The Minimalist Baby Book.
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I want to remember it all. The warm newborn scent, the suede texture of their hair, the quick way they quieted down when I picked them up. Both of my boys came into this world making a statement, and even so, parts of my memory are fading. I desperately want to hold onto these memories, to cherish them, to pull them out of the recesses of my mind and dust them off and enjoy them as they treasures they truly are. Because as much as these moments are about my baby boys and their beautiful milestones, there are traces of my own hidden in the fabric of these moments.
Becoming a mother, making all sorts of mistakes, having all sorts of victories - they are all tied to my boys. We have been moving together as one unit, needing each other and learning, living and growing together for these first years of their lives, and in so many ways these have been the first years of my life, too. The first years being their mother. Of learning how to mother. Of learning how not to mother! They are part of my evolution as a person and I am part of theirs.
As much as I love sharing here on this blog, I sometimes wonder what this space will look like when I’m old and gray - if it will even exist! For now I don’t see it going away, but I love the idea of passing something tangible and permanent along to my children, something beautiful yet simple, that will carry the heartfelt truths of how very significant they are.
My friend Christina created something endlessly beautiful, poignant and long-lasting. The Minimalist Baby Book is a tribute to design well, well done, and houses memories made by parents and their children from birth through 5 years. The book is so simple, purposely void of loud color and flowery fonts - leaving room for the parents to record what they want to remember most about their babes. Things like, “funny quotes”, “reflections on the past year”, “how we celebrated baby’s 1st birthday” are given lots of room to breathe. And lots of paper space to reflect.
Anyone who knows Christina knows that this book is an extension of who she is - elegant, attentive and responsible. The book itself is produced without any shortcuts. Constructed of cotton linen, filled with 100% recycled paper, and produced here in the U.S., it epitomizes care for the environment without sacrificing the quality of product. And in regard to why she wanted to create this baby book, Christina told me she, “didn’t want to add ‘noise’ into the world, but instead something that adds value.”
She loves that her book allows mothers and fathers to take the time to handwrite their most precious memories. Those remembrances will be passed on to their children, who will be able to read for years to come about how loved they were from the very beginning. And in my case, how very little I knew about what I was doing in the beginning!
As we enter the holiday season of celebrating family (and let’s be honest, lots and lots of food!), we also enter a season that celebrates mass consumption. My hope is that this book serves as a pillar to another school of thought - one that doesn’t need “bigger” and “more”, but rather, one that is satisfied with quality and minimalism.
You can shop The Minimalist Baby Book here and follow Christina’s on Instagram here.
P.S. - Everett took this photo, and even though its blurry I wanted to include it, because I love how it represents the ethos of this post. I would much rather have the capacity to celebrate my son as learns and grows and develops his gifts rather than a crisp photo ;)
