Do you have a special item to pass down onto your baby?
Do you have something special from your infancy or childhood that you have passed, or plan to pass along to your baby?
If so, what is it?
Are you giving it to your baby, or saving it for your grandkids, or both?
We have a pair of Italian leather booties that were all the rage when I was born, and my parents saved them for my babies to wear. Both of my sons wore them for pictures when I brought them home for the hospital, and now they're stored away for my boys to put on my grandkids.
I also have a silver baby spoon that my mother saved. It needs a litte cleaning (okay, a LOT of cleaning...it's nasty), but I look forward to using it at least once.
What about you? Share some stories, please?
Update:Kat- Thanks, dawg...
Comments
You know it is funny. When my son was born we had a lot of trouble and he was in the hospital for a few months so that time is kind of a blur to me. But my mom brought me a bunch of knit blankets for the baby. Now I assumed she bought them because she is not a crafty like person. We got LOADS of baby blankets and we sort of rotated them with our son until he picked his favorite. It is a really soft crocheted yellow and light green blanket that is really lovely.
He drags it throughout the house all the time like Linus from Peanuts.
My grandmother is not doing well. She is in a nursing home (not assisted living) as she needs round the clock medical supervision AND she has severe Alsheimers and doesn't really remember any of us. Well we took the baby in to see her when he was about 6mos old. We figured even if she didn't know exactly who we were, she'd enjoy seeing a baby.
She looked up at me with tears in her eyes and said "Is that my Great Grandson? You know I made that blanket for your mother when she was a baby and you loved it too when you were a baby"
Yup: confirmed it with MOM. The blanket my son chose was made my my grandmother for HER, handed down to me and now to my son.
*sob* yes, we now have a family heirloom
My mother was a saver, so I have a bunch of things to pass down. I have the hat that I wore for my baptism, that can be turned into a hanky when my son gets married. I have baby botties that my mom made for me that he was supposed to wear (but his feet were just to darn big).
I also have George. He's my teddy bear that was given to me the day I was born and my son is now sleeping with him. He wasn't feeling good the other day and found George in my room and wanted to cuddle. It was so damn cute that I let him take him to bed and he slept great that night!
If I don't have any girls, I have an antique ring that has been passed down from mother to daughter (or mother to daughter-in-law) that has been in the family since about the 16th century that will either go to my son's wife, or his daughter. I am also the keeper of my maternal grandmother's wedding ring, as well as my mother's origional band and I would like those to be passed down with my rings as well.
my daughter wore a dress of mine in a photo and also the some little t-bar shoes.
Father Christmas gets alot for christmas a big pile of stuff (he goes the pound shop alot). Last christmas he managed to find my old junior scrabble and guess who to wrap up- LOL I sound so mean. She also has my old sylvanian family and other baby toys when she was little and there is barbie stuff there for if/when she decides she likes barbie.
In fact I find it hard to believe I actually played with any toys looking at the state of them nearly 20 and 30 years later - including books from baby to enid blyton -lol.
EDIT - Klee you made me cry!!!!
There is jewellery she *may* get depends if have any grandaughters - I got a silver pocket watch (all fancy engraving and flowers painted on the face) from my dad at birth but never knew anything about it my dad died when I was 11 and my mum saved it for my 21st it was lovely - but am afraid that these kind of objects are going in my will I am too selfish to share when I still enjoy them so much.
I have a stuffed rat.
I'm not kidding. When my mom was 18, she had appendicitis, and my father brought her a stuffed rat in the hospital (you'd have to know my dad to understand why he thought that was a great gift). It's about 2.5 feet long, with huge ears. My mom says I claimed it when I was about a year old, and Claude is much loved. Claude has traveled all over the world - Spain, Bahamas, a lot of the states. He's 34 years old, now, though. In his retirement, he mostly sits on the bed. My daughter will get Claude one of these days if she wants him.
My children have several things to get passed down to them.. for my son, my great grandfather's rosary beads.. they are baby blue and very old. They were passed down to my grandfather, then my uncle, now they'll be given to my son.. my uncle lost his only son in a drowning accident when he was 18-years old.. so I am like his child.
Also, my grandmother's 2 kt diamond wedding ring, amongst a few other sentimental pieces.. the ring will go to my daughter, if I have a daughter, if not, it will go to my son someday.
We've also started a coin collection for our son. My Dad has a coin collection and wants to pass his down to my son.. we've also started our own... so far we have every coin in 1, 5, 10, and 25 cents from 1950+, including a few pennies from the 1920's. Those old indian pennies are hard to find.
My son received a Tiffany's spoon for his 1st Christmas.. we'll be keeping that and he can pass it down to his children.
The Italian leather booties sound so cute. Are you Italian? I'm half.
;-)
My Mom saved so many things (Christening Gowns, Toys, High Chair, etc.). I will be passing these onto my daughter, too, but the thing that stands out the most to me is the baby buggy that my mom had for her dolls when she was a little girl. It is still very sturdy, but the fabric is decaying. She is going to have it refinished and pass it on to Lily.
Well, it was supposed to be the bassinet that my mom, my sister, and I all slept in....
I took one look @ that thing with the paint chipping and it squeaking when it moved...and said "no flippin way" I just couldn't do it. We didn't get Mag baptized either...but I do have the christening gown for her that my mom, sister and I wore. Damn, I am breaking all sorts of traditions...
My momma had a bad childhood and maybe I subconsciously related the two?
What I passed to Mag is a stuffed bear. This is a bear my Dad left for me at the nurses station when I checked in the hospital to have a HSG test for infertility. When I checked in the nurses said "your dad left you this and said good luck" (my dad is NOT good at showing any emotions...let alone when it comes to "girl things") so it meant a lot.
The bear was my good luck charm...got pregnant w/ Mag less then 3 months after the HSG. I brought it with me to the hospital when I had her and he watches over her in her crib at night. He wears the little pink knit hat that they give the newborns...the one she wore.
We started our own tradition
Good question, homie!
***edit***
hey KLEE> I worked in a dementia/Alzheimers unit and even those with end stage Alzheimers will remember things of utmost importance to them....therefore your son and his blankie mean the world to her.
Several things, one of which is a pair of brown leather sandals I wore. Sophie has been wearing them and is growing out of them, so sad!
We also have some books I read as a child; they're a bit battered but I love to read them to her. It makes me think of my mom reading them to me and I get all weepy!!
My favorite item for her is a little white stuffed bear with a bell in it's ear, that my mom received at a baby shower when she was pregnant with me.
From her daddy's childhood we have a little pewter cup with his name and birthday on it!
Piles of stuff, but the stand-out, I think, is an old copy of "The Christopher Robin Verses" which has an inscription to my grandfather for Xmas in the 30s; after that an inscription from when it was passed on to my mother, and then one for me.
I'm sort of stuck on the wording; I think just "For (my daughter's name), 2007" will do; the others aren't flowery...
Ooh I haven't thought as far ahead as grandkids....
But i do have something.
When i was 6 years old my mom gave me a porcelain doll, she's beautiful, her name is Annabell, she's going to my baby girl on her 6th birthday too.
Now Ive just got to think of what to get my grandkids..... I guess Ive got awhile though....