Choosing a baby gift that you are certain no one else will give is easier if you have more time to prepare. For friends or relatives who know about the impending birth several months in advance the choice is easy, but for those who were notified with nothing more that an invitation to the shower such as co-workers or business associates, the process can be a little more difficult. However, always remember that hand crafted or personalized gifts are always appreciated more than something you go to the store and pick off the shelf. One very unique gift that was mentioned online was that of a mural on the wall in the baby’s room. Instead of buying wall decorations of bunnies, baby animals, or cartoon characters, you can contract with someone to paint the mural for the parents to hang on the wall. It’s unique in a very attractive way and not something most people would think to do.

If you want to wait a while to give your gift, you can certainly present the proud parents with photographs of their pride and joy in a collage that you can personalize with dates. Other possibilities may include some of the following:

• A framed imprint of the baby’s footprints denoting the name, date or birth, birth weight, and length at birth.
• A silver or gold picture frame that is engraved with all of the information about the baby’s birth.
• A personalized pillow with the baby’s pictures and birth details.
• If it is close to Christmas, you can choose a decoration and engrave it with the baby’s name and date of birth.

Of course, some of the selections require waiting until after the birth of the baby, but there are many other possibilities you may come across that are perfect selections as gifts different from what others may choose. For those who enjoy embroidery, you can create personalized towels and blankets for the new baby.

For those who enjoy working with pottery or ceramics, making a lamp for baby’s room is a great welcome home gift. The choices are limited only by your imagination and talent. The choices are endless and go far beyond anything you can find in any store. In fact, this is the kind of think you can think of before there is an impending birth and put it in action when the time arrives.

Throughout my two pregnancies I can remember feeling so big and unattractive and secretly wishing for the pregnancy to be over. I longed for the day when I was slim again and could fit into my normal clothes.

It is sad, really, because pregnancy is such a beautiful experience. The fact that you created this little human being that is developing inside of you should make you feel wonderful every step of the way.

Oh, but those pregnancy blahs kick in! You cannot fit into your normal clothes, your stomach is growing inch by inch, you can’t see your feet, you waddle when you walk, your feet and legs are swollen, and other additional physical changes can make you feel, well, blah! You may even start to feel bored with the pregnancy and/or feel depressed. Yes, those raging hormones kick in too.

Here are some tips to help you beat the pregnancy blahs:

• Eat healthy and get plenty of rest. Ensure that your intake is nutritious and choose healthy foods. Don’t forget to take your vitamins too. Of course, this not only benefits your health but your baby’s health as well.
• Exercise. Even a short walk in the outdoors will uplift your spirits.
• Take time to groom yourself and make yourself feel attractive. Do your hair and put on makeup. We all feel so confident and alive when we look good.
• Try to buy maternity outfits that will make you feel good. Do not buy something just because it fits you.
• Include pretty accessories in your daily wardrobe such as nice earrings or a scarf. Many women raid their spouse’s closets for clothes that they can wear throughout their
• pregnancy. Lovely accessories even dress up your spouse’s wardrobe.
• Choose an activity that you will enjoy to help you through the times when you start to feel bored with your pregnancy. Prepare for your new baby by going shopping or decorating the nursery or choose a hobby such as gardening. Other ideas might be to prepare a scrapbook or write in a pregnancy journal.
• Approximately 10 percent of women experience mild or moderate depression during pregnancy. Seek professional help if you feel persistent depression or anxiety.
• Don’t neglect your spouse. Spend quality time with your spouse. Go for a romantic dinner or out to a movie. Enjoy this time because it’s hard to find time after the baby is born.
• Pamper yourself and take time out for yourself. Motherhood is just around the corner so take this time to enjoy your independence.

Although it may seem like nine months is taking a long time, really, it goes very quickly. Enjoy the wonderful experience of pregnancy each step of the way. There may be a time in your life when your children have grown up and you wish you had the chance to live the pregnancy experience all over again. Feel good about being a woman and feel good about bringing a wonderful new baby into the world. You can beat the pregnancy blahs!

