Scrapbook Saturday {No. 12} – Baby Albums

Since I hosted a friend’s baby shower last weekend, I have had babies on the brain. I love looking back on my kids’ baby albums. They are just one more little reminder of how quickly we can forget all of the details and how important it is to write things down.

I know baby albums can be a little daunting to get started with but they do not need to be complex and will be well worth it in the end.  We all know how short on time {and sleep deprived!} we are during those first years, so the simpler the better. I’m a big fan of the “Year at a Glance” type albums with a page {or two} devoted to each month and your little one’s milestones during that time.

For Matthew’s album, I used an 8×8 Chatterbox photo album.  Each month has a photo page and a page with milestones and a little letter that I wrote.  {Remember that this album was done 7 years ago so styles have changed a bit!}

Since Matthew had lots of medical issues through his first year, I recorded lots from our medical appointments and put more “personal” information into the pockets.

The papers are all from a really old Making Memories line {from about 7 years ago!}

By the time baby number two roles around, time is at a premium.  Connor’s album is a simpler chipboard accordian album done up with Basic Gray papers.

I just added a photo each month and wrote the milestones around it.  It was very quick and simple to make with virtually no extra embellishments but it holds a lot of memories.

So, when I had my friend’s shower this weekend, I thought I would start her out with a couple of memory albums for her little guy.

The first album is more of a Baby Shower Memories Album.

It was divided up into three sections: Guests, Gifts, and Memories.

The guests signed and wrote their address to make it easier for the Mommy-To-Be to send out thank-you cards.  And the gifts were all recorded in the gift section.  Pictures of favorite gifts {or the baby using the gifts once he is born!} can also be easily added since the album is just a ring binder.

We also had guests write down some “words of wisdom” and I glued those into the album as well.  There are photo sleeves in the Memories section as well as some blank writing cards for the Mommy-To-Be to record her thoughts.  Baby cards could also be hole punched and added to the album.

The other little album was just a quick album to record thoughts and milestones each month.

The photo album was purchased from Michaels and I just cut up and added the journalling cards {from Simple Stories}.

There are some sweet quotes included in the album as well and pictures could always be slipped in the pockets as well.

So hopefully that gives you a few ideas to get you started.  Remember that it does not need to be fancy – just get your thoughts and memories recorded in one place.  You will be so happy that you did!

I linked up with The Shabby Creek Cottage, Today’s Creative Blog, CRAFT, I Heart Naptime, Between U and Me, Whipperberry, 30 Handmade Days, Somewhat Simple, The 36th Avenue, Blue Cricket Design, Lil Luna, Tip Junkie, Home Stories A to Z, Skip to My Lou, Craft-O-Maniac and The DIY Showoff.