Baby Book Pages
Welcoming a new baby into the house is as overwhelming as it is joyful. The toes to count, the pictures to take and the stories to write all seem to take a back seat to changing diapers, washing laundry, and feeding hourly. Babies are only little for such a short about of time and with each additional child the growth rate accelerates (I know it isn’t logical, but it is true). First born children have a scrapbook for each year of life plus an extra shoe box of unscraped prints, while it can be nearly impossible to even find a decent picture of the fourth born. As life snowballs into a large pile of projects to accomplish, baseball games to attend and homework to complete babies soon transform into little people and the days of sleeping in the Lazy Boy with a baby on your chest are over.
In an effort to aid a busy mothers mind in remembering the details of a child’s first year I have created some guidelines for scrapbooking a little persons life. I use this sheet as a check list of completing specific pages. However, even if you aren’t a scrapbooker this form will be greatly appreciated in years to come as you strive to distinguish the events of one child versus another. The options for recording events are endless so take the time to create SOMETHING in which to record the details of a new life.
I find traditional scrapbooking to be therapeutic but it is easy to fall so far behind that it is impossible to catch up. The digital age gives us many options for storing and organizing our precious memories; however, NOTHING replaces the value of physically possessing the memories we cherish. Here is my recommendation for organizing the details of your babies first year.
Print a copy of the “Newborn baby Information” and keep it in an easily accessible place.
- Make note of special events, dates, vacations and milestones as they happen.
- Collect memorabilia such as hospital bracelets, birth announcements, locks of hair, plane tickets, blessing certificates, and small articles of clothing (or pieces of special fabrics).
- Be sure to take pictures and/or videos of special occasions. Even if you aren’t typically in the habit of printing pictures, PRINT PICTURES OF YOUR BABIES!!
- Compile and edit your information (either as the year progresses OR after it is all collected).
Options for organizing information if scrapbooking is not an option:
- Recipe box: Write details on index cards, file photographs and memorabilia behind tabbed dividers.
- Binder: Keep pictures, photos, and other memories in page protectors.
- File Box with folders: Be sure everything is labeled and categorized for future reference.
Life may be too busy for us to have all of our projects exactly how we want them but DON’T let this project get away from you! Collect the information before you forget the details, one day you will be grateful!
*Reflections is one of my FAVORITE (!!) idea books. I use it all the time!
