Even if you've never scrapbooked before, it's hard to resist the urge to create a baby's journey scrapbook after the birth of a child. Almost every day brings something new, so proud parents want to record every minute.
Getting Organized
There are a few decisions that you'll want to make before starting to put together your baby's journey scrapbook. First, how will you arrange your pictures? Some people prefer to group photos by theme, but a baby book truly lends itself to chronological order.
Decide what colors you prefer to use. Blue is traditional for boys and pink for girls, but one advantage to creating your own book instead of using a purchased baby book is the opportunity to throw tradition to the wind. If you prefer ruby and purple, why not? If you're planning to buy most of your embellishments pre-made, keep in mind that most baby themed items are found in pastel colors. If you choose truly untraditional colors, you may find that there are no pre-made items that match your theme.
Milestones for Baby's Journey Scrapbook
Part of the fun of scrapbooking your baby's first year is recording the big events and the many 'firsts.'
- Baby's birth
- Being weighed at the hospital
- The first feeding
- Being introduced to brothers and sisters
- Meeting grandparents, aunts and uncles
- First bath
- First car ride
- First walk in the stroller
- Holding head up
- Crawling and creeping
- Sitting up
- First solid food
- First time drinking from a cup
- First time feeding himself
- First steps with help, or using furniture to cruise
- First unassisted steps
- First teeth
- First haircut
- First holidays
- First birthday
Little Events to Remember
It's not only the big things that you'll want to remember years from now. You'll want to remember the little things as well. Don't forget to take pictures of everyday life.
- Diaper changes
- Naptime
- Pictures with mommy and daddy
- Playing with siblings or friends
- Playing with favorite toys
- Smiles
- Crying and tantrums
- Favorite foods
- Baby's growth - take a picture every month with the same toy or in the same seat to make changes stand out
Journaling Ideas
Journaling is always an important part of creating a scrapbook, but even more so in a baby's journey scrapbook. This is especially true because many of the things you'll want to remember won't have a picture. There's no need to set aside huge blank spaces to fill with words, though. Make journaling more manageable by breaking it up into small but frequent sections.
- Don't forget the vital statistics: date and time of birth, weight, length, the name of the doctor and the hospital.
- Baby's name - How was it chosen? Is it a family name? Did everyone agree?
- Baby gifts - Think beyond just a list of gifts and who gave them, and jot down any special stories that go when them. Maybe Grandma knits every baby a blanket, or the baby bracelet has been passed down to the first child for generations.
- How did the family react? What was the first response when they heard the baby had arrived? If there are older siblings, what did they think of the new addition to the family?
- Who does baby look like?
- Baby's first words
- Favorite songs and activities
It may seem like there are almost too many things to pack into one book, but don't worry. Choose an expandable post-bound or ring binder for your book and you can add as many pages as you like!
