You may be wondering why, in our ABC’s of pregnancy, J is for Journal. It doesn’t really seem to go with the theme but trust me, its important!
I am NOT a big journaler. I’m actually horrible at writing down my thoughts and feeling about life events. This has been to my benefit (I don’t have to read anything embarrassing from 10th grade!) and also to my detriment. I have no memories written down. I don’t remember my first date or prom or many of those exciting life experiences. When we think about journaling, we often think about writing day to day about what happened, what we felt ect but i’ve never been good at that.
I recently was gifted a memories journal and i’ve come to greatly appreciate journaling. This “journal” (I can’t even say the word without cringing!) is a compilation of interesting, silly or heartfelt questions that I can write my responses to. I usually do one or two a week if I remember!
Another “journaling” option is a picture book. I started doing an annual year book with our families photos early in my marriage and motherhood journey. In todays world, so much of our life is shown in pictures and it can be difficult to get all of those photos in one place outside of your computer. I highly suggest that once a year you sit down (it may take a few hours so get ready) and create an easy fill book of pictures from the year. Not only will you love looking at them in the future but your children will enjoy peeking into their past as well. My kids could spend hours looking at themselves as baby and it only took a few hours of my time.
During pregnancy, there are also apps that you can use to start writing down or even texting little tidbits of info and experience. These make it easy to write down a note or a thought when you are on your phone. Many also have the option of making these into a bound book for your memories.
During my first pregnancy someone suggested setting up an email for your children and writing emails to your kids throughout their lives. As someone who types faster than they write and has terrible handwriting, this seemed like a great solution to me! I have emails for each of my children and try to email them at least a few times a year. I also gave the email to our extended family so they can join in the fun of writing email messages.
Typical journaling may not be for you but I hope this blog has inspired you to find what works for you. Choose one option and stick with it. We often think as we move through events in our lives that our minds will continue to stay sharp with memory. As much as I wish this were true, my good intentions have been slashed more times than one and my memory fades with each passing year (and each child). Write things down in some way, shape or form. You will not regret it.
