NINE MONTHS + RORY'S BIRTH STORY

Yesterday marked nine months or 39 weeks + 2 days of Rory being earth side. Exactly one more week to go until he's been out of my womb for as long as he was in (40 weeks + 2 days). I truly don't know where the time has went. Everyday he is doing something new, and everyday he looks bigger and older.

BABY MUST HAVES

The amount of baby gear out there is endless and so overwhelming. Every baby is different and every baby has different preferences but I decided to compile a list of the things we used most with Rory and some I wish we had bought.  I hope this helps out anyone who is pregnant or planning to have a baby in the future.

But honestly Rory likes to play with anything that isn't his. Cords, cell phones and remotes are his favourite lately. That little devil.

What are some of your baby must haves?

1. Flamingo Baby Organics Swaddles The softest swaddles to wrap your baby in. Rory loved being swaddled up tight to sleep for the first few months, and their handmade by an Ontario mama!

2. Solly Baby Wrap I cannot tell you how much this came in handy. The wrap can be used until your baby is 1 year old but I found it was best when he was small. It allowed me to keep him close while doing other things around the house. It was always my go-to when Rory was crying a lot and when I needed him to sleep/nap. I took him for walks in this ALL the time.

3. Jolly Jumper We soon learned that one of Rory's favourite things to do is jump. So at 4 months old we got a jolly jumper for him. The stand takes up a lot of room, but if you have the proper doorway you can get that option instead. He loves it, and it keeps him occupied and smiling.

4. Leaf Swing by Nuna Now this is something I WISH we had. We had a bouncer that we used ALL the time. I used it inside but I also brought it outside all time during the summer months when Rory wasn't mobile yet. The only problem with it was that it didn't rock, bounce or sway on it's own. We had to do it with our hand/foot. For our next baby, I am definitely investing in something like this. Although, on the pricey side I think it's WELL worth it.

5. Moses Basket by Jolly Jumper Because I was breastfeeding, I wanted to have Rory in our room with us for the first few months to feed on demand. This bassinet was great. We had the espresso wood rocker stand and slightly different pattern but this one is very cute as well and gender neutral.

6. Dock-A-Tot This is also something I WISH I had. I had no idea about this product until recently, and I really wish I had one when Rory was younger. There are so many times where you just need to put the baby down and go do something, and I can't even tell you how many times I wish we had something like this for going to the park or even in the backyard.

7, Ergobaby Four Position 360 Baby Carrier We purchased this a little later on as we had a different structured carrier in the beginning that lacked support and we needed to switch to something more supportive. This carrier is amazing and my husband likes it too. I find using a carrier has worked so well for us, its quick and convenient and Rory is happiest when he is being held/strapped to us.

8. IKEA - LEKA Baby Gym This was a super inexpensive find from IKEA, and Rory played with this a lot. I always popped him under this gym right in the morning so I could just sit on the couch and enjoy my morning coffee. It's a great toy to enhance motor skills and hand eye coordination.

9. Halo SleepSack - Fleece We started using these when Rory started getting out of the swaddle and rolling around. We knew we had to think of something to keep him warm at night. He really likes these and we still use it now. We live in a two-story home where it gets a bit colder up in the bedrooms so we use the fleece material to keep him extra cozy. 

B.

BATH TIME

We used to do a calming night time routine with Rory. I called it the 4 B's. Bath, book, boob, bed. About 2 months ago, Rory starting sitting up really well on his own and wanted to climb things. This
included his bathtub. :| Every time I put him in his tub he instantly tried to climb out. So I thought alright, it's time to ditch the baby tub and go to the regular bathtub. Wrong [Donald Trump voice]. I would place him in the big tub and he would be sliding all over the place, which made me super nervous and he didn't enjoy it at all. He would look up at me and cry the whole time.

RORY LATELY

Oh Rory. The apple of my eye. I live and breathe Rory all day long. He is my everything. Rory is almost 9 months old. I can't even believe that he has been earth side for nearly the length of time that he was inside my belly. Rory lately: