Baby 2: Our Favorite Baby Products (5-9 Months)

When it comes to baby products we love for our second child, the long and short of it is, pretty much everything we used for Jack we basically use for Isaac. 

So the good news is, if you are expecting baby #2, you already have all of the gear you need (and you have probably figured out the stuff you didn't really need in the first place). Since we have two boys, this philosophy extends to clothes too. Isaac gets mostly hand-me-downs, but really if your stuff is still in good shape, there is no reason to get something new. You can read my 0-4 month product recap here.

During the 5-9 month range, here are the products we still love, even four years later:

IKEA SUNDVIK crib – yep still using. At 4 months old, we moved Isaac from our Rock N Play in our room to Jack's old crib in the nursery upstairs. Our IKEA crib has served us well and I still love that it meets our criteria for form and function. We still haven't really decorated a nursery, but one of these days...

AngelCare Movement and Sound Monitor – check. When we moved Isaac upstairs, we started using Isaac's old baby monitor again. The biggest negative is that the battery doesn't hold a charge very well any more. So it mostly has to sit in it's cradle at this point. But it still works.

Fisher Price Space Saver High Chair – still useful. I wrote about this in my 0-4 month post but really it has become even more useful as Isaac is now eating every meal with us at the table.

Recaro ProRide Carseat – thank goodness we already had this. We had to upgrade Isaac to Jack's old convertible carseat at 5 months (he was too big for his baby carrier). With baby number two, it is much easier to move through each new stage because we have already done the research and purchased the products and we know we like them.

Graco Pack 'N Play – continues to come in handy for traveling once Isaac outgrew the Rock N Play.

Baby Einstein Musical Motion Activity Jumper – a fave. This has become a huge hit with Isaac in the last 3 months. It is about the only thing that allows me to get supper ready and on the table.

Cloth Diapers – four years later we are still using our original cloth diapers about 80% of the time. We have had to get rid of some of the originals and buy some new ones, but we continue to be fans of cloth diapers.

The best part of our current stage is that Isaac has finally discovered a love for toys, and we already have lots of them in stock.

One thing I want to get better at doing with Isaac is reading more regularly, one on one (we already have a ton of books). We always read to our boys at bedtime, but I find that I don't read as often to Isaac as I did Jack. Isaac loves our bedtime story routine, but he is also in a phase where he mostly wants to chew on the books.

One item that we now own that we didn't when Jack was a baby is our Thule Chariot Chariot 1 bike trailer. We have taken Isaac on several bike rides in it and he loves it! 

Kelty Messenger Diaper Bag – has been retired (it's in the closet as a back up). This time around I decided to use a striped bag from Target that I love. I get so many compliments on it and I like that I don't look like I'm hauling around a diaper bag (plus I love stripes!).

Things we are not really using this time: 
Pacifiers – Isaac has no interest.
Bibs – Isaac somehow stays much cleaner than Jack ever did.
Baby Bjorn carrier – we went with an Ergo carrier this time (though Isaac is now too big to be carried on my chest, he can still ride on my back).
Neat Solutions disposable placemats – we have talked about getting these again, but really aren't super paranoid this go round).
Safety 1st Fever Light Ear Thermometer – we ended up purchasing a Braun Thermoscan Ear Thermometer (now discontinued) instead.

That wraps it up for the edition of products we like (and are still using).

A Look Back at products we used the most when Jack was a baby:
0-3 months  |  3-6 months  |  6-9 months  |  9-12 months

Baby 2: Our Favorite Baby Products (0-4 Months)

Isaac is four months now and I thought I would do a quick recap of the products we are using this time around. 

Most of the things we own are from Jack (second kids get all hand-me-downs, #amiright). We had two showers for Jack (a family one and a work one) and many of those items continue to serve us well.

Isaac sleeps in the same Fisher-Price Rock 'N Play Newborn Sleeper that Jack did. Though he has about outgrown it. We love it because it keeps his head elevated and it is great for traveling (and keeping in our bedroom). We will move him upstairs to his crib soon.

We still have the same Kelty Messenger Diaper Bag. Almost four years later, some of the mesh material is starting to rip on the travel diaper changing pad, but overall this has been a great bag for us. It's not too big and Daniel doesn't mind carrying it. I also use a striped bag I picked up at Target earlier this year. It is technically my purse, but is big enough to basic throw baby necessities in (diaper, wipes, changing pad and one change of clothes).

