If you are a parent to a newborn baby, or about to be a new parent, you may have a lot of apprehension. There is so much to plan for your newborn baby, and just not quite enough time. Although it’s stressful, it’s also a wonderful time in your life, and you’ll want to make the most of it.
Here a few things to do with your newborn baby…
One thing to do with your newborn is to help them choose their favorite toy.
You probably have a variety of toys from your friends, neighbors, and well-wishers. Set out a few of the toys before your baby, and watch which one the reach for the most. Do this with your baby several times with all their toys, until they have a clear favorite.
You can take pictures and write down the process of your baby deciding on their favorite toy. It’s possible this toy will be a keepsake for their whole life, so it will be wonderful for your newborn to eventually learn about where their favorite childhood toy came from.
Another activity to do with your newborn is to do handprints with them.
Have the whole family paint their hands and press their handprints onto your porch or deck. If you are renting or plan to move in the future, you can have everyone do their handprints on cardstock and get it framed instead. This method may be a safer idea, since you never know if you may wish to move to a new home one day.
Whether you decide to do handprints on your deck or hang them on your wall, don’t miss the opportunity to record just how tiny your little one is. You and your child will one day look back and marvel at how small they once were. Get it done before they get too big!
If you own a smartphone, you are probably already doing this next one. Take selfies with your baby. It doesn’t matter how many photos you already have, you can never have too many selfies with your newborn. You may be tempted to just take pictures of your baby, since you might not think you look great. But don’t worry about that.
Life is too short to wait for the perfect moment to take photos, and you want photos with you and your baby, not just your baby. Even if you have worries about how tired you look, take as many photos as you can with you and your newborn. As uncomfortable as it may feel now, you won’t regret it in the long run.
Lastly, you’ll want to send out newborn announcements to your friends and family.
Hire a photographer who specializes in newborn photography to ensure you’re photos are perfect and your baby is in good hands. If you’re on a budget, you can instead opt to use photos you took yourself. Most phones nowadays have excellent cameras, and you can take gorgeous photos of your baby without the added expense of hiring a photographer.
Once you’ve got your photos, you’ll want to find just the right announcements to send out to everyone. I always use Basic Invite. All of their cards are customizable, so you can make sure your cards are perfect. I really love their newborn announcement cards, and they have a bunch of beautiful options to choose from.
I hope this helps all you new parents make lasting memories with your baby. Remember to send out announcements, take photos with your kids, help them decide their favorite toy, and make handprints together. You and your family are sure to have so much fun.