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is an exhilarating yet daunting time. Amongst the excitement, the lack of sleep and the seemingly non-stop rush, making memories might seem like the least of your concerns. Nonetheless, there are few worse feelings than looking back and wishing that you had captured more memories from those early, formative years.
Here are a few ways to immortalize your baby’s early life.
1. Turn Photographs Into Ornaments
It stands to reason that you will be taking lots of photos of the new addition to the family. While these are a great way to store memories, photography has become an increasingly disposable medium. Smartphones tend to make us snap and forget, and if you lose or change your phone then those memories are gone forever. Rather than leaving precious photos to molder in the vaults of your smartphone, transform them into ornaments and decorations.
This is easier than ever and you have a lot of choices. Crystals are one of the most popular options. A company like Crystal Impressions will take your photographs and immortalize them in 3D crystal. The result is a stunning crystal ornament that looks beautiful on the mantelpiece or anywhere else that you might choose. Other options include wooden prints, fridge magnets and even keyrings (which are easier to make at home than you might imagine).
2. Keep a Journal
used to be extremely popular. Although their prevalence has waned over the years, they are still one of the best ways to chart your child’s early life and development. Journals come in all shapes, sizes and styles – some will be purely photographic. These consist of pictures showing how your baby grows, develops, learns to play and experiences the world for the first time. Those images give you something to look back on and chart development as a tangible story.
More in-depth journals include baby handprints, measurements, first words and their first attempts at drawing. Journals can cover anything from a few months of life to much longer, and the more detailed you are, the more you will have to look back on.
3. A Memory Quilt
Babies grow fast, going through clothing at an alarming rate as they do. Rather than throwing old clothes out, some parents choose to use the fabric as part of a memory quilt. This involves taking a square of the discarded outfit and sewing it into the quilt. You will not be short of material, and using your baby’s first clothes in this way ensures that you will always have a tangible link to their early years.
Quilts can be as large as you like, and it is entirely up to you when you stop adding squares. The end result is usually quite eclectic, consisting of lots of different patterns and colors – but that is all part of the charm. The process is more time consuming than some of the other memory capture options, but if you have a spare moment, sewing a quilt is extremely soothing. It represents a great and therapeutic escape from your hectic timetable and gives you something physical to cherish in the future.