What to Save From Baby’s First Year

Anyone who has had a newborn will tell you that the baby’s first year of life can be a busy time. Parents can make sure they don’t miss a memory by planning which little milestones they want to keep and how.

While any object connected to your baby’s first year of life can be a keepsake, here are our favorites, with tips on how to keep these one-of-a-kind trinkets both safe and accessible.

Note: Parents can protect and display these treasured items in a keepsake box, shadowbox
or scrapbook.

Hospital Band – Day 1
This once-in-a-lifetime note should include the baby’s full name, the date and time of birth and mother’s name. If you’re scrapbooking, the hospital band adds a nice element of texture to the page. Try arranging it longways or wrapping it around the corner of a photo.

Umbilical Cord Stump – Weeks 1-3
The most important part of preserving this keepsake is to make sure it’s completely dry. You can dry it in a dehydrator or in the oven on very low heat for a few hours. For flat display, use contact paper; otherwise, use a small glass vial and label it with the date it fell off.

First Haircut – Months 11-12
Save between 2 inches and 3 inches of hair from your baby’s first haircut. If you aren’t including the hair in a scrapbook, the best way to display and store it will be in a small glass vial. A glass vial fits in a keepsake or shadowbox but can also be worn on a necklace for when you’re missing your little one.

Lovey – Months 6+
Whether the lovey is a stuffed animal or blanket, it’s safe to assume your baby is going to love it till it breaks. For well-worn loveys, try keeping a scrap of fabric. For loveys that are more intact, wash them gently without harsh chemicals, dry them completely and store
them within a protective layer like a cotton sheet or acid-free tissue paper.

Tip: For parents planning ahead, try taking a photo of the lovey while it’s in mint condition—just in case.

Shoes – Months 6+
Just like the lovey, you’ll want to clean these, dry them and wrap them if you plan to store them in a keepsake box. The main concern with keeping them unwrapped in a shadowbox is sun exposure, so keep the shadowbox out of direct sunlight to preserve the colors better. Baby’s first shoes can be featured in a scrapbook by being secured to the cover or including a print of the shoes inside.