Congratulations you re having a baby

So you’re having a baby. First off, congratulations! However, having said that, there are a few things you need to know – things that people are unlikely to tell you about, but which might worry you if you don’t know about them in advance.

You should know that when your baby is born, there is a high probability that it will look very strange indeed. Babies can often be born blue or grey, and may have a deformed head from having to fit through such a small gap. They are generally bloody and bruised, and may be covered in body hair, especially if they were born prematurely. All this adds up to a very startling sight if you weren’t expecting it.

You shouldn’t worry, though, as the baby will return to normal quite quickly – the skin will go the right colour after a few minutes, when the baby starts to breathe, and any head injuries and odd hair should clear up after a few days. Just realise that it will take a few weeks before your baby starts to look like the cute little thing you were expecting.

Of course, the next thing you need to know is just what you should do with the baby after that. The most important thing is to breastfeed the baby. Baby ‘formula’ is like junk food for babies, and you should avoid it at all costs – it lacks most of the natural nutrients the baby needs, and will instead fill your baby with whatever chemicals you have in your water supply. Babies can see, hear and smell, although not very well, and the most important thing is for the baby to be near its mother – the sight of her, the sound of her voice and the smell and taste of her milk will soothe it better than any toy or gadget ever could.

Throwing a baby shower your guests will remember

Are you in charge of planning a baby shower? Do you need a baby shower theme? Decorations? Favors? This guide will give you baby shower ideas, whether you are a sister, friend, or coworker.

Baby Shower Themes

The first and most difficult thing to do when planning a baby shower is to decide on a theme. After this has been finalized, much of the rest of the shower will plan itself.

There are several ways to pick a theme.

A baby shower theme can relate to the mother-to-be and what she needs. It can be a color, a nursery theme, or a specific type of item. For instance, if the nursery is decorated in flowers, the theme could be "A Baby's Garden." If it is decorated in a sports motif, the theme could be the parents' favorite sports team. All the gifts would then coordinate with the room. If the nursery is painted with frogs, the theme could be "Green." This way, the guests can be a little more creative in their giving. Or the theme could be "Bedtime," prompting guests to bring pajamas, blankets, and crib items.

For a second (or third, or fourth) time mother, the theme can be really creative. For someone who already has almost everything they need, a theme such as "Reading," in which everyone brings books for the baby (and maybe for the older children as well) would be a nice change of pace.

Some people do not like to attend showers for second time mothers, because they feel that they have already received what they needed for their first child and are just being greedy. If you feel this may be the case for your guests (such as a group of coworkers), throw a baby shower in which the invitation clearly states not to bring a present. Or spend some money on a nice gift (for instance, a gift certificate to a restaurant, spa, or hotel), and ask that guests bring a specific item (diapers, specific baby food) in exchange for a raffle ticket. They can even bring as many items as they would like in exchange for several tickets. That way, people who wish to be generous can still give the mother-to-be a useful gift, and no one feels obligated to bring anything. At the end of the night, raffle off the prize.

Some other theme ideas include:

Look What the Stork is Bringing

Noah's Ark (good for a shower where the guys are invited too!)

Alphabet Soup

Blue is for Boy

Baby Shower Decorations

The decorations should flow from the theme. A color theme is the most flexible and inexpensive, although a specific theme such as "Teddy Bears" will be easy, as you can buy coordinating tablecloths, plates, and napkins.

Keep the decorations simple. Put a nice tablecloth under the cake and spread some confetti rattles around it. Tie some balloons to the buffet or appetizer table. Add some pastel streamers across the living room, and you're done. After all, the focus should be on the mother-to-be.

If you are having the shower at work, the decorations can be even easier. Simply put the cake under a white tablecloth and add a bouquet of balloons. A lunchtime event is perfect for the office. Many of the baby shower ideas will work for any location, indoors or out.

Baby Shower Favors

After the shower, give your guests something to remember it by. Candle holders in the shape of a baby item, such as a rattle or booties, are popular and easy to find online or in a party supply store. Other favor ideas include magnets or candies in a pretty gift box. Of course, let the favors flow from the theme. At "Tea Party" themed baby shower, guests might receive tea cups and saucers. At a "Pamper Party," an idea increasingly popular for mothers who already have several children and therefore most of the stuff they actually need, they might take home spa accessories such as a loofah or bubble bath.

Baby Shower Schedule

Typically, a baby shower will last approximately two hours. If a full meal will be served, be sure to indicate this on the invitation so guests can plan accordingly. Usually, however, some light appetizers, punch, and cake are all that is needed. The following is a general idea of a schedule.

As your guests arrive, serve them some appetizers, and let them sign a guest book. One idea is to make this an advice book, allowing each guest to write down one piece of advice they would give the new mother.

Serve simple appetizers. Two to three dishes is best, along with some cheese, crackers, chips, dip, and fruit. Some ideas for munchies that are easy and can be made ahead of time include:

Deviled Eggs: Add salsa and cheddar for a Mexican twist!