My daughter was delivered via an emergency C-section after 42 weeks of pregnancy and two days of undergoing inducement. Both my baby and I were going through physical stress and it was worrisome.

Oh, it was music to my ears when, during the second night, my gynecologist arrived in my hospital room at 4:30 a.m. and told me that they were going to do an emergency C-section. I must have been in shock or delirious! However, after going through a traumatic two days, I was at the end of my rope and I wanted to meet this precious baby who lived inside of me for over nine months.

The time arrived and I was wheeled to the operating room, underwent a C-section and what a blessed event it was to see my sweet new baby girl!

I wasn’t prepared for the aftermath of a C-Section but I am so grateful that I had a great family who were there for me and helped me every step of the way.

Plan ahead. You cannot predict whether or not you’ll need an emergency c-section. So prepare yourself with information.
Try not to be upset if you are told you have to undergo a C-section to deliver your baby. I know that many new parents are less than thrilled at the prospect and have expected to have a normal vaginal delivery. Plenty of women feel let down and feel less like a woman because they did not deliver their baby through the hard work of labor. I know it is emotionally hard but the main concern is you and your baby’s health. That is far more important than how you delivered your baby.

Expect a brief hospital stay. My daughter and I were in the hospital for four days after the birth. If you require assistance at any time in caring for you or your baby, are uncomfortable due to the pain, or have any questions, do not be afraid to ask for help. There were times when I was too proud to press the buzzer to ask for assistance from the hospital staff. But, believe me, their assistance is very much required, especially with the care of your newborn baby.

When the time arrives and the nurses and/or doctors tell you to walk around, do try. It may be difficult but try to do a little walking if and when possible. It helps to alleviate the stomach gases that are very much a part of the discomfort you feel after a C-section.

Enlist support! The day arrives when you and your newborn baby can finally go home. Do not be afraid to ask for help and ensure that you have family, friends or loved ones to assist you. Do not try to be supermom! I was fortunate to have a supportive family at home and could not imagine going through the recovery without them. It will take you 6 weeks to fully recuperate from a C-section, after all, it is major surgery.
Do not pick up heavy items. Remember, you have just had major surgery and your incision is in the healing process.

Eat healthy and drink lots of water. This is important for your digestive system returns to normal.

Take time out for yourself and get plenty of rest. You have many years of motherhood to go so enjoy this period of relaxation.

Enjoy this special time with your new baby!

Eighteen months after the birth of my daughter I gave birth to a healthy baby boy via a scheduled C-section. The C-section and aftermath were easier the second time around.

I am grateful to have two healthy children who are the joy of my life regardless of how I delivered them.

The love a newborn baby brings into the world is like no other love experienced by a single person. It is a love so unconditional and so selfless, and it is a love that will never diminish but will grow each moment of every day.

The birth of a new baby is a beginning of a new life and the beginning of many precious moments that will be experienced through a parent’s lifetime. A new baby is the beginning of many wondrous things and a world of possibilities.

As pregnancy progresses a woman dreams of the day they will hold their newborn, and a parent dreams all things good for their baby.

A song from a country singer has always been in my memory since my children’s birth and has become my theme song for the hopes and dreams of my children:

I hope you still feel small
When you stand by the ocean
Whenever one door closes, I hope one more opens
Promise me you’ll give faith a fighting chance
~ Lee Anne Womack.

Enjoy the precious bundle of joy that your life was blessed with! Celebrate the special new baby in your life with one of our many baby gift baskets such as our popular “Special Delivery Baby Gift Basket.”

What has amazed me the most is how different a boy and girl are even at such a young age. My son was born when my daughter was 18 ½ months old. One of the first questions I was asked was, “Do you find there is a difference between having a boy and a girl?” At first I replied that there was no difference.

Then my son became three months old and I started to respond differently to that much asked question. At three months of age, my son started to show the traits of a true boy. As he gets older the gap between genders is surely noticeable.

The following are my experiences and may not be the experiences of other families:

1. Girls from a very young age are gentle creatures. They treat their toys with gentle ease whereas a boy is aggressive with their toys, bashing them and throwing them around like a baseball.
2. Boys are fearless and take risks regardless of the possible outcome. My daughter was very cautious at every step of her development from crawling to walking. I laugh at my son as he goes down two flights of stairs. He slides down them like a toboggan on an icy hill.
3. Boys from a very young age are louder and more temperamental. As a baby, my daughter did not cry very much even when in pain from teething or when she was really sick. My son is a whole different ball game and has a set of lungs!
4. Girls are nurturers and this is noticeable in them at a very young age. My daughter loves to take care of her babies and her baby brother. She is almost like a mother figure. My son, instead of pushing a stroller with a baby in it, he pushes it with a ball in it.
5. The first few words my son learned and says the most frequently is “ball” and “broke.” Yes, he is already an athlete and a fix-it boy!
6. Girls no matter where you are want a parent by their side whereas a boy is exploratory and goes off without a parent in any location.
7. Amazingly enough, boys at an early age don’t like to sit and watch television. My son doesn’t sit still for a moment and is very energetic and always into something. Whereas my daughter can sit and watch a television show for hours over and over again.
8. Boys are generally mommy’s little boys where girls are generally daddy’s little girls. It’s amazing how children tend to put a bit more favoritism on the opposite sex parent.
9. Boys show analytic thinking at a young age. They will sit and look at their toys and try to figure out how to take them apart or put them together. A girl sees their toys as the way they are.
10. Boys and girls choose their toys according to their gender. Boys will choose balls and cars where a girl will choose dolls.

These are the traits I see that differentiate my little boy from my little girl.

Of course, there are a number of similarities. Each baby and toddler, regardless of their gender, needs love, affection and attention.

Celebrate the arrival of a new baby with baby gift baskets that can be customized in pink or blue.

Aha! Was I proven wrong!

My 30-year old birthday hit me like a stone brick and my biological clock began tick, tick, ticking away. At 30 years of age, I realized that I was getting older and that something was definitely missing in my life. Life was not as fulfilling anymore, my career wasn’t as important and the realization that my fertile years were ticking away was more than scary.

At the same time, I had a cancer scare and one that could have possibly led to the decision of having children being taken away from me. It could have been a final end to my fertility and my chance of having a child would have been gone. Everything turned out in the end and what resulted was…

The ticking of my biological clock grew louder and louder. Something inside of me ached when I saw parents with their small children. It was an ache of longing for the experience and the joys and challenges of having a child.

I had my first child at 32 years of age and my second child at 34 years of age. Having children was the best decision I ever made in my life. Motherhood has been the most challenging yet most rewarding job that I ever had, and my children have blessed my life more than words could ever express.

What a joy a baby brings into the world! When I held my first newborn baby I have never felt so happy and so fulfilled. The love I felt for her was nothing I had ever felt. It was truly unconditional love. Those same feelings were felt when I held my son for the first time.

Each day since, my love and pride for my children have grown to deeper levels than I never knew was possible. My children, the greatest blessing in my life.

The ticking of my biological clock has turned my life into an amazing experience and has changed me in so many wonderful ways. Yes, I may be sleep deprived but all the joys and experiences of having children overpower the need for sleep.

It is very difficult to ignore the sounds of one’s biological clock. Listen closely, it may be telling you something very important and it may change your life one day!

Tick, tock, a baby is born and a “Welcome baby gift basket” could be on it’s way!

It is a wonderful and joyous event when a baby enters your life, and it is a time that will be the most cherished of all occasions in your life. And it also is an eye-opening, life-altering event. Life as you know it now will never be the same.

Although you will never regret having a child, you will remember those times when you had only you to look after and when you had, what seemed like, an endless amount of time.

Often times I look back at those days. Oh, those times when I could sleep in if I wanted to and/or sleep through the entire night, have a nap in the afternoon on a lazy weekend, go out when I chose to, completed work duties in 1/4 if not less of the time I do now, and the list goes on.

Since my first baby was born over three years ago, I haven’t had a full night’s sleep and don’t even remember what it was like. You see, when my daughter was nine months old, I received news that I was pregnant with my second. Now, with two children, sleep depravity is something I have grown very accustomed to.

