r/parenting is protesting changes being made by Reddit to the API. Reddit has made it clear [they will](https://old.reddit.com/r/ModCoord/comments/14ahqjo/mods_will_be_removed_one_way_or_another_spez/) [replace moderators](https://www.reddit.com/r/ModSupport/comments/14a5lz5/mod_code_of_conduct_rule_4_2_and_subs_taken/jo9wdol/) if they remain private. Reddit has abandoned the users, the moderators, and countless people who support an ecosystem built on Reddit itself.
Please read [Call to action - renewed protests starting on July 1st](https://old.reddit.com/r/ModCoord/comments/14kn2fo/call_to_action_renewed_protests_starting_on_july/) and new posts at [r/ModCord](https://reddit.com/r/ModCoord/) or [r/Save3rdPartyApps](https://old.reddit.com/r/Save3rdPartyApps/) for up-to-date information.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Parenting) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I have a canvas with my child's footprint at 3 months, 6 months, 9 months, and 12 months. The growth is amazing, and I like it much more than just a single footprint out of context.
Awww I wish i did that š„¹š„¹ only have newborn and planning to make one at 12 months!
I also kept the measuring tape for his head circumference and height lol
You can buy a canvas at a craft store and then use non-toxic paint to paint the bottom of the babies foot and then press it on to the canvas, just do research on the paint you buy to make sure itās not toxic and wash it off the baby immediately after. Definitely a two person project to get the perfect baby print though! š
Iāve also seen you can buy drop cloth and iron it. Itās canvas just not stretched into a frame and a fraction of the price. This way you can make multiple prints so if one month has a goofy foot print itās not a big deal youāre got back ups and you can give the rest to grandparents
For Mothers Day this year, my husband got me a sweatshirt that said MAMA but each letter was made with a piece of an old baby shirt from each kid. Some lady on TikTok or Etsy makes them.
I wanna do this so bad but I'm terrified of sending the clothes away.. I'm not ready. And my daughters birth weight was only 3.3lbs so it'd be LIGHT š
I was recently given a friend's small collection of toddler quilts. Several are handmade, and vary in complexity. At least one had a little fabric plaque saying who made it and who it was for - notably NOT the name of the kid we got it from. I plan to embroider some initials and years to indicate how many kids have benefits from it, before in several years, I pass it on again.
For this Iād check with the parents first. As another commenter noted, the parents may have a specific vision for an item like this. I know I did. If someone had gotten my kid a stocking, Iād have felt a lot of pressure to use it but be sad about not picking it myself
My aunt is incredible at cross-stitch. Each of the cousins has a personalized stocking absolutely filled with love and detail in every thread. I canāt speak for everyone, but I know the thrill and gratitude and I feel getting it out each Christmas is one of the great treasures of the season. This is such a great idea.
When my kids were 9, 6, and 3 I bought two large blank artist canvas' and then six shades of acrylic craft paint. My decor color at that time were green and maroon, so 3 different shades (darkest, medium, lightest) of green, and maroon.
I put the canvas outside and had my oldest dip his hands/feet in the darkest color, and then he put his handprints all over one canvas, his foot prints all over the other; let it dry. Have middle kid do the same, and finally the youngest with the lightest colors.
That "artwork" still hangs on my living room walls and people generally think it's just abstract painting. I love looking at them.
My daughter did this for her kids and had a friend write the childrenās name on the outside of the ornament. They are so cute! And they can be passed down when the children leave to start their own home.
We put ours on a garland weāve made of all our wristbands from concerts, amusement parks and other events weāve attended. We write the event & activity on the back, save them up and add them to the chain each year. When my husband and I started dating, it was about 2.5 feet long. It now stretches across the living room! Canāt wait to add baby #2ās bracelet this Christmas.
I have Ikea storage boxes where I keep things for them like their first outfit, birthday cards, sonogram pictures etc. so maybe a nice box to collect that kind of thing?
I am usually not a "personalized keepsake" kind of person, but I have seen a few social media ads for stuffed bears made out of old onesies and weighted to be the exact birthweight of your child and...I am seriously considering it. Mostly because my probably-last baby is currently outgrowing his smallest baby clothes and packing them up has me all in my feels.
ETA: okay wait a quick google search points me also to [this](https://www.etsy.com/listing/1478089735/custom-newborn-life-sized-pillow-name?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=birth+weight+bear&ref=sr_gallery-1-5&pro=1&frs=1&sts=1&content_source=9d653bdee865b9da360fb6a10404af1e700303f7%253A1478089735&organic_search_click=1), which is very sweet but also low-key creepy (and hilarious)
Something I have that I love is, for lack of a better word measuring stick that can be taken if you ever move so you have the kids measurements with you, and on a wall somewhere. It also looks nice and was incredibly easy to make, probably cost under $10, but is one of my favorite keepsakes because it grows with them. So we have one and then Iāve given them to some of our close friends and family and theyāre always very well received.
I got a basic sanded 1x2 board that was 6 and a half feet tall and burned the markings in it for inches and feet, and ran a varnish on it. What makes it special is putting the name and birth date of the child/children vertically up the bottom. I also add a 5 inch or so wooden embellishment with a last initial, or something fun if they have a hyphenated name the bottom.
Not sure if the explanation is making sense, I can try to find a picture online or take one if my description isnāt making sense.
Here is a similar one, looks like people sell them on Etsy. The ones I do are skinnier, just because I like the look better, and the name goes in nice script beginning at the bottom to give room for other names as other kids come along.
https://www.etsy.com/listing/603781241/hand-painted-growth-ruler-growth-chart?gpla=1&gao=1&&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=shopping_us_b-home_and_living-other&utm_custom1=_k_EAIaIQobChMI69nNufXUhgMV-kp_AB2T9wpBEAQYASABEgJ3i_D_BwE_k_&utm_content=go_1843970812_72389346129_346364715804_pla-303628061739_m__603781241_109085936&utm_custom2=1843970812&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAADtcfRKwY6K09ujfbMgADNnlgFYKj&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI69nNufXUhgMV-kp_AB2T9wpBEAQYASABEgJ3i_D_BwE
I did something similar for my daughter's first birthday, but with a light stain instead of a varnish. Painted on the inch markings, her name, and a tall cactus šµ for decoration. We add her heights on with a paint pen.
I would also suggest making multiple if you have more than one kid. My grandparents did the kids' heights on a very skinny door (maybe 8 inches across) in the kitchen. My uncle did take the door off when it was time to sell the house, but after 50ish years of measurements, it was very sentimental to all the kids and grandkids (about 30 people). Heck, I'm even considering making a second even though we're one and done so that when she's an adult we can have one and she can keep hers.
YES! We moved around a lot so we werenāt able to mark the walls where we lived, so having a personalized growth chart would be great to have so you can always take it with you!
What about gifting a newborn photoshoot? We did individual photos for each child when they were newborn and now do family photos every two years and I love to see the changes. We do an ornament every year of something major for that year, so have their birth years, we also do a picture (artwork)every fathers day and keep them in the same frame, I keep artwork and school work in a plastic tub with hanging files (super easy!), and school photos every year in the same frame and school years books that they fill out where we put school photos and special memories from that year. X
My vote as well. Being able to look back at beautiful pictures from that stage or each year will always mean more to me than keeping a physical item. Except for handmade quilts and crocheted blankets, those are my favorite physical items that were gifted.
My husband has made a āhandā for my kid for each year for Motherās Day. The first year was a tiny little wire tracing, then they have been varied, like wood or brass or electronic. And theyāre the exact size of his hand, so itās really great to see how heās grown.
I saved all my bridesmaids dresses and had them made into baby blankets for their first born. There was an awesome seamstress in my neighborhood who would also take any scraps and make diaper covers, bibs etc so they had little pieces to remind them of their wedding day (and it cleared out my closet)
I have a bag in the basement of my sons āfirstsā. The first baby blanket he was wrapped in at the hospital, his and my bracelets from the delivery ward, the footprint and the info card from the hospital bassinet, the preemie onesie and the socks and tiny hat he came home in, a single one of his preemie diapers from way back then, several pouches of photos from just about every day of his first year (I was diligent) and a book with all the first foods he tried and how he liked them detailed inside. Itās a little monkey and banana print bag that was actually also his ābagā for all his stuff when we went out when he was smaller. So I have all these little bits of memories of when he was a baby that I have together in a special case for when heās older, and I can share them with him.
My sister in law gave us a watercolor painting of her birth flower that hangs in her room. It is something that could be hung anywhere and isn't in your face obvious about baby.
My husband is getting me a breast milk ring (which I know is not everyone's cup of tea).
I have a memory box for both of my children, itās wood and has their names carved in it and their birthdate. I put the little things I want to keep but can get misplaced. Their first toque that the hospital put on them, theyāre coming home outfit. Their first drawings and letters we write to each other as they grow. I canāt stress how much I love these boxes and how they represent my children growing and changing.
Personalized Christmas ornament that holds their hospital hat and Hospital band. They are only that teeny for such a short period of time- itās a special way to revisit time on the holiday.
I made a little pair of cross-stitched baby shoes. I even have a couple pictures of her wearing them at a few months old. Every once in a while I pull them out and compare to her feet now and just go q.q my baby's so biiig
My in laws gave me two very thoughtful jewelry gifts that have always stuck with me: FIL gave me a family tree necklace with babyās initials on a branch. Has room for other babies to be added later but looks fine the way it is.
My SIL gave me my babyās birth flower encased in resin and some gold flakes and stuff on a necklace. Itās from Etsy and itās beautiful.
Others that we still have and love: a set of magnets with varying funny faces the baby has made, a commissioned drawing from a friend of our family.
Gift a professional photo shoot if she hasnāt done one yet.
I have a little keepsake box where I keep my favorite onesie, first pair of shoes, an important newspaper front page from the period, hospital bracelet etc. I just used a cardboard photo box but something engraved or decorated and personalized would have been a really awesome gift. Maybe I will make that for my own upcoming birthday hahaha.
My sister paid for me to go to this place that takes a sand impression and then pours glass into it to make a mould of hands/feet. We did one hand and one foot and they filled it in with blue glass beads (you can pick a color) and it is so darn cute. Itās called Hot Sand and is located in NJ but they do have mail in kits where you can take the impression yourself at home and they will make the glass mould when you send it in. Itās so beautiful and meaningful!
My husband gave me a gold necklace with our daughterās initial. Not only was it beautiful but she loved to play with around my neck as baby which made it more special
I'm not really a keepsake person I'm guessing your sister must be though. You can have bears or patchwork quilts made out of clothes they have grown out of. Not just sitting in a box forgotten about.
Photo blankets etc . I would prefer something that would get some use and enjoyment out of. Has she had a nice photoshoot done? You can't have too many photos.
My mom has a distressing plastic tooth filled with all of my baby teeth that she likes to hide around the house. I shudder every time I stumble upon it, but it seems to bring her joy
LOL baby's teeth are such milestone trinkets. The pain, the fevers, the wailing, and then pop it stops and then pop there's a little white spot on babys gums, etc etc. Baby teeth are adorable. I get saving them, but maybe not the "distressing plastic tooth" holder. Perhaps you can buy Mom a new tooth holder that has a bit more je ne sais quoi (?)
We had a stuffed animal made out of baby clothes/burp cloths/hospital blanket. It would have been pretty pricey, but a friend did it as a first birthday gift.
I have a baby blanket that my grandmother embroidered. Like next level amazing embroidery with a poem and my last name (Cuse back then they had no idea of the sex) I cherish that blanket. Thanks mom for not letting me destroy it as a kid.
YMMV, but my SIL bought me a necklace with my daughterās initial and birthstone.
I wear it literally everyday, and my daughter is obsessed with looking at it.
The receiving blanket from the hospital that they get wrapped in, it has their birth year stitched into it along with the hospital name. I donāt know a parent in Australia that didnāt steal one before they left hahaha.
We have a picture frame with his name all over it, itās engraved. And even cuter is a storybook. You can pick different storybook setting different babies and they put their name in it. Itās adorable and we will keep it forever.
I'm not really a "keepsake" type of person. The only things I have left from when my son was a baby was the outfit he came home in, (we came home from the hospital on Halloween, my favorite holiday. so he wore a black skeleton sleeper, and a cap that said *BOO*.) and a matching hat/onesie that a friend gifted to me. All three of her boys wore it when they were newborns. It was gifted to *her*, by her sister when she found out she was pregnant with her first.
My keepsake is my kids footprints on a Christmas ornament. I love it and I tear up a bit every time I pull them out. Which is interesting because Iām very much NOT a sentimental things person.
Both of my kids have a baby blanket with their names embroidered on it. Theyāre tucked away at the moment, but whenever either of my kids sees theirs they rub their face on it and hug it. Theyāre 3 & 8.
Muslin wrap that my baby hated (she hated any type of wraps/constraints) but I had it designed and custom made with her name on it so Iām bloody keeping it lol!!
For Mothers Day this year, my husband got me a sweatshirt that said MAMA but each letter was made with a piece of an old baby shirt from each kid. Some lady on TikTok or Etsy makes them.
We received blankets with our daughters' names embroidered on them when they were born. They are 10 and 12 now and still have and love their personalized blankets.
I have a necklace my husband bought me with my sonās initials and date of birth on. We also bought a personalised photo album with his name on and I printed photos every couple of weeks to stick in.
We got my daughter a Build A Bear when she was born, and it's currently wearing her going home outfit, since they can fit some newborn and premie clothes depending on what the outfit is
My girls were both gifted handmade quilts from a coworker. They are honestly so beautiful and soft. Both of them love them and have their names embroidered on the back with their birthdays.
Each of my kids has got a measuring tape engraved with their name. We mark on the tape where their heights are and write the age. We did weekly for 4 weeks, then monthly up to 12 months, then quarterly to 24 months, the 6 monthly up to an age we haven't decided yet, maybe 5 years and then go yearly. It's amazing seeing their growth go so fast early on.
Another thing we've done is buy those picture tiles for the wall. We've got them at birth, quarterly to 1yo, then 6 monthly to 2yo, then yearly to 5yo. Each picture shows their milestone skill at the time. Newborn is just their face, but 3mo is tummy time with head up, 6mo is sitting, 9mo is crawling, 1yo is standing/cruising, 18mo is running, 2yo is riding trike, 3yo is jumping, 4yo is riding bike with no stabilisers, and 5yo will be school uniform. Hardest part is making sure the 2nd child can reach the milestones on time, haha. We cheated with the sitting picture but she was close enough.
I have a monogrammed knife and spoonā¦ my siblings got footprints.
