About this time, Turtle started pulling up on EVERYTHING! Grandma would joke and say, "That girl would sleep standing up if she could!" So, the exersaucer was out because it just frustrated her too much. Although she would pull up on the outside and play with the toys. We got this play table (or one very similar to it) at a consignment store (seeing a pattern, I'm a big fan of second hand stuff!) and it because a huge hit. Turtle was known for spending half her day just walking around and around and around it playing with all the different things.
Push Cart
Turtle also started wanting to walk around this time and this little push cart was AWESOME! Again, a consignment store find for less than half the price of retail. The cool thing about this one is that it had activity things on the front so it could be used both when she wanted to walk and when she wanted to just sit and play. We spent lots of time pointing her in a clear direction because she would just go until something stopped her (like a wall) and then get mad because she could go any further.
Plum Organic Baby Food and Twist on Spoons
We waited until 6 months to start Turtle on solid food so, by 9 months she was going strong. These squeezy style baby food containers were amazing. And the spoons that screw directly on them were a life saver for our busy on-the-go lifestyle! Also note that the Plum Organic spoons fit on any of the screw type squeezy pouch baby foods (or at least all the ones I've tried). These aren't cheap and Grandma usually used the jarred food during the week since it was cheaper and she was home, but for us on the weekends these were awesome and worth the extra price.
Ready to feed formula bottles
Another thing that helped with our crazy weekend warrior lifestyle was the Ready to Feed 8 oz formula packs. Around this time, Turtle dropped down to only 2 bottles a day, one in the morning and one in the evening. So, carrying around a dispenser of formula and an entire bottle of water just wasn't worth it. Again, these are more expensive, but the convenience made it worth having a pack on hand just for the weekend.
Puffs
While we are talking about food stuff, Puffs saved our sanity on more than one occasion! And yes, I was that pregnant woman who said, "I'll never give my child processed food." Um... yeah. Reality is a B! A few puffs can make the difference between having a fun lunch out with friends and a disaster! I like the Plum Organic ones because the container fits nicely in our diaper bag.
Soft Structured Carrier
Between 6 and 9 months, Turtle became very stable when sitting up which meant I could start doing more back carries and I discovered the awesomeness that is the soft structured carrier. I was lucky enough to have a Babywearing Meetup.com group in my area that had a lending library. So, I was able to try out a couple of different carriers before buying one. I decided on the Boba 2G carrier (see link above) but there a a bunch of good ones out there including the Ergo. Why did I go with the Boba? I like that the waist belt is long enough for my husband to use without needing a belt extender. Other than that...personal preference. So, if there is anyway for your to try out different carriers either in stores, through friends or a babywearing group lending library, I highly recommend it! This thing gets used literally every.single.day! My husband is in school 4 nights a week which means I'm on my own. One of the issues I have is how to carry everything in from the car. Basically she cries anytime I leave her alone whether that's in the car or the high chair while I carry stuff in. So, if it weren't for this thing, I have no idea how I would get unloaded every evening. Additionally it helps me get stuff done like laundry, dishes, bottles made, etc. Turtle is perfectly happy to hang out in it for as long as I needed. I also use it when we are out shopping or doing errands. I've become a pro at getting her in it and can do it in a few seconds. So it's great for quick trips in and out, but it's also comfortable enough to carry for longer times like at the mall or festivals. It's also a lot easier to use than a stroller sometimes. Every one's needs are different, but I highly recommend having a soft structured carrier in your arsenal if you plan to babywear!
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