Months Nine & Ten Must-Haves

I have to admit, the must-haves for months nine and ten have been a bit tricky. We really held off on buying any new toys, since Santa would be visiting right after the babe hit the ten month mark, and these two months are really so similar developmentally. We pretty much spent our time on tooth-watch, trying new finger foods, and holding our breath while Baby Tuna pulled up on anything that would stand still (and even one furry, four-legged thing that wouldn't). She was content to throw toss play with all of her old favorites, so there really isn't anything new in that department.

I really think Z would add mirrors, electrical cords, catalogs, refrigerator magnets, the dog, remotes, and mommy's laptop to the list if it were up to her. But since it isn't, here are a handful of things we were happy to have during Z's ninth and tenth months.

1. Britax Boulevard Convertible Carseat: After our road trip to North Georgia in October, one thing was abundantly clear, Z was more than ready for a big girl carseat. We ordered this puppy the day we got home, and thanks to Amazon Prime, it was in the car two days later. It came highly recommended by other mommies and gets great reviews and ratings, so I felt good about getting one. It doesn't overwhelm the backseat of my car (a VW Rabbit - not huge by any means) but Baby Tuna seems really comfortable.

2. Turtlemeter: Like most parents, we are always afraid of scalding our little lady's delicate bits in the bathtub, but no one likes a cold bath. Enter the Turtlemeter. He lights up green when the temps are just right (and displays the actual water temp), blue when the water's too cold, and red when it's a danger zone. Plus, this guy's fun to play with and talk to. 

3. Fresh Food Feeder: We got a few of these at our baby shower, and some of my friends swore by them. But Z wasn't sharing in their enthusiasm, no matter what kind of stuff I shoved in there. Sometime in the middle of month nine, she cracked her first tooth and finally couldn't get enough of these things. Apple chunks, frozen banana, both big hits. They're a bit of a mess to clean out, but they were the one thing that gave the Hubs and I some time to eat our dinners in peace.

4. Hooded Towels: We've used hooded towels from bath #1, but the Circo animal towels from Target are probably my favorite. They're way too big for a ten month old, but they're sooo soft and hold up well to washing. (a lot of our others are falling apart at the seams) They cost a bit more than I would normally spend on a baby towel, but if you keep an eye on Target's weekly ads or use the Cartwheel ap, you can catch a good deal. 

5. Cheerios: AKA: Baby Crack, AKA: That Thing Crusted On My Shirt, AKA: That Stuff Lodged Between Our Sofa Cushions.

6. Silicone Bibs: Baby Tuna isn't used to wearing these yet, but I love them! They're super easy to clean and the pouches are huge. 

7. City Mini GT: I included this guy a few months ago and I love it so much, here it is again. As I mentioned above, I drive a small car, a hatchback actually. And because our house is kind of small, too, GT lives in my trunk. I use it every morning on my run/walks (even though it's not officially a jogging stroller, but since I'm not officially a runner, I figure it's OK.) and can pull it out of my car and unfold it while holding the baby, a Tervis of H2O, and my cell. And with the yank of one handle in the seat, it folds like a taco and slides right back in the car. 

I always try to include a book or two each month, but this time, though I tried and tried to read Christmas books to her every day, Z was obsessed with only one book...Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, which was on our Must-Haves list a couple of months ago. The kid can't get enough of this book. It's the one she will usually pick to read before a nap, and without that book, I never would have been able to take a New Year's picture. Ob-sessed!