Put it in a photo book.

Okay so if there's something to know about me, I'm kind of obsessed with organising things and taking photographs. It's no surprise really that I have really gotten into photo books lately as they combine the best of both- ending up with organised photos. I love having photos on view and to be able to look back through special times and with so many cheap and easy websites out there you can make a photobooks for around $5 + postage...what beats cheaply organising photos??

I thought I'd share today a few photo book ideas that I have made recently. They are special to me and I love having these neatly recorded snapshots of early motherhood.

A photo book all about your pregnancy

I initially was skeptical about remembering how I looked during my pregnancy as I got bad fluid retention and swelled up like a balloon but it was such a special time in my life. A photo book allowed me to combine the few photographs I'd taken to make something of a little substance. In retrospect I probably should have taken more photos but I felt like a giant balloon, rather than someone sporting a cute bump. Thankfully once Henry was born, the swelling decreased significantly. I choose a beautiful quote for the back cover and filled the book with bump photos, ultrasounds, snaps from our babymoon, the baby shower and photos of the nursery.

A photo book about your baby's first days in hospital and at home

Another photo book I was very keen to make was inspired by pinterest and was a book documenting Henry's time in hospital and first few visitors when we got home. It was a wonderful way to record all the love around him when he was born and also a place to record some special messages we received that otherwise may have just got lost in the sea of messages kept on my phone. I look forward to when Henry is a bit older and we can read through this book together and look at the pictures.

 A photo book of professional photographs

We also got some professional photographs taken at the hospital when Henry was born and these have been wonderful for photo books as I've made photo books for Grandpa for Father's Day and also Grandma's birthday using these images. He was only 2 days old at the time so it's wonderful to remember what he looked like all teeny tiny and new. I also made a little book for myself with all the pictures altogether (one of the pages is pictured at the start of this post).

This self confessed journaling addict also admits to owning a few baby books and I thought I'd share the two I choose for any readers out there seeking looking for present ideas or journals for yourself.

 1

This was a gift from Mum and has been so useful for recording and storing special early photographs and information that would easily be forgotten. Pages include topics like 'my first visitors', 'what my parents remember about my first weeks' and special memories of each months.

2

The journal loving side of me got a tiny bit giddy with this cute little journal. It is such a nice way to record each day and is broken up into sections about feeding, sleeping and changing as well as an area to record the baby's mood. If you miss a day it is fine as you just enter each date that you enter information (not that I've actually missed a day since I bought the journal ) and there is also a section at the back for monthly highlights. 

Between these two books I think I've got things recorded well. I look forward to when Henry is bigger and we can go through his baby books together- I know I loved looking back at my baby book when I was little and also in the lead up to Henry's birth wondering what my little munchkin was going to be like! The journal is really just for me but the days blurr together and it's a nice way to remember the little joys of motherhood (and challenges) and maybe compare those early days if a future bub comes along.

For now who knows how many more photo books I'll end up making- watch out Grandparents and Great Grandparents at Christmas time!

Lisa x