Documenting Baby’s First Year
I kept a pregnancy journal while waiting for Sayle’s arrival. I documented weekly on what we were doing to get ready for the baby, my doctors appointments, what I was feeling, etc. My journal was called “The Belly Book” by Amy Krouse Rosenthal and I loved it. This journal was a weekly play by play about what was going on, gave me the opportunity to write whatever I wanted to, so this journal basically turned into my pregnancy scrapbook. Unfortunately, when Sayle was born there was not a baby book to follow up the belly book.
You would think being that I documented my pregnancy so well that I would document Sayle’s first year just as well. I’m sad to say that I haven’t and I am kicking myself today because of it. Don’t get me wrong, I have written tons of stuff down, I just have all my documentation EVERYWHERE.
I initially used a baby’s “firsts” book that I was given for a shower gift. I hated that book. The book didn’t give me the opportunity to write what I wanted to write; this book was more of a standard question and answer book. This book didn’t work for me, so I started writing things down in my day timer. I write everything in my day timer, I would literally be lost without it. If you look at my 2009 day timer some days would read like this:
9:00-appointment with client John Doe
10:00-meeting at school for client Jane Doe
12:00-SAYLE ROLLED OVER
2:00-telephone conference for client Jack Doe
Photo Courtesy BarnesandNoble.com
I have most of Sayle’s “firsts” recorded amongst the dates and times of my work schedule. I did not want to have to pull out my 2009 day timer when Sayle asked to see his baby book one day in the future, so I picked up another baby book at Target. This little book was cute, had lots of places for pictures and mementos, but again-had no place for me to write my random thoughts and cute stories about what Sayle was doing.
Thankfully, Amy Krouse Rosenthal came out with a baby book, “My Baby Book” in April. I immediately picked one up and have not been disappointed. This book does have a question and answer theme to it, but the some of the questions are not your typical baby’s “firsts” questions, giving the writer lots of room to make the book their own.
She has also written “Your Birthday Book-A Keepsake Journal” (which I have) where you can write down details of every birthday your child has up until their 18th! Her other journals include;“The Grandparent Book-A Keepsake Journal, and “The Big Sibling Book-Baby’s First Year According to Me.”
I have found her journals to be a helpful and fun tool to document these precious memories so I figured I would share these journals with you!
How have you documented your child’s first year and what journals have you used?
I made my own keepsake journal/collage so it’s kind of messy but fun (:
I like your suggestion of the baby’s first year according to a big sibling for Marissa; I may have to check that out…she is jealous that her mom never made her one when she was born, and I have been scheming on how to make her one now, but that is a bit tricky, as I didn’t meet her until she was already 6! Any suggestions?
Sarah-I think you should pick up the sibling book since that will give Marissa the opportunity to participate in and give her thoughts on Issaac and what he’s doing. Her input will probably be hilarious in the long term!!
I do have an idea for Marissa’s “baby” book. Our kids in foster care use a “life book” and I have seen different versions of it. Hopefully Chris has some idea of when Marissa did things as a baby so you can get some input there and maybe you could talk to Marissa’s mom to grab some of her memories to put in the book if she’s willing to participate. I would just fill it in per their memories and see if you can get some old pictures. I would also talk to Marissa about what she remembers. If you can get some old photographs see if she has any memories that go with those photographs, granted she would have to be a little bit older to have memories of a specific day. If you can get a string of old photographs you might be able to draw conclusions as to how old she was when she was walking or crawling, etc. Even if the information and memories aren’t 100% accurate as to the specific date she reached a milestone or the story behind the outfit, it is better than nothing!
If you can’t do any of the above then I would start her book from when she was 6 and call it her “Kid Book.” Use pictures that you have and fill in memories and funny stories that you remember. Get Marissa to give her input as well. You could also cut up magazines to make collages of what she thinks her life before 6 looked like. She may even like the birthday book. You can fill that in to document her birthdays and parties/family get togethers and give it to her when she turns 18 years old.
Let me know if you need anymore ideas.
Woah, thanks Brooke! Great input; maybe this could be a fun summer project for our family; fabulous ideas, thanks again (: