To be absolutely stupid with excitement?!

[Thisnamechanger]

I come from a tiny family. The last baby in our family was me, 31 years ago.

Today is SILs due date. My wonderful DM died shortly after their wedding in 2016 and this feels like the first good thing to happen to our family since.

Help me out MN! I'm child free and I'm not sure I've ever ever held a baby on my life but I'm STUPIDLY excited about becoming and Auntie!!

Have text SIL and DBro and said I totally understand they may want days or weeks alone with DNorN before inviting visitors but that I've kept the diary clear for potential visits in January.

AM. so. EXCITED.

What shall I bring baby? And more importantly SIL?? Any idea for a nice present for a new Mum??

Arrrrrggghhhh!

[MotherOfDragonite]

Oh yes, a travel mug!!!! 100% this. Also it is useful if it is non-spill for when your beautiful baby becomes a toddler and wants to grab things off coffee tables etc...

[jessstan2]

What a delightful thread :-).
I feel excited for your soon to be niece or nephew to put in an appearance.

You are going to be one smashing auntie.

Keep us up to date.

[importantkath]

Take food. With every baby the most appreciated gifts were a meal for the day, a meal for the freezer and things to offer guests with their cuppa when they popped round to visit the baby.

And any offers to vacuum, wipe over the bathroom and the kitchen.

You sound like a wonderful Auntie to be!

[Whatelsecouldibecalled]

Yay!!! How exciting! I became an Aunty for the first time 9 months ago and I absolutely ADORE my niece. I never realised you could love another little human quite as much as I love her. 😍 it’s literally the best job! She brings so much joy to my life. Currently baby sitting whilst my DSis and DBil are having a night off!

Some things that have been mentioned food! A few bits that can go in the freeze that you can batch make would be good. My sis needed help when she came home with baby just simple things like getting in shower as she had had a c section and was quite sore.

Helping out with everything when you are there would be good. Nappies making tea feeding if you can. Washing. Etc. Go at their pace they may be quite overwhelmed at first.

Enjoy every second! Again best job in the world!

[bananasandwicheseveryday]

When DC and DIL were awaiting the birth of our amazing dgs last year, we made up a box of baby gifts - toiletries, muslins, vests, toys etc and a separate box of goodies for DIL , including all her favourite nibbles, choccies. Bio oil , lovely pampering toiletries etc.
Congratulations on becoming an auntie. It's a wonderful feeling, welcoming a new baby to the family.

[BeeMyBaby]

Not sure if it's been said but a cuddledry towel (easier to get the baby out the bath when you are a new parents and nervous about dropping the baby).

[Teenagerwoes]

Love this
Most used present we received was muslins, many many muslins!

Over the years we’ve given Euan the dream sheep (our son loves him). Clothing, usually a voucher for a meal and offer of babysitting whenever they like.

I’d go for coffee, premade dinner and pictures of those first few days of them together and the tidying suggestion- actually I’d still like them all 4 years in

[Unescorted]

Food that can be microwaved and eaten with one hand.
Someone to do the washing...
A cleaner turning up before my mum or mil were due to come round.
Thank sil on all counts

[Crybabycry]

A big fluffy dressing down to keep her warm during the night feeds. even if she has one already it will get sick on constantly so a spare is needed. Agree with everyone else that bringing a meal every time you visit is the best thing you can do. Also remember that it usually gets harder as the weeks go on and the baby becomes more demanding so to keep taking food around/ a little gift would be appreciated.

[StoppinBy]

I would now after having kids myself bring some food that can be frozen then simply reheated to eat (main meal food that you cooked) or some healthy snacks, fruits/nuts that kind of thing. Baby will have heaps of stuff already.

Also I suggest that you stay for a short visit then leave, especially if Mum, Dad or baby are looking tired.

[AlpacaLypse]

The best present I had when the twins were tiny was a couple of hours off. Door closed, babies so far away I couldn't hear if they cried (that would have set my milk off). They'd been fed and changed and wrapped up warm and were off for a wander in their pushchair with a grannie and an aunt.

I had a shower and washed my hair properly, read a completely non parenting related book for a while, dozed off, and had a conversation on the phone with my dearest friend who was at that time five months upduffed and suffering from hyperemesis. We agreed we were quits - I was more sleep deprived but at least I had never been confined to hospital on a drip for weeks on end.

