George and I ordered a pregnancy journal the day we found out we were expecting. It was important to both of us to document our pregnancy journey to share with our baby-to-be some day. We ordered one on Amazon from the backseat of our friend’s car, en route to the Asheville Half Marathon and it was on our doorstep when we arrived home 2 days later.
Like most new things, we jumped in with gusto, writing all about our emotions and my physical changes. As the pregnancy continued on and fatigue set in, we wrote less frequently and blank spaces began to accumulate. I had the best of intentions to go back and fill them in when I felt better, but of course more and more things vied for our time as we prepared for the arrival of our little one. I’ve come to accept that the blank spaces will forever remain as I can’t recall the details of each week and each doctor’s appointment accurately now.
Every time the thought of a baby book entered my mind to record Ellie’s milestones and special memories, I felt a pang of stress and guilt, imagining another book with blank spaces. I sat with these thoughts and feelings for a while and even did some shopping for baby books after Ellie arrived, but I couldn’t bring myself to commit to a certain one, no matter how highly it was rated online.
As we moved into 2019 and I thought about things such as fresh planners and journals for the new year, I realized a blank journal was the answer I was looking for. Over the years, I’ve loved the Gallery Leather planners which happen to be made in my home state of Maine. Settling on this decision removed expectations on how often and what George and I write to Ellie, which ironically has inspired me and excited me to want to write more. I love that we were able to personalize the journal with Ellie’s initials.
George also had a brilliant idea to open an email account for Ellie which allows us to share electronic pictures and messages with her through the years. This could stand alone as a virtual, minimalist baby book. It also has the bonus of reserving an email address for Ellie…fingers crossed google email still exists and is relevant for years to come.