The Fun Times We're Already Having Together

I have been toying with the idea of creating a baby book.  You know, the sort of thing where you write down every little milestone, and tape in weird things, like apparently the little clamp from the umbilical cord...the nurse asked me if I wanted to keep it.  No, I would not like to take home that piece of trash to tape it in a book and assign some sentimental value to it.  We did however keep the little wrist bands.  My mother did not keep a baby book for me, and I've been wondering if I would care anything about it if she had.  I've decided that I probably wouldn't,  It would just be one more item that I'd drag from one residence to the next, because it's not the sort of thing one throws away, and assume that someday someone would want to look at it because they would care what day I first rolled over, sat up, or stood on my own.  Justin's mom made one for him that she keeps, and I thought it was very interesting.  Although Justin seemed entirely disinterested.  So I find myself torn on the issue, my baby might not think much of it, but maybe her spouse or kids will?  I finally decided that instead of buying a baby book perhaps I could just make one of my own, with little things that I think are interesting, and if my kid doesn't, that's okay.  I'll keep it for my own entertainment, and someday have her spouse look through it.  I will pressure him into pretending that he loves it, regardless of whether or not he does.  So I decided to start by making a cover page with her foot and hand prints on it.

We started yesterday.  After multiple attempts I was finally able to produce two little footprints.  We were both covered in pink and purple paint and I'm pretty sure she hated me, which I thought wasn't supposed to happen for another 13 years or something.  I decided to continue on with the hand prints, since she was already so angry with me, I thought I had nothing to lose.  I was wrong, this kid has a set of lungs on her.  My hearing was in jeopardy.  She was simply not having it.  I guess this is where I look like a total rookie parent...trying to get an open hand print of my three-week old baby.  I have learned.  I have learned that this is a stupid idea that will scar my baby and leave her with the impression that her mother is a torturer.  Lucky for me, her memory kind of sucks, and although I stupidly made yet another attempt at hand prints again this morning, with similar results, she seems to have already forgotten the experience...I hope.  All I have to show for my efforts are two little pink smears.  I suppose that will have to do.  I look forward to the days when she is old enough that we can do these sorts of projects together without it leaving one of us in dismay at the complete failure to accomplish the envisioned goal, and the other thrashing about and leaving little pink finger prints all over herself, her diaper, the carpet, her blanket, her mom, and pretty much everything BUT the cover page.  Someday she will realize how much fun we are having together.