Baby Necessities 3-9 Months

I really thought I had done a 3-6 month baby necessity post, but I can't find it so I guess I didn't. If you missed the 0-3 month necessities click here. This one is probably more on the 6-9 month side as I have a horrible memory these days and won't be able to recall that far back. I know these were helpful to me and I will want to look back so better late than never. Please comment on this post if you can think of anything that you love that I don't have.

Baby Food Maker- I started making my own baby food for Max around 5 months and this really saved a lot of time. I used the Beaba  and it has worked really well. Sure you can do it the old fashioned way by steaming or cooking your veggies on the stove top and using a blender of some sort but this was easy, fast and a great all-in-one tool.

Baby food storage- If you are reheating your frozen baby food I'd recommend either using ice cube trays so you can pop them out when frozen and store them in ziplock bags in the freezer. Or I'd use glass jars so it's safest to microwave them right from the freezer.

High Chair- Max has been great and started sitting in his around 4-5 months when we started rice cereal. One thing I love about ours is that all the pieces and straps can come off and be washed, this is super important later on when he's 9-12 months old because he makes a mess! Also a great feature is has a portable high chair seat part that comes off and it can be strapped to any chair instead of having the full size high chair. We have done this while traveling via the car to have this with us.

Jumper/Excersaucer- When little ones start to support themselves more and you want to get anything done around the house (say make dinner) having a jumper/exerciser is ideal. We purchased this Rainforest ones from a consignment sale and it has extremely great reviews. Max didn't utilize his to the full potential, he mostly spun around to all the stations and didn't really jump, but he still stayed in there for a little bit without screaming so that is a plus in my book.

Walker- I am sure I've said this a million times, but this walker has been a lifesaver. He LOVES it. We have the Combi Adventure Walker. We have seen it at some consignment stores and even got one for my sister (for Max to use when visiting once). He loves that he was able to get around and chase Molly around the house. Make sure you get one that it has full range of movement. There are some that let them go forward and backward and then it's hard for them to turn.

Teethers- Max was a drooly bucket months before any teeth showed up so he really liked the teethers that you could put in the freezer and then he chewed on them.

Bibs- Speaking of drooling. Enter the bibs. These were much needed for said drooling. I would recommend something that absorbs well like terry cloth as the cotton ones just got disgusting so fast. When they are older and eating baby food I would recommend one that you can rinse off as they get dirty so fast!

Bottles- If you're going back to work or using formula you need bottles that your baby will use. I have had good luck with the Playtex Nursers with the liners. They have been great for clean up. You just throw the liner away when you are done and just have to clean the nipple. I also don't heat it up in the plastic (not allowed anyway) but even in plastic bottles I use warm water and put the milk bag/bottle in there. Next time I might try glass bottles and I have heard great things about Dr. Brown bottles so just experiment with different ones and don't buy the kits that have a bunch in them until you know what you're going to use.

Shopping Cart/High Chair Cover- Once Max started sitting up in his stroller and could sit up on his own he loved everything about going to stores and restaurants (thank goodness!) So it's a must have to get high chair covers for restaurants or shopping carts. If I had someone with me I'd just use the stroller but it's easy and more convenient to just bring one of these with you.

Durable Books- Max puts anything and everything in his mouth including lovely books that are for reading and looking at only.  Even the wooden books he puts in his mouth and damages them. I would invest in some plastic/crinkly books.

Moms On Call- If your baby is still having sleeping issues like Max did I would highly suggest using/reading Moms on Call. Max had become dependent on using his swing for napping (had to do it to get him to stop crying) and having me go in NUMEROUS times during the night to feed him until about 6 months when I really couldn't take it anymore. MOC gave me my sleep back and it's still going SO well (he's almost a year now). I did the online course, but would get the book to have as reference as well.

Noise Machine- Going along with the sleeping subject, Moms On Call recommends a noise machine that stays on ALL night. I am a firm believer that this really helped Max. They recommend this one that is very reasonably priced on amazon.

Push Walker- When Max was learning to stand up and start moving around with assisted walking this toy is a must. We got one at a consignment sale for $10 and I cant' find the exact one, but his has a cart where he likes to put random toys and take them out. This one I found on amazon is highly rated and looks pretty good too.

I will be back soon with 9-12 month necessities since Max is already 11 months old (today!). I'd love to hear from you on things I've forgotten since my memory is permanently horrible these days.