Precious memories - 5 ways

Memory keeping is an art from these days with parents documenting the baby years like never before. Here are 5 simple ways to record the most precious of memories.

1. Keep a journal

Baby record books are a great way to keep track of milestones and memories. Our advice - chose one that has a "fill in the gaps" layout for brief and concise updates so keeping the journal current is not too daunting. Baby's birth weight? Baby's first tooth? Takes mere seconds to fill in, increasing the chances that you actually keep at it as the months roll by. There is nothing like a half (or a quarter, or even a single page - heaven forbid!) completed baby record book to get the mother-guilt pumping!

2. Shadow box time capsules

Collect a few tiny tokens of your baby's arrival - their first onesie and booties, their hospital bracelet, a photo, a little toy for example, and frame them in a shadow box. Pictured example from doityourselfpin.com

3. Take a monthly photo

The First 12 Months, captured by Pippa from pippaslongstockings.blogspot.com

Babies practically grown before our very eyes. Keep a record of that rapid growth by taking a photo of your baby each month and collating them into a collage for baby's first birthday. The opportunities to be creative with this are endless, but some basic advice includes:

• Pick a day of the month to photograph baby and make a note of it in your diary or put a reminder on your cell phone.
• Use the same location each month, somewhere with good natural light and a simple, uncluttered background.
• Keep baby's outfit simple, perhaps even the same sort of clothing each photo (a white onesie, for example).
• Use props to measure growth and show time - i.e. a favourite toy in the photo, a page from the calendar or a blackboard with baby's age written on it. Alternatively you could Photoshop age details in afterwards.

4. Note down the quotes
Profound wisdom, delightful pronunciation, and laugh-out-loud humour - all from the mouths of our babes! And while at the time you laughed so hard you cried, if you don't write your child's precious gems down - chances are you will forget them! Save them for their 21st birthday by keeping a quote book.

We love this free printable quote book from clever Amy J of Delightful Distractions, click here to download one for yourself.

5. Write a letter
Jot down your feelings in a letter to your newborn, and seal it away for them to open in the future. Tell them the story of their birth, what Mum and Dad were doing that day, and how their lives changed from that moment. You could continue this tradition each birthday - writing about the things your child loved to do/was able to do at the time, so that they have a record of their growth and development through your eyes and reflected in the general happenings of day-to-day life. Check out a lovely example from OHbaby! member Julie here

For more great ideas for memory keeping, check out:
Quote jar
Shoe growth chart
Photos for keeps

Published 29 April, 2013