<p>I have relatives who are expecting a baby. The couple has been trying to have a biological child for years. Finally, there is good news! I would like suggestions as to gifts for the newborn, and for the new mom to be!</p>
<p>Pay for a portrait sitting at a local photographer’s studio. In my experience, the Sears, JCPenneys, etc., do a terrible job.</p>
<p>Portrait sitting is a great idea…someone who will come to their home is even better as getting out with a newborn…well, all of us here know how that goes!</p>
<p>I tend to go with board books for the baby with one hardcover with inscription for them to keep (ie board book and hardcover of Goodnight Moon). If it someone I’m close to, I’ll add gift certificate for a cleaning service if they don’t have one or favorite local carry out.</p>
<p>“Goodnight Moon” is a favorite of mine. There is plenty of time to buy that type of book/s for a holiday, or BD. I think for a newborn it is premature. Heck, I could just by that just without an occasion, and just because I know their baby is ready for it. Great idea, and I plan to buy some books for the baby down the road.</p>
<p>As far as the photographer, that is great idea! That said, I know that they can get some sort of discount with a photographer because one of the “parents to be” has a job where they can refer future brides/grooms, or refer for other occasions where one might hire a photographer. I know that this couple got a nice discount on a photographer for their own wedding because of this. So, does it make sense in this case to get a certificate with a nearby photographer since I know that they can get a discount? They still pay for photographs, so it isn’t exactly free, but there is a nice discount (don’t know how much of a discount).</p>
<p>I have no idea as to whether they have a cleaning service or not. I could do a restaurant gift certificate, but I was hoping to buy something more personal. I have feeling that they might get some restaurant certificates from people who are not quite as close (people that they work with). They come across a lot of people through their jobs, so they should get a lot of gifts!!!</p>
<p>Yay!! New baby!!</p>
<p>My then-SIL lent us a “black and white” board for the crib when our spawn was … er… spawned. We put it in his cradle, and darn if he didn’t fight sleep to look at it. It was nothing short of amazing to watch him look at it so intently, moving his eyes from one part of the board to another. </p>
<p>I found a calendar likely made by the same company; the months were unlabeled, so the calendar could be started at any time. (Spawn arrived in October, so that was the first month of his calendar.) This calendar had developmentally-appropriate pictures for each month: the first month was a black and white image, the next month black and white with a red accent, and so on, with the pictures getting more colorful and more complex and finely drawn each month. The calendar had suggestions for things to do with one’s growing offspring, such as taking my developing monster spawn to the kitchen and waving different herbs and spices under his nose so he could smell them. </p>
<p>(When he was older, this turned into making little piles of these things on a plate so he could taste them, and a little older still, his making what he called “Spice Salad,” which was a godawful deathly combo of all kinds of herbs and spices – that’s all, just herbs and spices, some in great quantity, nothing else – which he proceeded to eat with a spoon after giving me my own serving of it. That we lived to tell the tale after partaking of this dish strikes me as remarkable; it was like eating an explosion. But I digress.)</p>
<p>Anyway, these two things, weird as they may sound, were the two best things I bought/was given for my new kid.</p>
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<p>owlice, you have no idea as to how much this couple has gone through for this little bundle of joy that is on its way!</p>
<p>Keep the ideas coming!!! I want to really think through the gifts that I give to the couple and to this baby!!!</p>
<p>Owlice, those are interesting ideas! I probably could google to find gifts like those. Actually, just thinking about baby presents are fun. I need to get back into seeing what’s out there for babies today!</p>
<p>northeastmom, I Googled to see whether I could find the same board and didn’t see it, but there are others out there. There are other black-and-white baby products, too, that might be good.</p>
<p>The black-and-white board is good for only the first couple of months, so the reverse is a safe-for-crib mirror, which is also fun for babies, but I swear my newly-spawned could not keep his eyes off the black-and-white board for his first couple of months. He really studied the thing. Apparently his cousin, a year older, did, too, when she was a new baby, which is why then-SIL thought we needed to have the board, too. (“Kind of a weird present…” is how she opened the conversation about it. 
