Cool and cute ways to let the world know your little munchkin is en route (or has arrived)
How To Announce Your Pregnancy
Spell It Out: Haven't told your hubby yet? Take a permanent marker to a white t-shirt and write "Mike's Baby On Board" (or whatever your husband's name is), with an arrow pointing down to your belly. Next time you're hanging out, tell him you've got something new you'd like to try on for him. Duck into a separate room and slip into your custom t-shirt. Have your camera ready to capture his expression.
Make a story that’s to be continued: "When we got pregnant with our son, we made a photo book for our parents with pictures of our 3-year-old," says Reagan J. Kaufman, a mom of two in Cheyenne, Wyoming. "On the final page, we included a photo of her smiling and holding a sign that read, ‘Big Sister.’ My in-laws called to make sure they understood us correctly. Sometimes black-and-white isn't clear enough for excited grandparents!"
Do a big reveal: "When we announced the impending arrival of a sibling to my children, we would put the first sonogram picture in a small gift-wrapped box for them to open," says BillieJo Alexander, a mom of four in Denham Springs, Louisiana. "Sometimes they'd ask who was in the image, thinking it was from a time I was pregnant with one of them! Then we'd tell them it was of a new baby who’d be joining our family. They’d get so excited; it made our big news feel truly special for everyone."
How To Announce Your Baby Has Arrived
Have fun with photos: Baby announcements are always nice, but you can make your own for virtually nothing. Use a free photo-editing site like LunaPic or FotoFlexer to turn your baby’s photo into a Warhol-esque piece of pop art, tint it, or create other effects. Then add text, print, and mail (or do the eco-nice thing and e-mail it). Warning: This is so fun, it’s addictive.
Wrap it up: The site Wrapped Hersheys will decorate the classic chocolate bars with wrappers that read "Heresheis" or "Hereheis" and detail your baby’s birth weight and height in the fine print. Sweet!
Do a video: "Some friends of mine created a video with snippets from the first few days with their new baby, then shared the link with friends and family on Facebook and email," said Anne McGraw, a mom of two in Nashville, Tennessee. "Since the new mom was breastfeeding around the clock, this project gave the dad another way to be ‘useful’ too. We were all so impressed by the baby and the video!"