Over the past couple of days I've found out how difficult it is to find a baby book that doesn't blatantly refer to a mom and a dad as the birth parents. Now, I had a feeling there wouldn't be a huge selection of more alternative baby books out there, but there really is a dearth, which is depressing. The few that I found (which, to their credit, are cool in that you can order special custom page packs for two moms, two dads, adoptive parents, single parents, etc.) also happen to be severely lacking in the design department. And that I cannot abide. I want a modern, bright, clever baby book that just refers to "parents" and provides space to chronicle the milestones of Roo's life. I want clean fonts and gender neutral colors.
Since my quest for this elusive book has been fruitless, I've decided to make my own book. I'm a documenter by nature, and I figure my love for crafting, design, and scrap booking will help me in this endeavor. In a way, this will be much cooler and more personal than any store bought book could ever be. I'll be able to dictate every aspect of the book, from the album itself to the paper inside to the information that I choose to include. Instead of pages upon pages of prompts like "A Big Mac cost ____ when you were born" and "The U.S. Secretary of State was ______ when you were born," I can include the things that really matter to us. I can make sure there's room for all of the wonderful cards we've already gotten at our baby showers and for other mementoes that I'm sure to save.
I think this will be a perfect project for me while I'm off work in the couple of weeks around the due date, since I'm expecting Roo to be late anyway. It's crafty, creative, and will keep me off my feet.
yay! i love this idea, baby! i know you'll make something beautiful:)
ReplyDelete...i'm also thinking that any baby book would be severely lacking for queer parents if it didn't include a "how we got you" section (which is something most baby books would leave out, assuming it's SOP for straight couples. which isn't always accurate either.)
Have to weigh in on this post, because I also struggled to find an appropriate baby book. When our first child was born in 2005, I could only find traditional baby books or adoption journey books. I was so frustrated (and, irrationally, hurt). I finally found a decent book for NK, and immediately bought two more of the same when the twins were born in 2007. I wish I would have made my own; that's a great idea! (Yet, truth be told, I have never finished filling in the blanks on the three pre-made ones...). Maybe you could do a baby blog for us all to enjoy? ;)
ReplyDeleteKatie, I'm glad to hear that you did finally find a decent book! It does depress me that there is such a lack of alternative books out there. I've started making Roo's book, and I'm sure that it won't be complete either, once Roo is here and making demands on my time :)
ReplyDeleteI'm thinking a baby blog is a great idea to keep all of Roo's relatives informed as to his/her antics...