That was 19 years ago. My twins and BF's son are fairly permanently chattering on Instagram. We seem to have done it right somehow.

[restingbitchfarce]

Love the newspaper idea from the day they were born. I collected one of each coin in circulation minted in the year they were born. That might not be so easy now but maybe you could collect them to add to their keepsake box later

[Tigger001]

You sound bloomin lovely. I love a nice thread and this one made me smile. It's a beautiful time and your little niece/nephew sounds like they are going to be very lucky

CONGRATULATIONS !!!!!!!!!

You could get a voucher for MemoryMakers, this is where you get copper (I think) hand and feet sculpts of the baby and then it's encased in a frame with the age of baby and a photo of your choice. We love ours, we had it done at 23 days old, and it is a great keepsake ( ours is hung on our living room wall)

You could buy a lovely personalised photo album and inside produce a voucher to an online developer where they can have 100 photos a month, believe me there will be so many photos being taken and they can just upload them and get them delivered if they can't get out. ( it might just be me who's mad on physical photos rather than digital ones lol )

Just a couple of personal ideas ........oohh I'm a little excited for you lol

[Tigger001]

Yes definitely purchase a range of newspapers and magazines maybe from the day they are born. I forgot to do this and just had to pay £49 for one lol

[CrimpBrunette]

This is lovely! What a fabulous aunty this little one is going to have

Keep us posted, OP!

[Penguin34]

Aw you sound lovely xx

[Justaboy]

Offering somethimg nice for the mum is an excelent idea!, babe usually has more then he/she needs espically clothing.

Remember also that the offer of a bit of babysitting is very usefull as much as mum wiill love being with it, like some can be grade A annoying little sods like DD2's babe just loves bawling her head off for no reall reason at all! she just seems to enjoy being awkward! so a little break for the mum if she has suich a nipper would i think be very welocme:)

Even if thats just you taking babe out for a walk for a while to give mum a commodity that she will find in very short supply and thats zzzzzz:-)

Do also beware that it might trigger off strong cravings for you to become a mum;!

And Just's other bit oif well meant advice enjoy them whilst thier young they grow up in the blink of an eye!!

Enjoy Auntie to be:-)

[frenchchick9]

Op, you sound so lovely!!

[Justaregularmum]

Travel mug is a great idea! A decent no spill easy open/access which can be chucked in change bag on the go and a chance of a hot drink is real!

Food: My dh gran came round upon my arrival home (after a long drawn out failed induction ended in csection) with the most fabulous salad.. I initially turned my nose up at it.. I had dreamed of Pizza Hut Pizza whilst in hopital.. but do you know what.. that salad was the nicest tastiest thing I’d had in a long while!! I still drool at the thought of it now... (it was a fancy salad not just some lettuce! Ha ha!)

Also gro bags are a great invention!! We used up until my first was 2 years old! Keeps them nice and snug without risk of blankets coming off or going over their face.

Congratulations auntie to be!! 💐 xx

[homemadegin]

Yes I was so touched by the papers. I worked for him and his partner in their cafe when I was a teenager. He's retired and like a surrogate uncle. Very close. I don't think he can have known she was born until about three in the afternoon. He said he rushed straight out. I just have this image of him going to get all the papers and it makes me warm and fuzzy, like this thread!!

[Calmdown14]

One of the nicest gifts I received was a lovely copy of the book Peepo that came in a lovely box with a teddy. Okay, it's not so useful initially but my nearly 6 year old still loves it and now likes to show his little sister. All the other suggestions are great but a lovely book you can write their name and a special message in the front and sign it from aunty xx for the first time will have some longevity too

[Thisnamechanger]

What great suggestions, thank you all!! I will get a box tomorrow and start assembling a gift for SIL. I'm sure baby will have millions of gifts.

I keep texting DBRo in excitement. Must leave them alone!

[SuziQ10]

That's lovely news !!

Hope baby arrives safe and well.

Bring lots of nice snacks for the mum & dad. Useful baby clothes like vests and babygrows might be needed or she may already have if super organised.

Congratulations auntie.

[Bagadverts]

No advice but what a lovely thread
Congratulations.

[Thisnamechanger]

Thanks everyone! Will post any news. Even DPets seem to know something is going on....they’re hopping around like crazy.