Stuffed Mushrooms

After all your guests have arrived, begin with everyone introducing themselves. This is especially important if this is a mixed shower, with coworkers, friends, and family. Make sure everyone mentions how they know the mother-to-be.

Next, play one or two games. These will serve as icebreakers. Some ideas include:

Baby Boggle - See how many baby related words guests can make in three minutes from a sentence such as "I can't believe [Mother-To-Be's Name] is going to have a baby!" or something else silly and fun. Everyone reads their list, crossing off duplicates, and the person with the most remaining wins.

Baby Box - Place some common baby items (rattle, diaper) in a box. Cut a small hand-sized hole in the side. Give each guest 20 seconds to touch as many items as they can (no peeking!), then have them write down what they felt. The person with the most correct wins.

Remember, short is good, and have fun!

If there is going to be a full meal, now is the time. Generally, a buffet is best, as the guests can eat while the mother-to-be opens her gifts. If there is not going to be a full meal, give everyone some time to get another round of appetizers, then have the guest of honor open her presents.

After the gifts are open, serve the cake. At this point, the shower is over. Everyone will socialize for as long as they'd like, and the guests will begin to leave. If the time is important (i. e. the host has somewhere she needs to be), be sure to put an end time of the invitations.

Hopefully this gave you enough baby shower ideas to begin brainstorming. Remember to have fun, and you'll throw a successful baby shower.

Where to find baby discount furniture

Baby discount furniture is generally not hard to find, if you know where to look. Whether you are having a boy or a girl, you will need baby furniture to create that special room for your new arrival. Creating that special room on a tight budget can sometimes be tricky. While looking for baby furniture at a discount, there are a few things you will want to keep in mind.

You can often find baby discount furniture at many fine department stores. That is if you catch them putting their baby furniture on sale. If you are lucky, you will find many pieces of baby furniture throughout the year, with just the right markdown. End of the year and clearance sales are great to look for when sturdy baby furniture is something you need. Baby furniture is so versatile, you might find some pieces at a discount price that will go from newborn to grade school, without breaking the bank, or having to switch out furniture in a few years.

Garage sales are an excellent place to look for baby discount furniture. Many people use their baby furniture to the turn around and resell it in a garage sale, for only a fraction of the price. Some baby furniture items you might find at a garage sale include, name brand cribs; nice sturdy dressers; an all needed changing table; and high chairs that are in great condition, only to name a few. The best time of year to look for garage sales in your neighborhood would be in the spring and summer time. These are the times of the year that many people are cleaning unwanted items out of their homes, to make a few bucks in return.

Thrift shops can be a good resource for finding baby discount furniture also. Sometimes people will donate their unwanted items to a thrift store so that they can be resold, and the money will go to charity. By being creative, you can even make your own baby furniture out of an old piece of furniture you might spot. Antique desks can easily be spiffed up with new paint and hardware to create a changing table for your baby. Keep in mind the height you would need with drawers easily accessible to hold all of the items a newborn might need.

Finding cute baby clothes

Everybody wants their baby to look cute. People always try finding out clothes which are comfortable and make their baby look cute. There are number of places from where you can find cute baby clothes. Many parents like their babies to dress their babies in a cowboy or a cowgirl style.

There are a variety of options for parents to choose cute baby clothes for their babies. From the printed tee shirts to comfy denims the choices with baby clothes retailers are numerous. Choosing western outfit baby clothes for your babies also makes them stylish and cute at the same time. Finding cute baby clothes you should not underestimate comfort ability of clothes. You should make it sure that the clothes which make your baby look cute is also comfortable to him or her. Confirm the quality of the clothes and also see the fabric doesn’t harm the tender skin of their babies.

It always suggested going for brands while choosing cute baby clothes, especially those which exclusively offer baby clothes. These brands assure of you of their quality which is also very important factor while choosing cute baby clothes. Plus, you also get great options on choosing clothes from a wide array choice available to you. Cute baby clothes are also an exclusive option with these brands.

Some of the common examples that can help you while finding cute baby clothes for babies are to go for clothes with fur. Clothes with fur are not only cute looking, comfortable but are also warm that also protects them from cool temperatures of winter season. Other good choices of cute clothes are combination of caps with clothes with rabbit ears on their caps. Clothes which depict cartoons of animals are also very cute for your babies.

Many parents like to buy clothes with cute scriptures written on it. You can ask for lovely clothes with cool colors having beautiful scriptures written on it. Searching in internet for cute baby clothes is also a great idea. There are not a wide variety of clothes available under cute baby clothes but you have an advantage on searching in the web. You can decide which clothes are best to make babies cute. You can also read opinions of other parents who have purchased cute baby clothes plus you can choose great varieties of cute baby clothes just by sitting in front of you desktop.