I was a terrible "new baby" gift-giver before I became a parent myself. I couldn't resist tiny trouser-hat-and-vest combos, and those frilly lace bottom tights-size 0-3 months ... sweet enough to give you cavities! I've learned a lot since then. I now know that most babies will spit up all over the vest before you figure out how to keep the hat on their heads, slippery and sloped I'd rather pull tights up over a pile of jello than wrestle them onto a squirming, kicking, frog-legged 0-3 month bundle of joy.
I've had a lot of time to reflect on the first chaotic days ... weeks (OK months) of parenthood, and I realize that the best gift to give new parents is something for the new parents, not the baby. Grandma and Grandpa Let stuff the nursery with oversized Pooh bears andcloth jingle balls. The new mom and dad are the ones who really need some Lovin'. I've come up with a list of things I either received or found myself wishing for after bringing our daughter home.
A catheter. Seriously. Consider how difficult it is for a mother to use a public bathroom with an infant in tow. You can't put the baby down anywhere-too dirty-I know you hold the baby, leaving you with only one hand free to dispense and position the paper seat covers. When it slips off the toilet seat (the first one always does), you reach down to grab it before it hits the floor, which leaves the baby dangling upside down from your arm, and you quickly realize how much they hate that.
Car Seat Cover
When you finally manage to get a seat cover to stay put you have to figure out how to get the t.p.with one hand. This should be easy, since the t.p. is perforated between the sheets, and the dispenser has that nice toothy edge to tear against. Yeah, right! I swear those uterine are just sketched on, and that toothy edge is about as sharp as a raindrop. One time I tried to hold Baby's head under my chin and make a quick grab-and-tear with two hands, but she wiggled and I had to drop the paper and grab her before she slid off onto the disgusting floor.
Fathers have an easier time while the baby is small enough to tuck under one arm, but they grow so darn fast!
«Visit hair cut. I think my daughter was well over a year old before I got my hair cut. No time, no babysitting, no way I was going to take her into a salon full of hairspray and chemicals ... I would have paiddouble for someone to come to my house and cut my hair.
Hair bands, hair clips, and barrettes. See above. These, carefully arranged, can get you through a trip to the post office or the bank.
baseball cap. See above.
To go-to-the-front-of-any-line-no-questions-asked card. A life-altering gift.
Drive-through gift card. Fresh hot coffee for mom and dad, and a nice leisurely nap-inducing drive for Baby. It's like a mini vacation.
Adult Wet-Wipes ... There are many brands on the market. I fell in love with Olay Daily Facial Express Wipes. Some days it was the closest I came to a shower!
Nice house clothes. I have to admit, before I became a mom I never understood the allure of sweatpants, leggings, and oversized shirts. My husband still doesn't. I oftenwished I had something that looked better and wore as well.
Chocolate. Because it's chocolate.
Gift card for a car detail service. It's amazing how fast your car becomes littered with wipes, tissues, spilled milk, hair bands, empty bottles, Purell etc. If you can find a service that makes house call, so much the better!
Zip-loc bags. Great for stowing a dirty diaper or spit up clothes until you get home, or for holding small portions of formula, cotton balls, cheerios, chocolate, etc. Stash clean back-up clothes, used bottles, and expressed milk. If you're handy, you can even fashion an emergency catheter out of one! It's surprisingly easy to wash the bags in a sink of soapy water, then let them dry overnight and use them again. And again and again.
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