Ideas for making partner’s 40th special with a newborn and toddler

[Cannoli]

Looking for some advice/ ideas please!

My partner’s 40th birthday is coming up this year and I had always planned to do something special like take him on an amazing holiday. I wouldn’t throw a party as that wouldn’t be his thing but I always wanted to make something of it and make him feel special. As it has turned out, our second baby is actually now due 3 weeks before his birthday so I need to modify and adapt my plans and expectations massively as we’ll likely be in the newborn trenches as well as having a 3 year old, plus I am having a planned section so will be unable to drive.

Please can anyone help me with ideas of how I can still make his birthday feel special? Worth noting that he absolutely does not expect anything big or special! It’s me that wants to spoil him as he always puts himself last. Thank you

If you can manage a weekend away in a nice hotel, so DH and toddler can use the pool, jacuzzi in the evenings and then you can all go out for some nice meals and mooch around a nice city then do that. You can always say as you can’t drive he will have to and put the postcode in the satnav and just press go so he can’t see where he’s going for a surprise element.

A weekend away would be hell at those ages, especially after a c section.

However, you could get a babysitter for the 3 year old and take the newborn with you for a nice dinner. We went to loads of nice restaurants when my son was 2-8 weeks. We were tired but he slept and woke up for a boob then back to sleep. But not late late, like 5pm, before the evening non stop crying starts 😂

Really though, the easiest thing would be to buy all his favourite food and cook him a nice dinner. And give him a night off so he can go out with his friends?

For his 40th I got him a cake with a model of his motorbike on top, and invited our parents over, simple simple.

For his 50th I got him 50 gifts and put them in a big box, the beer I bought him counted as 12, I didn’t get him any tat to fill it out. Just all thoughtfully bought. We went to NYC that year so that counted as a trip for his 50th, so didn’t need to invite anyone, lol

What about a little dinner party at home with friends? You could get a local caterer to provide a meal with all his favourites and you could make some decorations with photos of him through the years from babyhood to 40?

A nice meal (realistically, it may need to be for lunch because you’ll not be up for staying up late cluster feeding a new baby while preparing a meal).

Honestly though, the loveliest thing would be a little break from parenting and the intensity of a new baby. A night away for him to re-charge or do an activity he enjoys? A night out with friends? A lie in with coffee and breakfast in bed.

I wouldn’t really want to do much with a toddler and baby in tow. I’d want a little break for a day or a weekend to feel like a grown up. If that’s too soon still on his actual birthday, see if you can give him a break a few weeks later.