A Dad's First Christmas

Christmas will be extra special this year. This will be my first Christmas as a dad. I feel like a little kid again with all the excitement and anticipation. We've decorated the house and hung our stockings. Next up is the Christmas tree. We'll go Friday to the local tree farm and cut down or first Christmas tree as a family. I know Hattie is way to young to know what's going on, but in time this will be one of her most (and ours) memorable experiences. We'll find that perfect tree to bring home and decorate. Then, Christmas morning, we'll sit down, underneath the tree and help little Hattie open up all her presents. I'll share them with you since we don't have to worry about her finding out. (yet) By the way, these are presents for both her and the family.

• Personalized Calendar - We used iPhoto from Apple to create personalized calendars for each family member. Each month has a picture of that family member with Hattie. Prices start at $19.99 so it's not too expensive for such a unique gift that's specific to each recipient.
• Handprint Ornament - We're making moulds of Hattie's hand and turning them into Christmas ornaments for everyone. It's basically just plaster, but you can get an ornament kit at PersonalizationMall for just $13.55.
• Canvas Print - I took a picture of Hattie and her mother and sent it to CanvasPress to have them turn it into a canvas print. Don't worry, she already knows.
• Your Baby Can Read - I'm a little bit of a skeptic on this gift so I won't recommend it until I see it first hand. It sounds really great. Supposedly you can teach your baby to read from as early as 3 months. It's available at YourBabyCanRead.com for $199.95 or you can take the 30 day trial for $14.95.
• Exersaucer - From my research, Evenflo makes the best Excersaucer. They're made for babies 6-24 months. If you're not familiar with this, the Excersaucer is an activity center that your baby can sit in. It's an active learning center. We found WalMart had the best price at $51.