ducks in the pool. So much fun to see her in action!

I’m looking forward to the busy month ahead but until then check out our current 6 months favorite things!

Baby Favorites @ 6 months

Okay so these are more a favorite of mine because Autumn doesn’t know she gets them. But that is what I like so much about them. When we were first directed to get Autumn a extra special daily dose of Vitamin D, we just grabbed the cherry flavored dropper topped bottle. But then I started to wonder why my newborn was getting artificial flavoring and artificial coloring… so I did some homework and found these.

The drops take their sweet time coming out of the bottle but that’s the thing, you only need a drop. A bottle should last about a year which is soooo much longer than the cherry flavored goop we first grabbed. I think we calculated we would need like 8 bottles of that for the year, which would basically work to be 8x the cost too!

Fisher-Price Rainforest Jumperoo

This jumper thing is the best thing going on in our house right now. Autumn is finally big enough for it so she has been having a blast bouncing around in it and smacking the daylights out of the stuff within reach. She genuinely loves this thing as she can bounce around in it and smash all around at the things. And of course, the music! Price can now whistle the whole ditty as we’ve heard it over and over and over again. Sure, we could turn the music off but she loves it and seeing her smile is just the best.

WubbaNub Giraffe

I can’t even remember how the conversation started (what else is new?!?) but my coworker was telling me how she gave a WubaNub as a gift and how it was such a hit because of 1) it’s cuteness 2) how the baby can easily grab it to retrieve it and insert the pacifier part back into its mouth hole to stop the mouth hole’s high pitched noises 3) easier to find/not lose. Sure, it’s sure cute but what sold me what the not loosing part. I think we’ve owned 15 pacifiers these past 6 months, I know of 6 & I swear the dog did not destroy the other 9. Aside from the general saving them from the abis properties, I’ve become a major fan in how it’s SO much easier to find in her crib in the middle of the night since it’s the pacifier is the magical thing that generally stops the mouth hole noises.

Swim Diapers

We have Autumn in swim class at a local university because we want her to be comfortable and safe in the water. Proper understanding of how to act in and around water is very important to us so we wanted to start her young. These swim diapers are great since she is so small for her age we can’t actually use those disposable swim diapers as they start at Size 3 and Autumn is still Size 1! They work for babies 9-15 pounds which is great because the disposable ones start at 16 lbs. Just because she is small doesn’t mean she shouldn’t enjoy getting to splash around in the pool with us! Besides the size of them, we really like that they are not disposable, making them more environmentally friendly.

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Check out more Baby Favorites:

@ 1 month

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I’ll do a favorites post every month/stage as Autumn grows, changes, and develops.

What are some of your favorite things for 6 month olds?

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Life with a Baby- Baby Favorites @ 5 months

May 15, 2014

Here we go again!

How is my little girl going to be 6 months old next week??!?!

The time flies when you are having fun. Or is it that the time flies when you aren’t sleeping? Either way, every day with her is amazing and we love her to death. She is cuddly and just so cheerful. Her smile is contagious. She is a happy baby, except when getting dressed and when she can’t get the food she is trying to devour into her mouth. Such a foodie!!

Here are some things that we’re currently crushing on…

Baby Favorites @ 5 months

Vulli Sophie the Giraffe Teether

Autumn has been gnawing on Sophie for awhile now and just loves her. The legs and neck are easy for her to get her hands around. Plus it’s just cute as hell.

Sophie squeaks when squeezed, so of course this drives the dog bonkers as it basically is the most expensive dog toy he can’t actually have.

4moms Infant Tub

We picked this tub out specifically for the fact that Autumn was having abdominal surgery. She would have an incision at where her belly button would have been so we wanted to make sure that her first baths were actually cleaning her. There are multiple drains that allow you to circulate the the dirty water out as you keep your facet flowing allowing clean water in. Plus, besides the tub portion where the baby sits, there is a clean water reservoir so that it makes bath time easier since we have soap free water right at hand to wash her off with after we suds her up. As well, there is a built in water temperature sensor that helps you know what is comfortable for your babe. There is no guess work involved.

4moms Spout Cover

This spout is really best for when your baby outgrows the infant tub, but some nights we don’t use the infant tub as when I need to wear her out. I fill up the tub with water and I keep my hand under her head and upper back allowing her to ‘float’ around. She loves it as she can flap her arms and kick around like crazy. I suggest the spout cover for your tub so there is no guesswork involved in having the right water temperature for your babe. Plus, when your babe is actually big enough for sitting in your bath tub it helps protect their head and body from the metal tub spout.

OXO Roll Up Bib

Autumn has just started to eat solids so this bib is major in our house right now. We’re doing the ‘Baby Led Weaning’ method of feeding her. This means that we give her pieces of soft foods that she can easily handle so that she can explore it and feed it to herself. Sometimes she needs help with slippery things but I don’t force the foods onto her. But basically the process of her feeding herself means she is a huge mess as she squishes it on her face as she aims for her mouth and as she drops food all over.

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Check out more Baby Favorites:

Stork Craft Custom Tuscany Glider and Ottoman

@ 1 month

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I’ll do a favorites post every month/stage as Autumn grows, changes, and develops.

What are some of your favorite things for 5 month olds?

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Life with a Baby- Baby Favorites @ 4 months

April 8, 2014

Ooo under the wire with this post! Autumn turns 5 months old on Friday (sob!) How is she that old already?!?!

I think this past month is the month when I’ve recongized the most change in her. She is still so very happy but now she is getting much better at expressing full on excitement by flexing her whole body to get into it. So fun to see. Before she was content to put her hands in her mouth and hang out sucking/chewing on them, but now she loves to put whatever she can get her hangs on in her mouth. She really likes blankets, her clothes, and some soft toys. As well, she is reaching for things more and more when she didn’t put too much effort into trying to get something out of arms reach. And in the last week she has discovered her feet, which of course, have to be in her mouth as well. Plus, she is getting a bit closer to being able to sit up. She is doing well hanging out in the Boppy but I think she will be able to graduate to just sit up without help in the next 4-6 weeks. Exciting!

