10 FAVORITE BABY ITEMS (0-3 MONTHS)
In this series, I will be sharing all my “Favorite Items” from strollers to books and breaking it down by the big developmental months. These items made my life easier helped me with Caliyah’s development, and I want to share them with you. Due to Caliyah’s long stay in the NICU, we went into overdrive to help her excel cognitively and with her fine motor skills. First, you need to understand what babies at this age should be working on. The key skills that develop 0-3 months developing eyesight by focusing on black and white abstract objects, reaching for toys, showing interest in faces (staring at theirs might be a favorite), to name a few. Check out my below favorites. Click on the pictures to take you to Amazon. ( All links are affiliate links)
BLACK AND WHITE BOOK BY TANA HOBAN
This is the simplest book but so effective for your little one in those early months. Your child’s vision develops with each month, and they will start to see clearer, further away, colors, and gain eye-hand coordination. In the first three months, our babies can not see color and everything needs to be 8-10 inches from their face. This was our go-to book and great for visual stimulation. I would read this book slowly and describe each object on the pages. I could see her over time get more and more locked on the pictures.
SWADDLE ME- ORIGINAL 0-3 MONTHS
If you are a first-time mom, you might have YouTubed how to swaddle your child like me. I saw so many videos using your standard swaddle/ receiving blanket that broke down the tips on making a baby burrito. Well, I did that for the first month, but my daughter was a mover and sometimes would break out no matter how tight I made it. So I finally pulled this swaddle out from my baby shower gift pile, and I was mad I didn’t use it sooner. This swaddle is so simple. You slip your baby in the swaddle, tuck their hands in, and wrap each side over their hands and connect the right flap to the Velcro and you are done. My daughter has never gotten out of my SwaddleMe baby burrito. The great thing about this brand is they have various sizes that grow with your child and abide sleep safe tips.
BABY CRIB MIRROR
Above I shared how our baby’s vision progresses over the first two years of their life. One big stage is at eight weeks when babies begin to focus their eyes on faces more easily, especially their parents. They also love their face! My daughter was enamored by her face and would stare for hours as she explored and started to understand she was looking at herself. I love how this mirror can be hung from a crib. If you are looking for a mirror that stands on its own and encourages tummy time, then try this one. Between these two mirrors, you will be set.
ACTIVITY PLUSH HANGING TOY
This toy is so versatile you can move it from the crib to the car seat. I used it as a sensory learning toy to encourage my daughter to reach for toys. She loved the colors, animals, and textures for this hanging toy. I did my best to make hitting development milestones fun. My goal was to get her to reach, bat, interact with her toys, so I started by putting her toy in a place of comfort and hung a string over her bed, so it was closer to her. As she started to reach for it and showed interest, I moved it further away to build her mobility range. Now that it is ten months, I hook it to the side of her bed to encourage her to sit up, and it still does the trick! Remember to find those toys that motivate your child and repurpose them as your child gets older.
FOOT FINDER SOCKS & WRIST RATTLES
I LOVE these socks and wrist bands! This is the epitome of a simple and cheap toy that makes a great developmental impact. In the above toy description, I shared how I used toys to encourage milestone gains. Well, my daughter’s mobility and exploration of her body were delayed. She wasn’t reaching for her feet, so these socks were a big winner to bring attention to her feet. The wrist bands are also rattles, and get your child to start to shake and bring her hands together. If you want to go one step further and truly challenge your child, but the socks on her hands. This starts to build your child’s problem-solving logic. My daughter started to figure out how to use the other hand to pull the sock off. I encourage you to get creative with your toys and how one can be used in multiple ways.
TINY LOVE TAKE ALONG MOBILE
Get yourself a good mobile to help your baby self soothe. I can’t lie; I love to snuggle with my daughter and rock her to sleep, but I also needed her to learn how to fall asleep independently. This mobile is my favorite combo, simple and effective. You get to work on visual stimulation with the black and white colors, the music is soothing, and a great beginner mobile. A bonus is this mobile entertains at home and on the go: It attaches to the side of the crib and comes off easily with an additional hook-and-loop fastener so you can attach it to your infant carrier, and there’s even a large clip that fastens to their stroller.
UPPA BABY STROLLER
I love this stroller and the Mesa Car seat combo. I know I said I love the simple toys and items for everything, baby, but if you must splurge on anything, this stroller is it! I have not regretted this purchase, and it has been so ideal with all of the equipment we have to bring with us at all times. I went with the Vista, a double stroller, and you can attach a kickstand for that growing toddler, to support three kids. It comes with a stroller, toddler seat, and bassinet. My daughter came home late, but my goal was to use the bassinet not just for walks but also for her to sleep at night. UppaBaby even has a bassinet stand that can be repurposed as a clothes hamper insert once your child outgrows the bassinet.
MOON AND BACK BY HANNA ANDERSSON- SIDE SNAP BODYSUIT
I am all about kimono style onesies! I leaned on the kimono snap onesie mainly because my daughter was a NICU baby and had a trach, g-tube, and lots of probes that we had to maneuver around. I love the long-sleeved onesie, but my daughter often ran warm, so I leaned on this short sleeve, cheaper, Carter’s onesies. The quality of the material is great, and after so many wears and washes still looks brand new.
THE MANHATTAN TOY WINKEL RATTLE- This is the simplest and cheapest toy we have, and it is Caliyah’s go-to toy! The combo of the bright colors, the abstract shape, and its easy-grip access with the thin handles. Right around month three, your focus is on getting your child to reach and grab for objects. This toy will enamor your child, and the toy's light weight allows them to switch from hand to hand. I also use this toy to encourage her to roll over, and she loves to track it. As you can see, this toy is very versatile.
BABY LOUNGER-CO SLEEP BASSINET
I debated if I wanted to get this or the infamous brand named- DockATot; well, this is a knock-off version, and it works amazingly. It is of great quality, comfy, and has a tie adjustment that allows it to grow in length with your baby. This lounger is half the prize of DockaTot; if you are trying to save money, I would say to go with this version. It allows your baby to sleep in all areas of your home, and you can easily pack it for family trips. I take this downstairs for my daughter’s naps, and in our room, for when she sleeps in our bed. I even took it to the beach, as I said, it can go anywhere! No matter what version you get, a portable lounger is the key to moving freely with your baby.