Monthly Favorites

**Currently a work in progress**
Okay, so I am a blog junkie and love finding new blogs to follow! One of my favorite blogs that I have been following for a while is Little Baby Garvin (a.k.a. Jessica's blog) http://littlebabygarvin.blogspot.com/. Jessica has a monthly favorites section that I LOVE, and it actually inspired me to do the same (but I give all credit for creativity to Jessica)! I will be posting some of my favorite Mommy & Baby things for each month. Keep in mind I am a new, first time Mom so these are just the things I knew about at the time and chose to use based on my experience. Also note* I have probably been using certain items since before the month they are listed under, but I wanted to take time to truly review them and make sure they make the "favorites" cut :)

 

Pregnancy Favorites

 1. I loved and used my Starbucks cold cups 24/7, always filled with water to keep me hydrated. 2. My husband bought me a body pillow from Target; it was amazing! 3. Victoria Secret Sweats- have always been a staple in my life and they fit wonderfully during my whole pregnancy. 4. Maxi skirts, the one above is from Target Maternity. 5. Women's One a Day Prenatal vitamins, I also used the Target brand prenatals whenever the One a Days weren't on sale- which were the exact same thing. 5. Loved the book 'Belly Laughs' by Jenny McCarthy kept me laughing throughout my pregnancy, and now I am reading 'Baby Laughs' which is just as funny. 6. I did most of my maternity shopping at Gap Maternity, Old Navy, Target, and Destination Maternity, I really liked how their clothes fit- except for Target maternity jeans (they were awful). 7. I loved Nature Valley Protein bars because they were salty and sweet and always helped me when I was starting to get nauseous and hungry. 8. I loved the app 'Sprout Lite' (it's free) and checked it every week for tips and info. 9. I took Tums every night as an added calcium supplement- they did NOT however, help with my horrible heartburn/acid reflux. (My doctor prescribed me Prilosec for acid reflux) 10. My husband ran out one late night to get me a heating pad from Walgreens...it was a life saver! I literally used it every single night. 11. Loved Burt's Bees Mama Bee Belly Butter. I also used Palmer's Organics, but after a while I couldn't do the cocoa smell anymore so I switched to this and was very happy.
0-1 Month

1. Carly napped in this Fisher Price Rock n' Play and it worked perfectly. 2. LOVE love love these  aden + anais Swaddle Blankets, they were great to swaddle her at night time because it was so warm. 3. These GumDrop Newborn Pacifiers were great, and we chose them because they were the pacifiers that she used in the hospital. 4. I used the Boppy every time I fed Carly and it worked great. 5. We preferred the Medela 5oz. Bottles because they already came with the pump I used and you can purchase slow flow nipples for them. 6. These Carters Sleep Gowns were awesome for middle of the night diaper changes! 7. We actually used our Graco Pack 'n' Play as Carly's bassinet in our bedroom; the vibration and sound machine was wonderful! 8. We were lucky enough to borrow this InGenuity Swing from friends of ours, and oh boy are we glad we did! Carly loved the swing and we did too!
1-2 Months

1. We were so lucky to receive these blankets as gifts for Carly because they are amazing! We used (and still use!) them as her car seat blankets because they are the perfect size! I'm not sure where ours were purchased, but I have seen the brand at Buy Buy Baby, Ross, eBay, and Amazon. Also, for any of you who are sewing savvy, this snuggly polyester fleece is available at fabric stores and the blankets are 30"x30". 2. Carly seemed to lose interest in her GumDrop paci's so we switched her to these Avent Pacifiers and she really liked them. 3. I started to really enjoy these Miracle Blankets as it was cooling down and they created a tighter swaddle that was harder for our little wiggle worm to get out of! 4. I read some not-so-pleasant information about Johnson & Johnson baby wash so I decided to switch her to Aveeno Baby Wash because I read great reviews and it's a lot more natural. 5. I also bought the Aveeno Baby Daily Moisture Lotion because of good reviews, including one that stated it helped with baby acne (which Carly had on her cheeks). It did help and made her skin so soft! 6. Fisher Price Rainforest Musical Monkey was another borrowed toy from our neighbor and it was hands down her favorite! It would always entertain her (and still does!). Thank you Jyl!!! I highly recommend it to every mama! The only places I have found him is online at Amazon.com, YoYo.com, and Diapers.com. 7. My milk supply was questionable because Carly wasn't gaining as much weight as her pediatrician wanted to see, so I started to take Fenugreek Seed. I noticed an increase in my milk supply within a day, but it does make you smell like syrup which is awkward, haha! 8. We started using these Johnson's Baby Hand and Face Wipes to clean all her little creases in between baths. 9. Discovered this EOS Organic Lip Balm and have loved it ever since!
2-4 Months

