Twelve & Thirteen Month Favorites

At long last...twelve and thirteen month favorites. I've been working on this list for a while now, and had so many great things to put on it that I ended up having to cut it down to keep it under control. Whoops!

Sleepers // After burning through several different low-quality brands of pajamas before hitting the one year mark, I bit the bullet and ordered a few pairs of footless sleepers from Hanna Andersson for summer. They have amazing reviews, and are truly a much better quality than most other brands out there when it comes to baby sleepwear. They are made of a more substantial cotton than most other PJs we've burned through, wash well,  and look just as good today as they did over a month ago. Hanna Andersson also has great baby socks that are super warm and cozy for keeping feet toasty on cooler nights or before the one year mark when it's OK to sleep with blankets.

B. Parum Pum Pum Drum Set // After being gifted this fun music set for his birthday, C has been playing with it on a daily basis. His favorites are the drum sticks, mini shaker, and drum lid. It's been fun watching him explore the different 'instruments' and learning to make music.

Sun Hat // C has everything from baseball caps, to fedoras, to swim hats in his wardrobe, and with bright sunny days of summer upon us, we can never have enough. I found this neutral sun hat with ties under the chin from Hanna Andersson. The swim hats sometimes don't have a long enough strap to fasten under the chin, plus they are usually velcro-closure that snags clothing. This version has a long enough tie that it doesn't dig into the double chin, and looks cute while keeping his face in the shade. Hanna Andersson has many other colors available if you are looking to match an outfit!

Step2 Infant to Toddler Swing // C has had so much fun swinging now that we're into summer weather. He loves the motion of swinging, and enjoys being outside to watch the world around him. T installed the swing under our deck right near where he has his smoker set up, so C has enjoyed being part of the boys club while T is playing pit master on the BBQ.

Joovy Spoon Walker // After hearing about horror stories of walkers that went tumbling down stairs with baby in tow, and reading reports that say walkers can actually delay learning to walk, we were VERY hesitant to join the club. However, after C tried out cousin J's walker while we were visiting, and his doctor hinted that it may be good for him, we came to the decision that we may as well give it a try to see if it helps him figure out how to walk and move his feet instead of just planting himself in one spot. Since we were a bit late to the walker game, our selection was limited based on height and weight requirements. The Joovy Spoon fit the bill supporting kiddos up to 30lbs and 33.5inches in height. (For reference, most other walkers only support up to 25lbs.) It was a bit more expensive than other walkers on the market, but the quality is great, and the simple design and oversized removable tray for eating and playing with toys we already have at home were also selling points. The color choices were also better than most for blending in to our home as much as possible - we opted for the charcoal color - and the open back helps with avoiding pinched heels. This walker has traveled with us several times, and folds down nicely, has a machine washable seat, and plastic bumpers for those inevitable crashes into the furniture and cabinets. A money-saving tip...Sign up for emails, and save by purchasing from Bed Bath & Beyond using one of their 20% off coupons! Nope, they're not a baby store, but they are a sister store to Buy Buy Baby, and offer many of the same products online.

John Deere Massaging Corn Teether // We have Great Grandpa K to thank for this favorite teether. It took a while for C to catch on to biting hard enough to make the teether vibrate, but since he figured it out, it tends to be the first one he reaches for...after Sophie that is...

Fisherman Sandals // Perfect for warm weather, I picked up this plain brown version for cheap at Walmart. They have more support than some of the more flimsy options I was able to find online, and are a nice neutral color that goes with just about every outfit in C's closet. Another great thing, they were less than $10! We recently also added these Keen's to wear with more athletic inspired outfits during the hot summer months. They're built to last, are machine washable, are great for new walkers, have excellent reviews, and I've spotted them on several little kiddos C's age this summer...win win win win win!

Rompers // These one piece outfits are perfect for warm weather and babies on the go. Some places to shop for these: Gap, Oshkosh, Carters, Hanna Andersson, Nordstrom.