A” keepsake” is an item that is kept to remind us of a certain time, a certain place, a certain person, or a certain event. Keepsakes come in a large range of shapes and forms. My husband keeps a pointed rock with which he pounded a barbed wire fence to cut a hole for himself, his horse, and a bunch of cattle to get home during a northern blizzard. This rock has been sitting on our hearth for at least 35 years. He also has a gun which belonged to his great-grandfather and another one from his grandfather. I have a school bell which my great-grandmother bought with her first paycheck . Since I was the first teacher in the family, my grandmother gave it to me. I kept “special gifts” that were given to my children and also the first pair of shoes that each had. A “special gift” for a baby can eventually become one of these keepsakes.
Parents are the ones who choose what will become a keepsake for their baby soon after he is born. These keepsakes are more important to the parent at the time than they are to the child.. Grandparents, relatives, and friends give the new baby gifts. Usually these gifts are something unique such as a personalized blanket, hooded towel, baby bib, or even a sterling silver cup or spoon with the baby’s name engraved on it. I remember a great aunt of mine sent a mother- of- pearl teething ring with a sterling silver heart to my baby daughter. I kept it and gave it to her when her first child was born. I did this with all of my children’s keepsakes when they became parents for the first time and I only hope that these will be passed down from generation to generation.
Keepsakes mean nothing to the child when he is small, They usually have to be put away so that they are not destroyed. When the child gets a little older, they seem to be thrilled with something that reminds them that they were once a baby. I noticed that as a school teacher, kids would bring in things from their babyhood days to show..Even the 8th graders at the school where I taught would bring their baby pictures at graduation time for a display. Some of the first ones to bring these in were kids who would never even remember to hand in their homework. So every child is proud to show that they were cute babies and loved and cared for as little ones.
The online store at
http://www.babyblanketbabe.com/ specializes in baby keepsakes. They offer monogrammed baby blankets, baby bibs, hooded baby towels, gift baskets, wooden chairs and stools, and a wide variety of infant clothing. Most of these items can be personalized to make the perfect baby keepsake for a little loved one.
