First great grandchild

A hand and foot casting kit with a display frame? Have a look at baby rice I think the site is. Just beautiful. You use a gloopy mix in a jug to make a mould of the foot/ hand then fill the mould with the cast. Break the mould off and you can see every little line and wrinkle The display frames hold the hand/ foot in place with room for a poem / date etc. I did one of my children in the neonatal unit. I treasure it.

Can I just offer a word of warning about professional photoshoots. I bought my DD and SIL one a couple of years ago. It included a framed print. They were delighted with the actual shoot and were invited back the next week to see the photos and choose their one and any others they wanted to buy. This rang warning bells to me and I warned them that they might get a hard sell. However, the photos were all really lovely (well they thought so) and, yes, they were given a fairly hard sell. They ended up paying £500 for all the photos on a memory stick and a framed collage, which, to be honest, I didn't think much of - didn't say.
If you do want to buy a photoshoot look for a private photographer rather than one that is part of a chain, and make sure you get the full cost up front. It may appear more expensive but would be cheaper in the long run and less hassle.

So sorry Rufus2, I didn’t mean to exclude you gents ?

I think only a parent or guardian can start a pension fund or ISA. I like the photo shoot idea but be careful- my daughter had one as a gift from her sister in law when their first baby was born two years ago but the package only included 1 small photo and there were so many lovely prints that it actually cost them a couple of hundred pounds extra! It is so tempting to agree to more and they are so expensive. They had 4 pictures in the end.
How about a book with a bookplate in the front with a handwritten dedication to the child? If you chose a treasury of children’s stories I bet it would be kept as it wouldn’t be outgrown quickly. Or maybe a bookshelf too?

Premium Bond, it will be kept and if lucky give some cash

I know you want to buy a "thing" but in fact what is really, really needed by new parents these days, often living far from family, is support in the perinatal period. I teach antenatal classes and also classes for new grandparents and this is something which comes back from clients over and over: the bits and bobs are nice to have but what really changes their lives is having a birth doula, a postnatal doula or both. You can get gift vouchers from www.doula.org.uk which they can exchange for doula services.

Lesley60, I could have written your post, same age, same nursery already done, everything ordered, and a wardrobe full of clothes, so I'm really glad you asked this question. I'm hoping to make a patchwork quilt for the baby when he arrives, which I'm hoping my granddaughter will appreciate enough to keep, and hand down through the years, although with the baby being a boy, I have my doubts about whether when a boy grows up, a quilt will be appreciated as much as it might be by a girl, who is likely to go on and produce her own babies, as men in general don't seem to be as sentimental as we ladies, or do they, Rufus2?

I got my granddaughter a pandora bracelet and every year I add to it especially if I can't find anything else to buy her lol

For each of my grandchildren I've ordered a proof set of coins from the Royal Mint in a presentation case. Not too expensive and certainly something to be cherished and handed down. Might even be collectable one day.

Maybe set up a pension for the newborn, I did that with mine, pay in a small amount each month and they can take it in in the future and will thank you for starting one for them so early. Xx

If you live close enough offer some time to look after little one, do the cleaning cooking etc. I know you said (great) grandchild no doubt the grandparents are still young enough to be working so don't have the time to spare to help. As a new parent the whole event can be overwhelming so chores get left behind and most mothers will welcome help.

Can i suggest that you ask the parents? If you have preferences then you might say "I had thought of this this or this" or is there something you'd prefer?

My youngest is one and I feel bad but a lot of the suggestions here I have been gifted throughout the lives of my three children and I don’t believe I kept any.

I would honestly go with the photo shoot. Pictures like that are kept and shown throughout life and it will be the one thing that remains.

Yes I know, but they are both available on one CD (or possibly a 'Double CD', with David Bowie narrating PATW.

As I said, have bought several copies over the years - in the olden days when records and tapes had 'sides' one was on one side and the other on the other.

My own children had a copy and they are now 30 and 28, and I bought them as presents for other babies to play when they were old enough.

Doodledog

Sorry to be a bit pedantic, but A Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra and Peter and the Wolf are actually two different works. The former is by Benjamin Britton, a British composer, and the latter by Sergei Prokofiev, a Russian composer. I can see how the confusion could arise - they're both pedagogical works that are intended to introduce children to the different instruments that comprise the orchestra.

I think the thought the photograph idea was lovely! Perhaps it could be a generations one!

What about a sling? I’d recommend the Integra.

I thought some of you wise ladies may have some ideas
Lesley As a soon-to-be Greatgrandad, 3 weeks to go!, I feel entitled to mention that gentlemen also have ideas as well as being wise! We also have feelings!

Congrats! Anyone know whether to knit pink or blue yet?

Good Health and Good Luck.
OoRoo

I agree with knitting a blanket or similar but how lovely you will be a Great Grandma so young My Gran got to see my children reach adulthood and I always think it was such a gift for them and her!

You can get some absolutely beautiful keepsake baby books for mum & dad to add photos, and keep a record of baby's life when they're growing up. Or beautiful keepsake boxes, for them to keep special things in throughout their child's life ... first tooth, first haircut, first outfit/shoes/toy/photo/etc.

Thank you so much everyone you have given me some great ideas

Hi Lesley and welcome to gt grandma hood. I was 63 when my first was born and it was a bit of a shock, a nice shock, but still a shock ! I think, if I remember, I actually bought stuff more for my granddaughter, pampering sort of things and I knitted a little outfit for Oliver, their son. They had no money of course, very young but in a way having children young is good and they have done well in life. She went back to study and university and her partner did an apprenticeship. Lots of help from my daughter and his parents, too. They have lots of energy and their son has had lots of great experiences camping, going to open air concerts etc.

My GGM, so my DD’s GGGM bought her the most darling little jemima puddleduck ornament which played a nursery rhyme when you turn her. It is still one of her prized possessions now and is so sentimental to us all. Maybe something like that?

Congratulations to all the family - exciting times ahead ?

How about a voucher for a professional family photo shoot? Everyone treasures their earliest baby photos, and years later they can show them to their babies future partner to embarrass them!