We used this thing SO, SO much! It was our high chair before Turtle was strong enough to sit up on her own. As you can see we used it when we went out to eat, to watch the squirrels on Grandma's back porch, and to try to help Mama play Catan. You are technically not supposed to use it on a raised surface (like a restaurant table), but we felt comfortable doing it since we were both sitting right there. We never walked away from her and the moment she started trying to stand up out of it, we discontinued it's use. We got ours at a consignment store and I highly recommend this route. This is a baby gear item that is only used for a few short months so you can find ones in good used condition. They are also easy to clean. However, if I had it to do over again, I would get the Prince Lionheart BebePod instead of the Bumbo. The BebePod comes with a strap that will secure it to a chair making it even safer to use as a presitting high chair.
We didn't start Turtle on solids until 6 months, but we've been using this high chair since she was just a few weeks old. Seeing that we have a dog that isn't child friendly, I wasn't able to just sit her on a blanket on the floor when I cleaned the kitchen or made dinner. This was a life saver! I could strap her in here, puts some toys on her tray and talk to her while I cleaned the kitchen, etc. We would have had a hard time finding the floor space for a full size high chair so this one that straps onto an existing dining room chair was just perfect for us. I've heard people complain that it didn't fit on their chairs and was wobbly, but we've never had any problems with ours. We LOVE it!
Playmat
Around 3 months, Turtle became very interested in stuff, and a playmat was exactly what we needed. It kept her occupied while I took a shower or did other chores (up stairs and away from the puppy). Playmats come in all shapes and sizes... and price tags. From what I can see they are pretty much all the same so we went with a small, inexpensive one.
Carrier/sling
It was about this time that Turtle decided she didn't like being carried in my stretchy wrap. She has always been a very curious child and being snuggled into my chest was just too boring for her. She wanted to look around. I hadn't been prepared for this and didn't really know what kind of carrier to use at this stage. I tried a woven wrap but found it to be complicated, cumbersome, and hard to tie alone. Finally I settled on a pouch sling and requested a nice one for my birthday. It's super easy to use, quick to get to her if she gets fussy, and allows her to see out when she's either on my hip or my back. In the event that she does go to sleep, it's easy for me to adjust her just a tad and have her snuggled into my chest to sleep. I put her in a hip carry before she was sitting up completely on her own. I just wrapped my arm around her and supported her. But you should not do a back carry (in a pouch sling) until the baby can completely sit up on their own.
At this point, Turtle was the spit up queen! So, bibs were my best friend. I found myself overlooking cute outfits in favor of cute bibs. My favorite one of course was the "T is for Turtle" one, but as far as their usefulness, I like the Green Sprout ones best.
Next Up: 6 Months!
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