Gifts for the New Baby

Newborn gifts have a sweet way of pulling at heart strings (of both the gift-giver and gift-receiver) and I wanted to share a few of my favorites for blessing the new baby. I have to say, putting this baby girl mood board together has me itching for a little lady in my life! Oshiolema will be a fantastic big brother either way and we're so excited to find out just who this baby is very soon.

1. Fashion Book: I have been a huge fan of all the new fashion infused books for little girls being written lately. This Little Piggy Went to Prada seems like a precious addition to any little girl library. 
2. The Laundress ‘Just for Baby’ kit: Though sometimes you just can’t beat the classics when it comes to laundering baby clothes, this new brand “The Laundress” Is something I can really get behind. All products are all natural, gentle and non-toxic, which surprisingly isn’t true for the detergent I swore by up until now. The packaging is pretty enough to elevate any laundry room and the signature scent includes traces of vanilla, lily of the valley and lavender- a welcome escape from the poop likely being scrubbed out of the back of that onesie. 
3. Precious Shoes: Though I am still a fan of Freshly Picked Moccasins, I have been looking for sweet alternatives for the baby shoe collection. These sweet lace ups are completely impractical but I love a bit of an old fashioned look in a teeny tiny shoe.
4. Non Toxic Teether: We try our best to keep all of the toys in the house non-toxic, BPA and PBA free. Yes We still have enormous plastic toys that just get the job done better than anything else, but I do my best to be especially conscious of all the toys that I know will spend most of their time in baby’s mouth. I don’t like the thought of baby spending hours upon hours every day sucking and chewing a toy unless I know it’s safe. This Doughnut teether is both adorable and completely safe. 
5. Magnificent Baby Onesie: A friend of mine introduced me to this brand by gifting Oshiolema with a onesie when he was 3 months old. It was just before his first flight and she explained it would be life changing for our trip. She was not lying! Friends, this onesie is magnetic. That’s right. No buttons, no zippers, it’s just a track of teeny tiny magnets that stands between you and changing that diaper. It’s especially helpful on a plane or for road trip travel but just as welcomed for everyday ease. We LOVE our Magnificent Baby clothing and it’s a go-to of mine to gift the new baby.
6. Hooded Bath Towel: this isn’t a new concept…I just can’t get over how sweet the neon pink stars are.
7. Muslin Swaddle: Aden + Anias have undoubtedly cornered the market on the muslin swaddle (and for good reason- they are the absolute best in the business.) However, I love seeing small independent companies popping up with limited color ways of swaddles. The fabric is incredible and the prints are just so much fun. Nothing beats a graphic and cool swaddle to drape over baby’s car seat, use a nursing cover, wrap baby in or just have on hand for whatever needs come up. Every newborn needs a great swaddle blanket collection. 
8. Mommy and Baby Book: I’ve gotta say, I have had a hard time finding sweet books about babies and their mommas. The books I have about Mommy and Baby are either strictly educational about animals or just not very fun to read. This book about a zebra named Ollie seems precious.
9. Lovie: We were gifted with so many stuffed animals for baby in the months leading up to my due date and though you really can’t go wrong in this department, I found myself especially drawn to things with hand knit details and cool textures that I know baby would love. 

Gown:: I’m so glad my mom talked me out of the original outfit I proposed bringing Oshiolema home in. It had so many buttons and separate pieces that I didn’t even dress him in it until a month later. When I asked her what he should wear she said simply, “a gown.” I was so thankful for elastic bottom gowns in those first few days of life- baby was snug and happy and it was breezy enough to help the umbilical cord stump dry. I would update it with this cool graphic black and white version.

Toxic Free Toys: again, if I know my baby would be endlessly sucking and chewing on a toy I much prefer it be free of all yucky stuff. The rainbow wooden ball toy is so beautiful and fun that countless adults stopped us to ask where we got it. (It looks like a giant bracelet) Grimm has become a favorite brand of mine for toys like this

Black and White Book: I have a huge soft spot for black and white so I prefer things in that color way as it is, but babies actually much prefer black and white to ranges of color. Their retina aren’t fully developed at birth so all the pastel colors we think are so beautiful aren’t quite registered by them yet. This book fits the bill to be able to stimulate baby.

Neutral Sleep Sack: This is a gift for later down the line as Oshiolema slept in a sleep sack from when we finally stopped swaddling him all the way until a couple weeks ago. In fact, we still pop him in a sleep sack every now and then simply because when they’re littler it’s not safe to lay a blanket over them and now that he’s older he’s decided he doesn’t like blankets at all. This striped pattern is perfect.

Modern Memory Book: It is hard enough to remember to brush your teeth in those first few months, let alone trying to remember the little details of the days that make up baby's first year. Modern memory books make jotting down highlights and milestones both easy and something to look forward to. 

Wooden Car:Again, a toy that’s safe for baby to munch on and pretty to look at while they’re too little to do anything but eat it is a win-win in my book

Knit Crown: these crowns serve as beautiful decoration and perfect photo props in those early months.
Passport Cover: Oshiolema has been on upwards of 30 flights in his one-and-a-half years of life and one of the cutest things I've ever seen is a little baby's passport photo. If I know a baby is about to rack up some serious frequent flyer miles, this is the perfect gift. 

Unique Rattle: these knit rattles are so fun- nothin like a baby boy workin’ on his muscles

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