Having a baby is magical, truly. Each burp and spit bubble makes us smile. We don’t even mind the gooey diaper offerings they constantly leave for us. As far as we’re concerned, they are perfect. Savor it; soon they’ll be insubordinate teenagers and we’ll wish for the times when we could poke their squishy bellies and they actually enjoyed it.
Looking back is always such a treasure. This is why we create baby books for our children; for us to remember and for them to discover. But when do we possibly find the time to craft these? Later I suppose, but for now the important thing is to take good notes.
Keep a notebook nearby and write down the good stuff:
Take Measurements
Each week, weigh them and measure their length. Since most of us don’t have a baby scale, you can weigh yourself alone and again while holding your baby, then do the math. This is a way to keep an eye on their health for the pediatrician and is a nice addition to your baby book.
Track Habits
Make a note of their sleep patterns; when did they start sleeping through the night? Jot down their feeding times; when did you stop breast feeding? Describe what playtime consists of, what senses they develop and when. Highlight movement milestones.
Take down the date when they (fill in the blank) for the first time:
- lifted their head to look at you
- almost fell off the couch because they rolled over when you weren’t paying attention
- sat up with fickle balance
- began to crawl across the room at record speeds
- pulled themselves up to a stand with their giant baby muscles
- took their first steps and you cried with pure joy
Take photos
You are obviously convinced your baby is the cutest newborn on the planet, we know. Exploit this notion by taking as many photos as you can. Kids love to be able to see themselves as infants and revisiting these will make you appreciate how small they used to be.
The arts and crafts of it can come later, but don’t miss out on these things now. They only happen once, and each kid is unique. Putting together a complete baby book will allow you to reminisce on the start of your family.
Written by Dani Haberly
