One day you are bringing home your little one from the hospital and then before you know it, he is crawling, walking and talking. Capture all the special moments of your baby’s life and chronicle his growth with photos, journals and other keepsakes.
Take daily candid photos
If you think that you can keep up, consider taking a daily photo of your baby for the first year of his life, and then placing all the photos in a special album — online or off. Smartphones have made taking pictures so convenient and easy. The pictures don’t have to be posed or fancy — they can be candid shots of him doing everyday activities.
Snap monthly posed photos
Quick tip
After your baby turns one, consider having annual photos taken in the same manner as you did his monthly baby photos. It will be fun to see your 13-year-old sitting next to his little Curious George on the couch!
Many moms document the growth of their baby bump through monthly photos and then continue to do the same once the baby is born. If you take photographs of your baby each month, stick with the same location and props. By placing the same object with him in the photo each month, you’ll really be able to see the growth and changes from month-to-month. For example, you can have your baby propped up on the couch next to his favorite stuffed animal, sitting on your hubby’s lap or laying in his crib next to a yardstick. You can spell out your baby’s age in letters above his head or have him lay near an open calendar to show the date. On Etsy, you can find a variety of cute items to include in baby’s monthly photos including monthly stickers for his onesie and adorable growth charts.
Write in a journal
In addition to the photos of your baby’s growth, you’ll also want to document your feelings of this special time. Keep a mommy journal and try write in it every day. You don’t have to spend more than a few moments recording your child’s growth and habits, as well as your own thoughts and feelings. You can write in a blank notebook or diary, record your thoughts online in a private blog, or even just jot down notes on a monthly wall calendar. Keeping a journal will not only chronicle your baby’s growth, but it’s also a great way to grab a little “me time” every day.
Make a scrapbook
Scrapbooking allows you to capture all the treasured memories about your baby’s life and growth, and it also provides a creative outlet for you. Scrapbooking is also a whole lot of fun with all its paper, ribbons and other embellishments. If you aren’t that crafty, special scrapbooking kits can give you a head start, or you can create an online scrapbook instead to chronicle your baby’s first year.
Document with handprints
You’d be surprised how much your child’s handprints and footprints change month over month. You can get plaster handprint kits or just use a non-toxic ink pad and cardstock. If you don’t think you will stick to doing it every month, then every other month or every three months is a great idea until they reach a year old. After your baby’s first birthday, you can keep it up with annual prints thereafter.
Create a memory box
Document your baby’s growth by saving his clothes and other items in a memory box. You can save everything from the outfit he wore home from the hospital to his first pair of real shoes. You can turn baby clothes into a quilt, get items bronzed or just keep them in a trunk to pass on to the next generation.
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