Our second-hand BOB Revolution stroller is still a favorite. This summer it came in handy for loading up gear to take to the pool. Since Jack is 3.5 and a good walker, we decided that we didn't really need a double stroller.

I no longer have the Baby Bjorn baby carrier – it really dug into my shoulders and I didn't like it once Jack was over 12 pounds, BUT I have really liked having an Ergo carrier that I am borrowing from a friend. It doesn't dig into my shoulders and since Isaac is already 20-ish pounds, it is a better fit. I wear Isaac a lot in the Ergo when we are running around. I really like that it keeps my hands free so that I can engage with Jack. Also, it is perfect for grocery shopping (Jack just stands on the cart).

Our baby gym is still a favorite with Isaac. I lay him on it in the mornings and he loves to grab at the mobile and kick at the hanging toys. We also use a baby rocker for naps and Isaac enjoys swatting at the hanging toys.

Plastic Bathtub with sling insert. This is a basic plastic tub we were given when Jack was born and we are still using it for Isaac. Isaac is almost too big for the sling, so I will be glad when he can sit up on his own without the sling.

We still use our Fisher Price Space Saver High Chair. In the reclined position (without the tray), Isaac can sit with us at the dinner table. Isaac is very social and cries if he gets left out. It won't be long until we are using it for giving Isaac food – we will be doing baby-led weaning again this time around.

Cloth Diapers – we are still using our cloth diapers. We had 30 that we used with Jack, and about 10 of them leak now. After 3.5 years we were just thankful that most of them are still good. We ordered 10 new diapers and are back to 30. This allows me to wash a load every other day.

Overall, we are still using most of the same products as we did for Jack. I did lose a box of Jack's 0-6 month clothes, so we had to hit up the consignment sales to supplement, but he is already wearing many of Jack's old clothes. Burp cloths get a lot of use and I'm glad we had a big stash from before.

Toys - at this stage Isaac is minimally interested in toys. But he really enjoys when we read books to Jack.

Things we are not currently using this time around:
Baby Monitor – we will use this once we move Isaac to his bedroom upstairs, but have used it minimally since Isaac sleeps in our room.

Sound Machine – we haven't used this at all.

Bibs – Isaac spits up a lot, but not quite as bad as Jack did. Once he starts drooling more, we may reconsider the bibs. It's a good thing we have a huge stack from 3 years ago!

Pacifiers – we have tried to give Isaac a paci, but he isn't interested. He likes to chew it but rarely sucks on it.

Thursday Things: 10 Products We Regularly Used for Jack (6-9 Months)

As a follow up to our favorite baby products at 0-3 months and 3-6 months, this list details the products we found to be the most useful at 6-9 months.

We continue to love and use some products (like the cloth diapers, crib, bibs, burp cloths, iPhone Nursing app, books, BOB, Kelty diaper bag, our Angelcare baby monitor and sound machine) while Jack has outgrown other items (Fisher Price Rock 'N Play, play gym and Baby Bjorn). The following list includes new products we began using on a regular basis once Jack turned 6 months.

1. Baby Einstein Musical Motion Activity Jumper – a gift that we introduced this around 5 months, but Jack didn't really love it until after 6 months.

2. Toys and Books – in general, Jack has become more interested in toys and he continues to love his books. Though his favorite thing is anything that he can put in his mouth {i.e. everything} and he has a special affinity for remote controls and cords.

3. Fisher Price Space Saver High Chair – at six months we started introducing food. His high chair has been the biggest help with this process. We are following the Baby Led Weaning approach, so he eats regular food, we just make sure it is soft and small enough for his hands. We love this high chair. We can easily move it from our breakfast area to our back porch dining area. We removed the pad that covers the chair because it gets too messy, especially with baby led weaning.

4. The Deuter Kid Comfort Carrier II – we actually have this on loan from my sister and brother-in-law. We love it though. It is great for hiking. The only negative is that the torso adjustments aren't quite long enough for Daniel's torso, so I get the pleasure of carrying our little man.

