Dec 23rd Due Date! HELP!!!!!!

kateemilysara

I am pregnant with my 3rd and just found out my new due date is Dec 23rd! Craziness! Does anyone have advice on how to deal with Christmas for my 8yr old and 6 yr old!?!?!?!?!?!

ClarissaExplainsItAll

I would just do Christmas per usual.  If you go into labor, then tell them the baby was a Christmas present.  

 

Christmas shouldn't be about the presents anyway.  It should be about family and the birth of Christ.  So bringing everyone together in the hospital is a good way to show your kids that.

tay118

I would say have a plan in place about letting someone else besides your SO  know where the gifts are and wrap them well before the due date. Plan in advance with someone who would be able to stay with the other kids (like a grandparent or someone without kids). You want to try and make it as normal as possible for your other children. I am not due until the 28th but will most likely have this plan in place just in case we go a little early, my son will be 8 by this Christmas.

MrsT1108

ClarissaExplainsItAll:

I would just do Christmas per usual.  If you go into labor, then tell them the baby was a Christmas present.  

 

Christmas shouldn't be about the presents anyway.  It should be about family and the birth of Christ.  So bringing everyone together in the hospital is a good way to show your kids that.

This.  No telling when you'll go into labor, for now just have plans to celebrate it as you normally would.

NeverKnew

While you're definitely looking at the possibility of actually being in the hospital on Christmas - everyone on this board is going to be in major plan-ahead mode this year. Even if baby comes early in the month, it's not like we're going to be jumping at the chance to take a newborn out to the mall Christmas shopping!

I'm setting a goal of having all presents in the house (if not wrapped) by Thanksgiving, then - we've got a ton of long-distance family, so presents will be wrapped, tagged and packed in shipping boxes by the first week in December, if not earlier.

As for Christmas decorations, pull your kids in to help. Play Christmas music. Make Pillsbury slice-n-bake Christmas cookies. And - really really? The work it takes to 'pull Christmas off' is 100% self-inflicted. And it definitely doesn't have to fall all on you! Instead of panicking about it, have you thought about how special and one-of-a-kind this Christmas will be?  Your kids will remember this forever!

happilyeverafterxo

ClarissaExplainsItAll:

I would just do Christmas per usual.  If you go into labor, then tell them the baby was a Christmas present.  

 

Christmas shouldn't be about the presents anyway.  It should be about family and the birth of Christ.  So bringing everyone together in the hospital is a good way to show your kids that.

I agree with this! Try to get everything done as early as possible so you aren't trying to finish up shopping days before Christmas! Maybe you'll get to have Christmas at the hospital?

peytons mommy

I have been thinking about this as well.  I am due Dec 22nd and we have a 3yr old. 

SummerOH

Shop for and wrap gifts in advance.  It's also ok to let some traditions go this year if you're not up to it, like cookie baking and such.  Or see if your relatives and friends will step in and do things like that with the kids if your energy is sapped.

CFjo2010

NeverKnew:

While you're definitely looking at the possibility of actually being in the hospital on Christmas - everyone on this board is going to be in major plan-ahead mode this year. Even if baby comes early in the month, it's not like we're going to be jumping at the chance to take a newborn out to the mall Christmas shopping!

I'm setting a goal of having all presents in the house (if not wrapped) by Thanksgiving, then - we've got a ton of long-distance family, so presents will be wrapped, tagged and packed in shipping boxes by the first week in December, if not earlier.

As for Christmas decorations, pull your kids in to help. Play Christmas music. Make Pillsbury slice-n-bake Christmas cookies. And - really really? The work it takes to 'pull Christmas off' is 100% self-inflicted. And it definitely doesn't have to fall all on you! Instead of panicking about it, have you thought about how special and one-of-a-kind this Christmas will be?  Your kids will remember this forever!

^^  This.  I started doing a little bit of shopping, but to be honest most people are getting gift cards this Christmas.  I'm generally done right around Thanksgiving anyways, but this year my goal is to be done by Halloween because I just don't think my pregnant hormones and belly are going to deal with people at that point! 

jenyjeny

I foresee online shopping as your best friend this christmas! possibly splurging on the pre-wrapping too LOL.

I shopped online this year (for my 3 yr old) from toys r us. It was awesome. No line ups, free shipping, and i was in my PJ's!

Now, I know as they get older, Toys R us doesn't fit the entire bill... but it's a nice start

I get where you're coming from though. I love to decorate the tree, and bake christmas treats... I have a feeling that I will be doing a lot of "a little to the left, no your other left..." this year :S

 It's going to be an exciting holiday season for all of us I think!! 

 

denise_m

The last 2 years I've done 99% of my shopping after 9 PM on Thanksgiving.  I score all the same Black Friday deals, am in bed at a decent hour and they are delivered while oldest DD is at school.  I get them wrapped and the Santa gift "hidden" until Christmas Eve.