Packing Up Emma's Keepsakes

As we've been making the transition from Emma's nursery to her Big Girl room, I've been packing up things she's outgrown, art projects from school and little keepsakes.  I go through this routine every couple of months or so and have been doing it since she was born.
 

I can remember going through her closet when she was just a couple of months old and putting away her newborn outfits that no longer fit.  It is always a fun little trip down memory lane.   I packed up very special things in plastic bags like her hospital gown & receiving blanket.



I started with a little box I kept in her closet where I had stored cards and notes from my baby showers and added things like her hospital bracelets, first photos and little booties.   This is the book Mike gave me as our 1st anniversary gift, when I was 8 months pregnant.  We hadn't officially decided on a name, but my vote was Emma.  This was the confirmation of his supporting vote : )  It was the perfect gift - traditionally, paper is the 1st anniversary gift... I gave him an ipad- modern paper!
 

The collection kept outgrowing the box as I added favorite first outfits, blankies, lovies and more shoes, of course.



With this transition to the big girl room, I decided to officially pack up the box, labeled "Baby Emma" and start a new one, "Toddler Emma." 



I added some photos of her in those outfits that I'm replacing with new photos in her room, and included a photo book I made of her first year.

Over Christmas break this year I finally finished her Baby Book.  I made two copies, one titled "Emma Elizabeth Hobick 2011-2012" and one "The Hobick Family 2011-2012."  I put her copy in her Baby box and I'll keep the other copy for our own library... so I can look at it all of the time.  I had them made at Mpix, and really love the way they turned out.  The printing quality is great, and I love the hardcover, bound in a dark grey linen.  They cost about $50 each, but look like $200.  I plan to do one for our wedding (a little late?), and ever year from here on out... including last year, that I'm already behind on.

The process of selecting the photos, writing the captions and details was the best part of all - reliving every experience and trying to capture the spirit of the moment for her when she reads it in the future.    




The inside coverpage - my favorite from her first year.  She was 9 months old in a linen dress at the Boston Public Garden.



It starts at the very beginning - even before this page, I included pregnancy photos and sonograms.



Photos of our first Vermont adventure, of course.



And what she wore : )



Our first Mother's Day at the beach.



Packing up for the move back home, and photos of her new room.  I love documenting living spaces in the book - I find it so interesting to look back at photos of my old rooms.  There are such big memories in spaces.



Her first Halloween.





And her homemade costume.



  Her first Christmas.



And her Christmas PJs. 

Mike and I both wrote a letter to her on the last page, with special photos of us each.  A tradition I hope to continue in each edition of our books.

One of my goals for the next year is to organize, sort and pack all of our keepsakes from our years past.  Right now, I think everything is sort of stuffed in bins, unlabeled and unorganized.   What special ways do you keep your keepsakes?