Top Baby Products of an Enneagram 1 & 4

We are in the season of babies. We are raising little ones and our friends are raising little ones. I have become the “ask her” friend. I’m known for thoroughly researching things and even trying them out before referring or recommending them to anyone. I’m the friend that our friends call if they are looking for a new doctor or have a weird ailment and wonder if I’ve tried a product to help such a thing. Or if they’re looking for a gift for something in particular or a fun local event or experience to attend for a family fun day. They call me up! I never really set out to become this person. But it is very humbling to know that people trust you and your word so much that they’re willing to put their money behind it.

We often get asked what baby products we would most recommend. Each time I say, “man, I wish I had a place to direct you with all the things listed out.” Partly so I don’t have to look up all the links each time. But also because I know that people perceive needs and wants very differently. Truly, each person’s different personality plays into their purchasing decisions far more than we really think about.

Ty is an enneagram one. He values quality over quantity. He’s the one who will invest more money in something if the quality of it is perceived much better than something else. He’s the practical researcher. He watches YouTube videos to learn how something works and how it might make our life more efficient. 

I am an enneagram four. I tend to be drawn to things for the emotional connection or meaning attached to it. I’m very purpose driven. If an item just “takes up space” in my home and doesn’t have a purpose, it’s most likely getting tossed or donated. I am the individualistic researcher. I’m often on the hunt for something that has a unique feature or might be something that was a kickstarter or rarely heard of or used by our circle of friends. I love trying new things and often catch our friends onto new ideas and products! I’m also the small business champion and feel an emotional connection to shopping small because of owning my own small shop!

The two of us paired together provides a great balance of useful and sentimental items which is what I think you’ll see in our “must have” list! So let’s dive in:

Feeding

Comotomo Bottles

• These were the only bottles we researched and then used for Sienna. We didn’t have a bunch on hand to try. I know all babies are different and this approach might not work for some, but for us it worked perfectly! The most important thing to keep in mind is the nipple size. As babies grow and develop, their palette changes and their suck reflex becomes more mature. Which means you’ll have to move up in nipple size! We progressed through all four sizes that they offer – 0-3 months, 3-6 months, 6+ months, and the variable flow. We specifically chose these because they are dishwasher safe and didn’t require a special brush to clean the inside! They also work nicely with this drying rack if your dishwasher is like ours and doesn’t always get the best dry. We love that that rack fits flush against the wall and doesn’t and items actually stay on it!
  
  

Pre-Spoon Gootensils

• We took the Feeding Littles Infant Feeding the Baby-led way course when Sienna was about 4 months. I knew that I really wanted to try baby led weaning and had heard so much about Megan and Judy’s course from various people I followed on Instagram. These spoons were one of the first things they recommended! They are great for holding mushy type foods to the spoon because of the openings on the top. They also make great teethers! Sienna still uses these to chew on!
  
  

Long Sleeved Bib Set

• We used these as soon as we started feeding Sienna solid food! The feeding process was such a mess and these helped keep her clothes clean! I also liked that the bib catching portion was closer to her mouth on these!
  
  

Baby Bjorn Feeding Bib Set

• We didn’t use these until a later in our feeding journey. Had I known about this baby sized bib, I would have gotten it much sooner! We love how easy these are to clean!
  
  

EZPZ Tiny Cup

• Feeding Littles also highly recommends all the EZPZ products. Sienna learned how to drink out of an open cup before we ever tried a sippy or straw cup. She now prefers drinking this way. It’s still messy but it’s so cute to watch her learn! The only thing I don’t like about these is that they retain the taste of our dishwasher pods. I’ve tried everything to avoid that, but it must just be the material they are made out of! I’m hoping to do some more browsing as we prepare for baby #2’s eating journey!
  
  

EZPZ Mini Mat

• This was another Feeding Littles recommendation! We loved that it suctioned to her high chair and that she couldn’t easily throw it off. I have the same feedback as above about this product though! But it still served it’s purpose and we do still use these!
  
  

Grabease Spoon & Fork

• This was Sienna’s first spoon and fork exposure! The short but wide grip helped with her fine motor skills and helped her learn the “puncture” and “pick up” technique of eating. We loved these and truly think they helped her learn how to eat with more than just her hands!
  
  

Munchkin Toddler Spoon & Fork

• These were the game changer for us in Sienna’s eating journey! This fork, in particular, actually punctures food like a real fork and makes eating much easier for kiddos! Once Sienna mastered this, it made eating much cleaner!
  
  

Munchkin Happy Snacker Snack Catcher & click lock weighted straw cup

• Much like any parent, we tried numerous sippy cups before we settled on this one. I read so much research and numerous blogs trying to figure out the best option. We ultimately settled on this straw feature because it forces the child to suck in a different way that promotes a proper swallow pattern. This is also the style cup that our dentist recommended. We didn’t want to introduce something that we would eventually have to wean her off of again, like a bottle! We’re mostly satisfied with this cup! It’s not 100% leak proof which is the only downside!
  
  

Contigo Stainless Steel Spill-Proof Kids Tumbler with Straw

• We use this cup mostly for smoothies. It is 100% leak proof and we love it! You do have to have a smaller sized brush to swipe through it for a thorough clean. It will build up stuff in there if you don’t use a brush every time you use it. It is dishwasher safe though! I just do a quick swipe of the straw before I put it in the dishwasher.
  
  

Nursery

Levoit Humidifier

• We have tried numerous humidifiers. We were recently introduced to this brand by Becca of Little Z’s Sleep. We LOVE it and wish we had known about it from the very beginning. It truly is “dark room” proof. It doesn’t have any bright lights which we LOVE! It’s SO easy to clean with its wide basin and easy to fill. We seriously have no complaints!
  
  

Hatch Baby Grow Smart Changing Pad and Scale

• Weight gain and growth was something I was worried about as a first time Mom. I just wanted to have the personal security and knowledge of how my baby was growing. We love that it’s wipeable, so any accidents were quick to clean up! We loved that we could keep track of Sienna’s weight and eating digitally and it would be archived. Especially in those first few months when you’re feeding and changing so often! This really just helped give me peace of mind and Ty appreciated the quality of the design. Their customer service is also amazing! We had a situation where the foot broke off the bottom and Hatch replaced it no questions asked! Amazing!!
  
  

Summer Baby Pixel Zoom HD Baby Video Monitor 

• This baby monitor was recommend by a friend after we mentioned how terrible our first one was. Truthfully, I wish we had just invested the money in this one from the start! The picture quality is AMAZING and SO clear! I also love that they have a second camera package option! We bought this when it was a lightning deal on Amazon and used the second camera as a travel camera so we didn’t have to take our every day camera off the wall.
  
  

Hatch Baby Rest Sound Machine

• I didn’t know how much we would swear by this baby gadget until now – after using it for a year and a half +! I fully believe that this little gadget is why Sienna can truly sleep anywhere under any sound conditions. The noise is a safe decibel for little growing ears and provides the right amount of light for a middle of the night feed.
  
  

Ollie Swaddle

• Sienna loved this swaddle as a newborn! It was always the sweetest thing to pull the velcro and watch her stretch and wiggle after a good sleep. We loved that it was easy to use and kept her snug in the early newborn days!
  
  

Love to Dream Swaddle 

• Sienna was an “arms up” sleeper. After a few weeks of using the Ollie, we switched over to this swaddle because she could finally fit into it! She loved the security of having her arms up by her face and this helped her sleep so soundly. It also provided easy access to her hands as she got a little older!
  
  

Halo Sleep Sack

• We slowly transitioned to this sleep sack after she started sleeping with her arms out around 4 months. Sienna was a handsy girl and loved having her hands to suck on. We loved that this sleep sack offered the comfort of a blanket but still provided safe sleep measures! She actually still sleeps in the XL version of this sleep sack now at almost 20 months.
  
  

Travel

Slumberpod

• When I first heard about this product, it was still in the kickstarter phase. So if you read the above section on my personality type, you know that I was all in on this one! We travel so often for work and knew we needed to find a way to replicate Sienna’s sleep environment that she was accustomed to on the road. Sienna LOVES sleeping in her tent and it is such a special treat for her when we travel. It also gives us the freedom to share a room with her without worrying about waking her up by turning on lights. She doesn’t even know!
  
  

Guava Lotus Travel Crib & Bassinet 

• This was another product that we thoroughly researched. You saw I mentioned how we wanted to invest in products that we knew we wouldn’t have to replace as our kiddos grow. We also travel often and needed something that was quick and easy to set up and tear down. A friend mentioned this travel crib and I was immediately sold! It’s only 13 lbs and comes with an airport friendly carrying bag. The mattress is supported by the floor so it doesn’t have a weight capacity. Having the mattress supported by the floor also means that the baby won’t startle themselves by the squeaking the bed might make as they toss and turn in the night. It also has a GreenGuard Gold certification which was super important to me as it’s something our babies will be laying their bodies on for many years!
  
  

Lotus Crib Cotton Fitted Sheet & Bassinet Fitted Sheet 

• This may be a downside to some but to me it wasn’t a problem! You have to buy special sheets for the crib and bassinet because they lock into the mattress. I think this is an amazing feature because you don’t have to worry about the sheet popping off in the night if you a rolly kiddo!
  
  

Inglesina Dining Table Chair Plus Tray

• This is the ONE baby product we get asked about the most when we’re out at restaurants. This is a high chair that clips right on to the table. We love that Sienna can sit at the table with us and we don’t have to worry about her slipping out. The tray is easy to clean and the cover around the seat is able to be thrown into the washing machine! This was one of my biggest requests because it is so practical and serves a very distinct purpose!
  
  

Britax Baby Car Mirror 

• Who would think you would want to see your child so badly anytime you wanted to when driving down the road? I never really thought about this until the few times we didn’t have it up if we happened to swap the car seat to a different car. It is so practical (such a Ty product, haha!) and so helpful for those fussy moments when you’re driving and might not know what is going on!
  
  

Ergo Baby Omni 360 All-Position Baby Carrier

• Admittedly, we tried numerous baby carriers. I finally bought this one of a whim and wished we had gotten it from the start! It supports newborn-toddler weights and has the perfect amount of structure for ease of carrying. I loved the solly in the early newborn days around the house, but I love LOVED this one any other time we were out and about!