This post has been a year in the making! I started taking these pictures six months before I even had this blog… I first got the idea to take a picture every month on my daughter’s “month birthday” after I saw some photos that a friend shared on Facebook. She had taken a picture of her son in a chair next to a big stuffed monkey every month on the same day, and it was fun to see how he grew–or as her cousin commented, “Where did you get that shrinking monkey?!” :)
My daughter was already born when I saw those pictures my friend had taken, so I had to get going if I wanted to do the same thing! I just happened to have taken a picture of my daughter lying across a giant teddy bear in her bedroom shortly after she came home from the hospital, so I figured that would do for month one. So starting with month two, I took a picture of her every month on her “month birthday” in front of that same bear. I really wasn’t sure what I would do with the pictures, other than have them as a fun keepsake. But in the end, I did use them in some special ways–I will share what I did in the next two posts to follow! Be sure to check back if you’re interested.
I love this idea of taking pictures at the same intervals throughout a baby’s first year of life next to something that will show scale. There is never a point in our lives where we will grow that fast again, and it’s remarkable to see the difference month after month–and especially from the first month to the last! You could use a stuffed animal as I did here (see how I used a bunny for scale as well as my daughter’s Easter basket in this post), or you could use a small chair or a little cradle–anything that will somehow give you a sense of growth.
When I first started taking these pictures, I was just proud of myself when I remembered to snap them! But as time went on and I was less sleep-deprived, I started to have a little more fun with what she was wearing so that it was indicative of the season or holiday. My daughter’s older sisters started to look forward to her “mini photo shoot,” and they would help me set her up and get her to smile–so cute! :) If you try this, perhaps you could have your child in an outfit or a hat (or even use a chalkboard or a sign of some kind) to help know what time of year it is. Lots of options!
I’m excited to show you what I did with all these pictures… coming soon!
* You might also be interested in this post (one of my very first posts!) where I show how I took pictures of my four girls wearing the exact same thing at the same age–they were all about 8 weeks old. It’s so fun to try to tell them apart. Even though they don’t look that much alike now, I realize how similar they all seem as babies–especially under a hat!
Look at this big jump from month one to month twelve! The photo on the right was taken on my daughter’s first birthday. What a special year we all shared with her!
Here are the individual pictures so you can see the changes month by month up close…
I love looking at each picture and seeing what 30 quick days can mean for a baby. They change so much so fast. That first year is gone in the blink of an eye, so even though you are surely exhausted (and probably emotional) for at least part of that time, try to enjoy the little moments as much as you can!
In my next two posts, I will show you how I used these fun pictures…
What fun photo ideas can you share?