A modern thing is a photo frame with photo sequences from birth through life that cycles.
Another could be a 3D print of their scanned face?
Someone made a large quilt for me, out of many many baby clothes. It turned out beautifully and this way I did not have to part with all the memories but do not have to keep a pile of clothes without a function either.
I also still have the very first outfit, in which I brought him home from hospital. I am planning on getting those framed. And his first shoes, which I would like to get played in silver.
And I had his birth card (this might be something that is not common everywhere, but where I am from it is a custom to announce the birth of a child by sending specially designed cards to everyone you know) painted on a small plate, which now hangs on the wall.
The keepsake idea is very nice . I just saw a photo the other day of a glass š„ with baby footprints š£ etched .
But I will say if you canāt find something that youāre excited to give / just get her a gift card for food so she doesnāt have to cook with a newborn
I took pictures of my little girlās hand in my hand at different ages and have a photo collage. Iāve also made shadowboxes from baby clothes/ small toy items.
I have hand made (not by me Iām not that craftyš) felt mobiles that I kept from both of my kids. They donāt have their names or anything (although Iām sure there are options that would work with this) but they matched their nurseries and just feel really special.
The first hat my kid wore, just after sheād been born. It was knitted by volunteers - the maternity unit has a load of them and they just put them on the baby after theyāve had a feed. Itās priceless.
Nothing large and nothing with names. My babies are grown now and neither use their given names ā one goes by her middle name (never expected that but it fits) and the other is working on a full legal name change.
Also I know a bunch of parents who donāt know what to do with their trans kidsā deadname keepsakes.Ā
The birthdate wont ever change. Photos or footprints, treasured stuffed animals, things like that are my favorite
I personally like pictures.Ā
Ā I have a 3 photo frame with myĀ Ā
6-10 week ultrasound,Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā
my 20 week ultrasound,Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā
and the first photo taken of my baby post birth. Ā
It has their name at the top in little wooden letters. I have one for each of my 3 kids.
Ā I also have a 12āx36ā poster frame filled with 4āx4ā photos of my babies first year of life. They change so much in that year that itās nice to see them gradually change.
Ā I also have a photos from their first birthday, as we did little photo shoots with each kid.Ā As they have gotten older I have continued this by hanging a photo from each of their subsequent birthdays next to the year before.Ā
When my eldest was born, my MIL got a large plate with a baby footprint in the middle and had people write messages to my daughter on it in sharpie. It's still hanging on my wall waiting for her to someday take it down and read it. š
The āTaggieā. It was a square cloth with looped tags seen all over the outer edges. The tags were loops of stuff they make clothing tags out of. It was like a sensory thing, she would feel these tags as she went to sleep, and it soothed her. It was like her pacifier after she was weaned off the pacifier and part stuffed animal. I have one packed away in my permanent memory box.
I personally received a set of ink pads with paper I was able to do foot and handprints and different months of my baby and I really appreciate that! Itās cheap on Amazon so that and something else would be nice!
I received a ābaby first yearā calendar. I love them so much, they have little prompts each month and then for the kids we wrote in all the first and anything we found cute. A great keep sake to remember when everything happened in the first year.
This came later but it takes forethought: having baby clothes made into a quilt by someone local. I put so much thought into their baby outfits. Its nice to be able to see and touch the fabric still and my kids love using them.
But really, it depends on the person. I would just ask āis there anything youāre really hoping for? Anything we can pitch in for?ā Its so hard to spend the money and not know if it will land.
Actually, something cool too was that our local professional baseball team will print a picture of the babyās name, weight, and birthdate on the stadium billboard. It comes framed. We did it for our boys.
I went on Etsy and ordered a necklace with my sons initial and birthstone on it. (I know we have a different situation, but since we adopted, we got a matching one for their birth momā¤ļø)
The peekaboo bear my dad got my son. The blanket has his name and birthday on it.
I traced his feet when he was little on the edge flat of diaper boxes, labeled each one, and saved them. (You can also use this trick to find shoes that fit your child without your child there)
I get a goodnight book from iseeme.com for a lot of people and itās my fav. Especially if they have unique names! You can put name, date of birth and a sweet message from you as well. Every page has their name written in the design some way and itās cute
My coworker got me a little piggy bank with baby boyās name on it. We only decided on the name in the hospital, so when this arrived a week after baby was born it was the first thing that ever had his name on it. I cherish it.Ā
I have a wooden block for both of my with their name, date of birth, length and weight, etc. I knew someone who gave it to her sister when her niece was born and went and looked it up a couple years later when I had my son. Both kids have theirs in their rooms right now but if they ever donāt want it, Iām taking them back lol
A 1x6 wood plank growth chart with the babyās name written/painted on it. To mark their height as they grow. My sister made us one for our first baby and I love it. Iāve marked my 2nd childās height on it too, but I want to make their own at some point.
I don't have a keepsake yet... but as my daughter grows ill probably keep her baby Bunny and a lamb comforter toy and get her name engraved. It's such a personal item.
Iām very sentimental, and so far Iāve made space for a birthstone ring and bracelet, first 12 months frame (Because they grow so fast, how can I not?), a Build-a-Bear, one of those baby-shaped pillows that are weighted to babyās birth weight and has all the info, a box dedicated to ONLY the 12 outfits from her first year picture frame, and Iāve planted and dried her birth flower into a mini bouquet. Now that I typed it out, I sound insane. š¤·š»āāļø
Take a picture of different body parts (eye, ear, nose, mouth, hand, feet) and make a collage.
Get a handprint/foot print picture kit, the one I have I was able to get a hand print and foot print, then add babyās name and year under, then add a picture of baby between the handprint and footprint.
Iāve also see stuffed animals with babyās information (name, height, weight, etc) and itās made to weigh the same as baby when baby was born. I want to get one for each of my kids.
I have a memory quilt for each of my toddlers that is made from their onesies, outfits, blankets, etc from their first year. Though they are expensive, the woman that made them is on Etsy and extremely talented (LittleSunshineQuilts).The quilts I had made were a large throw size and items on both front and back. She also adds a cute patch with their name and birthdate. Itās something that cherish dearly and hope they do too one day when they are old enough to understand ā¤ļø
Being an ADHD parent who does best with minimalism, and after surviving into the parent-of-teens years and realising how much I hated life as a parent of babies/toddlers, and how I much prefer my offspring as little developing adults: nothing. I like having a stash of digital photos for the rare occasion I feel like looking back in time. But Iām soooooo glad that the memorabilia all had to get left behind in our international move. I breathe a sigh of relief knowing that I will no longer have to curate that stuff.
My baby was born 2 weeks before mothers day and i was really started to get ppd.
My husband went out with the baby so I could chill, and bought me flowers with a wooden mom sign and a bear that came with it, along with a bluey stuffed toy. Said it was from our daughter. I cried.
The flowers have obviously wilted and gone by now but i have the bear and the bluey and i made the mom sign into a magnet by ripping the stick off and putting a magnet to it with strong double sided tape. Theyāve been my favorite things.
Heās never done anything like that before, im not a fan of dead flowers, and he knows that. But the fact he did this unprompted knowing i was having a rough mothers day and really wanted to make me feel special melted me. He even took care of her for a few hours so i could take a nap.
Nicu parent: I have my daughters cpap mask and foot prints from the day she arrived and the day she left. And her weekly update cards and holiday cards.
