4.5 Months Old: Baby Gear We Love

in Henry

This is a follow-up to my first post in the Baby Gear series:  Newborn Baby Gear.  Here’s what Henry (and I) are obsessed with as of 4.5 months.

 

Rainforest Jumperoo:  Henry LOVES his jumper.  When I walk by it with him in my arms, he makes motions like, “Put me in! Put me in!”  Since his head control was so good, he’s been hanging out in the jumper since about 3 months (I put a book under his feet because he couldn’t reach the ground yet).  Now, he’s officially big enough for it all by himself.  He loves to play with all the toys – I never installed the batteries so it’s a silent toy – and jump jump jump all day long.  If only I would let him!

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Cradle ‘N Swing My Little Snugabunny: I thought the swing was going to be a ‘wasted’ item because he was never into it when he was a newborn.  But suddenly, around 3.5 months, it became VERY useful in helping him nap or fall asleep when he really didn’t want to (but desperately needed to).  There are several swing settings, it plays music, and there is a mirrored mobile at the top for baby to look at. 

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My only complaint is that I don’t think the seat is padded enough for heavier babies.  I put some blankets underneath the pad, and that helped a lot.  Henry is now nearly too big for the swing, so it really is a short-term item, but – like I said – if it gets them to nap, it’s totally worth it.

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Baby Play Mat and Boppy Newborn Lounger:  Henry loves both of these items, although he is beginning to outgrowing the Boppy.  These two items are fixtures in our bathroom, as Henry hangs out in them while I shower.  I have to say, of all the baby items that I received for my shower, the Boppy lounger was the most useful and most used.  I think it’s an excellent gift to give a new mom.  I bought the play mat on consignment for $7.  Now that Henry is older and can reach for things, he really enjoys it when I hang things from the bars.

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Nursery Items:  I love, love, love Henry’s crib – the Graco Sarah Classic.  It’s a 4-in-1 convertible crib so it will be able to grow up with him. Right after he began to roll, he got his leg trapped in the rails – I let that happen ONE TIME and then drove to Babies ‘R Us ASAP to purchase a breathable bumper.  He sleeps on a Naturepedic No Compromise Organic Cotton Classic Mattress; it was the cheapest 100% organic mattress that I could find (a lot are partially organic, which kind of defeats the purpose).  I’m not sure why I was so obsessed with getting an organic mattress when he lays on a ton of stuff treated with chemicals but… there you have it.  Regardless, it’s a really nice mattress.

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I also love our Stork Craft Glider (kind of like this one).  Gliders can be so expensive, but this one was more affordable, and it is still comfortable.  It doesn’t squeak, and I like that there are side pockets.

 

Henry gets changed on this changing pad (with this cover).  I like that it’s movable because it is usually on the floor!  It’s easiest to change baby on the floor, especially when he is squirmy. 

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I asked the Husband what his favorite piece of baby gear was, and our diaper pail – the Platex Diaper Genie Elite â€“ won!  I was pretty surprised to hear this, but then again, it is a pretty awesome pail.  It never smells, it’s easy to trash the bags when full, and the refill system is super simple to install.

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Blackout Curtains:  Absolutely necessary.  I resisted blackout curtains because – let’s face it – white, flow-y curtains look prettier, but Henry needs the room to be pitch black to sleep during the day.  These navy ones block out a lot of the light and feel nice to the touch, too.

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Winter Gear:  I rarely buy baby clothes retail (consignment is where it is at!) but I had to spring for this shaggy winter hat and the matching booties.  They are TOO cute.  Henry really likes the hat (it keeps his ears warm) and the booties stay on his feet (unlike socks, which he pulls off immediately).

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For Drool and Chewing:  Henry is a drool master.  I thought he was teething when the drool started in earnest two months ago, but no teeth yet!  Just lots and lots of drool.  We go through four or five bibs a day.  I really like these plastic-backed ones from Carter’s (worth every penny).  Henry also loves sucking on my new Chewbeads necklace.  It’s made of the same material as bottle nipples but looks like a ‘real’ necklace.  Win, win!  I really want to get this turquoise Chewbeads necklace next.

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Ultimate Baby Toy:  My iPhone.  I swore that I’d never let him play with my phone but… Yeah.  There are so many things you think you are / aren’t going to do with your kids, and then your baby is born…

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Check out that drool!

 

Favorite Ball: Rhino Toys Oball.  Henry LOVES this ball. It’s soft and flexible, and there are many holes so it’s easy to hold.  A great shower gift!

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But his real favorite toy is definitely Freddie the Firefly (which was a gift from the Fitnessista!).  This is truly a toy that grows with a child – the wings crinkle, squeak, and make other noises; there’s a mirror; there are several teething rings; and it can hang from a stroller or car seat.  I have bought this for three of my friends’ babies since Gina gave it to me.

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Feeding:  Still love my Medala Pump in Style Advanced and the bottles that came with the pump.  But I absolutely am obsessed with my SkipHop bottle drying rack.  It’s small – so it doesn’t take up a lot of counter space – but it can hold so much – up to 9 bottles!

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Especially now that Henry sleeps in his nursery, I am so grateful for our video monitor.  It’s so detailed that I can even see his chest rise and fall with every breath.  I also like how it shows the temperature in the room – we’ve been having trouble getting the heat just so in the nursery, and it’s nice to know whether or not he’s too cold.  This was a gift from my sister-in-law who has three kids; she loved it with her children, and I love using it with Henry.  Peace of mind is priceless.

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And last, but certainly not least, I still think my stroller is great.  We bought the City Mini 2012.  We are just now beginning to put Henry in the actual seat (instead of the car seat with the stroller attachment).  Babies aren’t ready to ride upright in the seat until they are either six months or have good head control and can sit up on their own; however, you can recline the seat so much younger babies (even newborns) can sit in the stroller.  Henry has perfect head control, so I recline it a bit, and he gets to comfortably sit in the front (he hated being in his car seat on walks). 

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Yes.  My son is throwing the bird.

 

I’d love to hear what baby gear you love – or your favorite items to give for baby showers!

{ 55 comments }

 

  • Lo October 31, 2012, 3:27 pm

    oh my god – flipping the bird!!! save that picture for his 21st birthday!

  • Leslie October 31, 2012, 3:33 pm

    The picture of Henry in his new hat is precious! Him in the stroller flipping the bird made me smile. Have a happy Halloween. Can’t wait to see Henry’s costume.

  • Liz October 31, 2012, 3:43 pm

    Totally agree with the boppy lounger – best shower item we received.

  • Andrea October 31, 2012, 3:43 pm

    My daughter is 3.5 months and is totally obsessed with Freddie the Firefly too! Too funny! I have been following your blog for a while and it is so nice to see what is upcoming in my daughter’s life since Henry is a month ahead! 🙂 He is such a cutie!

  • Aundra Weissert @ Fit for Life October 31, 2012, 3:51 pm

    Oh my goodness! Henry is getting so big, and he’s so adorable!!!! What a fun post, even just for all the Henry photos…

  • Erika October 31, 2012, 3:54 pm

    I just had to buy a shower gift the other day and I was trying to think of all the things I found so useful (I have a 15 month old boy) so I could get the most practical yet fun gift. I ended up buying clothes. I know! But, the shower was for someone that knew they were having a girl and I only get to look at and buy boy clothes so I had fun browsing the girl section for once!

  • Abbey October 31, 2012, 3:55 pm

    I have never had children or been around people who pumped. When I saw your bottle drying rack, I thought it was a pump, and it was the most terrifying thing I’d ever seen. Luckily, it’s just for drying bottles. 🙂

  • Helen October 31, 2012, 4:01 pm

    YES – I have noticed those booties in photos of Henry and meant to comment. A friend gave us a pair at a shower and the tag said they were THE only booties to stay on and they sure do! I was said when he outgrew them.

  • Brittney October 31, 2012, 4:11 pm

    Love this! I need to start the registry soon, so I definitely took some notes 🙂

  • Hayley @ Running on Pumpkin October 31, 2012, 4:12 pm

    Those baby blue eyes! Sooo cute. I also LOVE the look of Henry’s room – the walls are so pretty!

  • Laura @ She Eats Well October 31, 2012, 4:17 pm

    Henry is looking more and more like you. He is soo expressive!!!

  • Annette@FitnessPerks October 31, 2012, 4:20 pm

    I don’t have kids, but my nieces/nephews all love their parents’ iphones 🙂

  • Jen @ Little-Crumbs October 31, 2012, 4:24 pm

    Love the boppy lounger! We have the regular boppy, but like the lounger the best. He slept really well in it and now sits it in while I shower. I might have to checkout that drying rack, I have the one that goes in my sterilizer, but I need more drying space!

  • Joanie October 31, 2012, 4:26 pm

    We LOVE the Aden and Anais swaddling blankets. Now that my son is 18 months old, he can’t go to sleep without his BeeDeeeee (that’s what he calls his blanket). They are great because they are thin enough to throw in a diaper bag and they come in a pack of 4 so we always have one on hand. We just had to buy another set because his were getting ratty!! We also LOVEd the O-Ball.

