There are so many products for babies and just as many opinions! These are the 9-12 month essentials we have found most helpful as first-time parents. xoxo

Car Seat and Stroller: As mentioned in the Newborn Essentials, 3-6 Month Essentials, and 6-9 Month Essentials posts, we still love and use the Doona Infant Car Seat, UPPAbaby VISTA V2 Stroller, AMACOOL Battery Operated Stroller Fan, stroller blanket, and this Monogrammed Pacifier Clip Holder. The spring weather is quicking turning to summer so we now carry Supergoop! Sunnyscreen 100% Mineral Spray SPF 50 and these cute Zhengmy Kids Sunglasses with us in the stroller. When I am not able to make solo trips to the grocery store, this Boppy Compact Shopping Cart Cover has been so easy to use and has fit every cart we have run into.

Sleep: Previously mentioned favorites in the Newborn Essentials, 3-6 Month Essentials, and 6-9 Month Essentials posts, still include the Eufy Life S340 Smart Sock and Monitor, Hatch Rest+ 2nd Gen Portable Dream Machine, Kyte Baby Sleep Bag 1.0, Kissy Kissy Footie Pajamas, Moms on Call Next Steps Baby Care 6-15 Months, and Little English Fottie Pajamas.

Diaper: The Munchkin Step Diaper Pail, OXO Tot Perfect Pull Wipes Dispenser, A+D Original Diaper Rash Ointment, and Coterie Diapers continue to be favorites in our house. More detail on these can be found in the Newborn Essentials, 3-6 Month Essentials, and 6-9 Month Essentials posts.

Feeding: As mentioned in the Newborn Essentials, 3-6 Month Essentials, and 6-9 Month Essentials posts, the Baby Brezza Formula Pro Advanced, Dr. Brown’s Natural Flow® Anti-Colic Newborn Bottles, mushie Silicone Baby Feeding Spoons, mushie Silicone Suction Bowl, Comfy Cubs Muslin Baby Bibs, Dr. Brown’s Milestones Narrow Sippy Bottle, WeeSprout Glass Baby Food Storage Jars, Inglesina Fast Table Chair, and Hippypotamus Disposable Placemats Baby are now staples for us. I am still making all our baby food, especially as we moved into more solids, but when I am in a pinch I reach for Cerebelly Pouches and can feel good about the contents. The Dr. Brown’s Designed to Nourish have also been an easy way to introduce more difficult foods and make fun fruit popsicles for summer. We started the transition to sippy cups using the Dr. Brown’s Milestones Narrow Sippy Bottle and eventually fully transitioned to the Munchkin® Any Angle™ Weighted Straw Trainer Cup. We cut all bottles just after her first birthday, and while it wasn’t the most fun transition, she took to the straw sippy cup quicker than I expected and it is the only cup I have found to not leak. These Clear Waterproof Medium Name Stickers worked great on bottles and have worked equally well on sippy cups through many rounds in the dishwasher.

Bath: The 4-in-1 Grow-with-Me Bath Tub by Frida Baby, Noodle & Boo 2-in-1 Newborn Hair & Body Wash, Noodle & Boo Super Soft Moisturizing Lotion, NailFrida The Snipper Clipper Set, mushie Stackable Bath Boats Toy, Mold Free Baby Bath Toys, and Honest bubble bath still make bathtime a blast. More detail on these can be found in the Newborn Essentials, 3-6 Month Essentials, and 6-9 Month Essentials posts.

Play: As mentioned in the 3-6 Month Essentials post and 6-9 Month Essentials posts, the Lovevery Play Gym and subscription boxes, Frida Baby Not-Too-Cold-to-Hold, and Joovy Spoon Baby Walker & Activity Center are still favorites. Around 8 months, we started playing with the Wonder & Wise by Asweets Activity Push Walker, and closer to 12 months we started playing with the Wonder & Wise by Asweets Busy Box. Both of these toys are great to grow with and use differently in stages, for example, the busy box top can be flipped to a flat surface, perfect for pulling up and standing. We also added a Little Tikes Snug ‘n Secure Pink Swing in our backyard and have enjoyed being able to spend more time outside this spring.

Favorite books for 9-12 months:

Favorite clothes for 9-12 months:

Other baby-related posts:

Newborn Essentials 

3-6 Month Essentials

6-9 Month Essentials

Nursery

Traveling with an Infant (3 months)

Traveling with an Infant (10 months)

There are so many products for babies and just as many opinions! These are the 6-9 month essentials we have found most helpful as first-time parents. xoxo

Car Seat and Stroller: As mentioned in the Newborn Essentials and 3-6 Month Essentials posts, we still love and use the Doona Infant Car Seat, UPPAbaby VISTA V2 Stroller, AMACOOL Battery Operated Stroller Fan, stroller blanket, and this Monogrammed Pacifier Clip Holder.

