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Original poster

Son’s Birth Has Been Immortalised On A Cushion

164 replies

WheelieBinPrincess · 31/12/2021 18:00

Let me preface by saying I love my father in law.

But he’s of the sentimental tat type. Blue ‘I love you’ bears, photo frames and key rings and the like. Forever Friends stuff from the early 90’s. Things in baskets. Ornaments of animals hugging each other for no reason, wearing tutus.

We said no presents this year because I don’t want the tat. But we said it was because we just moved and didn’t want more stuff. He didn’t listen obviously, the baby has about ten ‘baby’s first Christmas’ outfits now. We didn’t even see FIL until Boxing Day.

But the icing on the Christmas cake of tat this year- a cushion he’s had printed, with the biggest picture of me holding the baby about two minutes after he was sliced out of me 😂

And lots of little pictures around the edge of me and the baby looking rough on the ward because it was hotter than the sun and everybody was crying. And one of the baby naked and bewildered getting weighed.

Now, I don’t have much issue of him being in possession of these pictures, DH sent them because he was going nuts asking for updates and crazing the ward to let him visit.

But on a cushion?! It’ll have to go in a cupboard and put on the sofa when he visits because he will ask where it is.

What present did you get that you can’t get rid of but will be hiding away?

OP posts:
MakingTheBestOfIt · 01/01/2022 10:54

@TheMadGardener

My lovely MIL (who was always 100x nicer to me than my own "D"M) was very given to tacky-but-meant-with-love presents. My DDs (now teens) were her only grandchildren and were showered from an early age with personalised teddies, lace-edged photo cushions, and all manner of stuff with Best/Darling Granddaughter on it. Despite having inherited mine and DH's tendency to cringe at such stuff, they were brought up to be very polite about it because she was just so lovely and well-meaning that no one could possibly hurt her feelings. She died earlier this year after several years with dementia and both DDs and I now treasure some of those tacky things she gifted us when she still had the capacity to do so. In her nursing home she still had the lacy Christmas cushions which used to adorn her sofa each year. They came to us along with all her other possessions when she died. This Christmas, although I'm not at all the sort of person who invests in "Christmas cushions", we got them out and put them on our sofa and it really felt like a way of remembering her on our first Christmas since she died.
We lost my great aunt in 2020. She wasn’t a sentimental woman, but she did love Christmas and had a strong attraction to Christmas tat. Funnily enough, when my parents, my brother and I came to clearing her home, we found it was the Christmas tat that was the hardest to part with.

We didn’t visit each other’s houses last Christmas, but were amazed this year to discover that pretty much all of it had been rescued from the skip/donate piles by one of us and was proudly displayed in our homes. My parents had her rotating musical fibre optic Christmas tree, my brother had her light up Christmas pictures, LED cushions, tinsel and musical Christmas village and I had her collection of ceramic Christmas dogs and (actually very lovely) vintage fairy lights.

PoshWatchShitShoes · 01/01/2022 11:10

I think it sounds really sweet. It's not the actual present as such (I wouldn't want a photo cushion either), but the thoughtfulness of it is endearing. I'd love someone to make that kind of effort for me

TheOriginalEmu · 01/01/2022 11:15

My dad and stepmum bought me a HUGE basket of lavender scented products, they know I struggle with sleep and lavender is meant to aid it, and it was such a lovely thoughtful (and I imagine not cheap) gift.

But I detest the smell of lavender, it gives me an instant headache.

I feel awful, and I would never say anything, but I gave it to a friend.

malificent7 · 01/01/2022 11:17

Brilliant!

ghostmouse · 01/01/2022 12:57

Aww bless that’s so sweet but I can totally understand the horror.

My dad resented me with a huge portrait he’d painted of my late dh and our dog bathed in a glowing light looking up to heaven.

I’m torn between helpless laughter and absolute horror! Don’t get me wrong it’s not a bad likeness but it’s hanging on my wall and no one wants to go in the front room!

I’ll get used to it but crikey Confused

Latenightreader · 01/01/2022 13:04

For my first Mother's Day I bought my mother a cushion with a photo of my daughter on it. In my defense I was still in a hormone rush (is that a thing four months in?) and when I opened the parcel I had a 'what on earth was I thinking?' moment...as did she when she opened it! It is on her sofa still, and my toddler loves it. It is really disturbing when it gets crumpled.

sweetbellyhigh · 01/01/2022 13:24

Aw. I would be horrified but so touched. I'd definitely keep it.

