TL;DR
- 122 full-color pages in six chapters, running from your family before the baby to the first day at school.
- 61 photo spaces with no fixed frames and no plastic sleeves, on 160 gsm acid-free paper that opens fully flat.
- Most prompts take about five minutes, every page is optional, and the whole thing arrives in a keepsake box.
What does the book feel like in your hands?
It is a linen hardcover, 9.25 by 8.5 inches, about 1.25 inches thick and 2.7 lb, which is heavier than most people expect. The gold foil on the front reads this is your STORY, with BABY'S FIRST FIVE YEARS below it. There is no name on it and no theme.
Inside are 122 full-color pages on thick 160 gsm acid-free paper, which keeps ink from showing through to the other side. A hidden gold coil binding lets the book open fully flat, so a spread stays open on a table and photographs without a curved gutter. Each of the six chapters opens with a soft watercolor animal: rabbits, a fox, a fawn.
It ships in a rigid drawer box with two sticker sheets of milestone stickers, and an archival keepsake pocket for the hospital bracelet and a lock of hair.
Can I have my child's name printed on the cover?
No. The book is not personalized and nothing is printed with a name. The gold foil on the linen cover reads this is your STORY, with BABY'S FIRST FIVE YEARS below it.
What is in chapter 1, Our Family (pages 5 to 12)?
The chapter you can fill before the baby exists, which makes it the natural place to start. There is a family tree on page 8 and a page about our family and friends on page 9. Page 11 is how it all started, your love story, and page 12 is meeting my parents.
Written during a pregnancy this reads as admin. Read at eighteen it is the part with the most in it, because it is the chapter about people rather than dates.
What is in chapter 2, Waiting for You (pages 13 to 26)?
The pregnancy chapter, fourteen pages of it. The baby bump photo page is page 15 and the big reveal is page 17, followed by the ultrasound on page 18 and pregnancy moments on page 19.
Then the practical run: my nursery on page 20, baby shower on page 21, special moments on page 22, choosing my name on page 23. Page 24 is your hopes and dreams for me, and page 25 holds the pregnancy photos.
Page 23 is the one people come back to. The reason behind a name rarely gets written down anywhere else, and it is the first thing a child asks about.
What is in chapter 3, Welcome to the World (pages 27 to 36)?
The birth and the first days home. Page 29, hello little one, takes the date of birth, birth time, weight and length. Page 30 is about my birth and page 31 is tell me about the day of my birth, which is the longer version in your own words.
Pages 32 and 33 are handprints and footprints. Page 34 is home sweet home, page 35 covers first days at home and first visitors, and page 36 is messages and memories from loved ones. Open page 36 while people are still coming by with food.
How do I do the handprints and footprints?
Pages 32 and 33 are made for them, and any inkless baby stamp pad works. Ink is not included with the book, so buy the pad separately.
What is in chapter 4, Tiny Moments, Big Adventures (pages 37 to 84)?
The longest chapter, and the one you live in for five years. It opens with first photos together on pages 39 and 40, then the first few weeks of parenthood on page 41.
Pages 42 to 63 give months one to eleven two pages each. Every month has a photo page with weight, length and size, and then things I love and things I am not so into, favorite moments, challenges we overcame, new skills, places we explored, and one of the many reasons you love me.
Pages 64 to 83 give each birthday from one to five its own four pages: birthday, my year in review, how we celebrated, year memories. Page 84 is a free photo page for whatever did not fit.
Do I have to fill the book in order?
No. Chapter 5 is written to be filled out of order as things happen, and every page in the book is optional. The monthly spreads and the firsts can move in parallel.
What is in chapter 5, Milestones (pages 85 to 112)?
The reference chapter, and the one that gets filled out of order. It starts with the growth chart on page 87, then the four earliest firsts: first time being held by my parents on page 88, first feeding on page 89, first night at home on page 90, first bath on page 91.
From there it spreads out. First holiday is page 92. Page 93 is my first interactions, with first smile, first laugh and first word. Page 94 is my physical firsts, with rolled over, sat up, crawled and walked, and page 95 repeats those in photos. Page 96 is first solid food, page 97 the first foods table, page 98 other firsts, and page 99 the teeth chart.
The rest is the calendar. Pages 100 to 103 are first winter, spring, summer and fall. Page 104 is my artwork. Pages 105 to 108 are first Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day. Page 109 is first kindergarten day and page 110 is my first day at school. Page 111 is a letter to my future self, which is the only page written to be read rather than filled.
What is in chapter 6, Our Unique Moments (pages 113 to 121)?
Nine free pages: lined pages and photo pages with a caption line. No prompts, no structure, no assumption about what belongs there.
This is where the parts no book can predict end up. The move, the grandparent who came to stay, the year everyone was sick, the friend the child invented. It is also the safest place to test a new pen before it touches the family tree.
Where do the 61 photos go?
Everywhere, in whatever size and shape you choose. The photo spaces have no fixed frames and no plastic sleeves, so nothing dictates your layout: 4x4 and 4x6 prints fit everywhere in the book and some spots take up to 6x6.
Attach them with tape, glue dots or any paper glue. Adhesive and ink are not included, so plan on buying both once. For the handprints and footprints, any inkless baby stamp pad works.
What comes in the box besides the book?
Two sticker sheets of milestone stickers, and an archival keepsake pocket for the hospital bracelet and a lock of hair. The box itself is a rigid drawer box, so it works as the gift wrapping and then as long-term storage.
How long does the whole book take to fill?
It is spread over five years rather than one sitting. Each prompt is short enough to answer in about five minutes, and every page is optional.
That is the whole map: six chapters, 122 pages, 61 photo spaces, pregnancy to age five. The CheriBOO Baby Memory Book is $32.95 on cheriboo.com, in Evergreen, Natural, Deep Sea Blue and Lavender, with free US shipping and 30-day returns. One book per child, so twins and siblings each get their own.
