# Baby Books



## Ina (Jun 30, 2014)

My husband is 71, four years ago his mother died, and his sister gave him a small sack with a few of his personal effects that were found in his old family home. They were school records, Marine Corp papers, and his baby book.
I noticed that it was kept up until he was about 4 years old.
 I never had one, nor did I think of it when my boys were born. My only excuse is that I was 14 and 16, and my brain was busy trying to make sure I did the correct things as best I could.
How many of you kept baby books for your children. And I know that some men participate in this tradition as well. So do tell.


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## SeaBreeze (Jun 30, 2014)

I don't have any kids, and my mother never kept a baby book for any of us, only photo albums.


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## BlunderWoman (Jun 30, 2014)

My goodness you were a baby raising babies Ina. I was so incredibly stupid at 14 and at 16 I would have pitied any child born to me at that age. There are some who might claim I haven't changed much, but I choose not to hear that  I had 5 children that were all so close in age and a very demanding husband , so I barely had time to go to the bathroom and take a bath , and I didn't write any books. I really regret not having done so.


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## JustBonee (Jul 1, 2014)

I had baby books for all three of my kids... still have them boxed up with old photo albums. In them are things like their baby ID brackets from the hospital, birth announcements, records of their growth charts and first words, etc.  and happy birthday cards they got yearly from relatives. 
Lots of pictures, and milestones of walking, talking, etc., medical records. .. everything that I could think to save.


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## Fern (Jul 1, 2014)

I have baby books for my 2 daughters, kept a cot blanket,  and a pair of mittens. I can't believe their hands were so small.


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## Aunt Marg (Jan 3, 2021)

Bonnie said:


> I had baby books for all three of my kids... still have them boxed up with old photo albums. In them are things like their baby ID brackets from the hospital, birth announcements, records of their growth charts and first words, etc.  and happy birthday cards they got yearly from relatives.
> Lots of pictures, and milestones of walking, talking, etc., medical records. .. everything that I could think to save.


My mom did the same with me and my baby siblings, and I did the same with my kids.

Tons of photos (birth to toddler, first day of school, yada, yada)... a little snippet of hair (first haircut), hospital bracelets, etc, etc.


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## Kathleen’s Place (Jan 3, 2021)

All of my boys have baby books. The oldest goes up to about two years old. The twins have their name, weight, length...and that is about it


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## grahamg (Jan 6, 2021)

Just photos and of course memories to look back on, that my daughter used to like to hear about, once upon a time.

Two stand out, my giving her a first bath, not sure at all what she thought of the experience, but soon moved on to having to put the baby bath in a bath tub, so much kicking her legs to splash everywhere did she do.

The book I read to her more often than any other was "Not now Songololo", about a South African boy going with his grandmother to town,, and her buying him new tackys, (trainers to you and I). She laughed at the same joke in it about a drinks can getting squashed by a truck every time, until she abruptly came to the conclusion she'd out grown the book, aged about six years old, so it lasted some while.


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## Aunt Marg (Jan 6, 2021)

grahamg said:


> Just photos and of course memories to look back on, that my daughter used to like to hear about, once upon a time.
> 
> Two stand out, my giving her a first bath, not sure at all what she thought of the experience, but soon moved on to having to put the baby bath in a bath tub, so much kicking her legs to splash everywhere did she do.
> 
> The book I read to her more often than any other was "Not now Songololo", about a South African boy going with his grandmother to town,, and her buying him new tackys, (trainers to you and I). She laughed at the same joke in it about a drinks can getting squashed by a truck every time, until she abruptly came to the conclusion she'd out grown the book, aged about six years old, so it lasted some while.


I had the rubber baby bathtub for my kids, too... started setting it into the tub as you did when my kids got active, then went to lining the bathtub with a towel and sitting my little ones down in the full-sized tub, which they loved.


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## C'est Moi (Jan 6, 2021)

Yes, I kept baby books for my two sons, up until their first day of school.   The "getting on the school bus" picture is as far as they go.


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## Ruth n Jersey (Jan 6, 2021)

I have baby books from my two and even have their outfits that I dressed them in when we brought them home. They are extra special because my dad, who has since passed away picked them out.  I managed to keep the books up on a regular basis until kindergarten and then added photos and a few words on special occasions. 
I have my Mothers book and my book that my mom filled out for me and my daughter has books for my grandkids. 
I love to compare the progress from each generation. 
Amazing how the styles have changed over the years. When I look at the gift list from my mom's book my grandmother was given diapers and pins and only some very necessary items.
My mom got a crib for me and cute dresses.
My daughter's list included a swing that when plugged in plays tunes. A talking teddy bear, the intercom so they could hear the baby at night and a host of other gizmos.
In my day bottles were sterilized, formula was measured out and heated on the stove. My daughter had inserts for the bottles and formula came premade. What a difference.


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## Aunt Marg (Jan 6, 2021)

Ruth n Jersey said:


> I have baby books from my two and even have their outfits that I dressed them in when we brought them home. They are extra special because my dad, who has since passed away picked them out.  I managed to keep the books up on a regular basis until kindergarten and then added photos and a few words on special occasions.
> I have my Mothers book and my book that my mom filled out for me and my daughter has books for my grandkids.
> I love to compare the progress from each generation.
> Amazing how the styles have changed over the years. When I look at the gift list from my mom's book my grandmother was given diapers and pins and only some very necessary items.
> ...


What a difference is right, Ruth!


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## Murrmurr (Jan 6, 2021)

I just kept photo albums, one for each kid. I gave them to them when they married (not as a wedding gift, tho).


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## PamfromTx (Jan 6, 2021)

I remember a faded blue colored baby book amongst my mother's belongings.  It was my baby brother's baby book.  Mom and Dad finally had their baby boy four years after I was born.


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## Wren (Jan 6, 2021)

My daughters much treasured baby  book has all the relevant details, a lock of her hair, and a photo taken every year on her birthday until age 25 !


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## Lewkat (Jan 7, 2021)

I still have my baby book and I don't know if my 3 sibs kept theirs or not.  My son has his as it takes him through his entire life.  I also have his Christening outfit, which was mine as well.  A great aunt made it for me.


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## Ronni (Jan 8, 2021)

I have nothing from my childhood.

I didn’t keep traditional baby books for my 5 kids. I just had a 3 ring binder, a section for each child, and noted milestones like time and date of birth,  birth weight and length, when they walked, potty trained etc, and then as they got older, funny words they used for things, endearing or humorous stories etc. 

The kids all refer to it as The Book, and have always enjoyed reading from the entries about themselves and their siblings!


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## Sassycakes (Jan 15, 2021)

Wren said:


> My daughters much treasured baby  book has all the relevant details, a lock of her hair, and a photo taken every year on her birthday until age 25 !


 Your daughter's book sounds a lot like the books I made for my 2 children when they were growing up. I was always putting in things. When they both got married I gave them their books.


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