My baby girl is 10 months!! I can’t believe it. She’s growing so much, and she’s constantly learning, exploring, and teaching me new things about her. She’s currently into her music table, she loves practicing to walk with a push walker, and she’s OBSESSED with my phone, so I got her this one – she can even take selfies!! Between 9-12 months, babies go through so many different developmental milestones, so I’m constantly researching and staying up to date with the types of toys she should be playing with and what’s best for her at this pivotal time in her life.
I was hesitant to even write about this because I know the idea of “sleep training” in itself can be controversial, as it is so personal and different from baby to baby. Sage did not follow any schedule for the first five months at all, but I knew when the time was right for both of us to begin working toward a more structured routine. We worked toward getting two good naps each day in her crib (I was notorious for holding her during naps or just setting her down anywhere) and sleeping through the night. It took time but was worth it for my own routine with work and tasks around the house.
I didn’t even call it sleep training, but here are five things that worked for us to get her on a more consistent sleep schedule:
Start with Bedtime
Before we worried about naps, I started to pay closer attention to when we were putting her to bed. While it won’t be exact from night to night, I made sure to become a little more consistent about our nighttime routine to get her used to forming habits around sleep.
Learning Their Cries
As crazy as it sounds, I’ve tried really hard to familiarize myself with how Sage communicates what she is feeling and needing at the moment. I’ve started to know what the “I’m hungry” cry is versus the “I’m tired” cry. This has helped us in the sleep department because I can differentiate between what may be her rustling around restless in her crib or what may be something that needs my attention.
Know it Won’t be Perfect
I say this because there are definitely times when naps are shorter or longer than “planned,” and that is okay. You can plan all you want, but at the end of the day, sometimes their little bodies have something totally different in mind. If you go in with the mindset that schedules may need to be adjusted and things may not follow whichever specific guide you happen to be looking at, you’ll be better off in the long run.
Create a Safe Sleep Environment
Ensuring your baby’s sleep space follows all of the American Academy of Pediatrics Safe Sleep Recommendations will give you so much peace of mind when preparing to have your baby in their own room for naps and overnight sleep. I invested in the Newton mattress (Linds50) for Sage’s room after seeing how breathable the material is in case she rolled to her tummy.
Do Your Research
You are your baby’s #1 advocate. With so many programs and techniques out there to maximize sleep, make sure you are taking the time to read reviews, parent testimonials, and program credentials to make sure the teaching style fits your own parenting and lifestyle.
Most importantly, do what feels right for you and remember you are doing an amazing job. Also, nothing beats baby snuggles, so soak it all in while you still can!
I cannot believe how quickly Sage is growing and that we are starting to have to size up in some of her clothes. Of course, I went right to Amazon to stock up on some of our favorites and found a few new amazing finds, too. I wanted to share Sage’s haul with everyone.
These pajamas sell out so quickly on Amazon (and everywhere!), so I always grab a pair or two when I see her size in colors she doesn’t have. The fabric is so comfy for sleep, and the zipper is great for diaper changes.
With Sage eating solids now, I’m always searching for a bib or cloth for all of the drool. I loved this pastel 10-pack for summer and had to get it, and these muslin cloths were a must-have, too.
They have the most buttery soft fabric and are super breathable for summer months. I love the little no-slip dots on the footpads for when Sage starts moving and grooving and the tag-free label for sensitive skin!
This sweatsuit will be perfect for cooler summer evenings. The color and the sun detail were too adorable not to buy, and I’m so excited to see Sage in it.
I’m a firm believer that a girl can never have too many bows, so I stocked up on a few more colors in this haul. And after Sage’s first pigtails, I went a little overboard and ordered hair ties in every color!
These ribbed rompers are perfect for throwing in the diaper bag or taking for quick, comfy changes. I love them! There are so many options to choose from, too.
When Sage isn’t in her favorite sleep sacks, we use wearable blankets. I loved this print and the muslin fabric for summer, it’s great for when she needs something lightweight for naptime or playtime.
Bloomers and rompers are SO cute in the warmer months with little knee-high socks. I love the material and color of these, and they have little grips on the inside that make them less likely to fall down.
I am loving doing these Amazon hauls and sharing them with you guys. This was the first time I did a clothing haul for Sage, and I am excited to do more!
It wasn’t until recently that we started having a true bedtime routine with Sage, and I honestly love it. It feels like such a special time together to unwind from the day and be together as a little family of three. Some of you have asked what our routine looks like, so I figured I’d do a quick blog post of what we do before bed!
