Sweet photos! And it's wonderful to record those precious moments and share with friends and family. 

But... when you're exhausted and suffering sleep deprivation, it's difficult to maintain the photos and notes about baby's early development. And it's even more difficult for subsequent children. 

So, check out these suggestions: 
Story of you is a free ipad app that makes it easy to upload your photos and add the details to create a unique story of your little one that can be shared and printed. The site includes a step by step demo, here, but really it seems very simple, just create, view, share and print. There are multiple design templates to choose from if desired and simple fill-it-in areas for noting special details or to journal milestones and special moments.

But if you'd rather a hands-on version but something can be created in less time than it takes to talk about it, check out My First Year Cards.

These cards are simple and easy to fill out and are a great way to record baby's first year. They come as a set of 5 for $20 from Strange Birdy Studios. The site states: 'We like to think of it as a uniquely fun “annual report.” No boring numbers or obscure data to decipher – just a great looking, interactive way to record the most important milestones of a baby’s first year.' 

A constant refrain for many families is, 'Life is too busy!' and, while we acknowledge its truth, we seem incapable of slowing down. But it's especially important to slow down sufficiently to take photos, regularly, of our kids and grandchildren. Someone once said that film of childhood can never be run through for a second showing, and if we miss those moments, those days, those seasons of our children's development, we can never reclaim them.

One way to set up a regular photo reminder to record a memory is to use the app TinyBeans. If you missed our earlier review of this app, you can read it here.

It's also helpful to have a suggested list of photo ideas or suggestions to help you create an unique and meaningful snap of your family. Rebecca Cooper has provided free downloadable lists to trigger your imagination and make these photographic moments fun! You can check out her list 'Embrace the Camera: 50 photos to take with your kids' below (just click on the illustration to enlarge) or see more of her lists on her site here.

Her books, 'Don't Say Cheese', and '40 Top Tips for Better Photos' provide you with ideas and tip to help you make the most of any photographic opportunity with your children. Your can find her books here.

We all have the best of intentions and carefully purchase an attractive baby book to record our new baby's photos, milestones and important mementos. But life, especially with a new little one, is jam-packed with time-consuming routines, unexpected delays and mounting fatigue. It's really difficult to find the time to journal these events, no matter how special.
TinyBeans makes it easy and simple to take a photo that is automatically uploaded to your child's photo journal. Your journal is private by default, but you can invite your family and friends to view your expanding record of the growth and development of your children. Reminders can be configured  and both parents can upload photos to the same journal. 
Start your precious keepsake now!