Preserve the Memories

Babies grow so fast, how to record all the changes?

Take Photos. 

LOTS of photos.  Personally, I’ve always thought the best photos were in-the-moment, not posed.  The best part about digital photography is you aren’t wasting film; you can take 20 photos and trash 19 to get the 1 perfect shot.  

Journal

Formal journal- Some moms take the time at the end of each day to journal about their day, their dreams, memorable Baby experiences. 

Yearly letter – Every year on New Years, write a letter to each child, reflecting on the year and what an amazing person the individual is.

1 liners – A journaling style where you just jot down one sentence a day.  Kind of like an old school twitter.  J

Calendar – Keep a calendar in baby’s room, jot down events as they occur.  This was my favorite method, personally, as I found it the easiest to keep up with.

Slips of paper – Perfect for the busy parent, you just jot down the experience and the date, toss it in a box or jar.  Organize it “later”

Post-it notes also work great for this.  The trick is keeping pads of paper and pens handy for you, but out of the hands of your little ones.

REMEMBER:  Don’t be too self-critical.  You can re-word it later.  Your child won’t care if your grammar and/or spelling aren’t perfect, or if your thoughts aren’t organized.  Capture the moment, that’s what’s important.

Child Interview – Once your child begins to talk, you can do an interview every year on his/her birthday.  There are many great printables out there, but some favorite questions to ask:

            What is your favorite color?

            What do you want to be when you grow up?

            What makes you laugh?

            What makes you sad?

            What is your favorite food?

            What is your favorite song?

            What is your favorite thing to do?

            What is your favorite book?

            If you could have 3 wishes, what would they be?

Organize

Traditional baby books and scrapbooks are popular.  The new trends are my favorite:

Personalized Photo album – add in quotes from the journals,

along with stats, favorites, accomplishments, etc. 

You could even scan in artwork. 

I simply LOVE this Photoalbum by Ashedesign on Etsy (right).  What a beautiful way to treasure all the little details.  An elegant template, it’s a well organized way to display the pictures, details and a letter from Mom/Dad/whomever for each age level.  I’m sure Baby will treasure the keepsake when he/she grows up. 

A less formal photo album example below:

 

A great way to cherish the key memories at a glance.  You could collect the info; every year put it on the wall, or after several years, put it together in a photo album.  The adorable photo to the right is from Farrah Jobling Photography.  - She does beautiful work, you should check out her site. 

What have you done, or will you do to Preserve the Memories?