Baby products review: 6-9 months

There are lots of things that we now use with Cameron that I didn't anticipate us needing or wanting when she was percolating or even 3 months old. Here is a run down of products that work for us.* You are also welcome to refer back to my older post on 0-3 months necessities.

Feeder bags
A friend told me about these bags at a play date when I mentioned that Cameron was having trouble eating fruit when we started down the solid food path. I was in Target one day and decided to pick them up. The only problem? No one had any idea what I was talking about. I was about to give up and leave when a very nice sales associate flagged me down with the product. It took Cameron a day or two to figure out the bag but then she loved it. I would put frozen pieces of apple in to help with teething or fresh fruit. I haven't done vegetables yet but do recommend you mush the fruit slightly after you've put it in the bag. It helps release the juices and gives babies instant gratification.

Shoes
Cameron was a socks only baby for a very long time. But it started getting colder out and Cameron commenced with her commando crawling. When I saw the ground in dirt on her socks I figured that shoes had become a necessity. I really, really like the Robeez brand of shoes but at $35 a pop they are expensive. Target carries their own brand that are much more reasonable at $13 a pair. I hate to say it but the Robeez ones do stay on a little better than the Target ones. I have one pair of each.

Sleep sacks
Baby, it's cold outside. We used to swaddle Cameron which was great because I never worried that she was cold. At five months we unraveled her permanently and I decided that we would try sleep sacks as an alternative. Now Cameron knows that it's time for her nap or bedtime when she is put into her sleep sack. Sure, that means she whines a little but she also falls right to sleep. I'll probably keep doing this with lighter sleep sacks as she gets older.

Bibs
I said in my last post that you don't need to register for or buy any bibs because you'll get a lot of them as layettes or as one off presents. And that's true. What's also true is the number of bibs Cameron goes through in one weekend approaches 9. Assume 3 bibs, one for each meal. If I'm lucky then I might get two uses out of a bib but that's unusual. We picked up a big pack of Circo brand ones. While they will stain they do hold up well to repeated washings. And somehow they find each other in the dryer so that when I pull one out, they all come with it.

Pacifier holder When the whining gets to be too much it's nice to have a pacifier on hand, isn't? I feel so bad for moms who wanted to give a pacifier but their baby just refused. The biggest problem with the pacifiers is finding them. Followed closely by keeping them clean. The latter problem can be solved by a dishwasher. The former requires a pacifier keeper or holder. Make sure you get one that works with your brand of pacifiers. We use MAM so we have to use one like the one I've linked to above.

Safer bather
Now that Cameron is much more mobile she is just as likely to flip over in the bath as she is on the floor. Couple that with her swimming lessons and the girl thinks she's a fish. That's why I am so, so happy that we have the Safer Bather. I praised it in my last product recommendations and must do so again here. It really helps me keep Cameron in one place while bathing her. I know there are some cheap knock offs out there but at $20 you should really get the brand name.

Soft sided storage bin
There are a million kinds of storage bins out there so I won't link to any in this post. For the past few months we've kept Cameron's smaller toys (which let's face it is about 90% of her toys) in a medium sized soft storage bin. We plop Cameron down on the floor, put her bin next to her and let her go to town. She loves reaching in to grab a toy and casting it aside to start all over again. We haven't quite gotten to the "put it back in the bin" stage. The soft sides means I don't have to worry about her falling into it and it's light enough for her to tip over and spill all her toys out. We simply shove all the toys back into it when she's done and viola we have a much neater living room. It's basically a toy and storage all in one.

Musical table
My mom got this for Cameron for Christmas and she absolutely LOVES it. Before we started playing with this toy Cameron would stand for a few seconds and then get bored and topple over. Now she can stand assisted only by the table for many minutes. I still sit behind her to make sure she's safe but it has worked wonders for her balance and physical development.

Links
It's amazing what babies like, isn't it? But these plastic links have been a hit with every baby in our play group. Plus you can take a section with you on the go.

Activity Triangle
I think Cameron is starting to outgrow this a little bit but she still enjoys playing with it. The best part is that it is big enough for her to lean against when she was learning to sit up but light enough for her to pick up and wave around (with both hands). I got mine used so I included a link to the newer version.

Stacking cups
Like the plastic links I love how simple these are and the fact that even though there are literally no bells and whistles you can still interact with them.

These are a few products that worked for us in this age range. Anything you would add?

*No, I am not endorsed for writing these things. I wish...I just had to buy two car seats and a stroller!