We start our routine about an hour or so before Sage is supposed to go to sleep. With how our schedules are, the time varies, but we try to put her down between 8:00 pm-8:30 pm. First is bathtime! Sage absolutely loves the water, so this is always fun. We’ve been using Honest, or Mustela Baby products lately, both of which smell SO amazing, and have these little ballerina toys in the bath to play with (hey, have to start her love of dance early!). We also love to use the hooded animal towels after bath time to make sure her head always stays nice and warm.
After bathtime, we have a mini spa session. I lather her up with lotion, comb out her hair, put comfy jammies on, and get cozy. It’s seriously the cutest thing! I love using a lotion with lavender or other calming properties to help her unwind from the day and relax. I’ll usually put a sleep sack on at this time, too, just in case she falls asleep during her last bottle. As you guys know, I absolutely loved the Dreamland Baby Co. weighted blankets and swaddles for bedtime, but now that Sage sleeps on her stomach most of the time, we’ve been using wearable blankets like the Copper Pearl sleep bag.
After Sage is all bundled up and ready for bed, she usually takes a bottle while reading a story. I love the Comotomo bottle because it comes in a few different sizes, and it’s flexible enough for her to hold onto. We also bought these little handles for her bottles because they fit perfectly on the Comotomo for when she wants to feed herself. She is Miss Independent these days! For storytime, a few books we love right now are Moo, Baa, La La La to work on her sounds, Wherever You Are My Love Will Find You (grab the tissues!), and The Going to Bed Book.
If she hasn’t fallen asleep already, we’ll change her diaper one last time and transfer her to the crib for a good night’s sleep! It’s such a sweet routine we have together, and I cherish every single moment, I know it won’t last forever!
Incorporating Purposeful Play Into Our Daily Routine
When it comes to a baby’s milestones and development, there are so many amazing resources out there, but it can all feel extremely overwhelming. I remember starting to go down the path of wondering if I was doing enough or comparing progress in certain areas. I definitely had to take a step back and tune out all of the extra noise. I’ve found that what works best for me is simply enjoying my baby. I consciously take time to celebrate every moment, meet her where she is at and support her as best I can without putting too much pressure on either of us to achieve the “next thing.” For our family, this means we carve out 20-30 minutes a day for what we call “purposeful play” and leave the rest of the day to spend with one another, whatever that looks like.
So what is purposeful play, anyway? It’s really just like any other playtime, but I am more in tune with different developmental markers and further them. I’ll consciously do some stretching (yes, it’s the dancer in me!), work on head control, visual tracking, tummy time, sitting, and more, all while making it fun for Sage.
Below are some of my favorite toys to use while playing and working on developmental skills. I’m, of course, by no means a professional, just a mom sharing some fun things that have worked for my baby!
Visual Tracking
Sage loves anything that lights up. We used this little light-up toy wand to work on visual tracking and rolling, and it holds her attention forever!
Core Strength
We absolutely love bouncing away on a medium-sized exercise ball to build up core strength and work on different positioning. It allows babies to move more freely from position to position with varying levels of difficulty depending on which movements we are focusing on.
Tummy Time
It’s so adorable to watch babies stare at themselves in a mirror. We love the Mobi developmental mirror because it transitioned with your baby through different ages and used the Sassy Tummy Time mirror a ton when Sage was beginning to explore things on her tummy.
Sitting
It was so exciting when Sage started to become interested in sitting up and looking around at the world. We loved using the Sit Me Up floor seat and the Upseat to get her used to actively playing with toys in the seated position while she was still learning. Now that she is older and stronger, we started using the Sit-to-Stand learning walker because of how incredibly versatile it will be through all stages of her development in sitting, kneeling, and eventually walking!
It’s crazy how fast Sage has changed before my eyes, so the biggest piece of advice I will give is to soak up every single moment!
10 Things You Actually Need for a Baby You Won’t Find on a Registry
Being a first-time mom, I found myself googling everything under the sun when preparing for Sage’s arrival. I knew there would be so much trial and error to figure out what worked for our family, but I wanted to be as ready as possible. There are so many things the world wide web tells you absolutely need for baby- seats that bounce, chairs that rock, ten different noise-making play mats. Don’t get me wrong, all of these things are great, but I’ve rounded up ten things no one really told me about that we use pretty much every single day. They are definitely less glamorous but incredibly useful if you are a momma-to-be!