  • Bo October 31, 2012, 4:27 pm

    Thank you so much for this post! I’m expecting a baby next month and still need to purchase some last minute things. I was actually looking into getting the same Naturepedic mattress you have for Henry. My only concern is that I heard the mattress is covered with plastic and am wondering if it makes any noise when the baby moves around? Naturepedic also has so many different versions of the mattress…foam vs. coil and 150 or 252? I’m so confused.

    • Caitlin October 31, 2012, 5:15 pm

      I got the cheapest one lol. It doesn’t make a lot of noise. Most baby mattress have some sort of waterproof cover and all crinkle a bit. I would think!

  • Ashley @ My Food 'N' Fitness Diaries October 31, 2012, 4:40 pm

    This post was SO helpful and came at the perfect timing for us! We are getting ready to register for baby here in the next couple weeks, and as a new mom it’s always great to hear what items/brands other moms love the most.

  • Katie @ Peace Love & Oats October 31, 2012, 4:40 pm

    Henry is too cute in his jumper! I remember when I was little we had a swing that you hang from the doorway and you can jump up and down. I think what I really remember is when my parents put it up for my little brother since I doubt I can actually remember that far back to when I used it…

  • Beth October 31, 2012, 4:43 pm

    Ive been meaning to comment about this for a while but keep forgetting! my sweet baby had a milk intolerance and it was super hard on me not being able to eat dairy so I totally feel you! The good. News is I read that around 6 months most babies outgrow this. She is now 6 1/2 months and I’ve been slowly reintroducing dairy and though I’m not eating dairy in full force (not every single meal of a much as I want) I do have milk as cheese and some ice cream (hooray!) many times a week and I think she is completely over the allergy. So there is light at the end of the tunnel! Hang in there I know it’s not easy!

    • Caitlin October 31, 2012, 5:13 pm

      I am sooo excited for this!

  • Nicole of Raspberry Stethoscope October 31, 2012, 4:51 pm

    oh man, this post makes me want a baby sooooo bad!!!! He is so freakin’ adorable.

  • Katie October 31, 2012, 4:54 pm

    Agreed. The Boppy lounger is where it’s at. Its my go to shower gift, for sure!

  • Morgan October 31, 2012, 4:58 pm

    The city mini really is the best. Our daughter is 2 and we still use it most of the time. I love how light it is, but so much more comfortable than an umbrella stroller. Love it!

  • Gina (fitnessista) October 31, 2012, 4:59 pm

    i’m so happy he loves the firefly! liv still loves playing with her lamaze toys 🙂
    you have to download the “call elmo” app. in emergency situations (aka verge of meltdown) it is a fun distraction 🙂
    xoxo

  • JLoS October 31, 2012, 5:03 pm

    I cannot get enough of Henry pictures. He is just adorable!!! (and I’m not even a “baby person” 🙂

  • Kelli October 31, 2012, 5:29 pm

    I was not going to register for one, but after reading your post I bit the bullet and registered for a diaper genie!

  • Jacquelynn October 31, 2012, 7:10 pm

    Oh, you totally need to send that photo in to the Ellen show or the Today show 4th hour! So funny!

  • Tammy Root October 31, 2012, 7:13 pm

    As you know, I love the stroller pic!!! 😉 He is so darn cute. Marea flipped me off a good many times in her 5 months! Gotta love the innocence of it all…

  • M October 31, 2012, 7:54 pm

    I don’t have kids, I’ll never have kids, and I know nothing about kids but I just have to say that Henry is adorable! He gets cuter every day! And, that last picture is hilarious!

    • Caitlin October 31, 2012, 8:20 pm

      thanks 🙂

  • Jolene (www.everydayfoodie.ca) October 31, 2012, 7:58 pm

    What a gorgeous smile he has!!!

  • Kath October 31, 2012, 9:40 pm

    These are my very favorite mom posts!

  • Sam @ Better With Sprinkles October 31, 2012, 9:51 pm

    Please save that last picture for his wedding – too funny!

  • MissPinkkate October 31, 2012, 9:55 pm

    Sister-in-law with three kids – are you an aunt? I feel like I didn’t know that about you!

    • Caitlin November 1, 2012, 8:33 am

      Yup! I have two nephews and one niece, my SIL lies in DC ( so not the one I usually mention ).

  • Victoria October 31, 2012, 10:15 pm

    do you use that stroller when you run? if so – is is comfy for you?

    • Caitlin November 1, 2012, 8:33 am

      No it’s not a jogger, but I do take it on long walks!

  • Reenie October 31, 2012, 10:43 pm

    Adorable photos….especially the one in his fuzzy hat and flipping the bird. HA!!

