Baby checklists
Birth and the first weeks
Baby Photo & Memory Keeping Checklist
20 items · 14 must-haves · From birth
A system for capturing, organizing, and preserving baby's first year before the moments slip away
Monthly Photos
- Buy milestone cards or a milestone blanketMonthly number cards or a blanket with months printed on it. Pick one style and stick with it for consistency across all 12 months.
- Use the same spot and time of day each monthSame chair, same blanket, same window light. The consistency is what makes the 12-month comparison photo hit. Natural light near a window works best.
- Include a size reference item in every photoOPTIONALSame stuffed animal, same pillow, or same parent's hands. It shows how much baby has grown in a way numbers can't capture.
- Take the photo on the actual monthly dateBorn on the 15th? Photo on the 15th of every month. Set a recurring calendar reminder or you'll be 3 days late by month 4.
- Shoot in natural light near a windowOPTIONALNo flash, no overhead lighting. Position baby facing a window for soft, even light. Morning light is usually the most flattering.
Daily Captures
- Photograph the mundane momentsTiny socks on the counter, the bottle warmer at 3am, sleeping on dad's chest. These boring moments become the most precious photos in 5 years.
- Set up automatic cloud backup for photosiCloud, Google Photos, or Amazon Photos - pick one and enable auto-upload. A dropped phone in month 8 shouldn't erase months 1-7.
- Create a shared album with your partnerShared Google Photos album or iCloud shared library. Both parents capture moments - combine them so neither misses the other's perspective.
Milestone Tracking
- Capture first smile on cameraUsually happens around 6-8 weeks. Keep your phone ready during alert, happy times. The first real smile (not gas) changes everything.
- Record first laugh on videoTypically around 3-4 months. Video, not photo - you want the sound. You'll replay this clip hundreds of times.
- Document first roll, first solid food, and first steps with dateWrite the date on your phone immediately or text it to yourself. Memory is unreliable - by month 9 you won't remember if the first roll was month 4 or 5.
Memory Book
- Choose a physical or digital baby bookPhysical books (Mushie, Promptly) feel special but require effort. Digital apps (Tinybeans, Qeepsake) are easier to maintain. Pick whichever you'll actually use.
- Save the hospital bracelet and hatThose tiny hospital ID bracelets and the first knit hat are irreplaceable keepsakes. Stick them in a ziplock bag immediately - they disappear into laundry piles fast.
- Keep baby's first outfit or going-home outfitOPTIONALWash it, fold it, and store it in an airtight bag. In 20 years you'll hold it and not believe a human that small existed.
- Press one flower from baby's birth monthOPTIONALBuy or pick a flower from the month baby was born. Press it in a heavy book for 2 weeks. A small, beautiful keepsake that costs almost nothing.
Organization
- Create monthly photo folders on your phone or computerMonth 1, Month 2, etc. Move photos weekly or you'll have 3,000 unsorted photos by the first birthday and zero motivation to organize them.
- Back up photos to two separate locationsCloud + external hard drive, or two different cloud services. One backup is zero backup. The 3-2-1 rule applies to baby photos too.
- Print your favorite photos quarterlyOPTIONALPick 10-15 favorites every 3 months and print them. Digital photos stay on phones - printed photos go on walls and into grandparents' hands.
Keepsakes
- Get a hand and footprint kitInk pad or clay impression kit. Do it in the first week when hands and feet are impossibly tiny. The clay kits from Amazon work fine - don't overpay.
- Save a lock from baby's first haircutOPTIONALPut it in a small envelope or locket. Label it with the date. First haircuts happen around 12-18 months for most babies.
Check it off together
Make a free account to tick items off as you go. Your partner sees the same list, ticks included.