Looking for "New Baby" Gift Ideas for Husband

Hi! Thank you for you life of sacrifice. Have you heard of Skype? It's a way to chat live online even with a webcam. You can get a camera pretty cheap and if you know someone with a laptop you coud have him in there with you virtually. I know it's not the same, but skype is free to download.

I think you were thinking of sending him something he opens once he hears of the birth? I thought we were going to be in this position at one point anyway this is what I was going to send with instructions to not open until the baby was born
http://t-shirts.cafepress.com/item/proud-papa-black-and-r...

How about something to remind how tiny and precious they are? A pair of tiny baby shoes, a little stuffed animal, a recieving cloth "baby scented"?

I would use snapfish or one of the other similar companies on the internet that you can upload your pictures to and they will make a book with all of your pictures. Have them ship it directly to Iraq. I would think pictures of all the action in a book that he can look at all the time would be very nice for him!

I've also read a bunch of stories about soldiers watching their kids' births over the internet. The company that is doing it is called FreedomCalls.

http://www.pennlive.com/news/patriotnews/index.ssf?/base/...

Thanks to you and your husband for serving our country!

I would make him a small brag book he can show off. I did one for the grandparents when my first son was born. I copied the ultra sound pictures and put that in first and then printed a few of the pictures we had taken. Then I arranged them in a book they could show off. They absoultely love it. You could do the same and then have your son put something in there from him. Your husband would love it. Good luck.

At my blessingway for my third baby, the hostess gave out little scented votive candles to all the guests with instructions to light them when they received word the baby had arrived safely. The idea was that all those candles lit by people who love our family would be our baby's first Birth Day candles. You could send candles to a few family and friends and your husband so he would be part of the loop. If there are restrictions on lighting candles or if a wax candle won't hold up in the desert, I still think a birthday theme would be fun. With a note like, "Now the work of labor is done, it's time to celebrate our baby's Birth Day!" Maybe brownie bites or something similar could stand in for cake. You could add in a hat and some silly party blow-out noisemakers, which is nerdy but fun depending on your husband's sense of humor. Consider sending a little diaper or pair of socks--they make everyone sentimental and it helps to be able to visualize the size of a newborn. Maybe a photo of you with your baby gear all ready would be fun for him to see, or a photo of you flexing to say you borrowed some of his strength to help you through the birth.
I know See's lollipops don't melt and would be nice to pass out to colleagues. My older boys passed them out when people came to see our new baby. I tied a little "I have a new brother!" tags to them and everyone liked them.
I hope you find all the support you need. I know there are good doulas--who would probably offer services for free or at a steep discount for you-- in Wyoming, and La Leche League has a group in your area, I think. They've been lifesavers for me.
My deepest thanks to you and your husband for the sacrifices you make. Please keep us posted!

M. - How wonderful that you are adding another one to your family! I'm sorry your husband won't be there but I was thinking that you can keep him up-to-date with things like facebook.com or even get a webcam set up and do it through msn or yahoo. Just designate a friend to set it up in the hosipital for you and then he can see what's happening. Not that you'd want to share the delivery, but maybe right aftwrwards. These are all really great tools! Also, what about sending him your babies hat and blanket that he/she used in the hospital? This would be very special.

This is something you can send to him after your baby is born. But when you are in the hospital, get the nurse to get your baby's hand and foot print. Put it on a special piece of paper with a picture of your baby. This is something he can keep with him at all times and feel your baby close to him while he serves his time in Iraq.

You have some great ideas listed - I just wanted to say thank you for your sacrifice, and thank you to your husband for serving!! I know it must be hard with him not there, and it may not make things easier, but please know that you, him & your children serving our military does not go unnoticed!!!!

Every year my husband and I buy a Christmas ornament that symbolizes something special that happened that year. You could buy a Christmas ornament and put the baby's picture in it. You can find a lot of cute picture frame ornaments that are for babies at Hallmark or online. Then he can hang it by his bed until he comes home and then every year after that it would go on your tree as a rememberance of that special time when your child was born.

