3 Things: Favorite toys for an 8-month old

The other day, my pregnant friend asked me what the must-have baby items were for a newborn. I could barely remember! I loved the fleece swaddler with velcro, bouncy seat, playmat and white noise. But as Olive's gotten older, she's moved onto toys, gravitating to a few over and over again. For those of you with infants, her list of favorites might be helpful.

1) Photo book
It's so sad to have most of our family live far away and to think that Olive may not get to spend much time with them. But I still want her to recognize them and know that they love her, so I compiled all their photos into a little photo book. She LOVES this book. I'm not sure it has so much to do with the photos, but more the pliability of the pages. It's easy for Olive to turn the pages and lay the book flat, and it's easy for me to throw this in a diaper bag without taking up too much room. She will seriously play with this book for 15 minutes at a time.

2) Sassy foot
This is sort of like three toys in one. The top part has several different pieces of fabric (satin, fleece, terry cloth), some that make a crinkling sound. Then there's the "heel" that rattles and the stretchy velour "toes." She loves to feel all the different textures, hear the noises the parts make and bite on the wood.

3) Sophie the Giraffe
Olive received Sophie as a gift from her aunt right around the time she was starting to put everything in her mouth. This giraffe was perfect for that because of all its interesting limbs and facial features. This is her favorite teething toy. It's made from natural rubber and food paint, without phthalates and BPA, so it's perfectly safe for babies to suck on all day.