)</p>
<p>You might want to collect suggestions from people of things they did with their babies and make a little book of them. I’ll pass one along from that same then-SIL: suggest they take a picture of their baby with the same toy every month, on the date of the baby’s birth. (If the baby is born on, say, the 16th of the month, they take a picture of the baby on the 16th of every month for the first year, and have the same toy in the picture every month.)</p>
<p>This is a good way to see, once the pictures are all side-by-side or framed in a collage frame, how much baby changed from month to month, because all of these pictures have the same reference point – that one toy. I framed the first six monthly same toy pictures in a collage frame (and someday, I will get around to framing months 7-12, I’m sure!! :D) and had it in the kid’s room for years. Now that he’s 6’3", it’s in my room.</p>
<p>The best present I received after the birth of my first baby was a set of Dr. Seuss and similar books from my best friend with an inscription on the inside of every book. I still have those and baby is 28. I have since done the same for many people and it is always a favorite. Baby clothes, diapers, etc they grow out of and use up. The books can be handed down forever.</p>
<p>Again, interesting ideas! </p>
<p>My kids had black and white books (pictures in black and white) in a plastic 4-6 page book that the baby can teeth and drool on a few months later. They are pretty easy to find. I also know that there are B & W mobiles as well. I don’t know if I really want to give gifts like that, or more memorable gifts (ie: religious, or sterling silver hairbrush type of gift).</p>
<p>3bm, what kind of inscriptions? I just love “Goodnight Moon” (fond memories reading it over and over before bedtime). I have given a series of those board books as gifts. I don’t want to give those books to this couple. I can just give them those type of books anytime. BTW, there are some books where you can order the child’s name to be inserted as a character. My older son got 2 of those and I thought that they were pretty special.</p>
<p>The Tana Hobin books are made for newborns…its so cool to see a baby of a few weeks old interact with those black and white pictures. But I see your point. I like to give the hardcover so I can inscribe it on the occasion of the child’s birth. Here are some ideas that you would have to know a couple well to chose, so one of them might be perfect for you to give:</p>
<p>-A baby book to be sent now. My sister bought us a baby book from a museum and the artwork is incredible. There are a lot of perfectly find baby books but it takes a bit of digging to find the truly beautiful ones.</p>
<p>-Bassinet or Baby Moses Basket.</p>
<p>-Sterling silver frame, rattle, spoon or cup. </p>
<p>-High quality wooden toys for baby. </p>
<p>-A beautiful mobile. [Mobiles</a> at Oompa Toys](<a href=“http://www.oompa.com/baby-toys/category/5001/Mobiles.html]Mobiles”>http://www.oompa.com/baby-toys/category/5001/Mobiles.html)</p>
<p>You brought back a memory…my dad went out to one of the big box stores when my son was not even two months old. I forget what he went to get but he came back with this rather ugly, plastic mobile that had flat cards with animals or a smile face on black and white on one side and the same in colors on the other.</p>
<p>We clipped it to his bassinet and my goodness…my son fell head over heels. He loved being put under what I had thought was such an ugly thing and cooing at his “friends.” Now I understand it from a developmental pov but as a young, tired new mother I just assumed my son had different taste than I did…which now makes me smile.</p>
<p>We had a black and white mobile also much loved. Someone gave us a Tiffany baby spoon which I think is a bit much! I loved the Beatrix Potter Peter Rabbit plate and cup we got.</p>
<p>mathmom, We went to the Beatrix Potter store when we visited London…it was heaven! I literally filled up a duffle bag and gave those as baby gifts for the next few years.</p>
<p>We have a tradition in our culture to pass on a bassinet of a healthy baby. It would pass on all the good luck to the next baby.</p>
<p>I do think a photo shoot is a good idea.</p>
<p>I gave the ladybug and tiger recently:</p>
<p>[Swaddle</a> Blanket & Cap Set - Available in 6 Print Designs, Model: SBSWAD - Secure Baby, Inc.](<a href=“http://www.securebaby.com/sbswad.html]Swaddle”>http://www.securebaby.com/sbswad.html)</p>
<p>A special gift is one that both the mom and the baby will treasure for years, that becomes a keepsake. The two gifts that I received after also finally succeeding in having a baby are a unique handmade wool blanket and a very beautiful music box. My daughter, now 18, still treasures those two items, as do I.</p>
<p>You didn’t specify a price range. Gifts I treasured were: a framed needlepoint with my daughter’s name and birth info made with love, a ceramic baby shoe again with her name and info which I still have on a shelf 22 years later. I also loved outfits that I would not have spent money on myself – particularly the gymboree ones that lasted for months longer than any other brand and were so darling. Special children’s books are also lovely – Good Night Moon (there is a hardboard copy for little ones, Pat the Bunny, Love You Forever are a few but those don’t get used for many months. Someone gave me a hand crocheted blanket and I loved the thought but ended up feeling it was too rough feeling for a baby and the long fringes felt unsafe to me.</p>
<p>(When he was older, this turned into making little piles of these things on a plate so he could taste them, and a little older still, his making what he called “Spice Salad,” which was a godawful deathly combo of all kinds of herbs and spices – that’s all, just herbs and spices, some in great quantity, nothing else – which he proceeded to eat with a spoon after giving me my own serving of it. That we lived to tell the tale after partaking of this dish strikes me as remarkable; it was like eating an explosion. But I digress.</p>
<p>My D did the same- she would " cook" in the cupboard ( the door would hide what she was doing], come up with these concotions that she actually seemed to like and would be very hurt if I didnt as much.
odd combinations.
she would mash hers with butter and spread them on toast- voila! breakfast in bed.</p>
<p>If you knit/sew etc/ a special swaddling blanket for the christening/baptism? ceremony.
you can also get them made with name etc.</p>
<p>Just realized- I have lent out Baby moses baskets, cradles, even cribs and by the time the baby was done with it, I lost touch with the parents and never have gotten them back 
Not that I needed them again- but I may actually become a grandparent in the next 30 years- stranger things have happened.</p>
<p>A silver frame that a jeweler can engrave is nice- maybe they will even have one that can hold a SD card!</p>
<p>mimk6, I did not put a price range because I am more interested in ideas and am somewhat open to what I want to spend.</p>
<p>EK, unfortunately I don’t knit or sew. The baby’s mother knits a lot so I am sure that this baby will have a hand knitted blanket, sweaters and booties.</p>
<p>Gee, maybe it’s because of the site we’re on, or maybe I’m just weird, but my first thought was to open a 529 account!</p>
<p>Another thought, though - so many people will be giving the “special new baby” gift - I like giving baby gifts, like the black & white mobile & cards which my d also loved, but why not save the “special” gift for a subsequent birthday, when it will truly be unique and not lost in the morass of gifts?</p>