What to do on a first Christmas with a little one (2 months)

[RadDarwazeh]

Hi everyone! I adore Christmas and this year it'll be my first Christmas with a little one, I'm due end of this month.

I'd appreciate any advice on traditions to begin/how to spend the day/gifts to get/must take photos.

Thanks so much!

To be honest with our first we didn't do anything present wise as lots of family brought and they didn't need much. We asked for a few toys to grow into rather than all for 0-6 months, so would be able to have new things.

We had family visit us for a few hours as we found working around naps and feeds was too stressful. It was lovely to also have just us.

I got a baby ornament with the year of birth.

This time second one and 8 years on, we didn't have a choice but to have just us as of Covid restrictions. Only difference was we for a few toys as had to keep up appearances of Father Christmas with the older one, so baby did have some gifts and a small stocking of musical instruments and bath toys and a cuddly

Oh and we put a lump sum in a savings account do each of them the first year.

We went to a local craft cafe and had a bauble made with her footprints on.

Also got gifts for all the family while we were there - coasters, plates, plaques etc with her little feet on.

In terms of gifts I wouldn't get much as you will only just have got a load of new baby presents. Maybe ask for money to go in savings, or presents which will be suitable for when she is 6 months plus as it will seem like a long time until birthday/Christmas.

Don’t put too much pressure on yourself to have a perfect day without hiccups. Enjoy Christmas for what it is – a lovely experience as your new family, but with a little tiredness, and baby /dribble/sick down your Christmas outfit. Try and stick to their routine of feeding and sleeping.
Spoil yourself because let’s face it, in a couple of years Christmas is going to be all about them. You’ve just given birth and you’re sleep-deprived so it’s the perfect excuse to put your feet up, have a glass of prosecco and let your relatives share the load for a day.
Don’t go too big! You don’t want to blow a budget on something that they don’t even understand. Do things that hold tradition and meaning instead of expensive things like personalised baubles, Christmas outfits and Christmas Eve boxes. Have a think about what you used to enjoy at Christmas, and any traditions you might want to reinstate. We left out a mince pie, milk and carrots, hung the stocking and read The Night Before Christmas on Christmas Eve. We decorated our DC’s room with some twinkly lights and snowflakes.

I was also going to suggest a pottery painting place to get a bauble with foot/hand prints on. I have one from each child's first Xmas and they are my favourite decorations

Snuggle and relax. I watched a film and ate biscuits while DS was asleep on me.

Relax and have someone cook for you and make you a cuppa.
My little one was born a week before Christmas, and having someone to make me coffee while I was breastfeeding was the best thing.

I honestly wouldn't bother with presents or anything, maybe a 1st Christmas token but otherwise stick to a feeding and sleeping routine and everyone will be calm. Congratulations!!

Ds was born early October and for his first Christmas we bought him a play mat and a couple of little toys to grow into. My mum knitted him a stocking with his name on which I'm hoping will see him through childhood.

Make sure you get a photo of him looking at the tree lights. That's my favourite. And it's not Christmas if you can't dress them up as a pudding or something!

We've built traditions up slowly. So stocking that first year, then the next year I introduced a santa plate and Christmas eve box. This year I'm going to start an advent calendar.

Keep it simple
Leave out a couple of pies, decorate a tree and put your feet up. Watch a good movie, have a good cup of wine and eat a nice Christmas tea etc.

My MIL has made my ds a little felt Christmas decoration every year. He has gingerbread men, Snowmen, Father Christmas etc. each one has his name on and the year she made it. He is 9 now and they mean the world to him. When the decorations come out he gets so excited to see them again and gathers them all up and puts them in year order then find the perfect place on the tree for each. We thought we had lost one last year and it was traumatic! Thankfully we found it eventually!

A nice present for a new winter baby IMO is the specially made for babies soft sheepskin from Celtic Sheepskin. Lovely and warm and cosy to lie on. I bought one for a little Gdd who was born in early January. And it’s washable.

My DS2 was the same age (9 weeks old) old during his first Christmas and tbh he didn't do anything apart from sleep pretty much the entire day so don't expect too much. We just spent the day like we did the previous year. As gifts we got him some clothes and pram toys, mostly things that he needed or could grow into. Maybe you could start a family christmas eve box, new pyjamas for you all to wear on Christmas eve. Watch a Christmas movie together, baby may not be aware but you can all still have a cuddle together. We read Twas the night before Christmas on Christmas eve, no reason why you can't snuggle up together and read it anyways.

Thank you so much for all your wonderful suggestions. I won't put too much pressure on myself like you all suggest 💕 I can't wait to start new traditions and honestly it's not about the stuff it's about the memories. You're all brilliant thank you for taking the time to reply 🎄

Absolutely nothing, chill, rest and enjoy. A photo of babe in a Christmas outfit next to the tree will do!

I had a cute snuggly red babygro with a reindeer on for my DS's 1st Christmas and then his little DS wore it too. I bought them both a 'Name's 1st Christmas' tree decoration and also a stocking with their name on. I'd just find a few stocking fillers (board/buggy book, Christmas vests/bibs, teething toy, maybe a little snow globe) and maybe one of the Christmas 'That's not my' books under the tree. Enjoy!

@RadDarwazeh We had an 8 week old last Christmas 😊 I agree with others - don’t put too much pressure on yourself. DH and I went to M&S and bought all the food that you cook in the tray it comes in 👍🏻 Meant getting a full Xmas dinner without is spending all day in the kitchen.
I bought us all matching family Xmas pjs to wear all day - popped DS into his at 10am Christmas morning and by 10.20am he’d had a major nappy explosion 🤣 so much advice would be, if you want any kind of “outfit” picture then take it as soon as the outfit goes on 🤣🤣
We also night a bauble for the tree. There are some beautiful ones on Etsy. And we bought DS a stocking with his name on which hopefully he’ll use for years.
In terms of gifts, we didn’t go too crazy! We bought him the Fisher Price Kick and Play Piano which he loved at 8 weeks and still plays with now at 10months. And we bought a personalised book from Wonderbly as well as a few other wee toys etc 😊

As others have said, a newborn baby is hard work and don’t put yourself under pressure to do lots this year. On both my sons I got a first Christmas tree decoration that are really special to me, I also dressed them both up in an elf baby sleepsuit I also took ds1 for a picture with Father Christmas for his first Christmas, he was only 3 months old but we have taken them both to the same place ever since and it’s nice to see them grow in the yearly picture.