Baby Essentials: Months 5 & 6

5/4/2020

Baby Essentials: Months 5 & 6

I finally understand what everyone told me about having a new baby - sometimes the days can be long, but the months are short. They were so right! Somehow Noah is already 6 months next week and he's has turned from a teeny newborn nuzzled in my arms to a little baby boy rolling around, full of personality, big smiles, tons of facial expressions, and some serious laughs! He's a huge fan of playtime, giggling with mama, flying like superman, being outside and staring up at the trees, watching us chop and cook in the kitchen, splashing during bath time, and sleeping (hallelujah, never thought we'd get here!). While I have all of our baby gear and registry must-haves on my Amazon shop, I figured it could be helpful to put some of our latest favorites right here with a little more context for any other new mamas!

Play Time Favorites

I bet a lot of new mamas say the same thing when asked what they do with their baby all day - feed. play. sleep... and repeat and repeat and repeat. He's awake for longer periods of time now, so finding things to do to keep us busy during playtime are key. Here are some of our must-haves!

Lovevery Play Gym - We spend a ton of time in this play gym! It's designed by baby development experts for the first year of playtime. There are different areas on the mat for baby to explore colors, feel various textures, find hidden objects, touch and bat at toys overhead, etc. You'll also do plenty of tummy time here! I like to keep it interesting and switch out some of the hanging toys and also hang extra ones with these links. Noah's latest favorite is this cloud toy (you can also hang it on the stroller) - he grabs onto the hanging cloud and gets super excited every time he pulls it down and it shakes back up. 

Kick 'n Play Piano Gym - this is a great alternative to the Lovevery play gym and is a bit smaller if you need something more compact. We keep this one at my parents' house and Noah loves it for tummy time. Every time he kicks his feet, he makes music on the piano!

Baby Drum - this light-up musical drum is the best! At first, Noah wasn't sure what to do with it, but after putting him in my lap and putting the drum in his lap and showing him how to play it, he picked it up within a day or two! Now he bangs on the drum himself with a huge smile on his face!

Bouncer seat - Noah gets antsy in a carrier, so if I have any hope of getting anything done, I put him in this Baby Bjorn seat. It's the perfect thing to put on the kitchen island while I'm cooking. We do a "cooking show" every day where I walk him through what I'm making and describe everything in detail LOL... the things we do to keep them entertained, right!? Speaking of keeping them entertained, this toybar is a MUST to add on to your bouncer seat!

Snugapuppy Cradle 'n Swing - he was definitely not a fan of the mamaRoo, although I know tons of other babies love it, but luckily, he does well in this swing. I put him in it while I shower and get ready for the day and it's a lifesaver.

Tummy Time Water Mat - this inflatable water mat is another fun one for tummy time. Pushing on the mat and watching the little fishies swimming around will keep them entertained (for a few minutes at least, ha!)!

Books - we do a lot of reading during playtime... I linked some of my favorites on my amazon shop - check them out here! 

​Clothes

There are a few clothing brands that Noah just lives in... they're all super soft, cozy, and cute! I love the onesies that are either zip up or magnetic - much easier than dealing with all the snaps! Our faves: KicKee Pants, Posh Peanut, Magnetic Me & Burt's Bees. Aside from onesies, he lives in clothes from H&M, Zara, and Splendid. And obviously every mama and baby needs a matching pajama set - I love the ones from Hanna Andersson & Roller Rabbit. 

Other Essentials

Diapers - obviously a major necessity! We used Honest diapers at the beginning but switched to Boo a couple months ago and love them! They're made from bamboo which means they're softer, more absorbent, more environmentally friendly. Win on all fronts! Use code WEEKNIGHTBITE at checkout for a discount!

Sound machine - we use this every night on the little table next to Noah's crib and also take it with us for his naptime walks in the stroller! 

Stroller - we have the Uppa Baby Vista stroller which is definitely an investment but we really really love it! It's smooth, sturdy, holds a ton of stuff in the bottom, and I like that one day it will be compatible to use as a double stroller!

Bathtub - we just had to upgrade from the small bathtub he got when he was first born to a bigger one that he can use now and grow into when he's even bigger and sitting up on his own. Don't forget your gentle baby bath products - I love these!

​I think that does it! Hope that's helpful and I'll keep updating my amazon shop with our favorites as time goes on!