Remembering That First Year

As I mentioned last week, I was so excited to learn about Becky Higgins' new Project Life Baby Core Kits. I have been doing the Project Life scrapbooking system for two years now. I love traditional scrapbooking but had evolved to creating 2-3 albums each year for our family albums because I had so many stories to tell!

Now, with three kids, I had to come up with an easier system to produce our family album, as well as pages for each child's album. I knew would not have time to do everything traditionally. So, I now have a hybrid system. I complete a digital family yearbook as an overview of the year, a Project Life style album to capture the daily life of our family throughout the year and traditional albums for my children. In my Project Life album, I insert traditional 12x12 pages as desired to capture more of an event or story and in my children's traditional albums, I use Project Life and other collage-style page protectors to load in more photos without doing a lot of extra 12x12 spreads. it works, for now.

So, I was conflicted on just how to do my son, and final child's, baby album. Do I do it completely traditional? Do I use one theme throughout or just go as I was inspired? So many choices! But then I heard about the upcoming arrival of the Project Life Baby Edition and a vision for this album finally began forming.

Last weekend, I carefully re-watched Becky's introduction to the baby edition video noting the types of pages she created with the new products. I figured that since I had all the pictures and memorabilia laid out, I could begin prepping for the album while I am awaiting the arrival of the baby edition. Hopefully, with a little planning ahead, when the products finally arrive on my doorstep it will only take me a few hours to pull everything together.

Below is my process and plan. Hopefully, it will help you prepare for that baby album on your list.

Planning the album

Materials On Hand:

• Project Life Page Protectors (varies styles)
• Photos from son's first year
• Memorabilia from son's first year
• Planning pages
• Post it Notes
• Miscellaneous embellishments
• 12x12  pages already completed
• 12x12 page kits

Materials Needed:

• Project Life Baby Edition Boy
• Page protectors in new sizes: 8x10 v & h, 81/2x11 v & h, 5x7 v & h, Style G
• Album

Page Protectors

Page Topics: I laid out my album based on pages I had already completed or planned for, events in my life and the pages suggested on Becky's video as follows:

• Title Page
• 12x12 photo
• PL cover page
• Heritage - spread with a CM Family Tree insert
• The Story of Us - pictures of us as our relationship grew over years (need to find and print)
• Our Family - pictures of us, the girls, the dog and extended family
• Expecting You - prego picts, while we waited for you pics, sonogram pics
• Gifts/Nursery/Getting Ready - pictures of nursery, gifts received, items we purchased
• Day of Birth - hospital photos, me in labor, what I did while I was in labor, etc
• Your Arrival - being born and right after birth and of mom and dad holding for first time, include 8x10 insert of in isolette
• First impressions/First Visitors -
  
• First Days of Life - hospital stay, diagnosis, what is Down syndrome?
• Your Name - how we chose it, who you were named after, other people with your name
• Bringing You Home - Leaving the hospital (spread) and Arriving at home (2 spreads), include 8x10 insert collage
• Days at Home - (Several spreads including photos of our early routine, 12 x12 page about first trip to the pool
• Extra, Extra Read all About Me: Three personal stats and time capsul pages

• Each Month of First Year = include general spread plus pages on holidays or special occasions/activities

The star of the album!

1. Month 1 - general photos and visitors
2. Month 2 - (Several pages) Trip to Savannah, general photos and trip to NY, photos shoot
3. Month 3 - Going to work, general photos
4. Month 4 - General Oct. photos with 12x12 Halloween insert
5. Month 5 - Photo shoot with 5x7 and 8x10 inserts
6. Month 6 - (Several pages) General spread, Santa, Christmas and Cookie Bake, trip to Tampa
7. Month 7 - General spread
8. Month 8 - General spread
9. Month 9 -
10. Month 10 -
11. Month 11 -
12. Month 12 -

• Special Care - Helmet and therapy
• Baptism -
  
• Milestones -
  
• First Baseball Game  - 12 x 12 spread
• First Birthday -
• Wishes for You -
  
• Closing Page -

That is it so far. I am sure a page or two will be inspired as I delve into the creative process. I'd love to hear your thoughts? What am I forgetting?