Baby gifts are so much fun and I think part of the fun is thinking about what you would have liked when you were a kid. Now that I’ve had a baby and have had a chance to use all of the gifts, I know what gifts will save your life in the middle of the night! My other favorite gifts are the ones that I think he will remember when he’s older and what items he’ll always cherish.
These are some of my favorite favorite gifts that I received that weren’t on our registry.
These blankets are so wonderful and such a great keepsake! A friend of ours in Dallas sent one to us after Hudson was born and it lists his full name, birthdate, time of birth, and weight.
The examples shown below are for a baby’s baptism, but these blankets can pretty much be used for any occasion and you can personalize them however you want to.
So precious! And they are perfectly packaged!
Engraved iPod and Docking Station
Todd gave me an iPod nano for Mother’s Day with Hudson’s name engraved on the back so we could have all of Hudson’s favorite music playing in his room. We already have a Bose docking station for our living room, but we needed another one for the nursery. Todd got the Sony Dream Machine because it has FM andAM radio and a clock. (and it’s not nearly as expensive as the Bose version) When you’re timing every feeding, nap, and diaper change, a clock is completely essential!
We’ve already over-played all of the songs on Hudson’s iPod, so we’re in the market for more tunes for him. Now I can’t imagine sitting in the nursery for so many hours without a soundtrack. Seriously, this is a great gift for a mom-to-be!
The Sleep Sheep is a really cute sound machine. It has four different soothing sounds like a mother’s heartbeat, waves, rain, and whales. It clips on the outside of the baby’s crib and makes noise for 30 minutes while your baby is falling asleep. It has seriously been a lifesaver.
And… it puts me to sleep, too. I can hear the Sleep Sheep in the baby monitor while I’m trying to fall asleep and it puts me to sleep immediately.
Now that we swear by the soothing and calming methods in The Happiest Baby on the Block, we have to have the ultimate swaddling blanket.
Some say that the hospital blankets are the best swaddling blankets, but that’s just not true. The Swaddle Designs blankets are a perfect square and are just big enough to wrap all the way around the baby and tuck in nicely.
They also have some handy-dandy swaddling instructions in case you forget which side folds up and which side folds down. We love these blankets!
So next time I have a baby shower to attend and all of the good items have been purchased off the registry, I’ll be picking up one of these great gifts for mom and baby. What is your favorite gift to give at a baby shower?
{ 36 comments… read them below or add one }
WE loved this series for our children, Bach for Breakfast: The Leisurely Way to Start Your Day and all Disney music.
My favorite gift to give is a selection of hardback children’s books- usually the 3 or 4 that were my favorites as a child. I also include monogrammed bookplates.
The fill in the blankie is darling!
I will have to definitley get one for each of my babies! 
Love my iPod and that really is a great idea and such a space saver! We keep a small boombox in Jake’s room and I always kept a baby mozart cd or something going in there. 
The sleep sheep is great! My baby just turned a year old and I still use it!
I always hand knit or crochet a blanket for the baby, preferably in the nursery colors if I can find out what they are. I know a handmade blanket is never as soft or perfectly sized as a store-bought one, but everyone I’ve talked to said that anything which is handmade is treasured for far longer because it was made by someone special specifically for the baby.
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Thanks for sharing! I have a baby shower to go to soon – your tips will be put to good use!
These are such great gift ideas… I want to pick something fun up for my new nephew before my visit – I had never even thought of a baby iPod!
Great post as I am totally clueless about baby gifts!
Also – while I never had the adorable sheep version, I’ve slept with a noise machine since I was born! My baby variety was a ghetto white noise machine from Sears but I’ve since graduated to the fancier Brookstone machines with a gazillion sounds on them! I’ve dated lots of people who hated them… but married one that loves it – thank goodness!
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I am at that point in life when the wedding showers are coming to a close and the baby showers are beginning. Thank you for sharing! It’s so helpful!
I love the ideas! I’ve used that swaddler before and it’s a favorite of mine as well. While we aren’t ready yet I also can’t wait to get all of the new baby swag when we have a little one! So happy to hear that things seem to be going so well for you, Hudson, and Todd. What a precious family.
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Hudson looked so adorable with his daddy in the Swaddle Designs blanket. That’s definitely a super cute must-have item.
And I must say that I absolutely love, love, LOVE his room. I could live there! Did you design it yourself or did you have a professional help? It looks great!
Babies are so precious. You must be having a lot of fun decorating and buying cute outfits for Hudson, I know I would be.
I nanny and the baby I nanny for has that same swaddling blanket and sleep sheep! wonderful baby things!
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Thanks for the list of must-haves! I’m looking forward to more product reviews and, of course, more pictures of your adorable son!