  • deb October 31, 2012, 11:38 pm

    My daughter LOVES her jumperoo. We have a hand me down from her cousins, I took the battery operated toy off of it because we just couldn’t get it clean. She will jump forever too. Doesn’t even need a bouncer and she’ll bounce 🙂

  • jennifer November 1, 2012, 3:45 am

    We had the diaper genie with our first baby, it broke a couple months before we potty trained. I got the diaper champ for the new baby bc you can use regular trash bags instead of the EXPENSIVE refills.

  • Verna November 1, 2012, 7:29 am

    We have a Freddie the Firefly too! Love him! We have a ton of those Lamaze baby toys and they are my favorite, hands down! My two year old still loves them!

  • Robyn November 1, 2012, 8:23 am

    Gotta get some Chewbeads those are so cool! I have to say the one thing I love is my brand new pikkolo carrier. I was desperate to find a good, sturdy, comfortable carrier for both of us and this one has ticked all the boxes. I also never thought I would use a bumbo style seat but ours has really come in handy. But I would definitely recommend getting a belt for it. I can see how easily a baby could flip out without one. Henry gets curer everyday, BTW!

  • amc November 1, 2012, 9:37 am

    I have so many of things you mentioned for my almost 5 month old boy too! Also, a friend recommended the most glorious creation to me –> SOCK-ONs. They keep baby socks in place. They are $8 on amazon for only 4 inches of fabric, but I use them everyday and they work like a charm.

    http://www.amazon.com/Sock-Clever-Little-Things-Socks/dp/B001V9HJW6

  • Sara November 1, 2012, 10:20 am

    Henry is by far one of THE cutest babies I have ever seen….what a smile!!!

  • Megan @ The Road to Skinny November 1, 2012, 11:54 am

    That necklace looks fabulous! Molly is sleeping in her swing right now after a naptime battle this morning. It’s a lifesaver! I’m guilty of letting Molly play with my phone, too. She loves it!

  • Katie @ Talk Less, Say More November 1, 2012, 5:56 pm

    that last photo…L.O.L.

  • Patty November 1, 2012, 6:05 pm

    He is soooo darn cute!!

  • Bren November 1, 2012, 8:00 pm

    My daughter Zara is almost 5 months and she loves to be on her Fisher Price Rainforest Cradle Swing while looking at pictures on her colorful books. I tried the teething rings but she prefers to chew on her books, Sophie the Giraffe and her soft doll gifted by her grandparents. I bought the Smart Mom Teething Bling Donut Pendant in Bronze and have yet to wear for my daughter to play with. She also received the Sleep Sheep as a gift and it is a life saver when she gets ready for bed because it has white noises like rain and whales.

    I would have to say that my favorites are the Boppy (came in very handy with breastfeeding since I had a c-section) and a basic baby monitor. My husband loves the Diaper Genie pail as well! It was his idea to get it.

    I’m a new reader to your blog and am totally glad I found someone who is also going through the whole postpartum challenges every new mom has. 🙂

  • Leah November 2, 2012, 3:22 am

    Have you ever seen the bandana bibs that are made here in the UK? Bibble Bibs or Dribbles Bibs they are called and they are so cute. My sister in law swears by them as they wick wetness away keeping baby’s chin and clothes dry.

    http://www.bandana-bibs.co.uk/

    I’m wondering if you can get them on Amazon or somewhere in the US? Or maybe family can send you a couple (or I will if you really want a couple!).

  • Katie M. November 4, 2012, 10:08 am

    Hey Caitlin, quick question. How do you get the monitor so close to Henry? I’d love to be able to see my baby breathing (it would save me many trips to the nursery!) but I can’t figure out how to do it without mounting the camera on the crib, which the manual says not to do for safety reasons. How do you do it?

    • Caitlin November 4, 2012, 11:01 am

      Currently it is mounted on the crib. I need to move it to a shelf
      For
      Safety reasons!

  • Melanie March 28, 2013, 1:44 pm

    Hi Caitlin! I’m just curious how big (height/weight) Henry was when he was enjoying his jumper? My son is 4.5 months now and is still a bit small for the jumper – we tried but his fit don’t hit the ground yet.

    Thanks!

    • Caitlin March 28, 2013, 3:58 pm

      That’s when I started to put H in it. Put books under his feet!

  • Sarah L. Dixon February 9, 2015, 5:56 am

    Such lovely gifts. I have bought some gifts a month ago from Ginger Kids for the birthday of my niece. I bought some bibs, baby thermometer and baby backseat mirror. Do you think this presents are the best?

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