Did You Get a Baby's First Christmas Ornament?

[bigpassport]

My aunt sent me $100 to buy DS a nice Christmas outfit and an ornament. I have surfed the net for a nice Baby's First Christmas ornament, and I don't like any of them...Waterford, Spode, Reed & Barton, etc. Question: Should I just go ahead and buy one even if I don't love it so I have a Baby's First Christmas 2009 ornament? Will I regret it if I don't get one?

BTW it wasn't fun to shop for a Christmas outfit either...there was nothing very Christmas-y anywhere. I was quite surprised and disappointed.

[Momof3Labs]

Yes, I've gotten one for each of the kids. The girls' ornaments this year came from etsy - have you checked there?

[KpbS]

No, I created my own 1st Christmas ornament from an old pair of knitted baby booties.

[Neatfreak]

I wouldn't buy one that you don't really feel like putting on the tree. I didn't find ornaments for either of my kids until a little past their first Christmases, actually. But they don't have to know that :)

[katydid1971]

I didn't get a "baby's first christmas" I got a dated waterford ornament for each child, I also have one from when we got married.

[ThreeofUs]

Did you check Lenox? They have some good baby's first ornaments, or did earlier this year.

[swrc00]

I was in the same boat last year. For some reason there were lots of ugly First Christmas ornaments out there last year. Hallmark had some really cute ones this year.

[JTsMom]

We buy one every year for DS that represents something significant from that year. His first Christmas one is a little silver frame with his pic in it, and we had it engraved with Jason's First Christmas and the date.

[MamaMolly]

My girlfriend got me one for baby, one for Mom and one for Dad. They weren't really to my taste but when I saw them this year I got all misty. DD is a Sept. baby. I had a tree up her first Christmas, but after that we traveled so I didn't bother with a tree. Everything was in storage until this year.

FWIW my friend got (plastic) Hallmark ones. I thought about getting the Swarovsky crystal star (they do one every year) but didn't get around to it. DD was also given a pair of hand crocheted booties, and those also hang on the tree.

IIWY I'd get an ornament that is dated that is to your taste and enjoy it!

[daisymommy]

Wow, you guys go all out! I just bought something cute for each of them from the kiosk at the mall where they use a paint pen to write the name and date on a ceramic ornament.

[elliput]

I don't have one for either child and don't regret it in the least. Neither of my children have ever had special Christmas outfits or jammies either. I guess I am just not sentimental that way.

[lchang25000]

I had one made for DS and the total cost was only $10 and it looks great!

[Seitvonzu]

we were pretty much guaranteed that DD would be a 2008 baby. she was due in the middle of jan. and i had an induction date of jan 4th. the doctor was so SURE that she'd stay put until the induction that he didn't "check" me at all (i was gestational diabetes so was being checked in other ways up to 3 times a week).

that said, i'm a veryvery prepared person. i buy ahead for EVERYTHING. even i thought "no, i'm not buying a 1st christmas ANYTHING, because that is wasteful if she waits until after christmas!!!" so, my baby was born on the 23rd of december 2007. *sigh* i had my husband out at the mall on the 24th looking for the pier one rocking horse (from santa), an outfit (found something at old navy that wasn't too cute but was VERY soft) and a very specific classic pooh hallmark ornament i'd seen. dh missed my ob checking me, the pediatrician, the photographer, the social worker w/ state paperwork, etcetc coming in because he was SHOPPING :) i actually had my mother running all over austin, tx (she was visiting my brother, already had tickets to come for the induction) looking too. nobody could find that silly ornament. my mother bought me "something just to have SOMETHING" and i thought that was that.

then my inlaws came -- with something like 7 or 8 FIRST christmas/name ornaments... i'm actually staring at the "bag" of them right now because DH unearthed them the other day looking for something else. they range from a lenox giraffe to the likes of mall kiosk or lilliam vernon. these are in addition to the one my mother bought (which dh's mother subsquently bought a duplicate of). unfortunately, none of the EIGHT ornaments are the one dh/mymom couldn't find *sigh*

if you will regret not getting something, i say go for it-- you could get something that reminds you of your child, not specifically a "first christmas" ornament, if you'd rather

[tnrnchick74]

My family has a tradition that the grandmother buys the "first" ornament...but its generally not labelled "baby's first". We usually do REALLY nice silver plated/engraved ornaments. DS's is a silver train with his name and birthdate engraved.

I found a super cute "baby's first" ornament that is labelled as such...so I bought that as a way to mark his "first" christmas...but grandma got the 1st ornament honors!

[wendibird22]

Yes. We bought DD1 a hallmark stork for her first Xmas. It doesn't say First Christmas on it but it is dated. I was so excited to find a stork because I have a felted stork ornament from my first christmas. Of course now I'm scouring the web trying to find one for DD2 (um yeah if she comes in time for this Xmas obviously the ornament won't!) to keep the tradition going. I'll probably have to get something off etsy.

[caleymama]

We were gifted multiple baby's first Christmas ornaments. Some are specifically "baby's first Christmas" and others say DD's name & date of birth. Both DDs are fall babies so some of them were baby gifts and some were Christmas gifts their first Christmas.

If we hadn't been gifted any I probably would have bought one for each girl. I love seeing mine on my parent's tree to this day.

