Dear Sassy Surrogate: What do I get my IPs for Christmas or their children?
Dear Sassy Surrogate-
The holiday stress is here, and I’m trying to figure out what gifts to get the special people in my life. What should I get my intended parents? We have such a special relationship, and I want to make sure they know that! Do you have any suggestions on what I could give them?
-Wanting The Perfect Gift
Dear Wanting The Perfect Gift-
Holy Cow! The gift giving season is upon us! We know you’re already giving your intended parents the most amazing gift possible, so we won’t even pretend you could top it, but you may want to share the holiday spirit by getting them a gift. We’ve got a few suggestions. The possibilities are endless, and the gift you choose will vary depending on your relationship with the IPs, whether their baby has been born or if they have other children. There may also be a few clues in their profile, so maybe take a look back at that as well. We’re always here to help, so please let us know if you need a hand.
FOOD
If your IPs are new parents, enough said, right? They are enjoying time with their new family, so who has time to cook? They’re probably sleep deprived and hungry. How convenient to have a meal all ready to pop from the freezer to the oven. You can order an entire meal from Omaha Steaks and have it shipped frozen in a cooler to their home. It’s basically the gift of time with their new family.
UNIQUE
A cool gift idea that was shared with us is a print out of the night sky on the day that their baby was born. There’s a great website called TheNightSky.com. You can add the baby’s name and maybe a personalized message to the parents/family.
BOOKS, BOOKS & MORE BOOKS
There are many wonderful and different directions you can go here, and we love the idea of anyone and everyone reading to kiddos.
You can give the baby or children in the family books that are personalized and have their name in the story. They are adorable and well loved by the little ones.
You could give the family a few of your family’s favorite holiday classics to help them get into this festive time of year.
A sure to be a much appreciated gift is a book explaining surrogacy to children. Sophia’s Broken Crayons, The Kangaroo Pouch or The Very Kind Koala are popular books on the subject geared specifically toward young children. There are several great books on this topic available.
FAMILY
Your intended parents will have photos of their new bundle on every possible surface in their home. Give them some frames to put beautiful baby photos in. Another thought is a warm, snuggly blanket with photos of their sweet new family member on it. These are available on several different website. It’s so easy to just upload the photos, and they do the rest.
Perhaps you’d like to share a photo album of pregnancy photos and notes through the journey, or an album of birth photos. A gift like this will be cherished for years to come.
Another idea is to focus on one photo of a special moment that was captured. Enlarging it and having it transferred onto canvas is a lovely idea.
ACTIVITIES
We know that new parents don’t get out as much. Your intended parents have been waiting a very long time to be stuck at home snuggling their sweet new baby. They’re going to love it. Maybe add to an evening at home with a basket including a DVD or Redbox gift card, some flavored popcorn or other movie snacks and their favorite beverage. They can enjoy family time and your gift as well.
These are just some of the ideas we came up with. You have formed your own special bond with the parents, so you’ll pick out the perfect gift whatever it is. When in doubt, homemade goodies never hurt. More chocolate please!