If you’re anything like us, patience is easier said than done, so we’ll get straight to the freebie. After many requests, we created a downloadable DIY Baby Book available as a print-ready PDF or an editable Microsoft Word document. We first showed this baby book in our getting-ready-for-baby post a few weeks ago, and now you can download it and customize it at home.
The idea for the book actually came from John. He’s the sentimental one; I’m the nervous one who worried about everything. John suggested we buy a fabric-covered album and make a personalized baby book with patterned paper and custom prompts like “The First Week Was…” and “My First Word…”. I loved the idea of adding keepsakes like Clara’s inked footprints from the hospital and lots of photos, so we picked up an 8.5 x 8.5″ fabric-covered album and some 8 x 8″ patterned paper. The whole DIY baby book project cost around $15. After arranging decorative paper, leaving spaces for notes about milestones, and adding photos and memorabilia, we had a sweet way to document many of Clara’s firsts.
Because we made the book ourselves, we were able to include quirky pages like “Future Predictions,” where John and I guessed Clara’s hair and eye color, first word, favorite school subject, and even future profession—predictions made before she arrived. It should be fun for Clara to look back on our goofy (and probably wrong) guesses someday. The finished album also looks cute in the nursery, which is a nice bonus.
You can download the print-ready PDF or the editable Word document and then simply print, cut, and arrange the captions in an album along with photos and mementos. With a little pretty paper and a basic album, you have a personalized memory book ready to go.
Now, on to the five lifesavers mentioned in the title. Many readers asked what household items have been most useful since Clara arrived. While this isn’t strictly home improvement, it fits under “what makes your house run more smoothly,” so we dedicated this post to answering that question. Even within the first few weeks of parenting, we discovered five items that we absolutely love and likely couldn’t have lived without. Every baby is different, but these items made adjusting to life with Clara a lot easier for us.
1. Muslin swaddle blankets. We used lightweight, breathable muslin swaddles that are large enough to recreate that snug, womb-like feeling. The nurses at the hospital swaddled Clara perfectly and she seemed so content; we continued that at home. When swaddled snugly, she sleeps more soundly—sometimes so soundly we have to wake her to feed. Note: always swaddle securely and follow safe-sleep guidance; loose blankets can be hazardous.
2. A compact diaper clutch. Instead of purchasing an expensive diaper bag, we slipped a compact, well-designed diaper clutch into an affordable oversized purse. The clutch holds diapers, wipes, a change of clothes, and a fold-out changing mat, turning any tote into an instant diaper bag. The detachable changing mat is especially useful for protecting surfaces and cleaning up quick diaper-change accidents.
3. A tracking app for feedings and diapers. We downloaded a simple baby-tracking app the day we came home from the hospital and it became indispensable. It records feeding times and durations, which side to start nursing from, and wet/dirty diapers—information pediatricians often use to monitor newborn health. For a small cost, the app replaced a separate gadget and helped us compare daily patterns so we could feel confident in Clara’s routine.
4. Prepared meals or frozen dinners. After bringing a baby home, it’s amazing how many friends and family offer meals, and it makes a huge difference. If you can, prepare and freeze a few meals before delivery. Having easy-to-reheat dinners removes one more thing from your to-do list and ensures you don’t forget to eat while focusing on your newborn.
5. A movement-sensitive baby monitor. This is a personal choice and opinions vary, but for us a monitor that senses breathing-related movement provided priceless peace of mind. The monitor alerts you if movement stops for a short period and also doubles as a sound monitor, so you can sleep more soundly without constantly checking on the baby. It helped us place Clara in her crib from day one, which supported better sleep for everyone.
Those are the five items that have been essential for us during the first few weeks. None of the product makers paid or perked us for mentioning these items; they’re simply the things that genuinely helped us and that readers have asked about. We’re grateful to anyone who cares about our experiences and hope these suggestions help other new parents or parents-to-be.
We’re also creating a series of weekly photos to document Clara’s growth. Our plan is to lay her on a bright fabric or blanket and photograph her in a plain onesie, adding text to note the week. By her first birthday we’ll have about 52 weekly photos to compile into a photo book—an easy and colorful way to track how much she changes. We’ll add those weekly photos to our photo album so you can follow along if you like.
Now we’d love to hear from you: what are your top five can’t-live-without baby items? If you’re not a parent yet, tell us five household must-haves that make your life easier. What are you relying on these days?
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