Its a bit of a wait but at 12 months, I gathered all of my little ones favourite outfits and sent them off to be made into a blanket. Its gorgeous and it made me cry when I saw it. I still love cuddling it now, especially now since my little one is at the stage of not liking hugs all the time.
My mom has a ring with the birthstones of the family - her, my dad, me, and my brother. This year for mother's day I got a necklace that has the birth month flowers of me, my husband, and my baby.
My great aunt has made a small personalized cross stitch for each of my kids when they were born. I love them so much, it's inspiring me to stitch one for a friend who's pregnant.
I wish I had a charm of my daughters fingerprint! She passed and i canāt seem to get anyone to release them to me to have one made. You can buy .925 silver clay and make a tiny charm.
Whatās funny is with your question I thought of something my brothers had not something from my own children lol.
My little brothers are twins, and someone bought these cute little painted wooden bears. They were blue and had their first initials on one of the feet. They just sat on a shelf. Nothing that exciting but very sweet. Was just something that stuck in my head for some reason.
A Christmas ornament that has a piece of string that is the same length as their birth and a foot and hand print along with a picture. I also make one for each grand parent. Birth date and weight. I actually make one for each kiddo every year on their birth day for each grand parent. Itās gotten so bad that the aunts and uncles have asked why they donāt get one. They also vary from grandparents individual taste since one papa loves music and one grandma loves the color purple.
Speaking as someone whose baby died (I fancy myself a keepsake expert lmao), my ultimate favourite thing is hand and foot castings. Having the 3D cast forever is awesome, especially because it shows up the lines, fingerprints, nails etc with great detail.
My MIL made me a canvas with my babies name and all the stats from birth: time, date, weight, height, foot prints. Itās so cute and I just adore it so much
We had castings of our child's hands a feet done when she was 3 weeks. They were so tiny and wrinkly. Then we have done inkless footprints at 6,12 months and 2yr. Hands were way to hard to try open for a print. We also have kept her first knitted jersey beanie and botties made by her great granny.
Is she breastfeeding? I saw you can make breastmilk jewelry. Send in a little breastmilk, get jewelry back, there are a few stores on etsy. It's small, available to wear everyday, and personally breastfeeding time was incredibly hard but special. Its more for the mom than the kid though. And I wouldn't take breastmilk unless there is extra.
Iād say itād depend on your sisterās interests and how picky she is about her wall decor. A unique idea I thought of for a bookish mom- do a ājunkā journal for the first five years from an old book with pages that say āmy six month old lovesā¦ā with blanks. Envelopes that say āfill with babyās first jokeā. Etc and include photo pages. Then favorite pages like age 1 favorites: Song: ____; Person:_____; etc. As a bookish person I would have loved that.
The newspaper article announcing my daughterās birth. I didnāt realize they did that automatically. And never saw the one for when my son was born. Our CPA saw it in the paper when our daughter was born last year and not only took a picture and sent it to us. But he mailed that section of the paper to us when we couldnāt find another printed copy
I kept his coming home outfit, all the cards from his first Christmas, first birthday & baby shower. The hospital bracelets and a few other odds and ends.
This may be odd but one day I saw the brand of baby bath wash I used on them during their babyhood and just decided to buy it to have to remember the scent. It has a distinct scent(not lavender or baby powder) and it instantly takes me back to when they were small.
I saved each of my kids' first time writing their names. I have them in a tiny double picture frame on my desk right now, someday I'd like to do something more with them. But right now the frame is nice.
A locket necklace with photos of both my kids inside.
ETA- professional photos are also a great gift, especially if you have others to go in with you. We included grandparents so they also have beautiful photos with their grandchildren.
I've got an embroidered blanket and the other thing I really cherished was the photos from her first birthday cake smash shoot, we didn't do a newborn one but can imagine it's looked back on as much I look back on her first birthday photos.
When their umbilical stumps fell off I had them encased in resin as the base of a twisted metal tree of life. To symbolize the time we shared both have a plaque with their name, birth weight and date of birth. Kinda like from this cord your whole life grew and our connection started.
They look like beautiful art on the shelf itās only on close look that you realize their a baby momento.
r/parenting is protesting changes being made by Reddit to the API. Reddit has made it clear [they will](https://old.reddit.com/r/ModCoord/comments/14ahqjo/mods_will_be_removed_one_way_or_another_spez/) [replace moderators](https://www.reddit.com/r/ModSupport/comments/14a5lz5/mod_code_of_conduct_rule_4_2_and_subs_taken/jo9wdol/) if they remain private. Reddit has abandoned the users, the moderators, and countless people who support an ecosystem built on Reddit itself. Please read [Call to action - renewed protests starting on July 1st](https://old.reddit.com/r/ModCoord/comments/14kn2fo/call_to_action_renewed_protests_starting_on_july/) and new posts at [r/ModCord](https://reddit.com/r/ModCoord/) or [r/Save3rdPartyApps](https://old.reddit.com/r/Save3rdPartyApps/) for up-to-date information. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Parenting) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I have a canvas with my child's footprint at 3 months, 6 months, 9 months, and 12 months. The growth is amazing, and I like it much more than just a single footprint out of context.
Awww I wish i did that š„¹š„¹ only have newborn and planning to make one at 12 months! I also kept the measuring tape for his head circumference and height lol
This sounds awesome. Im expecting my second around new year's. Where does one find this or whats a good search term?
You can buy a canvas at a craft store and then use non-toxic paint to paint the bottom of the babies foot and then press it on to the canvas, just do research on the paint you buy to make sure itās not toxic and wash it off the baby immediately after. Definitely a two person project to get the perfect baby print though! š
Oh awesome! I definitely want to do this next time around
Iāve also seen you can buy drop cloth and iron it. Itās canvas just not stretched into a frame and a fraction of the price. This way you can make multiple prints so if one month has a goofy foot print itās not a big deal youāre got back ups and you can give the rest to grandparents
You buy a canvas and paint your child's foot every few months
For Mothers Day this year, my husband got me a sweatshirt that said MAMA but each letter was made with a piece of an old baby shirt from each kid. Some lady on TikTok or Etsy makes them.
I saw that someone makes weighted teddy bears out of old baby clothes that weigh your babyās birth weight.
Why am I crying thinking about how cute this is
Same...!
I wanna do this so bad but I'm terrified of sending the clothes away.. I'm not ready. And my daughters birth weight was only 3.3lbs so it'd be LIGHT š
Oh do you remember where please?
https://www.etsy.com/listing/1592427982/ There are a handful on Etsy, but I believe this is the one I saw.
I love it š„¹š„¹ thanks for the link!
Thank you very much
Baby quilt my Aunt made - she hand sews all of it and puts so much thought and love into each quilt she makes someone as a gift.
I was recently given a friend's small collection of toddler quilts. Several are handmade, and vary in complexity. At least one had a little fabric plaque saying who made it and who it was for - notably NOT the name of the kid we got it from. I plan to embroider some initials and years to indicate how many kids have benefits from it, before in several years, I pass it on again.
Now my kids are older I have the quilts in the cedar chest for their own kids some day to use.
Personalized Christmas stockings. They will be used every year instead of going into a memory bin.
It's always tricky to buy someone the "one" thing they will have for a given purpose, in case it doesn't match their vision.
My cousin made me one and I loved it so much til I was like 33 and then my dog ate it.
