When I was a little girl, I used to love looking through my Raggedy Ann baby book. My mom had recorded every last detail of my infancy and early childhood in its pages. My favorite thing about the book was a small pouch inside where she had tucked away little keepsakes like our hospital bracelets.
Both of my kids have keepsake boxes where I’ve stored all kinds of little things. By the time Annabeth was 6 weeks old, hers was already almost full!
There are a few things that won’t fit in the boxes that I’m safeguarding for them. For instance, here’s a letter from President George W. Bush that welcomed Jackson to the world shortly after his birth.
(That’s no longer our address.)
And Annabeth just received this autographed book by former First Lady Laura Bush and her daughter Jenna.
I have a close friend who worked for President Bush during his administration, which is how both of these gifts came about. (I think these are really special keepsakes that my children will one day enjoy having, but I need to emphasize that I’m not trying to make a political statement by sharing these pictures.)
A couple of Christmases ago, Mom gave me a big box of my baby clothes that she had saved for me. I’ve had so much fun going through them!
I love this itty bitty t-shirt.
Annabeth wasn’t even a twinkle in our eyes when Mom gave me all these clothes. It never occurred to me that I would play dress up with my own daughter in these clothes one day. Mark it down – April 16, 2009 was the day!
Here’s my sweetie in a tiny pink dress that my grandmother bought me almost – gulp – 30 years ago. Isn’t she sweet?
What keepsakes are you saving for your children or future children? Or what keepsakes were saved for you?
*Bethie asked me to add a quick prayer request to my post. Tomorrow morning she is heading Portland, Oregon, for this weekend’s Living Proof Live event. Houston is supposed to have thunderstorms tomorrow, so will you please pray that her flight will be on time? Thanks, Siestas!
My BFF from college days had a burp cloth embroidered with the A&M logo and 'Peter' in maroon when my first was born. I loved it so much, I begged for one for my subsequent boys, so I could show off our Aggie pride when we were out in public. Those are tucked away, along with a whole lot of other precious items from their baby days.
my mom saved for me the outfit i wore home from the hospital that my dad (who is no longer with us) bought for me. my oldest daugher wore it the same outfit home from the hospital as well. i am saving it for her one day a long time down the road.
My favorite keepsake given to me is a letter that my dad wrote over 37 years ago to his grandma telling her that she was a wonderful grandma and telling her about his new baby girl (me). He is a bad speller and mispelled my name scratched it out and corrected it – that makes it all the more precious. I also have the postmarked envelope it was sent in. I cried when he gave it to me.
I am praying for safe flight for Beth!
Keepsakes:
-my huge Little Golden Book collection
-a few baby outfits
-flower girl dress made by my aunt
-a couple dolls, Barbies, and My Little Ponies, maimed as they may be
-still growing collection of old Ginn Basic Readers from the 1950’s and 1960’s. LOVE them.
Manda. I like it. And Annabeth is just so precious.
My mom saved tons of stuff and it always felt like a huge pile of tangible guilt. At least as long as I didn’t have a baby. then we adopted Ginny and all that stuff finally went from hanging over my head to blessing my sweet little girl.
there are two outfits I am particularly looking forward to: I’ve got an Easter dress from when I was 8 and a gorgeous hand made reproduction of a little house on the prairie outfit that I begged for as a child. My poor little girl is probably going to think I’m crazy when I want her to wear it. guess I’ll just have to indoctrinate her to love Laura Ingalls and everything will be fine. *grin*
Will absolutely pray for your mom’s safe travel.
Deirdre
What a PRECIOUS baby girl! I loved playing “dress up” with my little girl too. She used the “every day” clothes with her dolls, but the special ones are still in a box for her to have when she has her own babies. *she’s only 13…we are PRAYING her babies won’t arrive BEFORE she’s all grown up*. A really NEAT idea for baby clothes is to make a quilt with them. A friend of mine once made one and it was darling. She made the quilt in a typical pattern of LARGE blocks, about 8×10 in size. She took apart the clothes that she chose to use and sewed the front pieces on to each block. (I hope that makes sense! LOL) Anyway, it was a BEAUTIFUL keepsake and her daughter loved it. It was so nice of you to show us your little Angel all dressed up! Thank you so much! Hope the Oregon trip goes well!
