As we head into the second half of the -ber months, we’re heading into sweet baby O’s first birthday and what I’d consider her first holiday season of substance (she was still just a lump last year). I’ve been thinking a lot about gifts for a first birthday, or that first toddler Christmas that will quickly follow, and I want to consider gifts that will be meaningful and practical. I’ve always been a bit of a maximalist but having so much stuff alongside a baby is, in short, incredibly overwhelming. 

Here are some things I think will support growth and development for a new one-year old, or will make life a little simpler. 

I recognize some folks may incorporate these much earlier, but this little miss basically started crawling overnight, and the baby-proofing stuff felt mostly unnecessary with a mobile tot. But now, she’s giving us a run for our money with her ability to get around. We’re tired. Some things like gates, cabinet guards and drawer guards to keep those closed for little ones, the most obvious socket covers, and those nice little soft corner covers to protect baby from harsh table corners all feel incredibly essential now. We just bought one of those giant floor playpens (kind of like in Rugrats - this one is probably more similar to that), which I think will come in handy too. An open floor plan makes many gates challenging unless they’re over 100 inches long.

Now that O’s crawling around, she’s also discovering lots of things around the house, like the shiny surface of the fridge, which reminds me of the alphabet magnets of my childhood. I think she’d absolutely love to play with those!

Speaking of, toys are beginning to accumulate. Some cute sets of toy baskets, like these and this one, for upstairs and downstairs living spaces would be perfect to keep the space tidy(ish) and give the toys a place to live when they’re not being used.

With her newfound crawling skill, it’s only natural to begin planning for her to start walking. Push walkers are the pediatrician-recommended option these days (instead of the bouncer style walkers). These would allow her some stability as she started to figure it all out. But don’t be fooled - I’m terrified of this upcoming development. One of those baby backpack head pillow things would be perfect to provide protection for any tumbles she may take.

Toy wise - Lovevery has some great options that can be purchased with a subscription based on age, but it’s also a good starting place to figure out the kinds of toys that are developmentally appropriate.

Lastly, since we’re moving into a new age group and a new season - new clothes for the new weather are also important. She could certainly use new items like a hoodie jacket, warm hats and mittens, lots of warm skid-free baby socks, and even cute little pants with the decorative knee pads. I’ve also become quite the fan of the two-piece pajama or footless zippy pjs these days because she gets frustrated with things on her feet. 

Of course, these are things that are bit specific to baby O and her stages of development right now, but they may be helpful for other moms and dads with a baby's first birthday approaching soon. 

What do you think? Does any of this resonate with your almost toddler(s)?