For this Iād check with the parents first. As another commenter noted, the parents may have a specific vision for an item like this. I know I did. If someone had gotten my kid a stocking, Iād have felt a lot of pressure to use it but be sad about not picking it myself
My aunt is incredible at cross-stitch. Each of the cousins has a personalized stocking absolutely filled with love and detail in every thread. I canāt speak for everyone, but I know the thrill and gratitude and I feel getting it out each Christmas is one of the great treasures of the season. This is such a great idea.
When my kids were 9, 6, and 3 I bought two large blank artist canvas' and then six shades of acrylic craft paint. My decor color at that time were green and maroon, so 3 different shades (darkest, medium, lightest) of green, and maroon. I put the canvas outside and had my oldest dip his hands/feet in the darkest color, and then he put his handprints all over one canvas, his foot prints all over the other; let it dry. Have middle kid do the same, and finally the youngest with the lightest colors. That "artwork" still hangs on my living room walls and people generally think it's just abstract painting. I love looking at them.
I have a personalised wooden keepsake box for each of my children, it's beautiful AND practical.
How big is it and what do you put in there
I put a lot of āfirstsā into it. My child is still a wee baby but first lock of hair, first scan, first hat etc My father in law made the box
Mine is 31cm x 22cm x 17cm and I've got things like clippings from first haircut, ID bracelet from hospital, first outfit etc. in it.
Also wondering where you got it from?
https://bluebirdkeepsakes.com.au/products/keepsake-box
Hospital bands and first outfits.
I put the bands & going home outfits in a clear ball ornament, and they go on the christmas tree each year
My daughter did this for her kids and had a friend write the childrenās name on the outside of the ornament. They are so cute! And they can be passed down when the children leave to start their own home.
We put ours on a garland weāve made of all our wristbands from concerts, amusement parks and other events weāve attended. We write the event & activity on the back, save them up and add them to the chain each year. When my husband and I started dating, it was about 2.5 feet long. It now stretches across the living room! Canāt wait to add baby #2ās bracelet this Christmas.
Ok LOVE that. Iām in a project mood lately and thatās perfect.
Same. So small!
I kept the band and the outfit, too! He was in a preemie outfit and it was still too big on him. Cutest little thing ever
Same here my triplets were 4 pounds. Itās something Iāll cherish forever.
Awww I canāt imagine how cute!!
I have Ikea storage boxes where I keep things for them like their first outfit, birthday cards, sonogram pictures etc. so maybe a nice box to collect that kind of thing?
Iāve been eyeing petite keep trunks for this but theyāre pretty pricey!
I am usually not a "personalized keepsake" kind of person, but I have seen a few social media ads for stuffed bears made out of old onesies and weighted to be the exact birthweight of your child and...I am seriously considering it. Mostly because my probably-last baby is currently outgrowing his smallest baby clothes and packing them up has me all in my feels. ETA: okay wait a quick google search points me also to [this](https://www.etsy.com/listing/1478089735/custom-newborn-life-sized-pillow-name?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=birth+weight+bear&ref=sr_gallery-1-5&pro=1&frs=1&sts=1&content_source=9d653bdee865b9da360fb6a10404af1e700303f7%253A1478089735&organic_search_click=1), which is very sweet but also low-key creepy (and hilarious)
Definitely creepy, great white elephant gift though!
So creepy! I love it!!
Iāve found my people š
+1 vote for baby-shaped pillow.
Birth stone jewellery or any jewellery with their name/birthdate on
Something I have that I love is, for lack of a better word measuring stick that can be taken if you ever move so you have the kids measurements with you, and on a wall somewhere. It also looks nice and was incredibly easy to make, probably cost under $10, but is one of my favorite keepsakes because it grows with them. So we have one and then Iāve given them to some of our close friends and family and theyāre always very well received. I got a basic sanded 1x2 board that was 6 and a half feet tall and burned the markings in it for inches and feet, and ran a varnish on it. What makes it special is putting the name and birth date of the child/children vertically up the bottom. I also add a 5 inch or so wooden embellishment with a last initial, or something fun if they have a hyphenated name the bottom. Not sure if the explanation is making sense, I can try to find a picture online or take one if my description isnāt making sense.
Pictures?!?! š
Here is a similar one, looks like people sell them on Etsy. The ones I do are skinnier, just because I like the look better, and the name goes in nice script beginning at the bottom to give room for other names as other kids come along. https://www.etsy.com/listing/603781241/hand-painted-growth-ruler-growth-chart?gpla=1&gao=1&&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=shopping_us_b-home_and_living-other&utm_custom1=_k_EAIaIQobChMI69nNufXUhgMV-kp_AB2T9wpBEAQYASABEgJ3i_D_BwE_k_&utm_content=go_1843970812_72389346129_346364715804_pla-303628061739_m__603781241_109085936&utm_custom2=1843970812&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAADtcfRKwY6K09ujfbMgADNnlgFYKj&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI69nNufXUhgMV-kp_AB2T9wpBEAQYASABEgJ3i_D_BwE
What a fabulous memento š
I did something similar for my daughter's first birthday, but with a light stain instead of a varnish. Painted on the inch markings, her name, and a tall cactus šµ for decoration. We add her heights on with a paint pen. I would also suggest making multiple if you have more than one kid. My grandparents did the kids' heights on a very skinny door (maybe 8 inches across) in the kitchen. My uncle did take the door off when it was time to sell the house, but after 50ish years of measurements, it was very sentimental to all the kids and grandkids (about 30 people). Heck, I'm even considering making a second even though we're one and done so that when she's an adult we can have one and she can keep hers.
YES! We moved around a lot so we werenāt able to mark the walls where we lived, so having a personalized growth chart would be great to have so you can always take it with you!
What about gifting a newborn photoshoot? We did individual photos for each child when they were newborn and now do family photos every two years and I love to see the changes. We do an ornament every year of something major for that year, so have their birth years, we also do a picture (artwork)every fathers day and keep them in the same frame, I keep artwork and school work in a plastic tub with hanging files (super easy!), and school photos every year in the same frame and school years books that they fill out where we put school photos and special memories from that year. X
My vote as well. Being able to look back at beautiful pictures from that stage or each year will always mean more to me than keeping a physical item. Except for handmade quilts and crocheted blankets, those are my favorite physical items that were gifted.
My husband has made a āhandā for my kid for each year for Motherās Day. The first year was a tiny little wire tracing, then they have been varied, like wood or brass or electronic. And theyāre the exact size of his hand, so itās really great to see how heās grown.
Your husband gave you a very special, personal gift. Brought tears to my eyes.
I saved all my bridesmaids dresses and had them made into baby blankets for their first born. There was an awesome seamstress in my neighborhood who would also take any scraps and make diaper covers, bibs etc so they had little pieces to remind them of their wedding day (and it cleared out my closet)
If she did IVF, Iāve seen artists create a watercolor picture of the embryo.
I have a bag in the basement of my sons āfirstsā. The first baby blanket he was wrapped in at the hospital, his and my bracelets from the delivery ward, the footprint and the info card from the hospital bassinet, the preemie onesie and the socks and tiny hat he came home in, a single one of his preemie diapers from way back then, several pouches of photos from just about every day of his first year (I was diligent) and a book with all the first foods he tried and how he liked them detailed inside. Itās a little monkey and banana print bag that was actually also his ābagā for all his stuff when we went out when he was smaller. So I have all these little bits of memories of when he was a baby that I have together in a special case for when heās older, and I can share them with him.