A trip to the store, which used to take 10 minutes, is now a drawn out event when you have two toddlers in tow. And I can’t remember the last time I went out for an evening. Naps? What are they? Haven’t had one of those in well over three years. Time for myself? What is that? In order to have time to myself, I often rise in the wee hours of the morning before my children wake. For a couple of hours, the time is mine and the silence is golden.

Yes, I sometimes long for the times of the past. However, those times in the past are not as precious to me as the role I have now of being a Mother and it was never as joyful as the times I have had and do have with my wonderful children.

Lucky and fortunate is how I think of myself for having the joyful and blessed experience of raising two children. They have filled my life with so much happiness and the love I feel for them is a love I have never felt.

You will have moments when you want to scream and run away from it all. You will miss those times in the past where you didn’t have anyone depending on you. And you will sometimes feel frustrated and want to cry. These moments will pass quickly because just as you are thinking of what you had in the past, you receive a beautiful smile, a hug or hear those first “I love you’s” from your children.

I guarantee you that no moment in time will ever be as precious as that moment in the here and now with your new baby or your children.

This is the time of your life that you will never forget and one that you will treasure always. Make sure that you are off to a healthy start!

Before you start preparing for the conception of a baby, preconception planning should take place. Prepare yourself as soon as you know that you want to become pregnant. In order to have a healthy baby, you must be healthy.

Here are some important tasks you should do at least three months before planning a successful pregnancy:

1. Get a full medical checkup. Ensure that you inform your doctor that you are planning to get pregnant. Discuss your medical history, past pregnancies, medications, and lifestyle.
2. Stop any bad habits that you may have such as smoking, drinking, drugs or even poor eating habits.
3. Reduce your intake of coffee.
4. Reduce or eliminate exposure to toxic chemicals and radiation.
5. Eat healthy and exercise often.
6. Begin taking a prenatal vitamin that contains folic acid. Prenatal vitamins protect the health of the mother as well as providing the needs for a developing baby. Folic acid is very essential as it helps prevent birth defects of the brain and spine.
7. Reduce stress.
8. Try to get 6-8 hours of sleep per night.
9. Relax and take time out for yourself. Pamper yourself, send yourself a gift basket, treat yourself and enjoy this time!

The key to a successful and healthy pregnancy is taking good care of your own health. It will help ensure a healthy pregnancy, from embryo, to fetus, to the birth of your precious baby. What you eat and do now will go a long way in benefitting your baby.

If you strive to make the most of your preconception period by doing the above, you are on the road to baby in the making!

Another word of advice: Do not stress about becoming pregnant! When I was trying to become pregnant I was overly consumed with the thought of becoming pregnant. I walked, lived and breathed every moment of my day wondering when I would get pregnant or if I was pregnant. The money I spent on pregnancy tests was ludicrous!

Remember to relax and enjoy the whole process from preconception, to conception, to pregnancy to the birth of your newborn baby. It is the most remarkable time of your life and one to be cherished.

Reading to your child is the most valuable thing you can do and babies benefit immensely. Not only does it help develop baby’s eye muscles through focusing on pictures but it helps to encourage language skills. Each and every baby learns by sight, sound and feeling. When a baby sees, hears or feels anything, brain connections form and eventually create a piece of knowledge.

Babies first learn words by association with objects and pictures, which help them to understand the world around them. Eventually these associations are developed into language skills, where they begin sounding out the word. Language skills then develop into a way of which a baby can communicate with their parents and others around them.

As your baby grows into a toddler there are many other benefits that reading provides, such as:

1. Reading aloud helps your child to learn new words, associations and language skills.
2. Reading aloud to children helps them to learn and understand about the world around them and events and situations that do occur in everyday life.
3. Reading aloud to children helps them to develop their creativity and imagination.
4. Reading aloud to children helps them to learn about values and moral concepts, such as honesty, sharing and teaches them right from wrong.
5. Reading aloud to children is calming and soothing and is a fantastic way to bond with your child.

The benefits of reading to your baby and child are endless!