Don't you have a Mum Drawer? (Or should I say Dad Drawer) we've always had a drawer for tat to retrieve before the offending giver visits. I thought everyone did.

notoldjustpastyoung · 01/01/2022 17:37

Have you not got a dog or cat that can be 'persuaded' to be sick on it, or wee on it or just tear it to pieces for fun. Mind you he'll probably just produce a duplicate.

ChipmunksInAttic · 01/01/2022 17:38

put another cover on it and use it, so when he visits you can just take off the cover… you have my sympathies :)

Bertiebiscuit · 01/01/2022 18:25

Yuck, destroy immediately or these will one back to haunt you all

Rhannion · 01/01/2022 18:31

Put it on your bed that way it’s out of the way.

Mandyjack · 01/01/2022 19:17

He probably thought he was doing a nice thing. Put it on your bed or in your room somewhere

AnAverageMum · 01/01/2022 19:30

Lol! He does sound lovely… but I sympathise. I’ve had 2 things similar, a cushion with giant, stretched, weird looking photo of my DD as a baby. She’s 4 now though and loves it… (stays on her bed)

My dad brought me a canvas of ME. What on earth was I going to do with it? Admire myself daily with it on the hallway wall? 😂

Mumof3confused · 01/01/2022 20:25

I would be secretly horrified and delighted at the same time. My FIL takes no interest in his grandchildren, your little ones are so lucky and they will treasure the cushion.

inpixiehollow · 01/01/2022 21:12

Reading the title i thought it was one of those cushions printed with baby's name, birthday, time of birth etc and thought not to my taste but not horrifying but that sounds truly bad Shock
I'm sure he meant well
I've not had any bad gifts this year thankfully!

Shallwegoforawalk · 01/01/2022 21:26

@TheMadGardener

Just to add that MIL's Christmas cushions obviously have little jingle bells sewn to each corner, in case anyone was wondering.
Love this!!
wentworthinmate · 01/01/2022 22:24

If it wasn't for the cushion you might forget you've had a baby.

Nivealove · 01/01/2022 22:28

Awwww bless him. I get if he stops, you will miss it. Your FIL sounds lovely.

OverByYer · 01/01/2022 22:30

Oh bless him, he sounds very sweet

notacooldad · 01/01/2022 23:11

Your Fil does something that he thinks is nice for you and you'll like it and all you can do is mock him on a public forum

To be honest I think it's a shit thing you've done.

sweetbellyhigh · 01/01/2022 23:24

@ChipmunksInAttic

put another cover on it and use it, so when he visits you can just take off the cover… you have my sympathies :)
That's actually a really good idea
Smorgasborb · 02/01/2022 04:19

@notacooldad

Your Fil does something that he thinks is nice for you and you'll like it and all you can do is mock him on a public forum

To be honest I think it's a shit thing you've done.

Don't be daft. The OP is clearly full of love for her FIL and realises the gift is one from the heart. A naked and bewildered newborn on stuffed fabric maybe not the daily lounge decoration of choice however.
Emerald5hamrock · 02/01/2022 05:13

Your Fil does something that he thinks is nice for you and you'll like it and all you can do is mock him on a public forum.
His good intentions are hilarious.
Assuming you're a man from your username, not many women think they look beautiful in the first baby photo, it's taken for a special moment to look at occasionally, sweaty head, bags under the eyes, a lot of the time drugged, it isn't your best photo it is a necessary one, not one you want to see or sit on daily.

notacooldad · 02/01/2022 05:18

A naked and bewildered newborn on stuffed fabric maybe not the daily lounge decoration of choice however
I wouldn't have assumed the cushion was necessary meant for the lounge. I would have put it on a chair in the babies room

TreeSmuggler · 02/01/2022 05:31

Oh this is sweet! But horrible Grin Definitely save this for when LO is a teen or maybe his 21st. Take the stuffing out of the cushion and just save the cover so it doesn't take up much room in the "items to later embarrass dc" box.