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Being a new mom can be a glorious time and often the days fly by. Your infant grows so fast that it is difficult to make sure you capture all the new memories. To enjoy this phase of your little one as much as possible, it is wise to document your baby every month from birth. We want to help you think of simple ways to record the progress and you will be surprised to see how fast your infant grows! Here are some nice ideas that you can implement to document your baby every month.
By contrast
Do you have enough self control to wait? Present your baby’s growth in this fun way. Choose an item: a large bowl, a stuffed animal, a giant lighted letter. An item that is larger than your child when you start this project. Create an alert once a month to take ‘growth photos’. Have your child lay or sit on the item in a well lit but clean area. Choose an easy to construct perspective that you can do the next month, and the month after, etc. After a year, you will have a hoard of photos with this item and you can create a nice time lapse video of the child growing. The most challenging part is not wanting to post it earlier.
Roll them out
Find yourself a big roll of paper. Pull it down on a clean white wall. Write any memories, details or things the baby is doing on it. Have a strong adult hold the baby up against the paper and snap away. With a few different accessories or outfit changes, you can come up with lots of fun ways to cherish this time in your baby’s life. The possibilities are endless when it comes to what to write on it.
In belly vs. out of belly
Take an above photo with the expecting mother (in her last month) sitting next to an infant onesie and a date on the floor. In the next photo, you have the same above belly shot, but this time there is no baby in her belly but there is a baby in the onesie that was put on the floor in the first photo. This is a super sweet photo that is definitely one for the baby book!
Blanket idea with a twist
Use the common way of putting the baby on a blanket every month and to circle the number of months the baby is old with your phone editing tools. This way you can see the difference from month to month. But change it up, you can use a frame or a toy with a hole in to encircle the month you are taking the photo. You could even try to be season specific choosing seasonal wreaths to show the month.
Sports fans
If you are a huge fan of sports, try to find a cloth or paper that has your favourite field/court lines (ie. football, soccer, tennis). You can use the lines to track their growth and have an athletic theme. This would also be a fun snapshot to share when the child gets older and can share how unreal they were as a young athlete.
Onesie evolution
Every month from infancy, take a photo of the baby with a onesie on. The next month, take a photo with the baby and the previous onesies they wore the month before. The third month, take a photo with the baby next to the two previous month onesies, and so on. You’ll see a big difference in sizes by year one.
Chalkboard creation
Find yourself a big chalkboard that can be laid flat on the floor. This is a fun idea for anyone who has a wild imagination and some drawing ability. With chalk, you can create any setting you want to capture your baby’s development. Also you are able to write any infant-specific details you want to include. Once the baby gets a little older, you can then use the chalkboard for letter and number writing practice, so win-win!
If it’s too big a challenge jumping behind the camera to get your photos right, help is always a bonus. Grandparents or even your babysitter can be a great help. If the kids feel comfortable with the person helping, you will get genuine smiles for your photos! In the end, these tips can help you create a special environment to capture family memories.
Have you done any of the above? Comment below and share your ways! We’d love to hear your ideas! 🙂
This article was written by Christine Sabol in collaboration with Babysits, a platform that connects families with babysitters in Canada and around the world. If you are looking for a babysitter in Canada or childcare job, please join.
