You should just send an email or mail a photo collage after the birthday. Otherwise it looks like a gift grab

Anonymous wrote:OP here.

I did send an announcement, and I plan to send an announcement for DD's birthday.
Since DD was born, my grandmother passed away suddenly and and mother passed away after a long illness. There has been such an outpouring of love and regular questions about DD (probably with the hidden agenda of checking in on me) that I thought sending an announcement would be a nice thing to share with those people.
I guess some people do this sort of thing via email, but that won't work for me and for this group of people.
I mainly want to share a cute picture of her, not troll for gifts. I know I could do the same at Christmas, but that's far enough away

Well, it sounds like there aren't too many like-minded new moms on DCUM. So thanks for your help, anyway.

I don't think you should send out a birthday announcement. Pick the next holiday and send a card with pictures and updates of your daughter. We have received Valentine's Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Halloween, July 4th, etc. Lots of ways to send a card without making a birthday announcement. That just seems odd and honestly like a gift grab.

I edit three weekly newspapers in NW Illinois and we love 1 year birth announcements. We run a photo of the child, list the birth date, parents, siblings and grandparents. Celebrate your children.

Anonymous wrote:Eek, I didn't think of that.
(OP here.)

I was thinking of people that we are not inviting to the little party, who live out of town.
I don't think the message, 'no gifts please,' would apply to an announcement, but I wonder if there is something else I could write in.

People only care about this crap if they have to go to a party. Honestly. I wouldn't bother with a reminder of "hey, I managed to raise my kid to age one! We're having a party, but you're not invited to that, so don't feel like you need to send a gift. Just giving you a heads up that Larla survived year one!"
WTH?

There is nothing wrong with sharing a cute picture and showing both friends and family that your child is reaching a mile stone!!!! There is nothing that says... " please senda gift " .... Take it as you will - baby's are cute, why not share the pics and announcement every year!!

Why are people resurrecting a thread that is 4+ years old? This child's first birthday was years ago!

I sent one. But like you, my child's first year was really rocky-he was in the NICU, dealt with RSV later, I left my abusive husband, people were concerned about us and I was 1500+mi away from all my friends and family. I said something like "from tiny baby to crazy toddler, I can't believe L is one!"

Then I had a collage of 5 pics from birth to one. I wrote a quick note on the back of each card and sent them out. My family and friends really liked them, it was not at all a gift grab and they liked having something physical instead of just another digital photo.

I'm pg now and probably won't do one with this kid, but I'm happily remarried and live close to family and friends, so they'll be able to see this baby in person. Long distance relatives may get one (like DH's gma), but those can be tucked in a normal card.

I don't think this is weird at all...I have a friend that gets professional pictures done of her children every birthday, and sends out a card (you could call in an announcement, but really its just a cute card as a way to show off the beautiful pictures - I think these are MUCH more thoughtful than an e-mail or posting something on facebook, which is so impersonal). The card usually has a quote on it about love, joy, kids, etc. Honestly I think if you stay away from putting "so-and-so is turning 1!" then it won't sound like a gift grab, and more like what a beautiful card and picture I have to display on the fridge! Especially if its family that lives out of town!

Those who care will remember. Or it goes in the trash assuming you are looking for a gift. Tacky.

I don't think it's weird. I send cards for every holiday!

I realize this is an old thread, but really, this sounds like an idea dreamt up by someone who makes and sells personalized cards in hopes of drumming up some extra business!

I think this is fine and a nice idea! I have out of state friends who send online photo albums of their kids' birthdays and it never occurs to me that they are gift grubbing. If you phrase it as a "first birthday announcement" then that might seem a bit odd and possibly gift grubbing. But if you send pictures with a note about how much fun the first birthday was, I can't imagine anyone taking offense.

Not weird at all. I send them out to friends and famy who libe out of state.. its basically just a picture only in card form with a cute lirtle saying about baby turning 1. No big deal. I've never received one but I don't care I like to celebrate my little ones.

Wow, I guess no one has any good ideas - just judgement

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You could just mail out pictures with a note written on the back of the photo to each person...a bit more work, but you can just have a generic line.

PP here. My mother used to send out our pictures every birthday or school year. I don't think its weird at all.

OP here (again).

This is a good suggestion - and I get some of these from my friends - but I'm still not sure what wording to include.
Maybe just, 'Janie on her first birthday.'

When you say "birthday" it sounds gift-grabby. Instead, say "Janie at 12 months."