Monthly Baby Photos

Taking monthly photos of your infant is a great way to document her growth throughout her first year.  It may seem like just one more thing to do, and sometimes it is a pain, but it is so worth it in the end.

I knew I wanted to take monthly photos, but I didn't have any ideas.  I just sat Little H down on the couch with a handwritten sign in front of her, and my Baby Monkey next to her for size reference.  This kind of photo is completely acceptable, and it was very quick and easy.  I wanted something more, though..something more eye-catching.  I saw lots of chalkboard ideas on Pinterest and decided that was the look I wanted.  For the chalkboard, I used an old piece of birch left over from when John made our bed.  Birch is pretty smooth, so it was perfect.  If you don't have anything lying around, I would suggest checking out the scrap wood at Lowe's or Home Depot.  It's back where they cut the wood for customers.  There are always pieces leftover from cuts.  They will sell the cut wood for a discounted price.  Also, check out ReStore if you have one in your area. I bet an old, smooth door would work great for this project, too.

I simply sprayed black chalkboard paint on the board.  It took about 3 layers of paint, and 1-2 days to completely dry.  The instructions on the can say to cover the whole board with chalk, then erase it to prep it.  I've noticed that is is kind of difficult to erase the chalk, but it's no big deal.  This is the end result:

There are many different ways to capture these fleeting moments.  You can get over the top creative, or go a simpler route.  You can purchase or make onesies with the month's number on them, and just snap the photo anywhere.  Here are some from Etsy. I like this idea of putting the baby in a laundry basket for each photo.  I also saw an idea where you put the baby in the same outfit every month.  The outfit obviously gets smaller and smaller to the point where it's barely even on the baby.  No matter what you decide to do, here are some tips:

1.  Make sure it's something easy enough to do every month.  If it's a pain, you won't get to it.
2.  Do it in the same spot every time, using something as a size reference.
3.  Have something in the photo that indicates which month it is.
4.  As always, use natural lighting if at all possible.  The flash on most cameras are not very flattering, even of cute little babies.

So what do you do with all these photos?   I plan on doing some sort of collage and hanging it up for her first birthday party.  After the party, there's a perfect spot in her room to hang it.  You can also make a photo book, or simply put the photos in an album.

Have fun!