Amanda she is so beautiful and such a good model! She is still happy and smiling after changes of outfits and her photo session!
I have saved special keepsakes for both of my (now adult) children. I don’t have any grandbabies to hold, but maybe one day 🙂
Praying for Bethie and all of you guys!
Teri
I did not save many of my children’s clothes but my oldest son’s christening gown did turn up. He and my precious daughter in law buried our little newborn baby girl in it last year. I know that sounds sad but it is a treasured memory for this granmother.
What a little sweetie!
My mom saved some of my baby dresses and my daughter was dedicated in one of them. That was so special to me.
I have saved so many of my two children’s clothes, I think it is because it helps me remember how they looked when they were small.
Enjoy these times to the fullest Amanda! They fly by so quickly!
Melissa
Asheville, NC
That picture of your daughter with that cute adorable smile—precious!!!!!
Praying for Beth!!!!!
Enjoy this special time with your baby girl and little guy. Time will fly. Fifteen years ago today I had THE WORST BACKACHE ever; sadly, it lasted for days. 🙂 My daughter will be fifteen tomorrow and when I see precious Annabeth with her “vintage” baby dress it reminds me of how fleeting time is. . . To answer your question, I am saving anything handmade, monogrammed, engraved, books that were well-loved and worn from use, books from grandparents/family, letters/cards anyone sent for birthdays, etc and the wierdest thing I saved is probably the pregnancy test I took when I found out I was pregnant and all her teeth.
Amanda,
Annabeth has got to be one of the most beautiful little babies I’ve ever seen. Her eyes just glisten.
We love you guys,
Gina
How precious Amanda and how sweet to have keepsakes to share with Annabeth!!! :O)
My Granny smocked dresses for my oldest two girls when they were little. She had passed away by the time my son and last daughter came along. My baby (7) was named for my Granny so she enjoyed pulling the dresses out that her name sake made just for her. I now have them saved in a plastic box for my grands! My Granny also gave me a box full of my baby clothes…must say that saving things now as easy then so most were not in good condition, but great for baby dolls!
I love your dress up clothes and am sure each one holds a special memory to your mom. I never was much of a saver until a few of my loved ones passed away. There are times when all I have is the smell of my dad’s pipe, and I am able to hold a memory of him in my heart. A tip: write down what you want your children to know about the item that you save.
Whose was it? Why was it special? Otherwise, it becomes just another thing, and not something dear.
After reading these posts, I must add something else:
Each year my sweet husband spends days writing a letter to our children around the time of their birthday. He recaps what occured that year, any milestones and personal reflections he has. Our daughter is 15 tomorrow and when I got up this morning, he was already wrapping up her letter. Our son is 11 and will be 12 in June. He stores the letters at our bank in a safe deposit box. To me, those letters are more precious than CD’s and stocks. I don’t know when he’ll want to give them their letters, but it will be a joyous occasion. I’ve never read any of them – he does this by himself.
Also, each year at Christmas he gives our daughter a charm for her bracelet. We’re planning to present the bracelet with it’s charms to her as a graduation gift. I give our son an ornament for his first Christmas tree after he’s married or living on his own.
When my dad passed away 11 years ago my mother gave me his and her original wedding bands to give to my son and daughter. My daughter now 12 wears her grandmother’s wedding ring on her finger.
I also have clothes from when I was a baby that my baby girl Sarah wears. I have the pictures of me wearing each of the outfits so I will take a picture of her wearing the outfits. Maybe someday they will have lasted and we can get a picture of my future granddaughter in one or two of them. 😉 Poor girl, only seven weeks and four days old and I’m already wishing for granddaughters.
HI AMANDA THANKS FOR SHARING THE PIC OF ANNABETH SHE IS A DOLL
WE WILL DEFINTLEY BE IN PRAYER FOR SIESTA MAMA
LOVE YOU ALL CAROL ALBUQUERQUE NM
My mother kept several baby blankets for me. Also a very special teddy bear that my 14-year-old carried and it has now been passed down to my 5-year-old son.
