Baby’s First Christmas Present - Custom Screen Printed Birth Stats

It’s the most wonderful time of the year. My favourite “season” so to speak, other than summer, is Christmastime and it is finally here. It’s the only acceptable time of the year for snow. I love everything about this holiday – the music, the movies, the lights, the tree, the decorations, the festive gatherings, the outings, the holiday-themed baking, the turkey dinner, and the creative and meaningful gift-giving (I could go on and on). I especially love writing cards, making presents, homemade advent calendars, and all things sentimental and DIY. Every year I am excited to kick off the celebrations, but this year is extra special: my first year celebrating Christmas as a family of THREE.

We’ve always had big dreams to someday have a family and after four years of wedded bliss and explorations, we welcome a perfect baby boy into our lives – the greatest unknown adventure of our lives. It’s like landing in a foreign country where we must learn and try to master the language, culture, customs, foods, etiquette, and all. As prepared as we thought we were, there’s no way to truly prepare for parenthood. Even in unchartered waters, our dreams have come true, cliché I know. For us, it’s the best gift. I could receive a lump of coal under the tree a million times over and I would still be the happiest girl in the world. I wouldn’t trade the lack of sleep, middle-of-the-night-feedings, spit-up-covered-everything, pee covered change pads, poopy diapers, piles of laundry, fussy periods, and a messy home for the world. It’s wild, busy, exhausting, and wonderful all at the same time and I can’t imagine my life without him. The baby snuggles, baby smell, baby-gaze, gentle caresses, coos, smiles, and sweet innocence are magnificent. The connection happened instantaneously. This is my life now. It’s all we wished for and more.

I’ve always felt I was meant to be a mother and knew I would someday become one. It took more than a wish upon a star and a letter to Santa to welcome him into the world – he was hard work. It was a difficult pregnancy in the beginning and I had a long labour and sudden c-section (31 hours from hospital check-in to birth and a 5 day hospital stay to be exact), but he’s here now. I love our little bundle of joy more than I could have ever imagined. I knew motherhood would change me and us, but I truly couldn’t understand it until I became a momma (I still don’t yet understand the full magnitude) and it’s an understatement how it flipped our world upside down for the better and for the chaos. Oh how my life literally changed overnight when Hudson came into our lives in the wee morning in mid-October. With each day that passes, I learn more and more about what it means to be his mommy. I’m so excited to celebrate Christmas with our little boy and start new traditions as a trio. In anticipation, the tree was up earlier this year and the halls are decked with boughs of holly. Even though he won’t remember his friend Christmas, it will be one of our fondest memories of welcoming him into the world.

In the spirit of wanting to spoil our new baby just a little this Christmas as new parents, we had to think of a creative way to celebrate his arrival in gift form. As much as I love gift-giving (especially the DIY, handmade, secondhand, and useful kind) our little who will be two months at Christmas really doesn’t need anything. For presents under the tree, we’ll be following the four gift rule for Hudson. It’s the combination of: 1.something he needs – this will likely be diapers and/or baby wipes, 2.something to wear – pyjamas for Christmas Eve (a family tradition of ours) , 3.something to read – “Why I Love Christmas” by Daniel Howarth, and 4.something he wants (what could Santa possibly bring that he’s been wishing for in his sleep?) – for this year, it will be his first (mommy & daddy chosen) customized gift post delivery. We realized quickly it would be difficult to pick an original ‘first gift’ for our baby boy. After a quick google search, it’s overwhelming to see the countless options to document a baby’s birth. Most popularly, I see parents choosing plates, pendants, wood carvings, and Christmas ornaments (and beyond) to name a few, but we wanted something made locally, one of a kind, and tailored specifically for our family. Something thoughtful to be showcased for the world to see in Hudson’s turquoise accented nursery would be perfection.

After stumbling upon a local screen printer designer, I knew I had found the perfect place to find a Halifax-crafted sentimental gift for our newborn. The East Coast creator hand makes customized “welcome to the world” birth stats posters, among other crafty creations. The locally screen printed announcements are made on stretched canvas with a natural wood stained frame. I instantly knew the framed poster would be perfect to display in Hudson’s travel themed room. Each sign is made-to-order with your child’s individualized details. From size, colour, to design, you can tailor the gift specific to your family’s style and needs. We selected an 8×10 print in dark teal with a dark brown stained wood frame. The lightweight birth announcement is perfect to hang in a child’s room. I know his hand selected treasure will be cherished for years to come.

This Christmas’ fourth gift rule: “something he wants” is made simple because we get the privilege to select it for him. As a Christmas lover, I already can’t wait for next year’s Christmas when he’s One and has a better idea of what’s going on. He might even know what he “wants” for Christmas. I look forward to the eager and excited first words, pointing, and belly-laughs. As a teacher, I’ll encourage child-centered activities and self-led explorations to encourage playfulness, independence, courage, and confidence. For this year, I’ll revel in parent guided & selected holiday celebrations, baby snuggles, coo’s, and smiles. If he’s anything like his mommy, he’ll love the holiday season as much as I do. I can already see the wonder in his sweet little eyes as he intently watches the various flickering and colourful Christmas Tree lights while joyfully listening to classic Christmas music. I can’t get enough of seeing my babe instinctively explore his new world, especially during this special season. The icing on the cake for me is becoming a mom, family of three, and celebrating the birth of our firstborn during the most wonderful time of year.