It’s been a busy week over here. My brain overfloweth with inspiration for posts and topics but my bandwidth to execute is limited thanks to an on the move baby and my teaching schedule. In no way am I complaining about this, I am loving this stage of life! 🙂

To say that it’s hard to believe that Finn will be 11 months old next week would be an understatement. These have been 11 of the hardest and most amazing months of my entire life. I’m hoping to share more of it with you as we approach Finn’s first birthday!

For today, BABY ESSENTIALS! The last baby essentials post that I wrote was 0-3 months back in August when Finn was a few days away from turning 3 months!!!

I had intentions to do these posts in 3 month increments but I never got around to 3-6 months because it felt like I was using a lot of the same things as the 0-3 month post. It seemed like things changed quite a bit around the 6 month mark and they continue to do so! I’ll definitely have a fun 9-12 month baby essentials post for you soon!

When I was pregnant I was SO OVERWHELMED by baby gear. It all seemed so foreign and complicated to me. That’s why I want to share with you what has worked well for us. I can honestly say that everything listed below is something that we use and love. Most of it daily!

That said, remember that every baby is different but I hope I can offer some inspiration for those of you who are expecting or have babes in this age range. Please note that this post includes affiliate links.

BABY ESSENTIALS: 3-9 MONTHS

Items listed by row!

ROW ONE

• Wubbanub Pacifiers – I know that some babies aren’t paci fans but Finn is and we love Wubbanubs the best. They are so much easier to find thanks to the attached stuffed animal and they give Finn something to hold onto.
• Zipper PJs – these have been a lifesaver! They make diaper changes a breeze and they are so much more secure than snap pjs. I find that Finn kicks through snap PJs (especially as he gets older) and will have a leg hanging out of them at some point in the night. Bonus points for the inverted zipper style! These from Target are our faves.
• Sophie la Girafe – a wonderful teething toy!
• My First Blocks – while Finn is nowhere near using these as intended quite yet, he adores holding them. It is really crazy how one small brightly colored shape can entertain him so much.
• Board books – around the 6 month mark, it seemed that Finn was finally interested when I read to him. Short and sweet board books have been best for us. I’ll write a whole post about our favorite books but we love all things Sandra Boynton and “Snuggle Puppy” is a winner. I think I will remember this rhyme for my entire life.

ROW TWO

• Ergo 360 – babywearing saved my life! I cannot recommend it enough. It has been fabulous for everything from travel to shopping to getting things done around the house and more. I hosted a dinner party when Finn was 5 months old and the only way that I pulled it off was by wearing Finn as I prepped!
• Bob Revolution Jogging Stroller – okay, I get that this stroller is expensive but I cannot imagine life with a baby without it. I use it pretty much every single day to go on walks or runs. Even if you only plan on walking, the BOB is so nice and easy to handle. That said, I would not use it as my everyday errand and around town stroller because it’s not the easiest to collapse and load in and out of the car.
• Bouncer Seat – Finn spent a LOT of time in this thing until he was about 6 months old and could start twisting and turning out of it. It was a wonderful docking station for him while I did things like make meals or take a shower. One of my favorite things about this seat is that it vibrates. Finn really loved that!
• Minky Crib Sheets – I picked this crib sheet on Etsy because I loved the elephant pattern. I chose the smooth soft “Minky” fabric and it is incredible. I would 100% recommend the ModCloth Minky Crib Sheets to all of you!

ROW THREE

• Activity Center – YOU MUST GET AT LEAST ONE OF THESE! I have two…one for downstairs and one for upstairs, that is how useful they are. People…I cannot tell you how many hours of entertainment that this thing has bought me. I just sent my cousin this same exact one and their feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. I started Finn in this around 5 months and with every month that passed, he loved it more and more.
• DockATot – you saw this in my 0-3 update and it’s something that I continued to use until Finn could roll/crawl out of it. I got the most use out of it for showers/baths. I would place him in it while I showed and could look at him through the glass. I would also use it as a docking station after his baths. I would place a towel over it and lay him in it and wrap him up after taking him out of the bath.
• Glider – we have spent so many hours in our glider. This is another purchase that might be expensive but I promise will be worth it. I have spent hours and hours in our glider doing everything from nursing Finn to reading to him to rocking him to sleep. It’s a happy place for us.
• Music toy – my sweet Finn loves music and songs. We have gotten so much use out of this cheap toy! My dad actually picked it out for him at Christmas!

ROW FOUR

• Activity center – oh hey…another one! Please listen to me when I tell you that you must get one or two of these! I alternate which one is upstairs/downstairs.
• Breast pump – I have spent a lot of time with my Spectra breast pump. If you know that pumping will be in your future, you must read this post.
• Breastmilk storage – I have tried several breast milk storage pouches and by far my favorite is the Kiinde screw top pouch. Life was made even better when I ordered their adapter for my breast pump so that I could pump directly into the storage pouch. They also have a bottle system that is super cool.
• VTech Sit to Stand – this is one of those toys that has long-term value and truly grows with your baby! We’ve gone from tummy time playing with it to sitting and playing to standing and playing to pushing it around and practicing walking!

I hope that you found this helpful. I love sharing my motherhood journey with you and I just want you to know that my intention is to love and support all of you who are on the same path. Please feel free to reach out with questions, comments, requests, etc.

I would love to hear your must haves for 3-9 months!