We’ve kept a ton of things for our children. Blankets, sports uniforms, drawings and crafts. I still put my 14-year-olds homemade Christmas ornaments from preschool and elementary school on our Christmas tree. My mom kept some of mine and those go on the tree too. I’ve also started this tradition with my 5-year-old son.
One very important keepsake (in my opinion, hope he feels the same one day) is a book of letters I started writing for my son when he was an infant.
Shannon
Arkansas
She is beautiful, thanks for sharing.
I don’t have keepsakes or anyone to pass them to. I have my grandmother’s engagement ring. The only pics I have of my past are of my grandmother and my dog.
I’ll be 40 this summer and I’m alone. I have friends, but when events are over they all go home to their families. I don’t know how to get past the pain of being disconnected.
Definitely praying for safe, on time flights and God’s provision over every detail of the LPL event.
That is so precious! That little pink dress must be a Feltman Bros. dress. It looks just like the one my Mom saved from my baby-hood. So sweet! I have 3 boys. My M.I.L. saved an outfit from when my husband had his picture made at 6 mos. old. I had all 3 of my boys photographed in the same outfit when each of them were 6 mos. old. That framed collage is a priceless treasure to her and to me!
I hope you get the double blessing of having Annabeth’s picture made in that sweet pink dress and sharing it with your Mom.
Blessings to your sweet growing family!
Amanda,
I know the word “precious” is starting to sound redundant, but that is just what your blogs are!
My mom saved my baby outfits, too. My daughters wore my dresses, which in turn I have saved for their daughters some day….I also saved a precious (there’s that word again) letter that my dear great uncle wrote to my son when he was born.
Precious. Precious. Precious.
What a great word.
My mom saved a beautiful cream colored long sleeved shrug that I my grandma brought me from Spain where they were stationed when I was born -my baby girl has enjoyed it all winter!
After 2 boys (I saved a couple of cute shirts/sweaters and a ball cap) I am finding that I want to save everything of hers! Dresses,shoes,bows – the only thing I’m ok parting with is jammies!
What a little Cutie Patootie! I have that same plastic container full of my daughter’s baby clothes. Ready for the day she and her husband have a baby girl. Well loved clothes to pass on to a well loved granddaughter.
I love the autographed book! When all of my children were born we received a welcome card from the White House (you can request online) and we framed it along with their baby picture. What a great keepsake!
My mom tried to get rid of my cheerleading uniforms from high school…. I quickly told her that wasn’t happening 🙂
I think it will be fun for a daughter to see one day! And to see how skinny I was in high school! haha!!!
I have gotten so many ideas from blogs about people writing things down about their kids and even writing them letters. This is something I really want to do. So they know and I don’t forget.
Hopefully when I have kids, I’ll be better about printing pictures off and not just letting them sit on my computer.
Great pics……
My Mom saved baptism dress. I’m not sure what else she has, she still has most of it.
I will certainly pray for our Mama Siesta’s flights and the weekend.
Blessings,
Bible Bunny In NO MI
My mom left me a couple of dresses and some shoes that were mine. I was blessed with three, count them, three daughters to play dress up with in them!!! I was so tempted to do the same when we had our son!! (He's the youngest and has already had to endure finger-nail painting, hair-bows and lipgloss! And he's only 18 months old!)
I had little onsies made for my 2nd & 3rd daughters with a picture of their older siblings that said "I love my big sister(s)" I have kept those. I also had a baby blanket my mother quilted for me. When I was expecting my first child we re-did the backing and edging and embroidered my birth-year and my daughter's birth-year to the front of the blanket. It is put up for her with my (hand-sewn by my mother) wedding dress.
How blessed I am! Thank you Lord, for keepsakes and heritage!
Thanks for sharing, Amanda! It pulls at this moma's heart strings.
Love that dress!! I have one that each of my 4 children wore home from the hopital! Love that!! I will be praying for the flight, and a spirit moving weekend to boot!!
