Accidental Family Log

Let go of mom guilt with Heather’s tip about baby documentation:

"Capturing every 'first' was easy to do with our firstborn. I was given a beautiful baby book as a shower gift and religiously kept it up to date until Emma was about two years old. I had every intention of doing the same for our triplets. I was determined to treat them all equally; what I did for one I wanted to do for the rest. I even purchased 3 separate baby books.
Well, two years later that trio of baby books is still wrapped in the original cellophane. Like so many other things in my life that I have modified with the arrival of Will, Adie, and Theo, so has my method of documenting their first years. But once I let go of my mom guilt over their baby books, I realized that we were building something wonderful; and that more important than the look was the collective way the memories were being captured. Here is how our accidental family log evolved:

Out of necessity, we started a log the day the triplets came home from the hospital to track the basics: feedings, diapers, naps, etc. (The log has taken various forms as each has filled up: 3-ring binder, spiral notebook, simple bound journal.) I often added little side notes to the log; little memories I thought I would include when I sat down to construct their baby books.

When it finally dawned on me that I was never going to get started on those books, the daily log evolved into a journal of sorts. We still loosely document their basics (I rely heavily on the log to look back to see when colds or rashes started, etc.), but now add comments about their daily activities, doctor's appointments, any firsts, and all of those funny 'out of the mouths of babes' comments. My 5-year-old daughter Emma even makes notes in it; it's really become a family journal/log.

Somehow, allowing it to be casual - letting go of the need to make it look perfect and be a project to put together - was a turning point. The log may not be as formal and pretty as our collection of still-sealed baby books, but those concerns are long gone. Especially whenever we flip back through the pages and laugh and marvel over how far we've all come."

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