Top 10 Older Baby Items

As a follow up to this list of our top 10 baby items just a few months after Beckett was born, here's a list of some new favorites now that he's a bit older.

In no particular order...

1.   Silicone bib with pocket

Babies are disgusting eaters.  That is just a fact.  The food catcher pocket at the bottom of bibs is genius.  Beckett’s fills with food every meal and after he’s done eating he literally lifts this bib up and funnels the leftovers into his mouth like it’s the end of a bag of potato chips (genius).  This bib is our favorite because the the food catcher pocket is structured so it stays open and it's much easier to clean than the flimsier ones.

2.  Immersion blender

I started using this when Beckett was around six months old to make batches pureed baby food for him.  When he moved on from pureed foods to finger foods he went through a several-month phase where he would eat any and all foods that we’d serve him.  The kid didn’t meet a food he didn’t love.  But all good things must come to an end, and shortly after his first birthday he started turning his nose up at foods he used to eat all the time.  I guess we’re entering into that picky toddler phase.  He’s still a great eater so I can’t complain, but it is particularly tricky to get green veggies into him (and the top question our doctor asks at his checkups is "Is he eating green veggies every day?" Arg.).  Our solution:  smoothies with tons of kale or spinach hidden in them.  We dusted off this blender and now 3-4 times a week we make him a smoothie with a banana, several strawberries, yogurt and milk, and a big ole handful of kale/spinach.  He LOVES them.  Once he was convinced that he liked them, we just keep upping the kale/spinach and he has yet to complain.  You would seriously not believe how many greens you can fit in a smoothie.  Now we’re experimenting with putting other greens too, even green beans and broccoli, and I don’t even think he’s noticed.  I guess the fruit still puts off the strongest flavor.  Anyway, this blender has been our secret weapon for sneaking him green veggies.  Any blender or food processor would do, but they are such a pain to clean.  This immersion blender is seriously quick and easy to clean.

On a related note, the least-messy way to serve smoothies are in reusable squeeze pouches like this or these or if we make the smoothie thin enough, a cup with a straw like these.

3.  Child bike seat

Kolby got this for Christmas and we’ve already taken several family bike rides.  Beckett has a blast and anytime he sees a bike he asks to go on a bike ride (by making a hand motion we invented to mean bike or by pointing to his head and saying “hat” because he knows he’ll get to wear his bike helmet).  We’re looking forward to the spring and warmer weather to get to use this even more.

4.  Fleece sleep sack

Beckett slept swaddled and on his back until he was almost six months old.  Then we moved him to his tummy and he just slept in a pair of footed pjs for the summer.  But as it started to get cold I got one of these to try out, and he’s worn it every night since.  It keeps him warm but gives him the freedom to roll around, toss and turn, stand up, etc.  At some point we’ll move to using a blanket, but right now I know it wouldn't stay on him at night and I want him to be nice and cozy while he’s sleeping.

5.  Toys from Lakeshore Learning Center

If you’re looking for a gift for an older baby and want to venture outside the Target toy aisle, Lakeshore Learning Center is an amazing place.  It’s expensive, but you can sign up for coupons.  We have several toys from there, like this fishing set, these flash cards, puppets, and this ball set.  They are among Beckett’s favorite toys for sure, and are more dynamic than more traditional toys.

6.  Car seat with HERO harness system

I have no idea what HERO stands for but it means that the straps can’t twist.  Anyone with kids in car seats, can I get an AMEN?!?  Beckett outgrew his infant car seat at 11 months old and after some research we narrowed down our choices to the Recaro Performance Ride and the Britax Marathon.  Both awesome and as safe as you can get, but straps getting twisted is such a hassle so we were sold on the Recaro.  We love it.  The fabric is really durable and easy to clean, which is a plus.  And most importantly, it’s so easy to get Beckett buckled in properly because the shoulder straps are sewn into place and the straps can't get all twisted in the buckles.

7.  Bookshelf within reach

We are in love with our bookshelf!  There are a lot of great options for displaying books within reach of a baby (our bookshelf is from PB Kids).  The picture above is of Beckett at nine months old.  He loves to grab all the books out and sit among a pile of them on the floor and read, read, read.  

8.  Stride Rite cruise & walk shoes

Beckett got a pair of these for Christmas and I absolutely love them.  They are his only shoes that fit right now so he wears them every day, and they hold up so well.  They are the perfect combination of durable (especially at the toe which drags on the ground as he crawls) but have flexible soles so they aren’t cumbersome as he practices walking.  They are easy to put on but impossible for him to take off himself (win-win).  When he outgrows them I’ll definitely shop at Stride Rite for his next pair.

9.  Spill-proof water bottle

In January I ditched my diaper bag for a tote-style purse.  I love that I can just toss anything I need for Beckett down in there, but that means his sippy cup isn’t help upright like it is in the handy diaper bag pockets, and all sippy cups leak a little.  Beckett got this water bottle for Christmas and I keep it full and in my purse.  It doesn’t ever leak and the spout is covered so it stays clean (not that cleanliness is a real priority for me, that’s a losing battle with kids for sure).  I'm glad someone gave it to him because I don't know how long it would have taken me to realize he was old enough for a water bottle.. it's easy to get stuck in the world of sippy cups.

10.  Little Blue Truck board book

This and the companion book, Little Blue Truck Leads the Way, are Beckett’s favorite books and from what I hear, he’s not the only one.  At first it was annoying how much he liked them—he would literally wake up pointing at one of them on his bookshelf—but then I realized that unlike most baby books, they have a legit story line and are the lesser of evils if you will be reading the same book 20x a day for weeks on end.  Plus there is a moral to both stories.  P.S. I'm not sure when babies are ready for regular books (rather than the board book style) but Beckett so far is showing no signs of being able to resist tearing or eating pages.

As far as some of the items mentioned on our first list, we still love our Ergobaby carrier.  Kolby carries Beckett in it on walks all the time.  And we still love our cloth diapers.  Not having to buy formula or diapers meant that Beckett has been about as budget friendly as a baby can get.  Although I won't lie to you and say that dealing with poop after he started eating solids has been fun, but that's a story for another day (or if you're lucky, never).  And in case you are keeping track, yes we still use the huge exercise ball to get Beckett to fall asleep for naps.  [Insert look of shame here]  Y'all, I don't even know how we got to this place.  Yet here we are, bouncing a 25 pound 14 month old to sleep twice a day on an exercise ball.  And not just us, our babysitters do it too because it really does work like nothing else does.  Sigh.  We keep telling ourselves that when we move him to one nap a day here in a few weeks we will teach him to fall asleep on his own at nap time, like he already does at bedtime.  But at this point, who am I to say that we won't keep caving?  But that's the plan.