These are darlin and what an honor to share with your children. Bless your Mom for doing this for you ….!
And of coarse I will absolutely pray for our siesta Mama while she is flying or Oregan. May the Lord keep her safe on this day of travel.
Love to you all!
Lichelle
I’m saving both my daughter’s christening gowns for them if they have daughters. I also have a few dresses that I hung on too to pass along because
a. They are breath-takingly cute
b. Grammy paid waaaaayyyyy too much for them at a high-end boutique 😉
My oldest (now almost 18…sniff) carried a little stuffed elephant with her everywhere she went from the time she could walk until she was about 7. I put it away in my Lane cedar chest so she can have it back one day…maybe…I don’t know if I can give it up 😉 My youngest has a blanket she’s carried since she could walk and she still sleeps with it. If she ever gives it up, it will go in the cedar chest too.
My mom (Grammy) saved my favorite bear for me. But my favorite keepsake is a quilt my granmother made for me. She was an amazing seamstress and made most of my clothes when I was little. She took scraps of some of her favorite outfits, and made little cut-out dolls dressed in the fabric of my clothes and then stitched them onto a huge pink quilt. It’s one of my favorite family treasures!
My mother is a whiz at sewing and took a class on how to make a french sewn christening gown. the end result was absolutely breathtaking. All four of my girls and my sisters two children have been dedicated to the Lord in that gown and prayed over. After each was dedicated, I embroidered their initials in silk thread into the skirt of the dress. It s very special and we hope to put our grandchildren’s initials in the skirt as well.
Heidi in georgia
We are so excited up here in the North West to have a Living Proof event. Prayers are being lifted for all parts of this event!!!!!
You can count on me praying! I already have been. I’m going to be in Portland with 5 of my fellow mommy group pals eager for a word from the Lord and we are SO excited.
And Annabeth looks darling. Maybe soon God will give us a girl–tho’ we wouldn’t trade our 2 precious boys for anything.
Angie W.
My mother had both my sisters and my hospital coming home dress (much like yours) and baby ring framed with the ring attached at the collar. Inside the frame under the dress are our names and birthdate. They hang over the fireplace in her bedroom.
Hey Amanda,
One of my favorite things that
my Mom saved for me was my first
swim suit. haha Solid red on the
bottom with strips on top.
I have saved alot for my son.
The things that are bitter sweet
to me are all his baseball cleats
and shirts. They are so small.
It seems so long ago he was that
size. Now he plays college ball.
Hold on to all that you can. They
grow up so fast.
Precious. That’s what they are.
Tammy
Just getting ready for our 3 hour drive to Portland to see Beth can’t wait for what God has in store for us all !
Prayers are with Beth and all the ladies that will be there : )
Look at her smiling! She knows she’s wearing “Vintage Mommy”. 🙂
I the girls first church dresses, their baby rings and other jewlery that they were given. A precious family friend made them both beautiful blankets that I hope to wrap my grandbabies in one day. THey both received Bibles at birth so those are in the keepsakes.
Praying for everyone to have safe travel and that God will do a mighty work this weekend!
Hugs,
stephanie
I’ll be praying for Beth! I’m attending the conference with my mom and can’t wait to hear what Beth has for us. Always fantastic!
And those baby clothes are a treasure. What a sweet family you have!
Libby’s Mama
I saved some special clothes for my girls to one day give to their girls.
My favorite — pink and white Ra Ra’s (or saddle oxfords)!
Thanks for sharing and I’m praying for Beth’s safe travels today.
I’m praying for Beth today – as I have been for the last several months – as she travels here to Portland! I can’t wait to be with her tonight and tomorrow! I pray she and the team are filled up with the Spirit and energized in a way only He can accomplish, so that yet another trip to yet another city is as much a blessing to them as it will be to us.
Amanda, I love that you’re saving these precious things for your kids! I’ve so enjoyed your heart-felt and honest posts. YOU are a blessing to me!
Becky B
Sheesh! That post is so sweet! Love the letter and the book, what a very cool keepsake to have. And the baby girl clothes. Just precious!
