The Day You Were Born Box

 
Children love to hear stories about their real birthdays: The night of the terrible ice storm! That look on Grandma's face! Now that your baby isn't a baby anymore, take a free evening and sort your memorabilia -- and memories -- into a collection of themed boxes: the birth story, the pregnancy, the news of the day, and so on. Our project is the ultimate in versatility. You can make it as big or as small as you like, depending on how many themes you want to include, then decorate with anything from simple stamps and photos to drawings and collages. And the oversize box easily accommodates mementos of almost any shape or size. We like to think of it as a sort of interactive baby album your child can help create. Sure, he may roll his eyes as you press that tiny baby bootie to your cheek -- but maybe one day he'll know exactly how you feel.

Getting Started   Begin by looking through your keepsakes and deciding which themes to include (let our topics inspire -- but not limit -- you), then select a box for each that's large enough to hold the contents. (Put oversize items in a "Notes and Documents" folder) You can use ones you have on hand or purchase them from a craft store. Once you've settled on the number and sizes of your containers, you'll need a larger box to house them all, such as a hat box or a large gift box, also available at craft stores. Our 14- by 14-inch papier mache box, above, is part of a five-box set ($20 at munrocrafts.com).

Decorating the Boxes   The lid of each box should signal what's inside. For our largest box, we used Mod Podge to attach a birth announcement and card-stock photocopies of photographs (to preserve the originals). We used Fabric Mod Podge to add ribbon trim. For the smaller, interior boxes, we labeled some with stamps and stickers and for others used Mod Podge to attach photos, a map, newspaper clippings, and more. Tip: Check the scrapbooking section of your craft store for baby-themed accessories.

THE BIRTH STORY

This multimedia collection is devoted to Mom and Dad's birth day memories. Inside, you might include:

Photographs of the newborn with his proud parents, the car you drove to the hospital (include a CD if you have lots of unprinted digital shots)

A tape or DVD of any video from that special day

A present-day recording or video of you and your spouse recalling the details of the birth: how long labor lasted, the time your child was born, any (now!) funny moments in the delivery room

The knit hat and other keepsakes from the hospital

A note about that day's weather; if memory fails, look it up at the Old Farmer's Almanac Web site, almanac.com/weatherhistory

THE PREGNANCY

Kids are fascinated by details of their life in your tummy, so give them a peek at what it was like when you were expecting. You might include:

Photos of you while pregnant

Ultrasound images

Fun facts and lists, such as the foods you craved and avoided, the first people you shared the news with, amusing notes about your pregnancy ("You were a real hiccuper!"), the estimated delivery date

Some special pages photocopied from your pregnancy journal

Baby shower mementos: a copy of the invitation, a list of who was there, the cards you received

SMALL THINGS

Your little person had very little things! Fit a few tiny boxes inside a larger one and fill them with the bitty bits and pieces of newborn life:

A baby sock

The identification bracelet or anklet from the hospital, along with your matching one, if you have it

A small square cut from the receiving blanket or a favorite (but now threadbare!) blankie

A first rattle or pacifier

WHAT'S IN A NAME

You didn't settle on your child's name lightly, so make sure he has the full story of how and why it made the cut. You could include:

A note about why you chose it

The name's meaning (if you need a reminder, look it up at babynamesworld.com)

A list of other contenders

A photograph and short biography of his namesake or a list of famous people in history who share his name (behindthename.com/namesakes)

A list of the most popular names that year (ssa.gov/OACT/babynames) 

THE NEWS OF THE DAY

Lots of interesting things were happening around the world that day. In this box you might include:

Clippings from newspapers -- many publishers sell back issues, or you can make copies at the library

A CD of popular songs of the day; look up what was hot at billboard.com (click on "Charts," then "Historical"), then download them at itunes.com

A list of what happened on that day in history and/ or a list of famous people who share your child's birthday; both are available at nytimes.com/learning/general/onthisday/archive

Other pop culture lists and facts: who won Academy Awards, best-selling books, the price of bread, and more

BIG BROTHERS AND SISTERS

They may have had mixed feelings about the actual event ("She looks like a prune!"), but surely time has softened the edges of their recall. Let a sibling decorate his or her own box and fill it with:

A first photograph of the two of them together

A poem or drawing about welcoming the special new arrival

A list of what she remembers from the day

Any "welcome home" cards or banners she made

THE GRANDPARENTS

If anyone's as dotty with love for your child as you are, it's his doting grandparents. Mail a box to each set, asking them to decorate it, fill it with their own memories and memorabilia, and send it back to you. You might suggest they include:

Photographs of them from around the time of your child's birth

Their written or recorded memories of the day, or of when they first met their grandchild

Mementos such as a swatch of leftover fabric from the quilt Grandma made; be sure to include a tag identifying what each item represents

Pressed flowers or leaves from a tree planted in your little one's honor

AUNTS, UNCLES, AND COUSINS

Send another batch of boxes to these baby-lovers for them to decorate and fill (an especially fun job for older cousins who remember the birth). They might include:

Photographs of each family member, especially ones of them with the baby

Their recollections of the day

A note about the gift they sent, or their wishes for your child as he grows

Other keepsakes, such as the booties an aunt knit (you can let her know you still have them to add to the box when it's returned)

HIS HOMETOWN

When he's older, your child will likely love a snapshot in time of his birthplace, especially if you've since moved away. Consider including:

A detailed map of the town or city, with the location of your home and the hospital circled and the route you drove to the hospital marked (try mapquest.com for regional maps, earth.google.com for satellite ones)

Brochures from the visitors' center or chamber of commerce

Photographs of your house or apartment, inside and out

NOTES AND DOCUMENTS

Cards and papers too large to fit in other boxes get their own folder that can nestle underneath all the rest. You might include copies of:

The birth certificate

Your birth announcement

Hospital records, including footprints, first medical reports, and bassinet signs

The "Best of Luck" sign from your baby shower

Magazines you saved from the week of the birth