The Picker: This little tool is the absolute best thing out there. For the pesky nose boogers, dirt under the fingernails, eyes, ears- you name it-this amazing tool is gentle enough to remove them all without your baby making a fuss.
Car Camera: I felt like I could never get the perfect angle with the standard car mirror and absolutely love that this alternative can sit perfectly on our dash. The tiny camera is such great quality and picks up a wide-angle to see exactly what Sage is up to in the backseat. I also love that it doesn’t lose its video quality when driving at night!
Frida Snotsucker: And, back to boogers! This tool is definitely growing in popularity but is a gamechanger. It is so much easier than using a traditional bulb in clearing a baby’s nose.
Wet/Dry Bags: I’m always keeping a few of these in our diaper bag and car in case of a diaper emergency because, let’s be real, we know it’ll happen eventually. Whatever the case may be, these little bags can store diapers, wet/dirty clothes, etc., while you’re on the go and keep any smell locked in. The best part is, you can throw everything in the washing machine and reuse it!
Humidifier: As the weather changed, I noticed a little more irritability and congestion after nap time or waking up in the morning. As soon as we began more consistently using a humidifier, it was a night and day difference. Definitely, a must-have for the nursery!
Towel Warmer: Okay, this one may not be an absolute need, but it’s certainly made bathtime a whole lot easier, especially when Sage was a newborn. To have a warm towel ready when we transitioned out of the bath made for a much calmer bedtime routine for all. And added bonus? Warm towels for Mom and Dad too!
Drawer Dividers: Definitely stock up on some drawer dividers! Baby clothes are small, and you’ll want to be able to customize your space within a dresser for all of the tiny items and have the ability to rearrange the configuration as they grow.
Travel First Aid Kit: I love having this cute little travel first aid kit in our diaper bag for peace of mind. It has everything you might need in a pinch and may not have thought about it until you’d actually need it.
Baby Shusher: I’ve definitely seen this item on a few registries but wanted to reiterate how amazing it is to have a portable noise machine for walks, car trips, etc. This one is great because, at least for me, the human “shhh” noise definitely soothed Sage more than some of the others.
Carseat Cover: I’d totally forgot to get one of these until I was in the hospital seeing new moms with their baby in the car seat all covered up. So here is my friendly reminder to plan ahead!
BONUS Derma Frida: This sponge, brush, and comb is the best 3-in-1 for bathtime. It’s so gentle yet so effective in preventing cradle cap and dry scalp. A must-have!
SHOP THE POST
Let me know if there are any other must-haves no one told you about before having a baby that I may have missed!
It is so crazy how much Sage is changing every day. I absolutely love watching her grow, learn and figure out the world. I share and take so many photos because I want to soak in and remember every single stage as much as I can because it feels like in the blink of an eye, she has already grown up so much.
At five months old (I cannot believe it!), here is a round-up of some of the things she is loving:
I love this play gym because there are new things to discover at every stage of a baby’s development. There is a great little guide book that comes with it to share new ways to play and interact at every age. They recently introduced this sensory strand add-on that Sage is absolutely obsessed with right now.
We are working on sitting, and this little adjustable pillow is just too cute! You can reconfigure it to help your kiddo in tummy time, sitting, and side-lying, so it’s super versatile and fun to use.
It’s so fun to see Sage explore different textures. These books are just the cutest and come in so many different themes. After just heading back from the beach, we are currently reading the sea tails book with the matching (and softest!) Larry the Lobster stuffed animal and learning all about the creatures of the sea.
I still cannot believe Sage is old enough to be eating purees, and we love love love Little Spoon. They are the perfect alternative for parents that want organic, delicious, wholesome ingredients but may not necessarily have the time to make their own baby food. They are delivered fresh and do an amazing job of introducing so many unique flavor profiles to babies while learning to eat. We just sprinkle her SpoonfulONE packet into the puree, and she has her meals all ready to go.
Sage is in the stage where she loves being right in the action, so this carrier lets me get things done and still keeps her feeling like the center of attention. She has so much fun bouncing around the house with me.
Sage has SO much fun playing with this cute little foot piano. It comes with a play gym, or you can buy it on its own, and she loves kicking and laughing while making music. This is also something that will grow with her and even teaches colors and sounds in different languages.
