How to Celebrate Your Baby's First Christmas

Baby's first Christmas can be an exciting time for the whole family, as you
experience the joy of the season through the eyes of an infant.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Baby Books
• Christmas Stockings
• Christmas Tree Ornaments
• Christmas Trees
• Scrapbooks
• Camcorders
• Cameras
• Film
• Cameras

1. Start a scrapbook to save mementos from your baby's first Christmas. Include scraps from wrapping paper, bows, gift cards and any other special items.

2. Write a description of the celebration in your child's baby book so you can read it to him or her in a few years.

3. Keep a journal and write down your own perceptions of the holiday and special things that you want to remember.

4. Buy or make a special ornament to commemorate baby's first Christmas.

5. Plan to hang this on your tree every year.

6. Take steps to childproof your Christmas tree and decorations.

7. Take lots of pictures of the baby as he or she absorbs all of the holiday details.

8. Videotape your family's celebration so you have a true record of it.

9. Start new family traditions that include your infant. For instance, you might sing a special Christmas carol to the baby that you will continue to sing each year.

10. Create opportunities for other children to help their new brother or sister during the Christmas celebration, such as opening the infant's gifts, or reading a Christmas story to him or her.

Tips & Warnings

• Include a picture of the new baby in your Christmas cards to introduce friends to your newest family member.
• Remember to continue old traditions along with the new, to give yourself and your family a sense of continuity during the stress of the holidays.
• Understand that all the fuss that comes along with the holidays can be overwhelming to a new baby. Be sure to allow for some down time.

Resources

• Letters To Santa
• Christmas Recipes

[designmama29]

on 10/28/2008 A gift that will actually help keep baby warm during baby's first Christmas is a hooded towel for baths, there's many to choose from, one that allows personalization of the towel if from towelhoodies.com -- check out http://www.towelhoodies.com/baby-first-christmas-gift.html

on 11/22/2005 Give your daughter a special Christmas decoration every year. When she gets married, give her all the ornaments as a shower gift.

on 11/22/2005 The temptation will be to shower your baby with gifts. At this age ths child is just as happy with wrapping paper as gifts. This is probably the last Christmas without a big long list from the child. Use this as a chance to spend less, celebrate more.