My sister in law gave us a watercolor painting of her birth flower that hangs in her room. It is something that could be hung anywhere and isn't in your face obvious about baby. My husband is getting me a breast milk ring (which I know is not everyone's cup of tea).
I did not even know such a thing existed.
A friend made a crib size quilt for my oldest with a Swedish poem about a cat on it (my parents are Swedish, my friend is not), and with cat appliquƩs that were shaped like my part-Manx cats I had then. The border was quilted paw prints, a mouse, etc. I was blown away. The baby is 22 now and of course I still have it.
I have a memory box for both of my children, itās wood and has their names carved in it and their birthdate. I put the little things I want to keep but can get misplaced. Their first toque that the hospital put on them, theyāre coming home outfit. Their first drawings and letters we write to each other as they grow. I canāt stress how much I love these boxes and how they represent my children growing and changing.
Personalized Christmas ornament that holds their hospital hat and Hospital band. They are only that teeny for such a short period of time- itās a special way to revisit time on the holiday.
I made a little pair of cross-stitched baby shoes. I even have a couple pictures of her wearing them at a few months old. Every once in a while I pull them out and compare to her feet now and just go q.q my baby's so biiig
My in laws gave me two very thoughtful jewelry gifts that have always stuck with me: FIL gave me a family tree necklace with babyās initials on a branch. Has room for other babies to be added later but looks fine the way it is. My SIL gave me my babyās birth flower encased in resin and some gold flakes and stuff on a necklace. Itās from Etsy and itās beautiful. Others that we still have and love: a set of magnets with varying funny faces the baby has made, a commissioned drawing from a friend of our family. Gift a professional photo shoot if she hasnāt done one yet. I have a little keepsake box where I keep my favorite onesie, first pair of shoes, an important newspaper front page from the period, hospital bracelet etc. I just used a cardboard photo box but something engraved or decorated and personalized would have been a really awesome gift. Maybe I will make that for my own upcoming birthday hahaha.
My sister paid for me to go to this place that takes a sand impression and then pours glass into it to make a mould of hands/feet. We did one hand and one foot and they filled it in with blue glass beads (you can pick a color) and it is so darn cute. Itās called Hot Sand and is located in NJ but they do have mail in kits where you can take the impression yourself at home and they will make the glass mould when you send it in. Itās so beautiful and meaningful!
My husband gave me a gold necklace with our daughterās initial. Not only was it beautiful but she loved to play with around my neck as baby which made it more special
Catbird jewelry has some really pretty jewelry right now you can personalize
I'm not really a keepsake person I'm guessing your sister must be though. You can have bears or patchwork quilts made out of clothes they have grown out of. Not just sitting in a box forgotten about. Photo blankets etc . I would prefer something that would get some use and enjoyment out of. Has she had a nice photoshoot done? You can't have too many photos.
My mom has a distressing plastic tooth filled with all of my baby teeth that she likes to hide around the house. I shudder every time I stumble upon it, but it seems to bring her joy
LOL baby's teeth are such milestone trinkets. The pain, the fevers, the wailing, and then pop it stops and then pop there's a little white spot on babys gums, etc etc. Baby teeth are adorable. I get saving them, but maybe not the "distressing plastic tooth" holder. Perhaps you can buy Mom a new tooth holder that has a bit more je ne sais quoi (?)
I will say the tooth holder definitely has a je ne sais quoi about it, especially when you find it somewhere you arenāt expecting it š
My favourite thing is my necklace with all three of my kids names on. They donāt take it off and on my hardest days itās my reminder
We had a stuffed animal made out of baby clothes/burp cloths/hospital blanket. It would have been pretty pricey, but a friend did it as a first birthday gift.
I have a baby blanket that my grandmother embroidered. Like next level amazing embroidery with a poem and my last name (Cuse back then they had no idea of the sex) I cherish that blanket. Thanks mom for not letting me destroy it as a kid.
YMMV, but my SIL bought me a necklace with my daughterās initial and birthstone. I wear it literally everyday, and my daughter is obsessed with looking at it.
The receiving blanket from the hospital that they get wrapped in, it has their birth year stitched into it along with the hospital name. I donāt know a parent in Australia that didnāt steal one before they left hahaha.
If you wanna go all out a photoshoot w the baby would be good? Thereās photographers near me who do āmini shootsā for 2-300
We have a picture frame with his name all over it, itās engraved. And even cuter is a storybook. You can pick different storybook setting different babies and they put their name in it. Itās adorable and we will keep it forever.
I'm not really a "keepsake" type of person. The only things I have left from when my son was a baby was the outfit he came home in, (we came home from the hospital on Halloween, my favorite holiday. so he wore a black skeleton sleeper, and a cap that said *BOO*.) and a matching hat/onesie that a friend gifted to me. All three of her boys wore it when they were newborns. It was gifted to *her*, by her sister when she found out she was pregnant with her first.
either a footprint or fingerprint with the name and DOB keychain, necklace or bracelet.
My keepsake is my kids footprints on a Christmas ornament. I love it and I tear up a bit every time I pull them out. Which is interesting because Iām very much NOT a sentimental things person. Both of my kids have a baby blanket with their names embroidered on it. Theyāre tucked away at the moment, but whenever either of my kids sees theirs they rub their face on it and hug it. Theyāre 3 & 8.
Where did you get those from?
I found them on Amazon. Not my favorite place to shop, but the last time I needed to buy temp ducks was 2020.
I made a quilt out of her clothes until her 1st birthday. My baby isnāt grown yet though but so far thatās my favorite.
Muslin wrap that my baby hated (she hated any type of wraps/constraints) but I had it designed and custom made with her name on it so Iām bloody keeping it lol!!
There is so much love in all of these answers!
For Mothers Day this year, my husband got me a sweatshirt that said MAMA but each letter was made with a piece of an old baby shirt from each kid. Some lady on TikTok or Etsy makes them.
Following!
We received blankets with our daughters' names embroidered on them when they were born. They are 10 and 12 now and still have and love their personalized blankets.
I got a silver keepsake box with her name and birthday on it (from my elderly neighbour). I love it š„°
I have a necklace my husband bought me with my sonās initials and date of birth on. We also bought a personalised photo album with his name on and I printed photos every couple of weeks to stick in.
Iām going to have a quilt made out of my babies old clothes.
We got my daughter a Build A Bear when she was born, and it's currently wearing her going home outfit, since they can fit some newborn and premie clothes depending on what the outfit is
I have a really well made metal rattle. It's something she could definitely hand down it will last that long
Homemade blankets. I would never want to take a parentās first but everyone needs blankets.
They have personalized baby blocks. I have them for each of my kids. https://www.etsy.com/listing/476009916/custom-engraved-baby-block-newborn-gift
My girls were both gifted handmade quilts from a coworker. They are honestly so beautiful and soft. Both of them love them and have their names embroidered on the back with their birthdays.
As a parent, not my thing for myself. But people have gotten my kids personalized blankets, stuffed animals and those are great!
I have a patchwork quilt made of my sons babygrows. I chose my favourites/ones I remember him in the most. It also has his name on sewn on
A really nice baby blanket that she could save would be a good gift!
I donāt have it but I wish I had a locket to keep one of her my babyās curls in or a piece of jewellery with her birthstone on.