This is massively helpful, given that I’ve moved on from the wedding shower phase to the baby shower one. Once the good registry items go, I’m usually stuck.
Love the personalized iPod idea. When going off-registry, I like giving books with a handwritten note in front; “Eloise” or “Where the Wild Things Are” are my favorites.
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I love playing classical music for the kids I nanny. My favorite collection is The Carnival of the Animals by Camille Saint-Saëns. The children love to mimick the the animals and dance around. You should listen to it and see if Hudson would like it!
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ummm is it weird that i want that lamb for myself?
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I love all these gifts!! I got the sleep sheep!! I want to sleep with it! Also I need to get one of those presh blankies!! Plus u look amazing my friend! U r teeny tiny! Go u!! Love ya
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We love Swaddle Designs blankets! My little girl is 3, and we still use it as a light blanket for naptime or as an extra layer of bedding in the cooler months. I don’t really have a favorite gift to give – but if the parents have revealed the baby’s name, I like to give something personalized.
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I gave Mandy a Sleep Sheep!!! Great minds think alike
Love the engraved iPod idea!!
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Oh, what lovely goodies! They are all such good ideas, not things that will sit and collect dust, that’s what is so fabulous about many of them. Does anyone else think that baby shower gifts are generally more practical than gifts for some other ‘occasions’ or is that just us?
Love this post Miss Erin, and am loving *all* of the beautiful pictures of Hudson! Hope the rest of your week is wonderful!
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Oh thanks for the great ideas! The ipod idea with all the music would be such a great gift { and something that would last for so long! }. I’m just getting to the stage where I’m being invited to baby showers so these will be great ideas to keep in mind!
Happy Wednesday!
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those blankets and that sheep are so sweet
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Great pics! We could not live without our sleep sheep. In fact, I’m bringing it on our trip tomorrow! =) When Hudson gets a little bit older and stronger you’ll fall in love with the miracle blanket and kiddopotamus swaddle! They are great! My other favorite gifts are trumpette socks (the ONLY kind that do not fall off and they are so cute), kissy kissy pajamas (so soft and sweet), “nice” stroller toys are our favorite thing at 5 months…we love sophie the giraffe and the winkle! Good luck tomorrow!
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My favorite CD for my oldest son was the Disney Lullabies so if you don’t have those songs on the Ipod, I’m sure you can get them on iTunes.
Yep, I got an iPOD my first mother’s day from my hubby. It came in great when I was doing the crying-it-out thing. I could just pop those little earbuds in and turn it up loud to block out the crying. It worked for a while, until I caved.
Yep, I got an iPOD my first mother’s day from my hubby. It came in great when I was doing the crying-it-out thing. I could just pop those little earbuds in and turn it up loud to block out the crying. It worked for a while, until I caved. I love to give things to new mothers-to-be that they didn’t think about or register for, but they will need in the middle of the night, or when they first get home, to keep them from having to run out. For example, vasoline for the baby’s belly button, q-tips, lots of cute little burp cloths, infant tylenol, gas drops…and I hate to say it – but moms I know really well – Tucks Pads with Witch Hazel!!!
You know what I mean!
I will say, the next time a good friend has a baby, I’m thinking a month of cleaning services! That would be the most amazing gift for me right now as sleep deprived as I’ve been with a 2 week old!
Hello, I’m a de-lurking new reader! I found your blog the other night and was immediately hooked. Congratulations on your beautiful baby boy!
And I love the gift ideas! I’ll definitely keep those in mind next time a friend of mine is expecting
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Great ideas! I got my niece Lavender Lab and Twilight Turtle from the same company that makes Sleep Sheep. She loves them!
I’m a new reader and I LOVE your blog! Congrats on your little boy…he’s adorable!
These are some great ideas! I have a 6 month old baby girl named Claire and we wouldn’t have survived the first few months with out the Sleep Sheep! We take it with us when we travel so she has a familiar sound to fall asleep to in her pack and play. Enjoy your new bundle of joy!
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Thanks for the tips! I feel like I attend a different baby shower every week now and I never have any clue what to buy! Much needed advice hon!
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So…I just got caught up on everything going on with you and girl – our birth experiences sound soooo much alike. Even down to the 4th degree laceration. AHHHHHH!! Was recovery not HORRIBLE!? I am still in pain sometimes. Your baby is beautiful. Congratulations! Can’t wait to read more – since our sweet babies are SO close in age!
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Great items! Makes me wish I had a baby shower to shop for!
These are some great ideas! Music is so good for a baby(even before the baby is born). I’ve also heard of the Fill in the Blankie. I think it’s a great keepsake.
Your site was just recommended to me as I posted about needing ideas for what to get a friend for their first-born child. Thanks to your advice, I bought them the Sleep Sheep! Thanks so much!
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