What to write
What to write in a baby book: the first year
The first year is the fastest-changing year of their life, and the one you'll be most tired for. The details — the first smile, the sound of their cry, who held them first — blur within months. A sentence a week now is worth more than a perfect page later.
Questions to answer this year
- What was the first thing you noticed about them?
- How would you describe their temperament in these early months?
- What sounds do they make that you never want to forget?
- Who has been at your side most since they arrived?
- What did their first proper smile do to the room?
- What finally soothes them in the middle of the night?
Milestones and moments to look out for
- The story of the day they were born, and who met them first
- The first real smile, and who got it
- Discovering their hands and feet
- Rolling over, sitting up, the first attempts to move
- First tastes of food — and the faces that went with them
- The first laugh out loud
- Babbling that starts to sound like conversation
- Their first birthday, however small
Every child moves at their own pace — these are ideas for what to notice, not a checklist.
Things they might say
“Ba-ba-ba-BA!” (at the dog, every morning)
A squeal of delight every time Grandad sneezes
“Ah-goo,” said very seriously, to the washing machine
Save this year's memories with the whole family
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