Traditional baby books don’t really fit for our kids who were adopted internationally. There is a great deal of focus on “the day you were born” and many “firsts” that just don’t apply when children are adopted as infants or older.
I have found the best way to record Ella’s history is through making my own scrapbook. Granted, I am almost painfully behind, but at least I have ideas of what I would like to do whenever I can find some time! By creating your own baby book format, you can include the memories and milestones that make sense to your family.
Here are some ideas for creating your own baby book scrapbook pages:
- Create your own set of “firsts”: the first time we met, first bath at home, first haircut at home, first solid food, first airplane ride, first time in a car seat, first time meeting the grandparents, and so on.
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Create a page a month from the time you became a family. Document new vocabulary words, favorite foods, new milestones such as first steps, first words, etc., number of teeth, height and weight and funny memories from the month.
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Document your wait. Pictures, stories and mementos from those months between referral and travel will mean a lot to your child. It is important to share your memories with them, and a page in their scrapbook is a great way to do it.
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Try not to get hung up on the things that you don’t have (photos from the hospital, hospital name bracelets, set of newborn footprints,) and instead make the most of all the wonderful memories that you do have. Documenting your history as a family will create a legacy that your whole family will love.
Think twice about pouring out your child’s entire history into a scrapbook that is intended for others’ eyes. If a friend of family member picks up their scrapbook and starts to flip through it, they may learn more about your child than you are comfortable with.
Check out some great adoption themed scrapbooking items HERE.
Photo © Rebecca Hess 2007
More Reading:
How to Preserve Your Adoption Trip
Adoption Scrapbooking
Scrapbooking for Your Kids
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