This has been an exciting time in our family! Roman is growing and mastering skills daily! Here are my top 5 picks from this last month.
- Wrap carrier by Keababies ($24.95)
We’ve been using a fabric wrap carrier since Roman was a few weeks old, but now that he’s bigger I tend to use the Ergo when we’re out and about (it’s easier on my back). However, at home, the wrap carrier is so much easier to use! It’s comfortable and comes in super handy when someone is being fussy and clingy (which is pretty often these days). I’ve spent many nights carrying him around in the carrier, rocking him as I watch TV. Anything to save my arms and my back!
https://www.amazon.com/Baby-Wrap-Carrier-KeaBabies-All/dp/B075GWFZRV/ref=sr_1_3_s_it?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1540679152&sr=1-3&keywords=keababies%2Bwrap&dpID=41E8ZBE3utL&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch&th=1
2. Park swings
Roman has a lot more head and neck control, so I’ve been putting him in the infant swings at the playground now. He loves it! Logan can usually make him laugh by kissing him or jumping around him as he swings back and forth. The rocking motion almost lulls him to sleep most of the time! He can’t sit up unassisted yet, though, so I’m careful to only put him in the swing for a few minutes at a time until he develops the core strength to sit.
3. Grabease utensils ($14.99 for a set)
I decided to try a mix of “baby led weaning” and traditional purees with Roman. That means in addition to pureed fruits and vegetables, I’m giving him reasonably sized pieces of whatever we’re eating – usually soft foods he can chew easily. He actually prefers solid food over purees! Some of the products I came across in my BLW research are Grabease utensils. I got him a fork and spoon set and he’s doing great practicing with them! They are perfectly sized for small baby hands and have a choke guard so he doesn’t shove it down his throat and gag himself.
https://www.amazon.com/grabease-First-Feeding-Utensil-Toddler/dp/B077XVVVPM/ref=sr_1_1_s_it?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1540679094&sr=1-1&keywords=grabease&th=1
4. DoTerra essential oils
Roman was given the gift of teething early (completely unexpected given that Logan didn’t sprout a tooth until 13 months). His first tooth broke through at 5 months old! He has another one and one more working its way through now. My perfectly happy, easygoing baby has become a complete mess during this teething phase. We tried every product out there – frozen teething toys, breast milk popsicles, Sophie the Giraffe teether, teething tablets, teething gel, Advil, Tylenol, a wet washcloth, a baltic amber teething necklace, and a handful of teething toys – and none of them worked. Then my friend gave me a roller stick of a mix of essential oils (copaiba and clove diluted with coconut oil), and it has worked wonders! I’ve been using it on him a few times a day and it has significantly reduced his screaming fits! Not to mention, it makes him smell like a fall candle.
5. Manhattan Toy Atom Rattle and Teether Grasping Activity Baby Toy ($8.99)
Roman loves sticking everything in his mouth at this point, even though he won’t take a pacifier. He tends to shove things so far back in his mouth that he coughs and gags, but thankfully this toy allows him to chew and suck on it without that risk! He loves shaking it around and gnawing on it. It hasn’t helped much with the teething tantrums, but it’s one of his current favorite toys!
https://www.amazon.com/Manhattan-Toy-Teether-Grasping-Activity/dp/B06WWR2RQ7/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?ie=UTF8&qid=1540678918&sr=8-1-spons&keywords=atom+rattle+%26+teether+grasping+activity+baby+toy&psc=1
