Hand-Picked Gift Ideas for New Dads

One of the joys of fatherhood is that it brings a whole new round of "firsts" into your life. The Daddy and Me Personalized Frame commemorates a first Father's Day, first baby steps, or the first time Dad tried to cook when Mom had her hands full. The face of the wooden frame features a high-gloss, sticky-baby-finger-resistant coating with a tonal neutral color design. A line of personalized text can be custom-printed along the top and two more lines can be displayed along the bottom in elegant fonts. Slide a 4" x 6" photo into the 8" x 10" frame for wall mounting or as tabletop decor.

No dad likes to start a project without having all the proper tools in place, so get organized with the New Dad Essentials kit. A machine-washable piece of baby-proof armor (in the form of an apron) announces to all in bold script that the wearer is an officially designated Mansitter. It sports handy pouches for bottles, wipes, and aspirin. Included are two guides that will help make planning a snap: a "Dad Pad" offers bullet point reminders that can be checked off as each newborn-related task is accomplished, and "Baby's First Report Card" documents the times and content of the baby's mood, what he eats, and when he sleeps.

Cliches are cliches for a reason. Very few dads - especially new ones - can get through the morning without some coffee to combat the late nights of baby duty. If he's dropped a few from falling asleep at the kitchen counter, replenish his vital supply with the New Dad Coffee Mug. You can tweak the title a bit if you'd like to be creative and print something different on the mug. The mug type offers even more choices in color, travel versions, or even clear polymer. This vessel is an expansive take on a classic gift.

An impression of a baby's hand print is a time-honored way of memorializing the first year of parenthood. Kick a standby up a notch with the Daddy and Me Ceramic Handprint Plaque. Sure, it captures the mitt of the little one; but that print rests inside the print of the father's massive paw. The result is an extra punch of nostalgic contrast as the nested hands hold each other for all time. The finished product features text of your choosing such as names and years, and it’s glazed with the colors that you select.

You can't have doo-dads without "Dad". The Digital Photo Frame Watch is the perfect combination of thoughtful and useful. The included software helps upload up to 60 digital prints into the watch's memory so that the wearer can switch from checking the inexorable march of time to lingering over memories frozen forever. Plus, the watch keeps up Dad's tech cred - it switches from analog to digital timekeeping functions for a smart-looking display, charges its lithium-ion battery via USB, and is compatible with most operating systems. (Even dads who refuse to read instructions can operate it with ease.)

The Super Dad Pajamas for Men includes all of the details demanded by today's more demanding super heroes: it's brightly-colored for maximum visibility to invading alien robots and low-flying jets; comfortable, due to the soft, 95% cotton construction, yet stretchy due to a dash of spandex weave; and they include a cape, as every crime fighter worth his boots will need. The red T-shirt declares his battle-cry of "Super Dad"...but you can customize the front by adding his secret identity. The top, cape, and star-spangled drawstring pants are shipped in a keepsake gift bag, but you can upgrade to a cooler or gym bag for a small additional charge.

It's no secret that men love gadgets, and when a man becomes a dad he wants to use the very best gadgets to become the very best dad he can be. The Flip UltraHD Camcorder is unparalleled when it comes to creating baby's first home movies. The extremely slim-lined user interface makes it easier than ever to capture up to two hours of 720p video at 60 frames per second. Image stabilization saves the video from sleep-deprived dads with shaky fingers. The eponymous, flip-out USB connection pre-loads software into your desktop computer so that you can easily save, edit, and share the memories.

A new baby might be the apple of a father's eye, but when he has to work or travel a new dad can feast his eyes on his Apple phone. The I Love Daddy Photo iPhone Case is a durable plastic shell with a metal plate that features a picture of the little one at home. Upload a file to the MemorableGifts.com website and they will print the image you selected onto the back of the case. The photo is framed by the phrase "I Love Daddy", which is bedecked with hearts. The case fits the iPhone 4 and 4s and the iPhone 5c and 5s, and comes trimmed in black or white to match your device.

Listen up, troops. Today's mission is to be the best father you can be, and here is your gear: the Camouflage Military Diaper Bag. The pixilated camo design is ideal for military dads or outdoorsmen to conduct maneuvers. Countless pockets, pouches, and zips ensure maximum combat readiness. The sack is appointed with two badges - "The Father's Creed", and a sigil that reads, "Daddy: Always Ready, Always There". Mobility is no problem, as the satchel includes a shoulder strap, tote handle, and backpacking harness. Good luck out there.

A great parenting performance deserves a hand...or two, or three. The personalized Lucky as Can Be Framed Handprints assuages any of Dad's lingering doubts by declaring, We're lucky as can be! The greatest (your custom title here!) belongs to us!" Below this phrase is an 8" x 11" image of handprints pressed into stone; you select the number and size of impressions, and they will be scales to fit into the picture. You can line the bottom of the image with the names of the loved one(s) whose digits are represented. The entire portrait is dressed in matting under glass inside of a stunning 14" x 18" glossy black wooden frame

A father's love is a universal language, but you can make sure the bases are covered with the Personalized Dad in Translation Picture Frame. A bevy of words that translate to "Dad" are collected on the face of the 8" x 10" frame. Two lines of 20 characters each can be dictated for inclusion in an ornate script below a 4" x 6" photo. No matter where he might go in the world, anyone can read where his heart remains.

A new life is a man's masterpiece, his magnum opus, his tour de force. Capture his work of art on the Personalized Little Memories Baby Photo Canvas. Post a digital snapshot of the baby to Personalization Mall's website and they will print it on a 12" x 12" canvas above a banner that relates the baby's name and any additional information you would like to include, such as the birth date or birth weight. Museum-grade canvas is stretched across a hand-made frame for professional presentation. The multicolor letters upon a chocolate field ensures that the picture comfortably nestles in to any room decor.

Few motifs match a Dad's elegant yet utilitarian aesthetic like natural wood grain. Accentuate his office or workbench with a frame that celebrates the once-in-a-lifetime event of his first Father's Day. Beneath the commemorative message emblazoned at the top, two personalized lines of text can be included to detail the event. You can select from sizes that hold a 4" x 6", 5" x 7", or 8" x 10" photograph. All sizes include an easel back for desktop mounting or can be hung from an honorary spot on a wall.

Few father-son relationships are more well-known than that of Darth Vader and his progeny, and few are more in need of a ret-con. The Darth Vader and Son Book is stuffed with adorable vignettes that re-imagine what a (slightly) more normal childhood for Luke would have been like. The pages are splashed with an appealing and colorful cartoony art style that apes children's books so that Dad can share the secrets of the Force with Padawans of all ages. The moral of the story is that anyone can be a good dad, even if they've gone over to the Dark Side.

A sunny day on a hillside. A picnic in the park. Camping under the night sky. The Father and Daughter Figurine is invested with a lifetime of memories. A dad reclines on his hands contemplatively with his legs crossed as his little girl looks up at him in adoration. The slightly abstracted clay figurine stands five inches tall and features a gentle, neutral coloring that evokes the peace and contentment of the moment it represents. A variety of gift wrap options are available for this totem of a special bond.

If you want something done right, then do it yourself...but what if you want to go out for the evening? After a few months of diapers, midnight bottle feedings, and spitup, any new dad is going to want a night off to take in a bout of Robots vs. Wrestlers. The Parent's Journal for the Babysitter carefully details feeding times, contact numbers, and other valuable information that stands in for the parent that needs a quick breather without feeling like he's gone off-duty. The glossy designer style, spiral binding, and index card stock makes it a much more appealing instruction manual than the post-it notes that the babysitter is used to.

Men may not want to ask for directions, but even the most glass-chewing, bear-punching, alligator-wrestling bravura feels at sea when cradling soft, pink vulnerability in his arms. Have no fear - the drill instructor has arrived to make a father out of all the milquetoasts quaking in their boots. The New Dad's Survival Guide is a military-style that skips the marshmallow fluff to get to the meat of the matter - how to keep a baby healthy and happy. Author Scott MacTavish goes into gory detail about how to survive pregnancy, the moment of birth, and the new recruit's first bout of hiccups.

You don't have to be a rocket scientist to be a good dad, but a burst of ingenuity never goes amiss. The One Handed Bottle Opener is a spark of pure genius that answers the question, "Now that the baby has finally fallen asleep, how can I relax quietly without putting her down?" The architect Rush Dixon deserves infinite high-fives for reviving Theodore Low's 1930s-era design that pairs a one-handed fulcrum with a magnetic cap catcher that prevents baby-waking clatters. The device comes in a collector's tin that breathes old-school cool.