I never thought I would be that mom who wants to match their daughter every day, but I can’t help it!! Are any other mamas out there guilty of this? Even if I don’t have an exact matching outfit, I always try to have us coordinate. I know this won’t last forever, so I plan on having us wear matching outfits until Sage tells me to stop! My absolute favorite brand, which really sparked my love for mommy & me outfits, is Ivy City. They have the BEST DRESSES and matching sets for your little one! It’s not only for babies either; they have newborn through toddler sizes, so if you have multiple little girls, you can all match (can’t wait to do this one day). The quality of their clothing is incredible, and they always come out with the best style and patterns each season. They have a dress for every occasion! Whether you’re looking for the perfect Sunday dress, need something for Easter, or just looking to add more spring colors into your wardrobe Ivy City has so many cute options for both you and your baby girl!
If you saw my story a few weeks ago, I hinted at collaborating with Ivy City! I’m so excited to share that I’ll be designing a few pieces with them. I can’t share anything else yet, but you will all be the first to know! I can’t WAIT for you all to see what we have been working on.
Shop a few of my favorite outfits from Ivy City and other brands below.
With so many baby products to choose from, it can be difficult to decide which ones are actually worth the hype. There are so many different variations of any baby product. No matter how many baby blogs you read or rewards the product gets, it can be extremely overwhelming when deciding what bassinet to order or what stroller to use. It takes a lot of trial and error to find the right baby product that works for you. Although one product might get all the best reviews and recommendations, it might not be what you need. Even if a product gets the best reviews, it doesn’t mean it’s the number one option out there. Since I know how difficult it can be to navigate the world of the top baby products, I wanted to put together a post rounding up 4 baby products that are actually worth the hype (in my opinion). We absolutely love these 4 products and couldn’t imagine our lives without them. Whether you’re a new mom, currently expecting, or looking for a baby shower present, these 4 products have my stamp of approval! Always remember, do what works for you and your baby! Every person I know recommended the snoo, so we purchased it thinking Sage would love it, and unfortunately, it didn’t work for her! It goes to show you that there is no right or wrong product. Listen to your baby and do what is best for them.
Keep reading for the four baby products I think are totally worth the hype.
One of the things I was most excited about when I found out I was pregnant with baby Sage was tackling the nursery! For all the mamas out there, you know exactly what I mean when you’re deep into nesting mode. I wanted her room to be perfect, and if you know me, you know I love to stay organized! I’m a huge fan of using different organizational products to make sure everything has its own place, but I definitely knew I needed to research and find some tips that other mamas found helpful while coming up with a system that would work for us!
So, I thought I’d pull together a blog post of some of the most helpful tips I found while researching to share them with all of you! There’s always room to make a system that works best for you and your family, but these tips were my guiding light when finding a system that worked for me. Let me know in the comments below if you have any other tips!
This tip is amazing for finding storage space you wouldn’t normally think of using! I’m thinking I’ll probably use the under crib space for Sage’s off-season clothing so we can swap out her closet for clothes she’s using daily.
This was such a great tip for us! The room we were working with wasn’t big enough for a dresser and changing table, so utilizing most of our space, we ended up just using the top of her dresser as her changing station! Perfect for extra storage and space to store supplies.
Drawer organizers were a must for us. I love opening her drawers and seeing everything perfectly organized and in its place! It makes it way easier to find what you’re looking for in a pinch, and looks so organized!
If you’re a fan of organizing, you know that bins are an absolute must for everything! I love using these for the miscellaneous things that we might not be using all the time but eventually reach for! Bonus points for finding a chic basket or bin that blends in with your decor! Pro tip: add a label, so you know exactly what is in each bin.
When dealing with a newborn, you never know when you need to make a quick change in the house! We learned that having an “essentials” basket that we can leave in the living room or anywhere is great for the stuff you reach for most frequently and makes life way easier!
This is definitely one of my most highly requested topics to write about! So many of you are in the same boat. I was trying to discover new comfy brands for baby girl, and I’m so excited to share my favorite ones finally. If you follow me on IG, you’ve probably already heard me mention some of these brands before, but I just had to share again! I really tried to find basics from different brands to try a little bit of everything, and these are the ones we reach for the most frequently.
Like most of the brands I love, I ended up going the neutrals route for her everyday onesies, turbans, baby headbands, etc. They make it so easy to match with other outfits and brands, and these brands all kill the neutrals game. Keep scrolling for 5 of my favorite brands for everything baby accessories!
These are just 5 of my favorites so far. I’ve linked them all directly so you can shop easily. I’m sure as baby Sage grows, we’ll try some new brands and see what her favorites end up being! I’d love to hear from all of you, so if you have any absolute favorites that you can’t live without, share in the comments below ❤️.
