Toys | Simply P.Chee

Alright, becoming a mom has catapulted me into a whole new, crazy world of baby products. There are so many things out there! I definitely recommend doing some research on pros and cons of moms favorite products as you can easily spend a small fortune! Having a little one in a large family that hasn’t had a baby for quite some time had its advantages, I definitely got hooked up at my baby shower! Here are some of my favorite baby items during our first 6 months…. . .

Video Monitor - We have the BestView™ Handheld Color Video Monitor by Summer. Awesome! It zooms in, out and you can move the camera using the monitor! As a new mom (and a worrier) it gives me a sense of peace to just be able to check the monitor when I hear a concerning noise (especially since our master bedroom is downstairs and the baby room is upstairs). It’s so helpful when putting her down to sleep and not having to run in when I hear her cry to make sure everything is okay, I can just look on the monitor and let her fuss it out if needed! Not to mention it’s quite entertaining to see what she does in that crib when not sleeping! (And you can add more cameras if so desired)

Itzbeen™ - Okay, I’m not OCD and I wasn’t a completely crazy “baby scheduler” or anything like that….but I have come across this baby timer, itzbeen, that seriously helped me keep track of things during those first few months. I wasn’t getting a lot of sleep, I tend to be a bit scattered at times to begin with and was thankful for any reminders and help I could get. It’s a little device you can clip onto your baby bag or whatever and keep track of when the baby last ate, napped or had a diaper change. I did end up using it mostly to track our feeding “schedule,” very helpful to me as I tend to lose track of time (especially when I”m out)!

Pacifier - I know some kids don’t take to them and everyone has an opinion on this, but Adeline loves her binky. There is nothing like soothing a miserable baby with a device that allows him/her to suck. If your child is waking up in the middle of the night every time their pacifier falls out and is beyond addicted to this little device…there may be room for concern. But using it as an aid to calm and soothe your baby makes for a happy baby AND mommy Our favorite – Gerber NUK pacifiers.

A Favorite Blanket & Baby Music – there is nothing like cuddling your baby in their favorite, soft and comfy blanketwhile singing them to sleep (or humming…). Adeline received a beautiful pink/brown plush blanket with her name embroidered on it as a gift. It’s soft, easily washable and doesn’t look worn. Best blanket ever. Her favorite music is Praise Baby Collection (Praises & Smiles). Such a sweet collection of praise songs, creates a soothing and peaceful environment for all of us!

Baby Seats – I quickly learned that for the first few months babies really don’t do anything at all and when they are not sleeping or eating – you’re holding them. So when I’m in the kitchen trying to make dinner and the baby is up, I need a place to put her. Two seats I have and love 1) My Little Lamb™ Infant Seat by Fisher Price 2) BABYBJÖRN Babysitter Balance. Both are great. My Little Lamb seat is very plush and has options to play music/vibrate. Great place to sleep, rest and snuggle…seriously, I wish they made one for adults. I did get much more long term use from the Babysitter Balance. It has 3 different positions and folds flat (convenient when storing or throwing in the car for grandmas). Adeline loved to bounce herself in this chair as she got older and I used it for the majority of her first year.

Boppy™ Pillow – I love to nurse Adeline on her Boppy Pillow. It provides great support and comes in a variety of cute covers for options. Its also a great support when learning how to sit!

Activity Baby Playmat – Great toy for infants. Provides lots of amusement for the little ones especially when they start reaching. Also a great item for tummy time! I have the “Skip Hop Outer Space Activity Playmat” and loved it. It’s a great colorful and fun playmat. It came with a little pillow and a variety of hanging toys, including different sounds and a mirror.

Baby Carrier – We have the BABYBJÖRN Baby Carrier Air. I have heard that this one puts too much pressure on the shoulders and back instead of the hips, but I have nothing to compare it too. As she got older it did get heavy, but then again Adeline was a big baby! We loved this because it was great for traveling, walking the dog, going to the market and the beach – got good use from both my husband and myself!

Rainforest™ Jumperoo™ by Fisher-Price. What a fun jumping seat! This item provided our little one with such great entertainment. In the beginning she would just look and reach for the colorful objects – including the parrot and frog hanging above her head. Slowly she began to move in it and eventually discovered how to bounce – it was awesome to watch her learn and discover items in this toy. Now that she is older and crawling we can still get away with placing her in this when we need her to stay in one place – but only for short periods of time =)

Infant Car Seat - we initially didn’t get a infant car seat and just used a convertible car seat. We borrowed an infant car seat from a family member while out of town and realized how convenient it can be. Carrying the baby in when visiting someones home, to take grocery shopping, being able to bundle a child inside before taking outside (when cold) and especially for traveling! A consequence of infant car seats however is that infants often fall asleep and parents allow their child to spend extended periods of time in the seat due to the convenience. Studies have shown that this is a health risk for infants and sleeping flat is the ideal method. I preferred to keep Adeline in a bassinet attachment for our stroller when taking extended walks/trips but definitely used the infant car seat often due to the convenience! We used the Graco SnugRide® 32 Infant Car Seat. Definitely wished I had done a bit more research this area because I believe there are better infant car seats out there…but this worked, it was roomy and appeared to comfy for my little one – but I wasn’t crazy about its appearance, bulkiness and what a pain to carry (especially with a BIG baby!)