5. Recaro ProRide Carseat – at seven months, we went ahead and upgraded from the baby carrier to a full-blown carseat. We haven't looked back. We like the Recaro and are happy with our purchase, but we really wanted to buy the Diono Radian... maybe once we get a bigger car, we will swap.

6. Graco Pack 'N Play – we finally purchased a pack 'n play when we had friends visit in July. We let them use our nursery for their baby and put Jack in our room. Also, we knew we would need one for traveling, so we bit the bullet and went with the cheapest one that had the best reviews. It has worked great. We took it with us to Charlotte and Jack did fine. It folds up fairly small and I am sure we will use it the next time we travel.

7. Umbrella Stroller – just before Jack turned 9 months old, we made the decision to get a cheap umbrella stroller for our trip to Charlotte. Since we were staying in a downtown, urban area, I knew that trying to take our BOB stroller into cafes and shops might be a problem. The umbrella stroller served its purpose. The wheels were a bit of a hassle, they didn't always go the direction I wanted and the handles seemed a little low, but overall, definitely worth the $15 we spent. We still use our BOB revolution stroller a majority of the time.

8. Neat Solutions Waterproof Bib with pouch – this little food trough of a bib is definitely our favorite. It catches all of the food that would otherwise land in Jack's lap or the floor. We especially love it when eating out.

9. Footless pajamas – we love these for summer months and also Jack can wear them a little longer than the footie pajamas. He grows so fast that anything that will last a couple of extra months is a plus in our books.

10. Evenflo Johnny Jump Up Up – this swing hangs in a door frame has been a big hit. He likes that he can swing and try to walk. I like that I can keep him contained if I am trying to get something done.

Honorable Mention: Tinted Windows in our Subaru. With the extra hot summer, we are so glad we went ahead and had our windows tinted. This has helped tremendously on making the car less hot whenever we get inside. It also seems to cool down faster. A must for living in the south. Our next vehicle will have rear vents for the heat and air.

We are still trying to keep the toys and books from overrunning our house. I know that there will come a day when that is more of a challenge. Right now we are thankful that the stuff we do have is all pretty manageable. 

By choosing to use cloth diapers, continuing to nurse and deciding to do baby led weaning, we have been able to eliminate or reduce purchases that we might be making otherwise. I realize that these choices wouldn't work for everyone, but we are really happy with where we are at and it is working for us.

I would love to hear what your favorite baby products are.

Thursday Things: 10 Products We Regularly Used for Jack (3-6 Months)

About the time Jack turned 3 months, I wrote a post outlining our top 3 things we needed for an infant. Basically our little guy needed a place in our room to sleep, warm clothes to wear, cloth diapers, a good carseat and mama's milk to thrive {ironically I don't think I included any of those things in my original list}.

As a follow up, here are the top items we used for Jack during the 3-6 month phase of his life on planet Earth.

1. Crib – we moved him to his crib around 4 months. We were thrilled to be able to get a good, modern crib at a steal of a price from IKEA {we chose the SUNDVIK and painted and stenciled the ends}.

2. Bibs/Burp Cloths – our little one spit up A LOT for the first 6 months of his life. Bibs were a life saver once I started using them regularly. Our favorites were the Just One You by Carter's cloth bibs with a snap {instead of velcro} from Target.

3. Play Gym – Jack loves the mobile on his play mat/gym. He especially loved it once he could grab the little birds that were circling above his head. I liked having a place I could lay him where he could be entertained while I caught up on work.

4. iPhone – I finally upgraded to a smart phone {for work reasons} around the time Jack turned 3 months old. The iPhone was easier to use than my Kindle {one handed} when I was nursing Jack. Talk about improving my life. I could read books, surf the internet, and track our little guy's nursing/diapers/sleeping habits with the Baby Nursing app.

5. Books.Books.Books. – we read a lot of books to our little guy. As the months passed he has become more and more engaged in what we are reading. By 6 months he was reaching out to help turn pages and/or trying to eat the pages.

6. BOB Revolution Jogging Stroller – we decided to skip out on a regular stroller and picked up a used BOB Revolution via Craigslist {retail is $399, we paid a fraction of that price}. We LOVE this stroller. We use it regularly for running/walking. It fits our lifestyle to a tee. We do not own another stroller and are glad that we didn't go with a typical travel stroller system.

