Oh, Baby

Have you ever thought about the last time you did something for the first time? As we “grow up,” those moments become fewer and farther between.

Well, today I did something for the last time and it’s a bittersweet feeling. I opened the pages of Summer’s baby book, updated a few sections, taped in a couple of pictures and pieces of artwork, and flipped through it again.

Every time I update this keepsake, I treasure the memories captured: fun facts about the year she was born, milestones achieved, favorite things, special pictures, and my all-time favorite section, birthdays (years 1-5). I love to document our life and am probably the last living person to print pictures and put them in photo albums, so this book is the perfect blend of both.

As things would happen throughout the year, I’d make a note of it in my phone. Every six months or so, I’d set aside a quiet afternoon to fill the baby book with those snapshots of her growth and development. I imagine this is the kind of joy scrapbookers feel after finishing a page.

Updating Summer’s baby book has made my heart full. I have enjoyed this semi-annual task since the day we brought her home. I can’t really explain it, but I have such an emotional connection to this book.

Now that the pages are full and the covers are bursting with memories of her childhood, the baby years are officially a thing of the past. As I gently tucked it away, I knew that. In my mind, I know she’s growing up, but in my heart, she’ll always be my baby.