Gift Ideas – Newborn Baby Photographer Gregory Hills
So you have your precious baby here and yourself and Bub have been showered in gifts. Such a wonderful experience. You have survived the first year with all of the hard times and challenges looking after a baby brings. While the thought of a ripper first birthday party for your little one sounds dreamy, a lot of parents find out the first birthday is more for the parents. Your baby will much prefer to eat some wrapping paper and fall asleep just as the festivities are getting started. As a newborn baby photographer servicing Gregory Hills and surrounds, I know we will be looking for something extra special to give to our children on their first birthday, just as we will on their other special birthdays… their 16th, 18th, 21st. But what gift would you give to a 1 year old baby?
Your babies first birthday is an absolutely perfect opportunity to create an heirloom. Something lasting, something of super high quality, something they can treasure and keep and pass down to their own children. Sure give them teddy bears, cute outfits, a battery operated car, teething toys, but give them something lasting aswell.
Here are my Top Ten Birthday gift ideas for babies / Creating Heirlooms, quite a few of these gifts I have given to my own children, I have also seen the ‘play room’ be full to the brim of toys and have them all go to The Salvo’s or the bin.
1/ Family Portraiture
Without a doubt and without any bias this is my absolute number one. Quality family portraiture printed in a stunning album is something your baby will love in a few years time, and will treasure forever. Without sounding cliche, an album of themselves wrapped in their parents arms showered in kisses is something every child would absolutely love to have. A child simply won’t remember the first two years of their lives, it’s scientifically impossible for them to recall or even communicate times, emotions, events. Though these first two years set the foundation of their lives. This is where it all began for them, this is where they relied on you the most and this is a time they will want to be able to return to, in years to come, then again when their own children arrive, and eventually when their grand children arrive. We may or may not be here with them then, though your legacy will be living on in an album of photographs and the stories shared.
2/ Jewellry for Now
There are lots of gorgeous options for quality baby jewellery. Brooches, bracelets for baby girls and baby boys. They can be engraved and worn and loved until they are outgrown and become an heirloom to be passed on. Gift them something age appropriate and something they can wear now fro special occasions, Baptism’s, naming days, birthdays, weddings. Your Bub can wear their special gift and take it forward with them through life to pass on to their own children.
3/ Jewellry for Later
Watches, necklaces, rings, bracelets… one day they will fit into the items you invest in and they will be worn and adored in their adult years with the fond memory attached of being a gift they received for their very first birthday. These can be engraved too with names and dates. And as they have been bought for your childs adult years they can be worn from the age of around 16 and for the rest of their lives.
4/ An Heirloom Toy
When you look at a lot of the toys available today, there is a sea of plastic items that will end up in the tip in a few short years. If you are going to buy toys, go for quality. I’m talking quality hand made timber, or metal toys. A dollhouse, a train set, a doll even. Quality, quality, quality… notice a theme here? I have my brothers wooden train from our childhood still, as well as a hand made dollhouse my Father made for me. My own children played with them too. And they will soon go back into storage to be passed along the family line.
5/ Heirloom Blanket
I recently did a newborn session and my little newborns Mum had a family heirloom blanket which her Grandfather was brought home from hospital in. Each generation since has been brought home from hospital in this same hand crocheted blanket. AMAZING!!!! It was clearly quite old and used and loved, but to photograph this babe in such a priceless item was quite an experience for me. So so special! This little bubba was the fourth generation to be brought home from hospital in this blanket, I can only imagine how many more generations will come home in it too. Now your bubba may already be home, but it’s never too late to start an heirloom blanket or cardigan even. In 40 years you will be so happy you did start when you did. And so will your children.
6/ Swarovski Crystal
My children for their first birthdays both received little carousels with four little horses that move around to beautiful music similar to an old style music box. They are each engraved with their names, date and the line “Happy First Birthday”. They are in the glass cabinet and they enjoy them from time to time, but ultimately, they each have a precious quality item to keep forever, which provides a link to their very first birthday and a priceless treasure to pass on. I hope they are still hearing the music and watching the horses when they are celebrating their 75th birthdays. Swarovski crystal is another idea, there are so many beautiful pieces and collections, Disney, nature, even Star Wars now. Timeless, classic and lasting. Swarovski Crystal is another investment piece that is lasting and meaningful.
7/ A book with a handwritten note inside
Books filled with short stories, Tales of Peter Rabbit, books to read to your babies now or books for them to read later. Even books you read to them now that they can read to their own children, timeless classics like Snugglepot and Cuddlepie… buy your babes a book and be sure to write a note on the inside with a date. Wish them a happy first birthday, let them read it to death. Patch it up and then place it safely in storage as a gift to give them again on their wedding day, or when they announce their own baby is due… Magical!
8/ A Journal that documented special or ordinary days in their first year
Write to your babies! Keep a journal with dates and special moments, they won’t remember these days at all, and to be honest you will struggle to remember the finer details also. Write the little things in a journal, the first time they smiled, laughed, spoke, sat up are all wonderful milestones in a childs life, but maybe down the track your children will want to know other details. The first time you felt them move inside your belly, where you were, what you were doing. Maybe a few weeks after you brought Bub home you were spending a sleepy Sunday morning in bed and just stared at each other for a few moments… Extend the journal to letter writing even. I write letters to my children (ssshhh, they don’t know yet), I wrote them letters when I was pregnant with them, when they were born, on their first day of school, their last day of primary school… other significant events that I wanted to document… my daughter going through her first surgery, just a random not to my son about his incredible manners, respect and kindness he shows daily. Random things they will hopefully one day treasure. I even read these letters from time to time and have completely forgotten that I wrote them.
These are my top gift ideas. As mentioned above my children have quite a few, one they don’t even know of yet as it will be a gift for their wedding days or 25th birthdays (writing them letters). Photographs are artworks but most importantly, they are also triggers to a past experience. Remember your baby won’t remember their first birthday, the party you throw, the fun you all had, the time you spent together that day, who was there, who gave them what. My advice, aim for something lasting, something of high quality, something that will still be there with them on their 50th birthday. Something to celebrate the year you have had and the future birthdays you will share. Look a little deeper and invest in priceless.
Karen is a newborn photographer servicing all areas in Gregory Hills, Macarthur and surrounds of Camden. If you are looking for a Newborn Baby Photographer around Gregory Hills, please give me a call.
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If you would like a few more gift ideas, Hard To Find often have wonderful thoughts that may help.
Karen Ashcroft Newborn Baby Photographer Gregory Hills
