How to Celebrate Your Baby's First Christmas

There is nothing more magical than having a new baby around for the holidays, and your baby's first Christmas should be one that you remember for the rest of your life. While every family has different ways of celebrating a baby's first Christmas, here are a few ideas to get your creative juices flowing.

Celebrate Your Baby's First Christmas: An Ornament

As a grown man, I still get a pang in my heart when I pull my Baby's First Christmas ornament from its package to hang on the tree every year. In fact, I have two; one given to me by my parents, and one I was given by my grandparents. Most stores have Baby's First Christmas ornaments for sale, or you can add a really personal touch and make it yourself.

Celebrate Your Baby's First Christmas: A Christmas Story

One of the things that I remember from my childhood was the yearly reading of The Polar Express. This didn't start until I was a little older because the book didn't come out until 1985, but before that my father always read me the first three chapters of A Christmas Carol. Even infants can enjoy being read to, so purchase a Christmas book for your child and begin a family tradition of reading together on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning.

Celebrate Your Baby's First Christmas: Take Pictures

Even if this is your third child, take lots of pictures so you can remember the baby's first Christmas. In this technological age, you might even want to videotape it with your digital camera or camcorder. Not only will you enjoy watching the tape as your child continues to grow up, but he or she will want to see it later on to see what Mom and Dad looked like back then.

Celebrate Your Baby's First Christmas: Write on Gifts

As the years go by, you might start to forget the gifts you gave your infant baby on his or her first Christmas, so write the date on the presents so that you'll remember. This is especially true for books, as I still have all of my old children's books and I enjoy reading the inscriptions on the inside flap. On toys, games and other items, you might just write the year, the child's name (if you have more than one) and "Christmas" in magic marker on the bottom.