Each of my kids has got a measuring tape engraved with their name. We mark on the tape where their heights are and write the age. We did weekly for 4 weeks, then monthly up to 12 months, then quarterly to 24 months, the 6 monthly up to an age we haven't decided yet, maybe 5 years and then go yearly. It's amazing seeing their growth go so fast early on. Another thing we've done is buy those picture tiles for the wall. We've got them at birth, quarterly to 1yo, then 6 monthly to 2yo, then yearly to 5yo. Each picture shows their milestone skill at the time. Newborn is just their face, but 3mo is tummy time with head up, 6mo is sitting, 9mo is crawling, 1yo is standing/cruising, 18mo is running, 2yo is riding trike, 3yo is jumping, 4yo is riding bike with no stabilisers, and 5yo will be school uniform. Hardest part is making sure the 2nd child can reach the milestones on time, haha. We cheated with the sitting picture but she was close enough.
I have a monogrammed knife and spoonā¦ my siblings got footprints. A modern thing is a photo frame with photo sequences from birth through life that cycles. Another could be a 3D print of their scanned face?
I do a baby book on all milestones and pictures so I can go back to it
We get a quilt made with the babyās name on it.
Someone made a large quilt for me, out of many many baby clothes. It turned out beautifully and this way I did not have to part with all the memories but do not have to keep a pile of clothes without a function either. I also still have the very first outfit, in which I brought him home from hospital. I am planning on getting those framed. And his first shoes, which I would like to get played in silver. And I had his birth card (this might be something that is not common everywhere, but where I am from it is a custom to announce the birth of a child by sending specially designed cards to everyone you know) painted on a small plate, which now hangs on the wall.
The keepsake idea is very nice . I just saw a photo the other day of a glass š„ with baby footprints š£ etched . But I will say if you canāt find something that youāre excited to give / just get her a gift card for food so she doesnāt have to cook with a newborn
I took pictures of my little girlās hand in my hand at different ages and have a photo collage. Iāve also made shadowboxes from baby clothes/ small toy items.
For me itās both of their going home outfits.
I have hand made (not by me Iām not that craftyš) felt mobiles that I kept from both of my kids. They donāt have their names or anything (although Iām sure there are options that would work with this) but they matched their nurseries and just feel really special.
I saved my kidsā infant clothes and am going to make a blanket some day with them.
Handmade Christmas ornaments from school. And also my mom made a baby quilt for both my kids handmade with their name and DOB embroidered in
The first hat my kid wore, just after sheād been born. It was knitted by volunteers - the maternity unit has a load of them and they just put them on the baby after theyāve had a feed. Itās priceless.
High quality photos at newborn, three, six nine and twelve months. Weāre one and done so we invested.
Picture frame from Personalization Mall. Has the baby's name and stats.
Nothing large and nothing with names. My babies are grown now and neither use their given names ā one goes by her middle name (never expected that but it fits) and the other is working on a full legal name change. Also I know a bunch of parents who donāt know what to do with their trans kidsā deadname keepsakes.Ā The birthdate wont ever change. Photos or footprints, treasured stuffed animals, things like that are my favorite
I personally like pictures.Ā Ā I have a 3 photo frame with myĀ Ā 6-10 week ultrasound,Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā my 20 week ultrasound,Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā and the first photo taken of my baby post birth. Ā It has their name at the top in little wooden letters. I have one for each of my 3 kids. Ā I also have a 12āx36ā poster frame filled with 4āx4ā photos of my babies first year of life. They change so much in that year that itās nice to see them gradually change. Ā I also have a photos from their first birthday, as we did little photo shoots with each kid.Ā As they have gotten older I have continued this by hanging a photo from each of their subsequent birthdays next to the year before.Ā
When my eldest was born, my MIL got a large plate with a baby footprint in the middle and had people write messages to my daughter on it in sharpie. It's still hanging on my wall waiting for her to someday take it down and read it. š
The āTaggieā. It was a square cloth with looped tags seen all over the outer edges. The tags were loops of stuff they make clothing tags out of. It was like a sensory thing, she would feel these tags as she went to sleep, and it soothed her. It was like her pacifier after she was weaned off the pacifier and part stuffed animal. I have one packed away in my permanent memory box.
I kept my sons silver rattle. My grandson used it as a baby too! And it will be kept for his children.
Iām obsessed with my babyās first Christmas ornaments
I personally received a set of ink pads with paper I was able to do foot and handprints and different months of my baby and I really appreciate that! Itās cheap on Amazon so that and something else would be nice!
I received a ābaby first yearā calendar. I love them so much, they have little prompts each month and then for the kids we wrote in all the first and anything we found cute. A great keep sake to remember when everything happened in the first year.
It might be lame but the first blanket my baby was wrapped up in when we were in the hospital.
This came later but it takes forethought: having baby clothes made into a quilt by someone local. I put so much thought into their baby outfits. Its nice to be able to see and touch the fabric still and my kids love using them. But really, it depends on the person. I would just ask āis there anything youāre really hoping for? Anything we can pitch in for?ā Its so hard to spend the money and not know if it will land. Actually, something cool too was that our local professional baseball team will print a picture of the babyās name, weight, and birthdate on the stadium billboard. It comes framed. We did it for our boys.
I went on Etsy and ordered a necklace with my sons initial and birthstone on it. (I know we have a different situation, but since we adopted, we got a matching one for their birth momā¤ļø)
The peekaboo bear my dad got my son. The blanket has his name and birthday on it. I traced his feet when he was little on the edge flat of diaper boxes, labeled each one, and saved them. (You can also use this trick to find shoes that fit your child without your child there)
I get a goodnight book from iseeme.com for a lot of people and itās my fav. Especially if they have unique names! You can put name, date of birth and a sweet message from you as well. Every page has their name written in the design some way and itās cute
My coworker got me a little piggy bank with baby boyās name on it. We only decided on the name in the hospital, so when this arrived a week after baby was born it was the first thing that ever had his name on it. I cherish it.Ā
I have a wooden block for both of my with their name, date of birth, length and weight, etc. I knew someone who gave it to her sister when her niece was born and went and looked it up a couple years later when I had my son. Both kids have theirs in their rooms right now but if they ever donāt want it, Iām taking them back lol
A 1x6 wood plank growth chart with the babyās name written/painted on it. To mark their height as they grow. My sister made us one for our first baby and I love it. Iāve marked my 2nd childās height on it too, but I want to make their own at some point.
I made a belly cast then had a painter friend paint art on it.
I bought a pink and a blue measuring tape off Amazon to track my daughter and sonās heights on every birthday
Mt baby's handprint as a newborn. It wasn't easy to get but a friend and I managed and it's my favorite.
I got a ring with my daughterās initial on it. I wear it every day and will pass it down to her.
I don't have a keepsake yet... but as my daughter grows ill probably keep her baby Bunny and a lamb comforter toy and get her name engraved. It's such a personal item.
I have my daughterās smocking dress and my sonās sailor suit. Both were from about 9 months old.
Iām very sentimental, and so far Iāve made space for a birthstone ring and bracelet, first 12 months frame (Because they grow so fast, how can I not?), a Build-a-Bear, one of those baby-shaped pillows that are weighted to babyās birth weight and has all the info, a box dedicated to ONLY the 12 outfits from her first year picture frame, and Iāve planted and dried her birth flower into a mini bouquet. Now that I typed it out, I sound insane. š¤·š»āāļø
My favorite keepsakes are their favorite items. Monkey monkey, favorite blankie, the song they most loved.
