Remembering the First Year

We’re a handful of months into this mom thing and we both agree that it already seems like time is flying by. We love every single minute with our babies and are constantly taking mental images to try to remember every sweet second. Today we’re sharing ways to remember that first year with your little one.

Photo Credit: Linda Taggart Craik

Baby book
We realize with technology these days there are lots of digital ways to capture your baby’s first everything, but there’s something oh-so nostalgic and special about filling out a memory book. Our parents kept one for each of us and we’ve loved going through it and finding out the first time we took a step, the first haircut and our likes and dislikes when starting solids. There are also SO many options out there, so whether your book is text heavy or picture heavy (or both!) there’s a perfect memory book for you and your babe.

Photo printer
Our phones are bursting at the screens (see what we did there?) with images of our little ones. While it’s ideal to have these pics on your phone so you can whip them out at a moment’s notice and share with everyone and anyone who will look at them, it’s also nice to have the real thing in hand. There are larger photo printers, but there are also more compact handheld printers that will produce the images right off of your phone. It’s quick, it’s easy and it fits right in your hand!
 
Chronological pics
There’s an app for that! There are lots of programs and apps that will keep those one week, two week…photos in a tidy little spot for you. When we were pregnant, we used The Bump to record our growth from week to week. Now that our babies are here, we use The Bump to keep track of our babies’ growth each week.
 
Tiny feet
There’s something ridiculously adorable about baby shoes. While hand-me-downs are great for child two, three or more, we’re saving at least one pair of shoes to have as a keepsake. Whether you go all out and have them bronzed, or you just keep them in a tiny box for safekeeping, your little one may appreciate looking at those tiny shoes when they’re all grown up and have giant (in comparison) feet!

Hand and footprints
This is another sweet way to capture just how small they once were. From simple imprints in a baby book to setting their hand and foot in clay, this is a cute way to create a lasting memory for you and your babe.
 
Holidays
This Christmas may have been one of the best Christmases yet. Everything was a little more exciting and a little more magical. Baby’s first Christmas ornament, matching family pajamas, baby’s first Christmas blanket and so much more are all simple ways to remember the season.

We’re always on the lookout for unique and special ways to capture this first year. What are you doing to hold on to each moment?