M., First let me just say how grateful my family and I are for you and your husband and the sacrifices you both have made and are currently making for all of us. We would be lost without brave and giving people like your husband and yourself. As far as a new baby gift. I dont know if your child will be born with much hair but how about a lock of the baby's hair with a picture and maybe the little hat that they send home on the baby. This will give your hubby something tactile to feel and hold and the hat will have your baby's smell on it. Just something that I found so precious when our sons were born. Hope this helps and good luck and God Bless

Hello, I have a friend that was also in your situation. She contacted a local internet service provider, not sure which one. They were actually able to do a video link with her husband in Iraq and he was able to "attend" the birth live. They could talk to eachother and both said that it was a wonderful experience. The military also assisted by allowing her husband to do this. I am not sure if you have considered this senerio or not but it is worth checking out. Good Luck!

M., First of all-congratulations on your upcoming arrival! Good luck with everything and THANK you for what you and your husband are doing for our country!

Susie had a great suggestion which made me think of what I did for my first sons first father's day gift. You can find "talkable picture frames" I found mine at Radioshack. Record the baby's first cry into the picture frame and then send that with the baby's first picture taken. He can open that after you send it. That may "put him in the moment" after the fact!

Another thought-to have him open something the day the baby arrives-you can always do a box full of blown up balloons (whatever color the baby's gender may be blue/pink/green) with a box of the "It's a boy/girl" gum cigars to hand out to all of the troops stationed with him. He can throw himself his own party to celebrate on that side of the world too!

Again, good luck!

I'm a Navy wife and my heart is aching for you. My husband left one month after our baby was born for 6 months so I almost have an idea of what you're going through. I don't have any better ideas than the ones that have already been given, but just wanted to let you know I admire you! I hope you can do the webcam thing. (Hopefully there isn't a whole group of guys on the other end watching too.) :) Good luck! And God bless!!
PS After my hubby left I put my boys footprints on a piece of paper, laminated it, and put this poem: When you are tired of reading your book, mark your place with my little foot.
(My husband loves to read and we send him books in every package we send.)

M.,

When my nephew was born 16 years ago, I was away at college. My sister sent me a room freshening spray that smelled just like a newborn baby. I did a quick look online and couldn't find it, but you need to find something that smells like a newborn baby and send it to your husband to open on when your baby is born. Since you already have a son, he will remember that smell and it will pull his heart closer to home. If all else fails, a small bottle of baby powder that he can sprinkle on his pillow and smell all night long will work, but I hope you find something even better than that! Smell is a very powerful sense. Tap into it!

I also want to say thank you to your entire family for serving our country. You are appreciated and prayed for.

Theresa

M.,

First of all, thank you and your husband for your sacrifice.

Second, My husband who is not "sentimental" at all, loved the foot and hand prints the hospital took. Maybe you could send a copy of that. Not sure of your desired timing though.

I am sure you have thought of pictures and videos. What about a little scrap book of ultra sound pictures and such?

Also, I would ask other dads you know what they would like or what made the birth of their children special. Men think differently than we do so maybe input from some other dads could help you spark ideas too.

God bless and congratualtions.

P.S. After reading some of these awesome suggestions I really like the cigar idea. I think you could get M&Ms with special message printed on for him to hand out and even specially printed chocolate bars to hand out. Men like to "brag" a bit about their kids. :)

The only thing I can think of is a small picture frame, that says "I love my daddy." Then send a picture of the new baby to put in it, or both of your kids together (those are hard to get sometimes).
Sorry, it's not very creative.

Dear M.,

My business does always speical baby gifts. It's called Little Journeys Baby World. If you want us to do a custom made onesis, with something speical on it, like: Daddy, I'm here! Come home soon. or whatever you want. Just look on our site. Wishing you all the best with you and your little one. And may you husband be safe and well, so that he can come home to you both.

Sending Happy Greetings,

Little Journeys Baby World
C. R.

I am part of a military family also. Please thank your husband for his service! Get permission for someone to tape the birth and send him the DVD. Sometimes if it can be arranged, he can watch the birth live over instant messenger if he can get to one of the computer banks that have the video cams and you can have a computer with a video cam in the birthing room. If he can't watch live, have the package to him addressed and ready to go so one of your friends can get it to the post office right away. Also if your husband can get to the internet, you may be able to email him some video clips of the birth the same day. Congratulations and best wishes to you both!

When they make the baby footprint certificate you can have them also put footprints on a t-shirt over where your husbands heart is. Then get something from a fabric store that will seal it onto the shirt. You could use puffy paint to write something on the shirt or draw a heart around the footprints.