One thing that comes to mind that I’m saving for my son is from the Postal Commemorative Society. We started it years ago when the state quarters first came out. I was pregnant at the time and so we got my son’s name engraved on the albums and for a nominal fee (haha!) we get a brand new state quarter from both mints, a large color card about the state and how it became a state and some old first-print stamps (to add value, i guess). Anyway, my son is 8 years old now and we only have one more state quarter left to get and the new ones (the DC govt buildings) will also be part of the collection and it’ll be his. I also have all sorts of little personal family items and pics he drew in pre-k, little books he wrote, etc that I’m saving.
Thanks for the neat post!
My latest and most special Keepsake has been (several years worth of) hand-written letters from my Grandma that I've neatly tucked away in an old perfume box. She past away a year ago and when I feel like I wish I could phone her…..I pick a letter from the box and read it.
Smiles & Blessings,
Cindy
My great-grandmother was a published historian/geneaologist who traced our family history back to our coming from England. She handwrote many stories about the families’ settling in South Carolina and later Georgia which I now have in a binder. I hope my kids treasure those as much as I do!
Have a picture made of AnnaBeth wearing your dress and (on a side table or in a chair) put a framed picture of you wearing the same dress…
I did this with one of me as a baby (the picture is propped on a wicker chair) and my daughter is standing beside the chair, barefooted…she will get it one day. It’s my favorite!
Oh, that’s great. I thought I was weird. I have friends who say it’s ridiculous that we save clothes cause our kids aren’t going to want them. I loved the clothes my parents gave me that I wore when I was little. My youngest is still wearing some of my old clothes! And the styles have come back. She was wearing a pair of my strawberry shortcake shorts just the other day. I think it’s so neat seeing my kids wear clothes that I wore growing up. My oldest daughter got a really nice winter coat of mine this year. She loved it and it’s very cozy. I got cold very easily, so I had VERY warm coats.
The Journey Continues ~
Priceless items!!! The most PRICELESS ARE YOUR PRECIOUS CHILDREN JACKSON &ANNABETH!!
I have 4 letters from President Bush and Laura. They are such genuine people!!! One of my ultimate favorites is from Reverend Billy Graham and his precious wife.
My family keepsakes & heritage is an acting/music/art background! My husband, sons and I went to Europe for their spring break and I met with my cousin Tony in England and found out even more about my background ~ I was blessed with more keepsakes from him, photos of my grandmother that I had never seen before and royalty mugs etc..
you can check my family out on the websites under
Wilfred Lucas & John DeCuir
My mother visited with me this past week and we looked through photo albums and found so many things that will be added into my keepsake boxes for my two sons.
Thanks for sharing!!! I love the updates, photos and heartfelt stories!!!
YOU ARE AN AMAZING AND GORGEOUS YOUNG WOMAN AMANDA!!!!
With "Heaven bound" blessings,
Kim Safina
http://www.kimsafinathejourneycontinues.blogspot.com
I could just eat your baby girl up with a spoon!!!
My mother saved many of my old clothes, and I’ve enjoyed watching all three of my little girls wear them, especially the ones my mom and aunt hand-smocked and embroidered. I’ve saved a number of things for my babies, but the ones I love to look at the most are are their old fancy pants/diaper covers with their names and initials. The girls will have no real use for them, but just to remember how cute those tiny tushes looked in them is priceless. Someday when they are mothers they will hopefully understand how the strangest things bring back the sweetest memories.
Hi Siestas,
Please pray for Robin. She and her husband have 4 boys. Robin and her youngest (10 years old) were in a car accident Wednesday… the sun was in her eyes and she overcorrected on the shoulder of the road and crashed into a tree. The first person on the scene said they found Robin lying with her arm over in front of her son, like she’d had it out to protect him. Zachery was gone. Robin was rescusitated at the scene and is now on life support in ICU. She has signaled with a hand squeeze to her family, and a slight thumbs up when they told her they need her to stay with them. So that’s encouraging. She doesn’t know yet that her baby is gone. Please pray for this family. They love Jesus so much!