7. Baby Bjorn – for the first 6 months of Jack's life I used the Baby Bjorn carrier specifically for grocery shopping and doing chores around the house. It kept Jack close to me and safe. I liked that he could interact with people {especially as he got bigger and we faced him outward} but I still had control over this interaction with strangers. We picked up a used carrier at Unclaimed Baggage for $8 {this carrier generally retails for $74+ on Amazon}.

 

8. Kelty Messenger Diaper Bag – Daniel actually picked out the diaper bag we carry for Jack. Since Jack is a boy and Daniel didn't want to have to carry anything that looked overly feminine, he won this battle. We agreed on the Kelty Messenger Diaper Bag in black/gray. We really like the sleek look, durable material and the portable changing pad that comes with it. On the rare occasion I have changed Jack on a changing table in a restroom at a restaurant, I really liked being able to 1) lay our changing pad down for Jack to lay on and 2) being able to access things within the diaper bag without laying it on the ground. It is just big enough to carry several cloth diapers, a couple of changes of clothes, a couple of bibs and burp cloths, a toy or two and my phone and wallet. There is an insulated pocket for bottles, but it is not something we have used.

9. Baby Monitor – This item made the transition from bassinet in our downstair's bedroom to nursery on the second floor easier. It took us a while to get the sensitiviy settings correct. I had many a panicked moment in the first few days where I thought Jack must have stopped breathing due to our monitor going off. This item gives me a sense of security. Though having it go off due to a power outage in the middle of the night is not a lot of fun. We own an AngelCare Movement and Sound Monitor. We chose to skip on the video monitor so that we won't be tempted to always be watching him. Though we can totally see the merit in owning the video, we just didn't think it was right for us.

10. Sound Machine – When Jack slept in our room he didn't need a sound machine. He probably still doesn't actually need one since he is fine without it when we travel. However it is nice to turn it on when he is sleeping and know it will block out some of our noises and probably help him to sleep a bit longer.

That is about it. We don't have a lot of extra stuff for Jack. We haven't found it necessary to have extras. No Pack N Play. No bottles. No excessive amounts of toys everywhere. Jack's needs are met and we don't feel overwhelmed by stuff. Which for us works.

One thing I have learned since becoming a parent is that everyone does it differently. Everyone has different needs and different ways of handling this thing called parenthood. This is just what works for us... we know the days are coming where the stuff will probably take over, but we are enjoying having a limited amount of stuff at this time.

*Update: I don't want to give the impression that this is all we own for baby. Of course we have changing stations {two in fact, one upstairs and one down}. A bathtub for bathing – the one we have has a sling that held Jack when he couldn't sit up. That sling would stink to high heaven though, no matter how often we washed it!!! We own some toys and there are a handful of pacis on hand throughout the house. Teething rings and blankets are all important staples. I just wanted to focus on our top items.

Thursday Things: 3 Products We Regularly Used for Jack (0-3 Months)

Every time I try to make Granola, I burn it. every.time.

Cloth diapers really are saving us a boat load of money. Jack is 3 months old and we have only spent $100 on disposable diapers. Woo-hoo.

My nephew should enter the world sometime in the next 24 hours. Jack will have a little boy cousin who is 3 months younger than him. We can't wait to meet Levi.

I am not cooking as much as I used to, but I still manage to knock out 3 meals a week – we are eating more leftovers these days. 

I am almost done knitting Jack's baby blanket. Unfortunately Walmart is out of my yarn and I only need 1 ball of yarn to finish. Not sure what I will do if they are no longer selling said yarn...

After 3 months of being a mom, my top three products for baby are:

• The Fisher-Price Rock 'N Play Newborn Sleeper – Jack is still sleeping in our bedroom and this is perfect for night time as well as naps.
• My Kindle Fire – it plays Pandora (we like the Lullabye and Family Folk Song Stations) and it is great for reading books or perusing the internet when I am nursing Jack.
• An elastic hair band for my wrist. This is how I track what side to nurse Jack on... pretty high tech :) I just move the elastic band back and forth to each wrist. It is the easiest way for me to keep track (especially in the middle of the night when I am tired). If you are into techie things, I have heard good things about the Baby Connect ap for iPhone.

A typical day: Jack and Sophie napping on the couch while I work on freelance projects.