How about a lock of your newborn's hair? (Or even just some fuzz if that's all s/he has. :)

Snapfish has flipbooks you can order where you put pictures in and add wording to tell a little story. You could have that out to him within a week of the baby being born.

Good luck!
M.

M.,

From one warrior wife to another, I'd like to suggest you check out http://www.operationspecialdelivery.com/ for YOU. The help you get there, can help you with this, too.

I'd also like to suggest doing a belly cast when you're about 37 weeks. You can google them and see the many different ways they can turn out. You can do one and send it to your hubby, with foot prints where your baby kicks the most, you can put pictures on it, quotes, whatever...your man will love being able to put his hands "on your belly" and have that amazement. You can place baby items: a new born diaper, the "cigars" for boy/girl, a pacifier, baby socks, a onesie, etc...and place them in the belly when you ship it.

Have lots of pictures taken, even video, and then let someone put a "video" together for him to watch...you know, like all the military tributes we torture ourselves with on YouTube...like that, only it's all happy! ;o)

You may want to have a "Daddy Shower" for him over there. Send stuff for a "party" for daddy to be received two or three weeks before baby is born, too. Those guys really could use a good excuse to play--they come up with some aweful and silly things to pass the time!!! So, you could do something like that.

Work a scavenger hunt into the mix if you like...you may need a helper--one of the other guys there (or maybe a female he's serving with) with the clear understanding that if they let the cat out of the bag Iraq will seem like a trip to the day spa when they get back! lol

Good luck Sweetie, remember to do your own research and be proactive in your care. It'll all work out wonderfully.

I know you have heard this many times, but first I want to say thanks so much to your husband for his bravery to protect our country, and thanks to you for being the kind of wife our soldiers need to come home to. You have to sacrifice so much and hold down the fort at home while trying to be as positive as possible knowing your guy is dodging bullets. I couldn't imagine having to give birth without my husband there to hold my hand. That said, when both of our kids were born my husband went online and found a few different websites where you can create birth announcement Hershey bars. For our son, the front of the wrapper said HERSHEY'S, with the HE in blue and for our daughter it read HERESHEIS with the SHE in pink. On the back there is a picture of the baby, and you fill out the info such as "baking completed"(birth date and time), Package size (length and weight), and Manufactured by (Parents' names). You can send a bunch to him for him to distribute among his war buddies. My husband couldn't wait to get back to work to hand these out to his buddies. We sent some to my folks in Texas and everyone loved them. Besides how adorable they are you get to eat chocolate! My husband used two different companies each time, but I'm sure you can go online and Google Candy Bar Birth Announcements and get a few hits. I also loved the idea one mom wrote about snipping a bit of the baby's hair and sending it with the hospital cap. It is great that you are trying to make your husband feel like part of it all when he is so far away. What a sweet thing to do.

I don't know about 'new baby' gifts, but I recently found fantastic gifts for men here: http://www.brights-gifts.co.uk/
Hope it will help in the future.
M.

Besides the obvious box of cigars, how about a personalized T-shirt with something like "It's a boy" or "I have a new tax deduction". I saved the hospital wristband and disposable blood pressure cuff etc. from my kids. I don't know if they still use them, but they could be something to include in a later package.
Good luck and God Bless you for your family's service to our country!
J.

Send him a framed picture of you pregnant, and of the ultrasound of the baby with a blank space available for the after picture you send him of you and the baby from the hospital. This will give him something to look forward to and add to his excitement of receiving a new picture.

How about a chronological pictoral of you pregnant and then labor & tiny baby pics, with hand & foot prints, and a "we look forward to your homecoming!" message.
I did that for my dad who wasn't able to visit during my pregnancy and his granddaughter's birth, each photo had a little caption, all in sequence, in a 4x6 album from the drugstore, I pasted his name on it.

Thank your husband for his service, and you are doing a great job!

Hello,
First and foremost tell your husband thank for doing what he does, because it is men like him that give me the freedom I have today....May God Bless you both.
I thought you could send a mini scrapbook of everything that has happened up until the date and maybe your baby's first blanket and clothing so he can feel close in his heart to his baby. And then maybe a DVD or recording of you and your baby on that day sending him a heartfelt message that you both cant wait to see him!! I hope I was some help!!
Congratulations!! I hope everything goes well, and again may God Bless you both......Take Care.
Sincerely,
T.