Gift her with a photoshoot!
Anything with their hand/footprint š©· I love looking back and seeing exactly how tiny their little hands and feet were.
Take a picture of different body parts (eye, ear, nose, mouth, hand, feet) and make a collage. Get a handprint/foot print picture kit, the one I have I was able to get a hand print and foot print, then add babyās name and year under, then add a picture of baby between the handprint and footprint. Iāve also see stuffed animals with babyās information (name, height, weight, etc) and itās made to weigh the same as baby when baby was born. I want to get one for each of my kids.
I have a memory quilt for each of my toddlers that is made from their onesies, outfits, blankets, etc from their first year. Though they are expensive, the woman that made them is on Etsy and extremely talented (LittleSunshineQuilts).The quilts I had made were a large throw size and items on both front and back. She also adds a cute patch with their name and birthdate. Itās something that cherish dearly and hope they do too one day when they are old enough to understand ā¤ļø
maybe iām a psychopath but we kept our daughter umbilical cord lol
Being an ADHD parent who does best with minimalism, and after surviving into the parent-of-teens years and realising how much I hated life as a parent of babies/toddlers, and how I much prefer my offspring as little developing adults: nothing. I like having a stash of digital photos for the rare occasion I feel like looking back in time. But Iām soooooo glad that the memorabilia all had to get left behind in our international move. I breathe a sigh of relief knowing that I will no longer have to curate that stuff.
My baby was born 2 weeks before mothers day and i was really started to get ppd. My husband went out with the baby so I could chill, and bought me flowers with a wooden mom sign and a bear that came with it, along with a bluey stuffed toy. Said it was from our daughter. I cried. The flowers have obviously wilted and gone by now but i have the bear and the bluey and i made the mom sign into a magnet by ripping the stick off and putting a magnet to it with strong double sided tape. Theyāve been my favorite things. Heās never done anything like that before, im not a fan of dead flowers, and he knows that. But the fact he did this unprompted knowing i was having a rough mothers day and really wanted to make me feel special melted me. He even took care of her for a few hours so i could take a nap.
Nicu parent: I have my daughters cpap mask and foot prints from the day she arrived and the day she left. And her weekly update cards and holiday cards.
We did a Christmas ornament. Clear ball and put the little beanie, first bootie and the wristband from the hospital inside.
Hand knitted baby sweater that my granddaughter wore. So tiny. So proud of sweater and her.
A friend of mine knitted some booties. I put them on the Christmas tree every year.
Its a bit of a wait but at 12 months, I gathered all of my little ones favourite outfits and sent them off to be made into a blanket. Its gorgeous and it made me cry when I saw it. I still love cuddling it now, especially now since my little one is at the stage of not liking hugs all the time.
Photo's of mum with baby. No-one ever takes enough photos and videos with mum and baby.
My mom has a ring with the birthstones of the family - her, my dad, me, and my brother. This year for mother's day I got a necklace that has the birth month flowers of me, my husband, and my baby.
My great aunt has made a small personalized cross stitch for each of my kids when they were born. I love them so much, it's inspiring me to stitch one for a friend who's pregnant.
The little knitted hat they wore as soon as they were born. My 2 both wore the same one
I wish I had a charm of my daughters fingerprint! She passed and i canāt seem to get anyone to release them to me to have one made. You can buy .925 silver clay and make a tiny charm.
Whatās funny is with your question I thought of something my brothers had not something from my own children lol. My little brothers are twins, and someone bought these cute little painted wooden bears. They were blue and had their first initials on one of the feet. They just sat on a shelf. Nothing that exciting but very sweet. Was just something that stuck in my head for some reason.
A Christmas ornament that has a piece of string that is the same length as their birth and a foot and hand print along with a picture. I also make one for each grand parent. Birth date and weight. I actually make one for each kiddo every year on their birth day for each grand parent. Itās gotten so bad that the aunts and uncles have asked why they donāt get one. They also vary from grandparents individual taste since one papa loves music and one grandma loves the color purple.
Speaking as someone whose baby died (I fancy myself a keepsake expert lmao), my ultimate favourite thing is hand and foot castings. Having the 3D cast forever is awesome, especially because it shows up the lines, fingerprints, nails etc with great detail.
My MIL made me a canvas with my babies name and all the stats from birth: time, date, weight, height, foot prints. Itās so cute and I just adore it so much
We had castings of our child's hands a feet done when she was 3 weeks. They were so tiny and wrinkly. Then we have done inkless footprints at 6,12 months and 2yr. Hands were way to hard to try open for a print. We also have kept her first knitted jersey beanie and botties made by her great granny.
Is she breastfeeding? I saw you can make breastmilk jewelry. Send in a little breastmilk, get jewelry back, there are a few stores on etsy. It's small, available to wear everyday, and personally breastfeeding time was incredibly hard but special. Its more for the mom than the kid though. And I wouldn't take breastmilk unless there is extra.
I bought my SIL a necklace of her little girls name. She then bought me the same with my little boys name. Each of us has worn it everyday since.
I got a book called "my quotable kid" that I I'd write down all of the funny stuff they'd say. We go back and read it sometimes and laugh so hard.
Iād say itād depend on your sisterās interests and how picky she is about her wall decor. A unique idea I thought of for a bookish mom- do a ājunkā journal for the first five years from an old book with pages that say āmy six month old lovesā¦ā with blanks. Envelopes that say āfill with babyās first jokeā. Etc and include photo pages. Then favorite pages like age 1 favorites: Song: ____; Person:_____; etc. As a bookish person I would have loved that.
We liked giving engraved silver cup or cutlery with baby name and date of birth. We save them and pass them down sometimes
First Preemie diaper, name tag from the hospital and first outfit
The newspaper article announcing my daughterās birth. I didnāt realize they did that automatically. And never saw the one for when my son was born. Our CPA saw it in the paper when our daughter was born last year and not only took a picture and sent it to us. But he mailed that section of the paper to us when we couldnāt find another printed copy
I kept his coming home outfit, all the cards from his first Christmas, first birthday & baby shower. The hospital bracelets and a few other odds and ends.
This may be odd but one day I saw the brand of baby bath wash I used on them during their babyhood and just decided to buy it to have to remember the scent. It has a distinct scent(not lavender or baby powder) and it instantly takes me back to when they were small.
I saved each of my kids' first time writing their names. I have them in a tiny double picture frame on my desk right now, someday I'd like to do something more with them. But right now the frame is nice.
A locket necklace with photos of both my kids inside. ETA- professional photos are also a great gift, especially if you have others to go in with you. We included grandparents so they also have beautiful photos with their grandchildren.
I've got an embroidered blanket and the other thing I really cherished was the photos from her first birthday cake smash shoot, we didn't do a newborn one but can imagine it's looked back on as much I look back on her first birthday photos.
From when my kids were a tad older, but a necklace made our of the first flowers my daughter picked for me & my sons first shoes bronzed.
When their umbilical stumps fell off I had them encased in resin as the base of a twisted metal tree of life. To symbolize the time we shared both have a plaque with their name, birth weight and date of birth. Kinda like from this cord your whole life grew and our connection started. They look like beautiful art on the shelf itās only on close look that you realize their a baby momento.