Here are some things that Price, Autumn, and I are currently crushing on…

Baby Favorites @ 4 months

My sister had originally suggested for us to get a glider way back when I was pregnant but we thought “Oh, we’ll sit on the bed!” or “Oh, we’ll sit on the sofa together!’ Mainly, we poo poo’ed the idea of a glider because we didn’t have room for it in our room or her room. Well fast forward to day 5 of her being home and we were ordering a glider with expedited shipping. My back was wrecked from trying to nurse her on the bed without good back support and there was too much going on (dog) to sit on the sofa to comfortably enjoy the teeny tiny bean in my arms.

Since its arrival the glider has become one of our favorite things for Autumn. Sure, our room is jammed full of baby stuffs at this point but the glider is so worth it. So worth it!

The glider has become a big part of establishing a bedtime routine. We take Autumn upstairs so we can read some books or sing some songs to her while almost continually patting we back until she is almost asleep (she loves it). On the nights when I am exhausted (most of them), I doze off for a few with her in my arms, which makes me really glad there is the foot rest that I use to prop my knees up which she leans against since I have the biggest fear of falling asleep, loosening my grip & having her fall on the hardwoods. Eeek!

Books

We’ve always read books to Autumn but she’s been enjoying it more and more lately. Or at least that is the impression I get. Let’s go with that.

We’ve been reading Goodnight Moon, The Runaway Bunny, Guess How Much I Love You, and plenty of really simple Spot books, like Spot’s Opposites. These board books hang out in the pockets of the glider so they are always close by for us to grab.

Carter’s Micro Fleece Sleep Bag or Sack (0-9 Months)

The hip brace she had to wear from mid January – end of March prevented her from using sleep sacks during that time but we have been using them more and more now. The are comfy cozy and allow her to stretch out while still be contained a bit.

Summer Infant SwaddleMe Adjustable Infant Wrap

For a period of time we stopped swaddling her because she kept breaking out. So we went from both arms in to 1 arm in to both arms and then… she started to sleep horribly (up every 2 hours!!) So we went back to swaddled with the SwaddleMe’s we received. Because of the sleep sacks and because we don’t want to reverse the work the hip brace did we only use the top portion of the SwaddleMe’s to contain her arms.

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Check out more Baby Favorites:

@ 1 month

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I’ll do a favorites post every month/stage as Autumn grows, changes, and develops.

What are some of your favorite things for 4 month olds?

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Life with a Baby: Baby Favorites @ 3 months

March 11, 2014

I think that every month, every week, day, moment is my new favorite.

Autumn is getting more and more active each day. I just love it. She is super smiley and playful. She hasn’t mastered laughing yet but ‘cracks up’ silently. It’s so weird and awesome. She really likes when I sweep a blanket over her face saying “peek-a-boo!!” But she kinda hates tummy time but does really well when she is laying on our chests. I take it that she just likes to push up to look right at our faces instead of toys, although she does reach out and then suck on them, when she feels like it. Overall, she’s doing really well and we couldn’t be happier!

Here are some things that Price, Autumn, and I are currently crushing on…

Baby Favorites @ 3 months

Baby K’tan Breeze Baby Carrier

I use this Baby K’tan carrier just about every day. I saw a review of it right after I found out I was pregnant and was immediately interested. So when the time came to try on carriers I knew I would have to test it out. When I was trying it on I looked for the fabric texture, weight, and how easy it was to get on and off, which is always a plus when you need to do it quickly solo or when the baby is asleep in it.

Autumn really likes to hang out in the Baby K’tan while I do dishes or make dinner. Or dance around to ‘Happy’ like a nut. When she’s not enjoying my sick dance moves she often is fast asleep in it. It’s made out of a soft fabric so it’s really cozy and comfortable for her to snuggle in against my body. There are all different ways to position the baby in it but since Autumn had been wearing her hip brace 24/7 (until recently- yay!) she was always in the Hug position. Looking forward to the Adventure position in the next few months!

ERGObaby Travel Carrier
ERGObaby Original Infant Insert

So while I love the Baby K’tan, Price loves his ERGObaby carrier.

Autumn was a teeny thing at just 5lbs 9 oz at birth so Price was really excited when she inched her way up to 7lbs so she was big enough to get into the infant insert (babies need to be at least 8lbs for the K’tan). Since then he has used the ERGO all the time. She’s in there when she is fussy, needing to be close and snug, and being held isn’t cutting it. Or when she is in need of some extra attention and we have something to do that favors use of 2 hands, like when we are eating dinner. And now that the weather is getting warmer he been going out with her in the carrier while taking the dog out for a walk. The hood on there keeps her extra warm as well.

Brica Baby In-Sight Mirror

Autumn spent a lot of time in the car this past month as she has had quite a few Dr’s appointments and other much more fun adventures. She does really well in the car, except when mom forgets to take her hat off and it falls over her eyes resulting in a major meltdown, as she enjoys the rides. So I like to check out her happy smiles in this mirror. As well it’s always fun to check on how much of her hand is in her mouth… a thumb, some fingers, whole fist.

Baby Animals Themed Infant Play Gym
Jungle Buddy Themed Explore and Store Gym

We have infant play gyms in both of these styles. Babies have so much stuff so I like these being that they are easy to fold up and store away when not in use. Plus they are soft and have fun toys for Autumn to play with. The toys can be easily detached from the gyms and be laid out on the mats so that they make tummy time more appealing as well.

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Check out more Baby Favorites: