Ford is no longer a baby and we no longer need many of the items that were once on heavy rotation.

I am not going to lie, I do not miss the swings and other contraptions that took up space in every room in our home, which are now replaced by ALL THE TOYS. Or the bottles and bottle parts that constantly had to be cleaned. Babies bring so many things. I thought I would share some of the “new” essentials that we’ve been using and what works for us.

A few big transitions that we have been going through…working on replacing Ford’s bottle with the Sippy cup for ALL drinks. He happily takes his cups for water and milk during snack time, but still prefers the bottle before bed. We’ve been working on it, slowly but surely. On the plus side, he took to whole milk (from formula) like a champ! Side note: buying milk is SO MUCH CHEAPER than formula. And easier, because you can get it anywhere! Loving that transition.

Also, we have added a light blanket to his crib. He is now allowed to have a blanket at “school” (daycare), so we started to do this at home to give him some comfort and coziness at night, since he doesn’t use a pacifier. He soon will be sleeping on a cot at daycare, which seems so crazy to me, but goes to show he is a big boy now!

All in all, I actually LOVE the toddler phase, much more than the newborn stage. There are a few tantrums and emotions that are frustrating. But I love Ford’s curiosity, watching him learn and seeing him become a little boy. A few of our toddler essentials include: