Sunday, April 19, 2009

On Baby Books and Birth Certificates

My oldest son got an opportunity to apply for a summer job last week. This is an exciting development on many different levels. For one, he would be making his own spending money. Since joining the youth group, there are all kinds of social events and activities happening and every one of them costs money.

Since our money trees still haven't taken root and blossomed yet, it would be very beneficial for him to have his own budget for attending events or going out to eat with his friends. (Since he is going to read this eventually, I will give him props for effectively managing the little that flows through his hands now.)

Anywho...In order to get a job, you need to prove you were born. It's not enough to stand in front of them, employers are a picky lot, they want PROOF of your birth and AGE. And in a timely fashion. They operate on deadlines. Unfortunately, they don't accept stretch marks either. It's really too bad, because I easily have that covered.

So, although I had a list miles long of all the things I needed to do on Friday, I set it all aside to search for his Birth Certificate. I had to search you see because I don't have a home for important papers. I know right where to put the mail when it comes in everyday...but those papers you might need in an emergency are downright illusive.

While I couldn't find his Birth Certificate, or the ones for his siblings, I did find newpapers from the days they were born and other notable events through their lives. I found a slew of baby pictures of him...less of the others (my poor third son asked where were the pictures of him?).

Worse than the lack of baby pictures though was the baby books. I am a visionary person. A big starter and a poor finisher. The proof is in the baby books. I expected to come across an unfinished one while I went through boxes of 'stuff' from the kids baby years. I came across four. You'd think this was a good thing since I have four kids...at least I started on for each new baby. You'd be sadly mistaken. They were all for my first born. PLUS a pregnancy journal (only a couple entries...) and a wall calendar with notable days written in. The calendar has the most consistent entries. Maybe if I had concentrated on just one...

I wonder if Michelle Duggar has this problem??

Which got me to thinking about a money maker for me. A baby book/memento moms like me would actually finish. It's probably already been done...

And even with all that, my poor boy still has no certifiable proof he was born. I guess I'll be ordering them AND establishing a proper home for those pesky important papers.

4 comments:

Lorraine said...

Must keep those papers! We have a Fire Safe, big enough for a couple of big binders. One binder is just for the people in the house. (The other is the household stuff & cars, etc) Each person has a section, with page protectors... Birth certificates, mementos, passports, medical records... All in there, filed under the proper name. Makes finding it all very easy.

And lest you think me some sort of organized person... We're a military family and have moved 5 times in 10 years. It was essential to have all those papers in a system that could be easily carried with us & not trusted to the movers.

Mrs said...

Ty had a SEVEN YEAR baby book. Plus a calendar. Kelly and Glenna each have a ONE YEAR baby book, plus calendars. I learned with the first one that seven years are too much to record!

Since I was the third child with no baby book, I was determined that each of mine have them!

Phyllis@Aimless Conversation said...

Lorraine...I am deeply impressed, moved even that you would have such an elaborate, yet simple system. I might even be jealous.

Mrs.~ A seven year book is entirely too long. But what do I know?? Evidently, a one year book is too long to me. Poor Reagan...he and you are in the same boat with regard to mementos.

Possibly the saddest fact is that I KNOW I tried to keep all those precious things (first haircut, tooth, baby cap from the hospital, etc)for each boy, but I have NO IDEA whose is whose since they are all thrown together in the cedar chest. Except Nick's hair, as red is easy to identify.

Virginia Knowles said...

Phyllis, I have a simple document pouch that I keep on top of a very high bookcase in my bedroom, out of reach of the little ones. It has birth certificates and SS cards in it. When the older ones (teens & young adults) need something out of it, they know where it is. Nothing fancy, but it is accessible and it works.