Every year millions of babies are born all over the world.  For most it does not matter if their infant is two weeks or ten months when the holidays come around, they want to make sure that their baby’s first Christmas is a special event.  Understandably newborn babies and older infants will not remember their first Christmas holiday, but the rest of the family will and there are many ways that you can document your child’s first Christmas so they will be able to share in the memories in the future.  So many people get wrapped up in the holiday season and they think that the traditional first Christmas ornament will suffice as a memento of their son or daughters first holiday experience.  In truth many children end up asking about their first Christmas later in life, curious about the way they opened gifts or what they wore.  This is why it is so important to document and create memories for this special occasion. 

Ornaments: A First Christmas Legacy

The first Christmas ornament is a must for your child, no matter what.  There are so many out there that choosing one might be difficult.  There are many classic first Christmas ornaments that are simply glass balls with the saying on it, or even child like angels with the phrase on their robes.  Just like with anything else that surrounds newborn babies, the first Christmas ornaments also come gender specific.  If you are the proud parent of a new baby boy you can get a blue Christmas stocking with first Christmas written on it, and the same can be found for a girl, only in pink.  While these types of first year ornaments are popular, they are not as widely used as personalized ornaments.  Personalizing an ornament for your child on their first Christmas is truly something that they can keep with them for a lifetime.  You can get these in everything from a glass ball with their name and the year painted on them, to their name on an angel.  One of the most wonderful and touching personalized ornaments are the photo ornaments.  Whether you have a photo placed on a glass ball or you get a photo frame, they are a great way for your child to look back later and not only know what their first Christmas was like, they can see what they looked like as well.

Personalized Stockings For Your Infant

In most homes each member of the family has their own Christmas stocking with their name written at the top.  When your baby is celebrating their first Christmas you will want to make sure to get them in on the tradition right away.  Their first stocking should be special which is why you can purchase first Christmas specific stockings.  There are so many different kinds you should not have any trouble finding one that matches the personality of your baby.  There are pink and blue stockings that say first Christmas on them much like the ornaments.  There are also traditional Christmas colors, some even with scenes on them like Santa, reindeer, and snowmen.  Choosing a stocking with children’s characters on it is also a great choice and a great way for your child to look back when they are older and see what was popular during that time.  These days Winnie the Pooh, Disney characters like Mickey Mouse, and children’s shows like Dora the Explorer are very popular.  You can of course place your child’s name on any of these stockings.  Depending on where you get the stocking you might be able to get the baby’s name embroidered on the top.  Your baby’s first stocking will surely be a priceless keepsake for you and for them.

Photographs: Capturing a Moment in Time

Photographs are the best way to create memories in life.  If you are a new parent chances are you are already crazy with the camera, constantly taking snapshots of your infant.  Since this will not change during Christmas and lets face it, you will probably take more photos during this time, why not take advantage of it.  Why not create a photo memory book of your baby’s first holiday.  You could use just about any photo album, but there are actually special photo albums, which say first Christmas on them.  This way no other pictures will sneak into the album over the years.  The album can be filled with pictures of your child during the Christmas festivities such as family dinners and church gatherings.  You will of course want to take pictures on Christmas Eve and Christmas morning.  Show the child taking each present and opening it, even if they are too young to do so.  If they are a small newborn, they will appreciate later on that you put in the extra effort to get a great photo!  Even consider taking photos of the other first Christmas items you have gotten them, like the ornament and the stocking.  Other people will surely give your child first Christmas gifts as well so incorporate them also.  If you are into scrapbooking this is a great opportunity to let your creative juices flow!  You may be able to use a first Christmas album but if not just choose the scrapbook album that you enjoy the most and you feel your child will enjoy when they are grown.  Frame each photo in a unique paper and theme each page according to the event.

Now that you have a few ideas for what to do on your baby’s first holiday you can be certain to make it a special one.  Remember that you do not have to stick to the same things that everyone else is doing for their child during Christmas.  If you have unique traditions during Christmas then stick to them and honor your baby in that way!  There are other fun gifts out there as well that you can get your baby, such as first Christmas outfits, which will only enhance your photo albums, and first Christmas books and CD’s, introducing your child to the story of Christmas and their first Christmas carols.  Your baby’s first holiday season is sure to be a special one, but remember that Christmas will only grow and become more exciting with each year that your child grows.  They may not be able to thank you this holiday season for all that you’ve done, but they undoubtedly will in the future!

About the author: Angela Lytlel is a self employed mother of four and publisher of Christmas Decorations Online, a website featuring holiday decorations from beautiful Christmas trees for any home to wonderul outdoor Christmas lights to brighten any holiday decor.