Feeding Supplies
You'll also need some basic baby diningware. Think: plastic and unbreakable. Someone got me a set of porcelin baby dishes. I was like... are you kidding me? Everything will get tossed like a frisbee, so keep it real. At a minimum, you'll need spoons, bowls and a couple of sippy cups.
For spoons, you want long spoons with small spoon heads (spoon heads?). I bought these spoons lately that were short and fat and it was a disaster (see, everything Tommee Tippee makes ISN'T magical). Stick to the Munchkins:
Muchkin spoons I also like Munchkins bowls (yes, they are BPA free):
Munchkin bowls
You could just buy the whole dang Munchkin dining set, which is a good value.
Sippy Cups
I really like Tomme Tippee sippy cups. Their "Explora" series is the shizzy. Start early with sippy cups! Like, around.... say, 6-8 months. It'll be ugly at first, but they'll get the hang of it. If you wait too long to wean off the bottle, you might miss the window of opportunity. And then... your 3 year old will still want a bottle. Just kidding (sort of). I know lots of moms who missed the window and are now cursing themselves. Anywho, I digress.
This sippy cup is the best:
Tommee Tippee Sippee
Be warned that this sippy cup will become nothing short of a missile flying about your kitchen. Babies love throwing them on the ground, so don't use some precious heirloom cup that will break or dent. Oh, and warn your dog of these upcoming attacks. Sugar has been hit by the sippy cup so many times, she won't even come into the kitchen anymore (poor dog).
Meals on the go
Oftentimes, you'll be taking baby out to eat. It's very convenient to make a little kit of essential items: a spoon, a bib and this handy dandy little portable feeding bowl by Sassy. Simply fill with baby's favorite mush and roll on out.
BIBS: Yes and lots.
There are 2 kinds of bibs: cloth and plastic/rubber. The cloth ones are very easy to get on and comfortable to wear, but can a pain to wash every time (baby can wear it more than once if it's not too terribly soiled).
We used cloth bibs for a long time because they didn't get in the way of the oh-so-important hand to mouth trajectory (yes, it is that delicate!). Around 10-11 months or so, they will quickly learn how to rip off the bibs that are held on by velcro (with great zeal, no less), so you'll need to switch to a pullover bib, like these from Koala baby.
This is a (ahem) SUPERIOR bib right here ;-)
You can also get rubbery/plastic-y ones that you can wash at the sink or in the washing machine, but they can inhibit finger feeding because they are wide and rigid. I use them only when I need something waterproof, like when she is eating berries or other foods that stain like hell (beets?). I like this one from JJ Cole:
JJ Cole Waterproof Bib
Not all the food that baby attempts to put in his mouth actually makes it there successfully. It's 2 out of 3 at best. These bibs have a catch-basin to prevent all that errant food from ending up smashed in the crotch area.
Don't be shy, get a lot of bibs. You'll need them for a long time...
Baby Food Making
If you plan on making your own baby food, you may also be interested in food mills and freezer trays. And for godsakes, if you're going to spend $150 on a "babyfood maker" (don't), just go ahead and buy yourself a nice Cuisinart or KitchenAid. Same damn thing, but so much more versatile!
These, my dears, are the basic items for starting solids.
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-- High Chairs
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