Sleep: Previously mentioned favorites in the Newborn Essentials and 3-6 Month Essentials posts, still include the Eufy Life S340 Smart Sock and Monitor, Hatch Rest+ 2nd Gen Portable Dream Machine, Kyte Baby Sleep Bag 1.0, and Kissy Kissy Footie Pajamas. We have moved on to the Moms on Call Next Steps Baby Care 6-15 Months book and the Little English Fottie Pajamas have become our new favorite pajamas.

Diaper: The Munchkin Step Diaper Pail, OXO Tot Perfect Pull Wipes Dispenser, A+D Original Diaper Rash Ointment, and Coterie Diapers continue to be favorites in our house. More detail on these can be found in the Newborn Essentials and 3-6 Month Essentials posts.

Feeding: As mentioned in the Newborn Essentials and 3-6 Month Essentials posts, the Baby Brezza Formula Pro Advanced, Dr. Brown’s Natural Flow® Anti-Colic Newborn Bottles, mushie Silicone Baby Feeding Spoons, mushie Silicone Suction Bowl, Comfy Cubs Muslin Baby Bibs, Dr. Brown’s Milestones Narrow Sippy Bottle, WeeSprout Glass Baby Food Storage Jars are new kitchen staples for us. Since we had great luck with the mushi brand for spoons and bowls, we have added the mushie Trainer Sippy Cup and mushi Silicone Suction Plate into the rotation. When eating out we have found the Inglesina Fast Table Chair to be useful in some instances and the Hippypotamus Disposable Placemats Baby is a must when you have a baby who loves to chew on tables.

Bath: The 4-in-1 Grow-with-Me Bath Tub by Frida Baby, Noodle & Boo 2-in-1 Newborn Hair & Body Wash, Noodle & Boo Super Soft Moisturizing Lotion, NailFrida The Snipper Clipper Set, mushie Stackable Bath Boats Toy, Mold Free Baby Bath Toys, and Honest bubble bath still make bathtime a blast. More detail on these can be found in the Newborn Essentials and 3-6 Month Essentials posts.

Play: As mentioned in the 3-6 Month Essentials post, the Lovevery Play Gym and subscription boxes, Frida Baby Not-Too-Cold-to-Hold, and Joovy Spoon Baby Walker & Activity Center are still favorites. The BABY BJÖRN Bouncer with the Googly Eyes Pastel Bouncer Toy seemed to be most useful during 3-6 months. Dr. Brown’s Designed to Nourish has been a great way to introduce new foods while continuing to combat the pains of teething. Around 8 months, we started playing with the Wonder & Wise by Asweets Activity Push Walker, which is a great toy for many stages of advancement.

Favorite books for 6-9 months:

Favorite clothes for 6-9 months:

Other baby-related posts:

Newborn Essentials 

3-6 Month Essentials

Nursery

Traveling with an Infant (3 months)

There are so many products for babies and just as many opinions! These are the 3-6 month essentials we have found most helpful as first-time parents. xoxo

Car Seat and Stroller: We still love and use the Doona Infant Car Seat, UPPAbaby VISTA V2 Stroller, and AMACOOL Battery Operated Stroller Fan, which I have details on in the Newborn Essentials post. Since the weather has cooled down we are using the stroller fan less and this sweet stroller blanket more for our walks. This Monogrammed Pacifier Clip Holder is very helpful to reach and find the paci in the car quickly.

Sleep: We still love and use the Eufy Life S340 Smart Sock and Monitor, Hatch Rest+ 2nd Gen Portable Dream Machine and live by the Moms on Call Basic Baby Care 0-6 Months, which I have details on in the Newborn Essentials post. There are still times we use the Halo sleep sack with arms unswaddled, but we have mostly transitioned to the Kyte Baby Sleep Bag 1.0 with a pair of Kissy Kissy Footie Pajamas. The Moms on Call Next Steps Baby Care 6-15 Months has been great to read ahead on what is next after 6 months.

Diaper: We still love and use the Munchkin Step Diaper Pail, OXO Tot Perfect Pull Wipes Dispenser, and A+D Original Diaper Rash Ointment, which I have details on in the Newborn Essentials post. As for diapers themselves, we have found Coterie to be the consistent winner. Each baby fits differently and different brands will fit best at different times.

Feeding: We continue to be obsessed with the Baby Brezza Formula Pro Advanced and love Dr. Brown’s Natural Flow® Anti-Colic Newborn Bottles, which I have details on in the Newborn Essentials post. As we start to introduce solid foods the mushie Silicone Baby Feeding Spoons, mushie Silicone Suction Bowl, Comfy Cubs Muslin Baby Bibs, and Dr. Brown’s Milestones Narrow Sippy Bottle have been great additions. I am also making all the baby food at home with my food processor to ensure clean ingredients and save money, so these WeeSprout Glass Baby Food Storage Jars are handy for storing food in the fridge for the week.

Bath: The 4-in-1 Grow-with-Me Bath Tub by Frida Baby, which I have details on in the Newborn Essentials post, transitions to work well for 3-6 months. We also continue to use the Noodle & Boo 2-in-1 Newborn Hair & Body Wash, Noodle & Boo Super Soft Moisturizing Lotion, and the NailFrida The Snipper Clipper Set. Bath time is a favorite in our house, and it is extra fun when we rotate in mushie Stackable Bath Boats Toy, Mold Free Baby Bath Toys, or the occasional Honest bubble bath.

Play: There is suddenly so much play time in our house and I love it! The Lovevery Play Gym is a playtime favorite for us, especially when paired with the toys from their subscription box. We have also started the long process of teething and the Frida Baby Not-Too-Cold-to-Hold is by far the best teether we have found. As we start moving more we are enjoying the BABY BJÖRN Bouncer with the Googly Eyes Pastel Bouncer Toy, the Joovy Spoon Baby Walker & Activity Center, and the LAYCOL Baby Swimming Float for days at the pool. We also have an endless shelf of books, which we read daily, I will link a few of our favorites below.

Favorite books for 3-6 months:

Favorite clothes for 3-6 months:

Other baby-related posts:

Newborn Essentials 

Nursery

Traveling with an Infant (3 months)

Photo via Sabrina Leone.

When setting up our baby registry, I honestly had no idea where to start. There are so many products and opinions! These are the newborn essentials we have found most helpful as first-time parents. xoxo

Car Seat and Stroller: We love the Doona Infant Car Seat because it is so convenient to transition from a car seat to a stroller and back again mid-nap without any fuss. The largest complaints we heard were how heavy it is to lift into the car and that it is a little short for taller guys. While it is slightly heavy, it is comparable to a carrier and nothing I cannot handle on my own. Alex has mentioned that the arm is slightly short for him but it is not annoying enough to really bother him. We also love the UPPAbaby VISTA V2 Stroller for our neighborhood walks. The bassinet rides smoothly enough for a nap and it will be nice to swap for the forward-facing seat without having to buy a new stroller. As the weather starts to heat up, we have used the AMACOOL Battery Operated Stroller Fan on almost every walk and even in the car on some extra hot days.

Sleep: The Eufy Life S340 Smart Sock and Monitor is so easy to use at home or when traveling. The camera connects via WiFi and we are able to stream the feed on our phones wherever we go and on an iPad at home. The smart sock is my favorite feature for nighttime sleep because it gives me peace of mind and is integrated into the camera app instead of being separate. We have been living by Moms on Call Basic Baby Care 0-6 Months for sleep training and while we have made a few adjustments, it has worked really well! The HALO 100% Cotton Sleepsack Swaddle and Hatch Rest+ 2nd Gen Portable Dream Machine are must-haves for a great night’s sleep. We use a lighter and looser swaddle blanket for daytime naps but always have the Hatch on for sleep.

Diaper: The Munchkin Step Diaper Pail has worked really well in containing odor and keeping our dog uninterested. I think most diaper pails are about the same, but we have not had any issues with this one or the refillable bags. I quickly learned that baby wipes dry out quickly and are usually difficult to get out of the package, the OXO Tot Perfect Pull Wipes Dispenser has been a great solution to both of those problems. I miss having it when we travel and I spend a good deal of time struggling to get wipes out of packaging. Dottie came home from the NICU with an awful diaper rash and we tried every product there was. The nurses and doctors all told us to use diaper cream with zinc oxide in it, which most have, but none of those products worked for us. My mom swore by  A+D Original Diaper Rash Ointment so we gave it a try and it did the trick.

Feeding: If you use formula at all, the Baby Brezza Formula Pro Advanced is completely worth it. Dottie knows when it is time for bottles and I could never move as fast as the Baby Brezza. As far as bottles go, we have loved Dr. Brown’s Natural Flow® Anti-Colic Newborn Bottles because they are so easy to pack, clean, and have interchangeable nipple sizes to fit your needs. Babies are way messier than I ever imagined and I am constantly doing laundry, especially trying to get formula out of things. We have plenty of cute and good quality burp cloths that I love, but these Muslin Burp Cloths Large are great for the middle of the night or extra messy feeds.

Bath: Bathtime is a favorite in our house and the 4-in-1 Grow-with-Me Bath Tub by Frida Baby makes everything so much easier. We also really love the Noodle & Boo 2-in-1 Newborn Hair & Body Wash, which is actually tearless, and the Noodle & Boo Super Soft Moisturizing Lotion post-bath. I also don’t think I realized how often you have to clip babies’ fingernails, but the NailFrida The Snipper Clipper Set is very simple and has worked well for us.

Travel: We are fans of the Graco Pack ‘n-Play Dome LX-Playard because of the bassinet and changing table attachments. When traveling with a newborn it is nice to have designated safe places for sleep and changing. The Hatch Rest has a portable option, but we have used the Yogasleep Hushh Portable White Noise Sound Machine when traveling because it is already in the diaper bag.