Monthly Favorites : 5 Months

 

Here are a few of our favorite things from Dakota's 5th month.




Baby Einstein Bouncer: Koda started interacting with his toys a lot more this month. He loves to hit the piano to make it play music and often gets upset when it stops so he whacks it again until it plays another tune for him. He also loves the attachment with the frog that spins and the little beads that spin and move. I love that it's adjustable in height so it will grow with him. He already stands up fully for a few seconds at a time in it so, it's obviously encouraging him to stand. The seat also turns a full 360% so he has access to all of the toys and he can turn and see me no matter where I am in the room.
Gerber Oatmeal Cereal: Slightly more nutritious than regular cereal (not by much, but still a little better). This has become a part of our nightly routine and also morning if he doesn't feel like being spoon fed. The Doctor told me that studies have shown that there's no correlation between cereals and how well babies sleep at night after having it but- I beg to differ. This kid needs his nightly oatmeal. We just add a few tablespoons (we started with 1 tablespoon at 4 months old and it's increase slightly over time) to his regular bottle of formula and he drinks it at bedtime. Gerber has also come out with awesome new plastic containers instead of boxes which is a lot more convenient and less messy.
Any rattle with little beads: He has quite a few similar to the one pictured here and just loves them all. He loves that he can hold them and make is movements come with noise! Even better- they're inexpensive.
Sassy Mirror: This is tummy time's best friend. I just prop this baby up in front of Koda (and slightly out of reach) and he will move himself to it, stare at it, giggle, move it, and play with the lady bug rattle on it.
Nuby Learner Bottle: This bottle comes with a removable handle and two types of nipples to help your baby learn to hold the bottle and transition to sippy cups. We're still on the first nipple, with handles. The first time I offered it to Koda, his hands went right for the handles and he held it like a pro! Such a big boy! *proud momma moment*
Any blanket with satin on the edges: At this age, babies love soft things. In Koda's case, he doesn't really care for plushy feeling things like stuffed animals, but he just can't get enough of the silky/satiny edges of his blankets.
Munckin Drying Rack: I prefer washing bottles/nipples/etc by hand but drying them?...no thanks. This sucker holds all of Koda's 10 million bottles (big and small), along with spoons, nipples, and other accessories. Very good buy.

Hope you found this helpful, and as always, thanks for reading!

Citrus Lane

I'm sure you've all heard about those monthly subscription boxes. You pay a montly due (usually somewhere between $10-25) and you get a box full of products in the mail. Sometimes they're a surprise and sometimes you get to choose what's put in it, depending on the company you order from. There are all types of products offered too. Some boxes promote beauty products, others promote health food, etc. While looking for new baby gadgets for Koda, I came upon a company that promotes products for mommies babies-according to age. After looking through some of their products, I decided to place an order and try them out. This is one of the boxes in which the contents are a surprise so, needless to say, when the box arrived yesterday, I was PUMPED! I was not disappointed. Here's what we received.

Below are the descriptions of each product given by Citrus Lane on the insert of the package.

Spinning Penguin from Melissa & Doug
"Babies are curious by nature, and this wooden toy from Melissa & Doug satisfies their urge to explore. Right about now (as I mentioned before each package is based on my your child's age) fine-motor skills are starting to develop, with small precise thumb, finger, hand and wrist movements coming into play. This friendly penguin encourages those skills, rewarding your baby with a pleasing rattle with every shake and spin."
Cost : $7.99

Shampoo & Body Wash from The Honest Company
"Here's a head-to-toe shampoo and body wash the entire family can use. This tear-free, plant-based cleanser contains the highest quality organic and natural ingredients,, so it's gentle enough for babies, even those with skin irritations and cradle cap. Organic calendula soothes, moisturizes and protects, while essential oils, fruit extracts, organic aloe and vitamin E hydrate. Perfectly pH balanced and hypoallergenic, it removes dirt without stripping natural oils. Shake well before use!" 
Citrus Lane also included a 20% off coupon to honest.com.
Cost: $9.95

Silicone Train Spoon from Oogaa

"Feeding time is much more fun when you incorporate an element of play, and Oogaa kept that in mind when designing this train-shaped spoon. And, if your little one is paying more attention to the spoon than the veggies you're introducing, that's just another bonus! Made entirely from high-grade silicone that's PVC- and phthalate-free, you can throw it inn the dishwasher on any shelf."

Citrus Lane also included a coupon code to 30% off at oogaa.com
Cost: $5.99

 

Little Cremes from Plum Organics

"The right time to introduce snacks varies baby to baby-some are ready at six months and others not until later. With that in mind, we're sending you Plum Organics Little Cremes a little early. The delicious bite-sized fruit and veggie blends are a perfect first snack because they're non-dairy and melt easily. If your little one isn't quite ready, just throw it in the cupboard for when the time is right"
Citrus Lane also included 2 $.50 coupons for any Plum Organics product.
Cost from Amazon.com: $3.79

 

EZ Grip Training Teether from Innobaby

"Teething is a painful rite of passage. And, it can be hard for little ones to self-soothe. This teether has a soft, flexible design that gently massages and stimulates the gums to ease discomfort, all while promoting natural jaw development. Best of all, the barbell shape makes the teether super easy for babies to hold - it's lightweight and perfectly sized for small hands."

Citrus Lane also included at 15% off coupon code to innobaby.com
Cost: $4.95

Price I paid for Citrus Lane box (one time shipment): $25.00
Total cost of all products included: $32.67
For a savings of : $7.67- not including the coupons that were provided.
Also, I actually saved a lot more than $7.67 if I were to include the shipping and handling costs of each product individually.

I would definitely recommend ordering from Citrus Lane. It was so fun to open the box and see all the fun things that were included. It will be so fun to see how Koda likes the items, as well. They also got this package to me SUPER fast, considering that we are located overseas! I hope you all enjoyed this post. Let me know if you would like to see more like it and if you decide to order from Citrus Lane, tell them Jess from BabyDQ.blogspot.com sent you!

 

 

 

A belated update- 6 months

 

As you may have noticed, I haven't posted in a while. Originally, it was due to the fact that we were in the process of moving to Germany. It kind of just went downhill from there BUT with much support from friends and family, I am back!

So now, here's a VERY belated update on Mr. Dakota Lane!

Age: 6 months and 6 days
Weight: 15lbs 6oz
Length: 27 in



 

 

 

1/2 Birthday! 4/19/13

Favorites:
Food: Pear puree and Apple/Blueberry puree
Activity: Being held by mommy, playing in the bouncer (but only when Mommy is in plain sight. The second I start walking away, the waterworks start) splashing at bathtime, and FLIRTING!
Least favorite Activity: Not being held, getting dressed, waiting on food.



Latest accomplishments/discoveries: As of about a month ago he can roll over both ways. He also discovered his feet around the same time and loves to pull them up and play with them. He has started using bottles and sippy cups with handles so he can now hold his own bottle (with a little extra help every now and then). He is beginning to try to push up on his knees at tummy time so it looks like crawling is just around the corner! He is also SO close to being able to sit up completely unsupported, but tends to be lazy about it and just himself over when we practice like it's the most boring thing in the world.


Funniest Moments: His facial expressions at the introduction of each new food. (It looks like a 'sour face') He has developed a fake laugh for when we tickle him, but also has the most adorable real laugh in the whole wide world. But mommy's favorite was this morning while feeding him I was spooning his next bite and when I went to feed it to him he had fallen asleep! I tried to get a picture but, of course, he woke up as soon as I moved.



Acting like he owns the place

coming soon: 4-5 month favorite and most used products!