A new baby is a celebration of life. You may find you are invited to a traditional church Christening where a ceremony with God parents who take an oath to protect and teach will be undertaken. Alternatively you could have been invited to a naming ceremony, a less religious ceremony which celebrates the birth of a baby and welcome them into the family unit.

Here are the top gifts to buy for a new born baby:

Silver jug engraved with their name, date of birth and your message and names.

Silver Hand Bracelet.

Silver Charm Bracelet, normally given by God parents where you buy a new charm every year of their life.

Delicate blanket, usually made from fine cotton and lace.

Hand/Foot casting kit; these allow parents to take a casting of their childs foot or hand in a copper or bronze finish. A traditional keep sake.

Baby album, which allows parents to take notes of their childs development.

Photo frames are always a good call.

Items for the nursery such as some traditional wooden toys, baby clock, a painting, a crib/cot mobile.

Bedding is another idea, such as a sheet and blanket cover set or perhaps some pillows or cushions for the cot.

Now i will let you into my perfect baby gift. I normally get a personalized gift, a wooden picture frame which inside i have a thick piece of white card which i have written the following poem on:

Sometimes I might upset you
Just because I'm small
By leaving fingerprints of mine~
On a table, chair, or wall.

But everyday I grow a bit
And I'll be big one day
When all my tiny fingerprints
Have long been cleaned away.

So keep these prints of my hands,
To help you recall
Just how big my fingers were
That time when I was small

Once you have written this leave a little room for some baby hand prints which the parents can print later. Then buy some baby paints...blue, yellow, red and green work well. This means you have given them all they need to finish the present.

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H. Porter writes for http://www.sorrydarling.com/ the web's premier Gift destination.