Don't know if you've checked any of these places, but here are some other ideas:
Things Remembered (http://www.thingsremembered.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Listing_10001_9951_1882_1882__3851_3852?occId=) - lots of ornaments to choose from here

Not sure if you found an outfit or not...
http://www1.macys.com/catalog/product/index.ognc?ID=422577&CategoryID=5991&LinkType=PDPZ1
http://www.hannaandersson.com/style.asp?from=SC|3|1|156|5|5||
http://www.hannaandersson.com/style.asp?from=SC|7|1|156|5|5||
http://www.hannaandersson.com/style.asp?from=SC|3|1|156|213|6||
http://www.llbean.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CategoryDisplay?storeId=1&langId=-1&catalogId=1&categoryId=38141&parentCategory=6149&cat4=6145&productId=603395&display_id=219576&feat=289-sub1&catalog_id=TA&from=&rtnComp=&np=Y
http://www.landofnod.com/family.aspx?c=10053&f=6279

[AnnieW625]

Yes. My mom was looking for a traditional satin ornament for DD in 2006 and she couldn't find one the best she found was a little collection of 6 ornaments from Longs Drug Store. It was probably $6 or so for the set.

BIL and his wife found a really cute one for DD at Macy's. It's a combo of satin and fabric.

ETA: just did a search of Macy's.com and found these:
http://www1.macys.com/search/index.ognc?SearchTarget=*&Keyword=baby%27s+first+christmas
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_0_13?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=baby%27s+first+christmas+ornament+2009&sprefix=baby%27s+first+

[BeachBum]

I want this one http://www.baileybea.com/catalog.php?item=6686
and bought this one for my niece http://www.baileybea.com/catalog.php?item=6948

that store has other cute ones too.

[caleymama]

I want this one http://www.baileybea.com/catalog.php?item=6686
and bought this one for my niece http://www.baileybea.com/catalog.php?item=6948

Those are very cute! :)

[wellyes]

Personally here's what I do with that $100 check:

$5 - get a cute, simple ornament at Kohl's or Target
$15 - buy a slightly dressy outfit at TJ Maxx in Christmas colors
$30 - professional photos (Sears or BRU) in that outfit to send to aunt & other family
$50 - in his 529 plan.

[Momof3Labs]

I love this one, not at all expensive, not generic/mass produced, and totally personalized for your baby:

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=36643370

[JBaxter]

We have done the halmark series with all 4 boys. Mass produced yes but the all match!

[catpagmo]

Yes, but it's not a fancy-schmancy one. I got one from Pottery Barn Kids. It's a frame-type ornament that says My First Christmas, and I put a cute pic of DD inside. It makes me smile so much every year when I put it on the tree. :)

I have yet to get one for DS.

[traciann]

We buy a James Avery ornament every year for our tree and the year that our dd's have been born we picked one with them in mind...noah's ark and an angel. I plan to have their initials and birthday put on that ornament at some point.

[maestramommy]

A friend gave us one for Dora. It was a very cute Pooh picture frame with her name and the year on it. But we never put a pic in it because it's for a full sized tree. 4 years later and it's still empty. One of these days we'll put a pic in it. But that leaves the other two. I don't suppose you can get them without the year, or with a past year? I was thinking of getting a personalized ornament for each kid anyway, after we get a full sized tree.

[brittone2]

DD's first was a ceramic rocking horse from Lenox. Don't remember what DS's is :bag but he has one (less $$ though)

[brittone2]

I love this one, not at all expensive, not generic/mass produced, and totally personalized for your baby:

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=36643370

Ooooh...I like that. I should bookmark it for baby #3 next year :)

[JTsMom]

A friend gave us one for Dora. It was a very cute Pooh picture frame with her name and the year on it. But we never put a pic in it because it's for a full sized tree. 4 years later and it's still empty. One of these days we'll put a pic in it. But that leaves the other two. I don't suppose you can get them without the year, or with a past year? I was thinking of getting a personalized ornament for each kid anyway, after we get a full sized tree.


Does it have to be Pooh? If not, try somewhere like Things Remembered and have them engrave whatever you want. Otherwise, try ebay for older ornaments.

[trentsmom]

I like the German Steinbach wooden ornaments. DS1 has this one (http://thechristmassleigh.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=Z375&Category_Code=0200A01) from his first Christmas. I'm going to try to get this one (http://thechristmassleigh.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=Z375NEW&Category_Code=0200A01) for DS2.

[Philoscript]

Have you thought about taking a cherished picture and putting it onto an ornament you make? I'm making an ornament for my daughter from a picture at JCPenny (I bought the rights to the photos) and one for my husband and I using a picture from her birth to mark the occasion.

[KrisM]

I got them each an ornament with their name, year, and first christmas engraved on it. Not specifically a first Christmas ornament though.

I didn't find anything I liked in 2004, so DS1's was purchased in 2005. Again, I had a hard time in 2006 and 2007. I bought one for DD and another for DS2 in 2008 :).


Now, I buy them an ornament each year and if I can, I get one with their name and year on it. Otherwise, I use a paint pen to put that info on myself. My mom buys them one, too, and they'll have them all to take with them when they leave home.