Establish a daily routine and read to your child. Life can never be too busy to set aside some reading time to your child and the rewards your child will reap are infinite!

Introduce the new baby in your life with a world of words and pictures with a wonderful baby book basket. The new baby will be delighted and the joy derived from books will provide countless hours of learning and pleasure.

Start reading to your baby today!

Who plans the baby shower? Any relative, close friend or coworker can host the baby shower.

Most baby showers are held before the baby is born. Some are held after the conception but, more often than not, most baby showers are held toward the end of pregnancy. It is a welcome diversion for the expecting mom to have her baby shower in the last trimester. It also brings more enjoyment and fun as the new mom is sporting a big belly towards the end.

However, before setting a date for the party, ensure to consult with the parents-to-be first and foremost. It would be a shame if a party is planned and invitations are sent and then find out that the most important people cannot make it.

Send out invitations early enough to give the guests a few weeks’ notice. This allows the guests to free up their schedules as well as to shop for the perfect gift.

In the traditional way, baby showers were held for the mother-to-be. However, there is increasing popularity for co-ed baby showers. In my opinion, a co-ed baby shower is probably more enjoyable and it is wonderful if the father-to-be is included. A father often feels left out throughout the pregnancy and after the birth of the newborn baby. A co-ed baby shower is a wonderful way to congratulate the father as well!

Themed baby showers are also very popular and makes the party more festive. Plan your theme and purchase matching invitations, napkins, plates and decorations. Although it takes more work to plan, a themed baby shower can make the party seem more organized.

The most favorite and enjoyable tradition of a baby shower are the activities and games. Here are some popular and fun games:

1. Baby Food Taste Test - Buy eight jars of baby food - cereal, fruit, veggies, and meat. Cover the jars with foil and write a number on the side of each jar. Pass out plastic spoons, paper plates, and paper and pencil for each player. Ask players to write the numbers 1 through 8 around the outside of the plate. Pass around each jar of baby food and have players drop a spoonful next to each number. They must taste the globs and try to identify each flavor. Remove the foil to reveal the answers. Whoever has the most correct answers wins a prize.
2. How Big is Baby? - Bring a roll of toilet paper pass it around and have everyone tear off the exact amount that they think will go around the expectant mother. The person with the length of toilet paper that is the closest wins of course.
3. Diaper Doo Doo - Take 6 disposable diapers and put a different kind of candybar (½ a bar will usually do) in each one and let them sit in the sun or a warm place to melt. Label them 1 through 6. Pass the “dirty diapers” around and the winner is the one who can identify the most correctly.
4. Don’t say “Baby” - When the guests arrive, give each a clothespin to wear. Tell each guest that they can’t say the word “baby”. If a guest catches someone saying “baby”, they may take the clothespin away from them. If, for example, a guest has 3 pins from previously taking them away from others and someone catches her saying “baby” then that guest now gets to take all 3 of her pins. The person with the most clothes pins at the end of the shower wins the game.
5. Baby Pictionary - This game is based upon the original Pictionary board game. Before the shower, place words relating to baby activities and items on small cards. (ex: Changing a diaper, giving birth, feeding time) At the shower, create teams and give each one a pad of paper and pencil. Let one member of the team see a card, then tell them to draw the word or phrase for their partners to guess. Use a timer or just play until someone guesses. When the time is up, the teams total up the number of words they have guessed correctly and the one who has the most wins a prize.

There are many, many other baby shower games and activities that you can choose to make your baby shower fun and exciting.

Lastly, what makes for a great baby shower gift? Chances are the new mother requires many baby necessities including clothing, bottles, a car seat, bibs, blankets, and more.

Cuddles ‘n Gifts has charming baby gift baskets that are guaranteed to make the new baby squeal in delight, functional gift baskets filled with baby necessities that every new parent wants and needs and personalized baby gifts that make exceptional keepsakes of the blessed event. Be sure to browse our adorable musical crib mobiles and soft, cuddly baby blankets.

Make the new mom’s baby shower one to remember. This is a wonderful event in her life and what better way to congratulate her!