Best gift ever for a 9 month old baby girl

September 6, 2012 1:39 PM

My dear friend has a 9 month old daughter (who is just the most gorgeous vivacious little person I've ever seen) and as I'm pregnant with my first child who is also a little girl, we are inheriting an enormous amount of stuff from them. I would like to buy her 9 month old daughter a really fabulous gift as a thank you. Any ideas?
posted by ohyouknow to shopping (25 answers total)

at 9 months old, I would buy her parents a really fabulous gift, and give her the box; she'd probably get a lot more out of it than she would out of any existing toy.
posted by windykites at 1:41 PM on September 6, 2012 [14 favorites]

Why give the gift to the baby? Your friend is the one doing you the favor. If you are talking about some beautiful dress for the baby that is really for the mom's enjoyment or something, okay. But a 9-month-old isn't going to be interested or care about anything you give her for more than a few minutes. I vote for you to treat your friend to a spa day or something, without kids. She could probably use a little r&r more than the baby could use a present.
posted by coupdefoudre at 1:43 PM on September 6, 2012 [3 favorites]

Offer to watch their baby for them to have a night out.
posted by ethidda at 1:46 PM on September 6, 2012 [9 favorites]

If you're taking all their stuff, you're doing them a favor (seriously). If you feel up to it, offer to babysit for free so they can get out of the house, or make them dinner or something. Anything that doesn't take up space!

A box isn't a bad idea either, actually.
posted by the young rope-rider at 1:46 PM on September 6, 2012 [1 favorite]

Oh a spa day is a fabulous idea, thank you! Done!
posted by ohyouknow at 1:46 PM on September 6, 2012 [2 favorites]

If it isn't the sort of thing you do already (And if not, why aren't you? Most of the families I know trade kids around like bad pennies.), give coupons for a week's worth of babysitting in one-hour increments.
posted by valkyryn at 1:47 PM on September 6, 2012

(Also, I say this as the mom of an 11-month-old. It's very thoughtful of her to hand down those things to you, but it's such a great relief to get rid of the various things that don't fit/don't matter that I don't think it really warrants a return gift.)
posted by the young rope-rider at 1:48 PM on September 6, 2012 [3 favorites]

Oh, except that her husband is a massage therapist... And she never really does spa stuff. That's just something I would love. And then the trick will be to get her a babysitter along with the day off (we live in different cities). Hmmm...
posted by ohyouknow at 1:48 PM on September 6, 2012

My favorite ever present that my youngest child received at age one was a complete set of Dr. Seuss books. All my children enjoyed listening to me reading those books for years.
posted by francesca too at 1:49 PM on September 6, 2012 [2 favorites]

Oh, and on posting, I see you've gotten a great idea already. Congratulations on your pregnancy, you seem like a thoughtful friend!
posted by the young rope-rider at 1:49 PM on September 6, 2012

Ha, okay, on preview again, scratch that. Does she like netflix? Their streaming videos keep us sane in our limited free time and a few month subscription is affordable. She might be updating her wardrobe due to baby weight (staying on or coming off), does she have a favorite place to shop? If she has trouble finding a sitter, perhaps a membership to care.com or sittercity.com?
posted by the young rope-rider at 1:53 PM on September 6, 2012 [1 favorite]

An easel (thinking ahead).

A Y-bike Pewi (thinking right now-ish).

Better than either: a night or two of babysitting.
posted by gurple at 1:54 PM on September 6, 2012

College fund check.
posted by raccoon409 at 2:09 PM on September 6, 2012 [1 favorite]

I just found a great place that gets high marks for their infant swimming classes. She has mentioned wanting to teach her baby to swim... I'm tempted to buy her a few of these classes, but could also just get her a $200 gift certificate for clothes. Does getting her a few classes feel too pressurey versus just a gift certificate? Is a gift certificate too cold?
posted by ohyouknow at 2:11 PM on September 6, 2012

Call up the place with the swimming classes and find out how flexible their gift certificates are. Do they expire? If she decides not to use them, can she give them to a friend?
If you don't like their answers (or even if they seem super-accomodating but you're still nervous) you can totally wrap cash in a printout from the swimming place, with a note that says "this might look like cash but really it's a gift certificate to swimming lessons!" You've then done the footwork (info) and been thoughtful and peronalized (note) but if it doesn't work out, she's not locked into it (cash).
posted by aimedwander at 2:20 PM on September 6, 2012 [7 favorites]

how about a nice soft toy or doll? she'll be old enough for them soon, and they can be very special for young children.
posted by schmichael at 2:33 PM on September 6, 2012

I loved giving things my daughter outgrew or never used to someone who could use it. I didn't care if I got anything back, but if you really would prefer to give a gift, I would give something like a savings bond or a piggy bank with some cash in it. My daughter is going on five now and I always tell everyone to just contribute to her savings account. I would rather you put whatever money you would spend into her account than to give her a toy that she may never play with and thus wasting your efforts and money. Or a gift card to a snazzy grocery store like Trader Joe's or something if you feel uncomfortable with giving cash.
posted by Yellow at 2:48 PM on September 6, 2012

How about a NEW pretty dress, plus a photo package? The holidays are coming, and surely Little Miss has grandparents, aunts uncles etc. who would love new professional pictures.
posted by easily confused at 3:41 PM on September 6, 2012 [1 favorite]

Agreed that a gift is sweet but not strictly necessary.

I have a 10-month-old and I would be psyched if someone got him a ride-on ladybug.
posted by purpleclover at 3:44 PM on September 6, 2012 [2 favorites]

Books.
posted by Dansaman at 3:47 PM on September 6, 2012

If someone got me a $200 gift certificate for new clothes I'd be thrilled! Maternity stuff can only last (and be baggy) so long before it gets a little depressing...

Swimming lessons good too but definitely check their return/class rescheduling policy.
posted by the young rope-rider at 4:11 PM on September 6, 2012

Movie theater gift cert and/or restaurant gift cert. Then sort out and pay for the baby sitter.
posted by carter at 4:15 PM on September 6, 2012

nthing babysitting for them. Just getting to go to a quiet *dinner* together is a rare treat.
posted by colin_l at 5:10 PM on September 6, 2012

Online grocery delivery service?
posted by Kazimirovna at 8:59 PM on September 6, 2012

Well, she refused my various attempts at gifts, so this past weekend found ways to pay for as much as possible while we were in Napa together. I'm sure I'll be able to find a way to make this up to her eventually... I'm just so overwhelmed by the generosity. (Of course she keeps telling me what a relief it is to have extra square footage in her apartment again).
posted by ohyouknow at 10:00 PM on September 10, 2012