Digital Diva of Memories

While we were away, my Today's Parent arrived in the mail. They had a ton of inserts this month, including a mini magazine about Milestones.

Reading some of the stories I got teary in a good way - some milestones Hannah has hit, others she is far away from (most notably becoming a big sister).

In it, there was a fun quiz-like chart asking parents, "How do you store your memories?"

I followed it and arrived at "Digital Diva".

As a blog owner, Twitter fanatic and Facebook liker extraordinaire, this shouldn't have come as a surprise. The surprise of the answer is that it made me feel less guilty.

The cover of one of Hannah's unused baby books
Image: http://chapters.indigo.ca

One of the first things I bought when I found out I was pregnant was a baby book for Hannah. I decided it wasn't good enough and bought another when she was about three months old. Both of these books sit in different locations. Both collect dust. I have scrap papers all around the house detailing "Hannah's first foods", "Hannah's first teeth". I also have photos of some of her firsts - they not only have image proof, but also a date stamp for years later when Hannah asks "When's the first time I held my own toy?" (If, for some reason, she decides to ask that).

In the beginning, I religiously tried to weigh her and measure her on her monthversary. That stopped after six months. I guess I figured unless the doctor needs to know, we don't really need to know either.

I blog about her milestones a lot. At least I try to blog about her more entertaining ones. In a way, the most important reader of this blog has yet to learn to read. I hope that this blog becomes better than any baby book and that one day Hannah might read my posts and feel like she was there - because she's not going to remember herself the first time she rolled over, sat up without assistance, or clapped her hands. (And um, I now I have three more blog posts to write.)

In my defence, I don't recall asking my Mom what milestones I hit when until I became pregnant. And until Hannah arrived.

I honestly don't know how interested Hannah will ever be in these memories. I think these books are definitely meant more for the parents than they are for the child they are about.

I have a baby book that my parents did for me. Do you know my favourite part? A piece of scrap paper in my Mom's writing with the title "Words Sarah can say at 18 months" at the top. There's about 16 words, one being "Coke" - my favourite soft drink to this day (although my Mom did NOT let me drink Coke when I was that young...). Maybe one day Hannah's favourite will be that scrap of paper listing her first month of foods. Only time will tell.

How do you document your child(ren)'s memories?

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