DISCLAIMER: I am not a doctor. This is just what worked for my family. I am in no way telling you to try this with your own baby, and I am here if you have any questions regarding things I tried with my own baby.
I knew when I got pregnant that raising a baby would be the hardest thing I’d ever do. I worried about everything, especially what to feed her and how much to feed her. I also knew that I’d have to research and find something that would work for our busy family because both my husband and I work full time and do not have the time to be pureeing a ton of baby food.
One day I was looking at YouTube to get ideas on what to feed her when she first started eating solids and I found this awesome video. I knew that baby led weaning was the answer to my prayers. We tried it that night. It was pretty stressful because she gagged a ton and it was so scary at first that I was worried she wasn’t really eating much. But then she started taking more food down and found things she liked.
Her motor skills were pretty advanced because she was feeding herself with her hands. Isla was hitting every milestone a little bit early. She was able to express when she wanted something in particular to eat from the fridge (I would point to different items and she would lift her arms when she saw something she wanted to eat), and would get excited when she got to try something new and play with textures. She had mastered the pincer grasp by 7 months and was using a spoon correctly by 11 months. Don’t be weirded-out and think your baby can’t chew without teeth. I promise as long as it’s soft, your baby can probably chew it.
Warning: BLW is super messy and we try to only feed her foods with sauces at night before bath time.
I just love a good routine and even though my evening routine looks much different than it did before having a baby, it still leaves plenty of time to get everything done, spend time with the family and have some self care.
My evening routine begins the second I get off work, usually about 4:30. I pick up Isla from daycare at about 4:50 and then we head home.
I’m still carrying a diaper bag for outings that last more than a few hours. If it’s a short trip then I’ll just throw some diapers and wipes in my purse and go. My daughter is about to be 15 months old and still feel like I need a few items when we go out for the day. It puts me at ease knowing that I’m prepared for diaper blows outs with a change of clothes or medicine if she gets sick.
The Bag
The diaper bag that I use is the backpack from LAND. We had a similar one before this one and it was not made as well. This one was purchased from Amazon and you can find it here. It seems like it’s much better quality and the gray color stays clean. It has nice pockets inside that are water proof and big pouches for bottles/ snacks or whatever you want.
Isla just had her first birthday in October and let me tell you, our house is jam-packed at the moment because she got a rocking horse, a cozy coupe car, and a bunch of smaller toys. What I’m planning on doing in the weeks leading up to Christmas is a little toy clear out with the intention to donate some of her stuff that she doesn’t use anymore or has outgrown. We are doing a few smaller gifts for Isla and some stocking-stuffers this year. She has so much stuff that i’m kind of dreading go through it all.
She will be 14 months old by the time Christmas rolls around so it will be much more fun than last year. She kind of knows what is going on this year. Well, she knows that she likes to open presents. I can’t wait to be Santa, you guys. I might even dress up but I will most definitely eat the peanut butter cookies that I make for him.
These are the items I have purchased for her for this year: I’ve also posted the links to each to make it even more helpful. I’m not including shoes or clothes in this list because I feel like that should be a separate post. This list is for toys only.
Update: I did a post on what books I got Isla for Christmas and you can find that list here.
Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.
1-My First Stacking Cups:
My girl loves to stack things. Need I say more? These are such a simple and great gift. They are compact when stacked and travel well in the diaper bag or my purse.
2-Endangered Species by Sud Bath Crayons:
Isla loves to play in the bath and the only thing I’m worried about with these is her trying to eat them but I never leave her in the bath so it shouldn’t be a problem. I plan to use these to write letters and shapes and let her draw some in the bathtub. These are made of soap so don’t just leave them in the water – they will eventually dissolve. The manufacturer of these crayons donates a portion of the profits to wildlife conservation as well.