1. This style of Gap sweatshirt was my all time favorite. The sleeves were long and the flared fit gave plenty of room to grow. 2. My #1 favorite socks that actually stay on her feet became these socks from Gap (they also have pink which is what Carly has). 3. We used this Carseat Canopy and loved it. We actually used it right from the beginning, but as it got colder I found out it blocks some of the cold and doubles as an extra blanket in an emergency! 4. This Bright Starts play mat was a must for us! Carly loved it! 5. These waterproof pads are a MUST!! We started using them on her changing pad on top of the cute pad cover. These are a great & quick way to keep the changing area clean without having to pull off and wash the pad cover every day. 6. The Baby Bjorn is our carrier of choice- and I tried several different types of slings and carriers. The Bjorn just felt the most secure to me and Carly enjoyed it (and still loves it!). 7. This was the month the Bumbo Seat was starting to be used and it became an instant favorite! I started having Carly sit in it while she showered with me and it worked out perfect (now at almost 7 months, we still do this). 8. Once Carly didn't want to be swaddled anymore, we switched her to this Halo Sleepsack and it has worked out great ever since!
4-5 Months

 

1. Carly LOVES her Sophie the Giraffe Teether! It's a staple whenever we go out. 2. This Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn Magic Mirror is a huge hit! 3. We love us some Veggie Tales around here and I always find a good deal on them at Target. 4. CLOTH DIAPERS!!! So happy I switched Carly to cloth, best decision I've made. Carly wears the adjustable once size diapers from Just Simply Baby. 5. Along with cloth diapers, I also use cloth wipes which are these washcloths from Babies R Us and they work great. 6. My choice for the cutest socks (with an excellent fit!) for special outfits are these from Mud Pie. 7. These leg warmers are great because you can change a diaper without the added job of removing pants! They are also great to keep in her diaper bag for in case it cools off in the evening and she isn't wearing long pants. 8. We were given this Baby Trend walker as a gift and Carly LOVES it. My little Miss Independent really enjoys strolling around the house doing her own thing (as long as I'm in her sights, of course). 9. After lots of trial & error wardrobe changes over the first few months, I figured out that my favorite clothing brands for Carly based on fit, quality, & selection are Carter's, Koala Baby, and Baby Gap.
5-6 Months

1. Hands down, best toy we have ever gotten for Carly! Ever since the day we brought home this  Fisher-Price Jumperoo Carly has loved it, she literally jumps like crazy and gets so excited in it. 2. I love my Baby Bullet, I use it almost every day and it's such a champ! 3. Carly had started to get fussy during bottle feeding, so I gave these Playtex VentAire bottles a try and I am so glad I did; they solved the fussy issue! 4. After quite a few clothing and bib stains, I decided to get some of these bibs which are awesome! 5. Gymboree gymmies are my #1 choice for sleepwear. They are nice and tight on the wrist and ankles so they stay in place, and they are just so darn CUTE! 6. With the weather warming up and the sun shining almost every day now, I have started to collect various sunhats for Carly, including this one from Target. 7. I love my Baby Bjorn, but when I want to carry my princess but having her on the front of me just isn't ideal (like cooking for example), I use this Snugli Seated Carrier with her on my back and it is a life saver! So VERY grateful for my friend Jennifer who is letting me borrow hers. 8. These are the only spoons I have tried with Carly, but I really like them!

