They grow up so fast- at least that’s what everyone says! I’m 3 months in and I feel like I’ve blinked my newborn into a toddler. These days are so sweet and fleeting that I don’t want to miss a thing. Keep reading to discover 5 creative ways to document your baby’s first months.
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#1: Monthly Milestone Photos
Thanks to social media, I’m sure you are no stranger to capturing a monthly milestone photos of your baby. I too love this concept, but had a few requirements thought out beforehand.
I wanted a way to easily show growth month after month. I decided to purchase this Moses changing basket to use both on her changing table as well as the backdrop for monthly photos. That way, you can see the growth each month as she takes up more and more space.
Bonus– start while you are pregnant! Take an expecting picture with baby’s newborn clothes, your bump and an ultrasound photo to begin your milestone series.
I also decided to forego special blocks, signs or cards that show the baby’s age in months. Instead, I am using Canva to edit the photos and add text to note the month. Just personal preference!
Finally, I am taking each photo from the same angle so I an easily compare the 12 photos at the end of the first year. Some other ideas I love are choosing a prop to include in each photo (such as a stuffed animal), holding baby in front of brown butcher paper, or propped and seated in the same chair each month!
If you are sharing on social media you can add a hashtag to the photo each month. That way, you can view all of the pictures together! So sweet. The hashtag can be anything you want, but a popular one I’ve seen is #Watch(Insert name here)Grow.
Sources: Pinterest, Pinterest, KellyNan.com & Marion Hassold photography via Pinterest
#2: One Year Picture Board
At baby’s first birthday celebration, I plan to find a fun way to share the collection of 12 milestone photos I have taken. I like the board idea that you could display at a party, or make a garland with each hanging photo. These are great ways to turn those electronic images into a physical keepsake!
Image source and purchase at Etsy stores Casa Viera & Pastel Kate
You can purchase one from Etsy sellers, or save an average of $50 by making your own! I made one for my nephews first birthday, and shared the entire step by step process here.
#3: Monthly Milestone Video
Along the same lines as taking monthly photos, make sure to get a short video during your photoshoot as well. At the end of the first year, you can create a video using footage from each month to watch your child grow and evolve.
For more information about how to put together a video like this, see idea #4 below.
#4: One Second a Day
This idea may just be my favorite. A friend mentioned an app that lets you upload one picture a day, and turns them into a video. This is such a neat concept, and documenting your baby’s first days into a video like this makes a fun keepsake. You can literally watch them grow up right before your eyes.
The downfall? Using the app costs $49.99 a year or $4.17/month. Not enough to break the bank, but just enough to be annoying (on top of all of the other monthly subscriptions you have). So, I discovered a way to use this concept and create a video myself using live photos and the Instagram app.
First, take at least one “live” photo with your cell phone a day. These are what you will use to create your video. I upload them to an album titled “One Second” on my phone to keep them organized and all in one place.
Next, open Instagram and begin drafting a Reel. Select the live photos one at a time, and change the duration of each clip to one second. Once you put each live photo together, you will create a 30 second video.
Once you add all of your live photo clips together and create your video using Instagram, you simply save it to your phone. You are just using Instagram as a tool to create the video. You don’t have to publish the video to share it unless you want to!
At the end of my baby’s first year, I will have a five minute video that documents a snippet from every day since she was born. I think this is the absolute sweetest idea and such a fun way to capture all of these memories.
Please reach out if you have questions regarding this process, or are interested in me putting this video together for you (cheaper than the app!). Just shoot me a DM on Instagram or email on my contact page. Or if you are interested in the app, I’ll link it for you here.
#5: DIY Newborn Pictures
Last but not least, I decided to take some of my own newborn pictures of baby girl. Even if you plan to have newborn pictures taken professionally, taking some yourself gives you the opportunity to capture your baby’s personality.
Those first days postpartum are longgg, so this doesn’t have to be a fancy or formal process. I put my Boppy pillow on our bed, covered it with my Barefoot Dreams blanket, stripped her down, put a bow on her head and starting taking pictures. Yes, she peed a small puddle on the bed and yes, it took hours between a couple of naps but the memories are priceless. I love the facial expressions I was able to capture.
Unlike a photographer you have hired for 60 min, you have the advantage of time. You are more likely to get lucky and capture a few photos while your newborn is awake (and not crying). Although the sleeping pictures are sweet, getting a few with eyes open is fun too.
If you want those classic curled up, truly “newborn” pictures, I recommend trying to photograph within the first ten days. I took the pictures above 8 days after birth, and used Portrait mode on my iPhone.
After you’ve taken your pictures, the editing process is the last piece to the puzzle to ensure you get an end result you are happy with! If you want to learn more about my photo editing process, I have put tother a dedicated post and entire E-book that outlines my iPhone photography process.
So here are five ways to document your baby’s first months of life! Although you can’t replace living in the moments, I know you’ll want some documentation of the early days too. These creative photo and video opportunities ensure you will capture these special days and have fun memories to share with friends and family too!
Enjoy the process,
