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I pretty much decide and tell my husband what we're getting. It's open for discussion but he's not a shopper. We don't set a budget but we don't get huge gifts for him either. With his December birthday, I usually get something useful then get toys for Christmas.

It typically goes like this: I make some suggestions, husband agrees, I buy the things we talked about, husband then goes and buys even more gifts because he spoils our kids rotten

I typically make a list of things I think lo would like (using Amazon wish lists or giftster) that would be developmentally appropriate and then we decide together what to buy. Usually dh shares that list with his mom and she gets lo gifts from it as well

We haven't experienced bday gift buying yet, but I imagine our recent Christmas gift discussion will be similar. I told him what I wanted to get LO (activity cube) and showed him pictures. He asked me how much it cost and he was okay with the price. Then he asked me why not get the gift for him now and I explained he'll enjoy it more in a few months. DH isn't really into the idea of saving gifts for holidays. DH has a gift in mind too.

I usually pick out what I want to get them, then decide on the exact item with DH. For instance, for their birthday I wanted to get DS accessories for his train, but DH actually picked the exact pieces we bought. I want to get DD a dollhouse for Christmas, so we will probably decide on the actual one together.

@Truth Bombs: that sounds familiar.

@Mrs. Pickle: we were at Dick's Sporting Goods last weekend and he wanted to buy M a bike just for the hell of it. Dude, NO.

My DH is terrible at gift buying (to the point where I buy gifts for everyone in his family now as well), so usually I pick up small items here and there and if I want to get LO a large item, I run it by DH and then get it. Occasionally he suggests something so we throw that in, but usually I just decide and he agrees. We never set a budget because he knows I'm a crazy bargain shopper and won't spend too much anyway.

We're still figuring this out. We've bought separate gifts because we both like buying toys/gifts for LO - those haven't been extravagant or headache causing. Then when we go to ikea - we'll talking about getting a gift together - like a play kitchen or train set. Now I am looking at museum or zoo membership for the family as a gift - and that would be a joint gift for the whole family.

@looch: I normally wouldn't really care, but we've gotten to the point where EVERY time we enter a store M assumes we will buy her something. So I'm trying to break that habit.

@Truth Bombs: we have the same problem, and it's gotten to the point that my father is buying something every time they go somewhere. Just yesterday, G was asking for a toy because he washed his hair nicely.

My bribing is biting back!

I tend to choose large gifts for birthdays and holidays, not just for DD but for everyone on the list. DH likes to buy her smaller toys that he wants to play with too (lightsabers, water guns, Ninja Turtle anything....). I'm the budgeter and researcher in our family and DH doesn't really like to shop so it works for us.