6-8 Months

1. I stopped feeding Carly out of the Baby Bullet cups and switched to these NUK bowls because I was tired of scrubbing out those tiny little jars all of the time. 2. My new stroller, the Baby Jogger City Mini is incredible! I highly recommend this stroller, because it is lightweight, folds quick, and maneuvers like a dream in tight spaces! (*see blog post "Carly's New Wheels") 3. I realized I never included my diaper bag that I am IN LOVE with, my  Petunia Pickle Bottom Boxy Backpack (similar here)! I. Love. This. Bag. It holds everything I need, the long strap slips over the stroller handlebar so easy, the fold out changing pad is awesome, and the backpack option is perfect. Every mom should have this diaper bag- it's that good. 4. Carly loves her books! She turns the pages and likes looking at the pictures, her favorite book being this Baby Touch and Feel book. 5. This Vtech Sit-to-Stand Learning Walker is just what Carly needed to begin pulling herself up, and now it is one of her absolute favorite toys. 6. These Starbucks VIA packets are a personal Mommy favorite of mine, because I LOVE Starbucks iced coffees and this is a perfect way I can enjoy it every day at home, but spend only a fraction of the cost (which makes my husband happy!) 7. We have been practicing with sippy cups more and more, with this Nuby Grip N'Sip cups being our choice. Carly can hold on to them very easily and the nipple is not too fast of a flow. 8. Now that Carly is spending more time outside in the sunshine, I make sure to coat her well with sunscreen and I use this one from Aveeno Baby  9. On what feels like the never ending quest for the perfect baby lotion for Carly, I purchased this Burts Bees Baby Bee lotion and so far I like it!

9-10 Months

1. Hands down the best $7.00 ever spent. No need to air up, just fill it up and play! Rushed out to get this bad boy as soon as the first hot days hit and Carly LOVES it. I purchased ours at Babies R Us (even though it's not showing up on their website). 2. A very sweet neighbor gave us one of these pool floats for Carly to use in our spa and it is awesome! 3. I have been in love with Carly's jellies (similar here) ever since I laid my eyes on them! She wears them a lot because they are easy to slip on and keep her feet cool, while providing some protection to the bottoms of her feet- but mostly they are just stinkin' adorable. 4. John's parents gifted us the highchair of our choice, and after much research and shopping around we chose the Peg Perego Siesta. It is truly an amazing highchair and I just can't say enough wonderful things about it! Best part is that it reclines, so if Carly gets drowsy after a meal we can just recline her back and she will literally nap there for 30+ minutes...and we will take ANY nap we can get around here! 5. Carly and I both became big fans of the Plum Organics brand of food- her for the taste, I for the wholesome ingredient list. You can find Plum Organics items at most baby stores along with places like Target. The food pouches are great for travel meals! 6. Carly loves this VeggieTales Ring Stacker toy! I like it because it is well made and super easy to clean- which is great because it doubles as a water/tub toy! 7. I use this Munchkin Formula Dispenser every time I leave the house- because you just never know when the princess wants a bottle...NOW. It is great because it can hold three servings of formula, each in it's own section. This will also work great for small snacks on the go! 8. I found it: my favorite baby lotion for Carly! I absolutely LOVE this Scrumptious Baby Cream by Original Sprout!!!! It is 100% vegan and gluten free-basically the cleanest lotion I have found on my personal lotion quest. The best part about this lotion is the way it smells and how soft it makes Carly!!! I love it. 9. Our favorite show around here is definitely Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Carly will actually smile and sometimes squeal every single time Mickey Mouse comes on the screen. I have never seen her respond to a character like she responds to Mickey, it is completely adorable!