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I received so many thoughtful baby gifts after my son was born, but one of my favorites was a set of three wooden blocks. Two with the numbers 0 to 9, and the other with “weeks,” “months,” and “years” etched on it. Every 19th day of the month (my son's birthday date), I’d spread out a sweet blanket I received from a mom friend, set up our little wooden blocks, and do my best to catch a smile from my tiny scene-stealer.
Those monthly photos were such a joy to take and share with family and friends — but I’ll be honest, they weren’t always picture-perfect. Some months, I’d forget and snap them a few days late, or we’d be traveling without the “official” props. And once he hit about 6 months and discovered his wiggly-worm superpowers, my cooperative little model suddenly had places to be and zero interest in sitting still.
But looking back, those few minutes I set aside to take those photos were so worth it. Simply clicking on my Instagram Highlight takes me back to my son’s first back to belly rolls, scootching that soon turned to crawling, and of course, his sweet smile.
If you're looking to take those milestone pictures so you too, can capture the joy as your baby grows, your setup can be as simple or as extra as your heart desires. You truly don’t need fancy props or a big budget to snap something special. From favorite stuffed toys to beloved books and everything in between, there are so many sweet ways to mark each monthly moment.
1. Don’t miss out on the name sweater trend
“We are taking pics on this leaf play mat with this bunny and also documenting her growing into this sweater!” shared WTE mom kaylaguibs. You can find a similar hand-embroidered sweater on Etsy, and complete this parent’s setup with a Jellycat bunny, leaf play mat, and monthly milestone pennants. Easy peasy.
2. Stick with a consistent theme
For her second baby, WTE mom mgb-10 used the same, “You are my sunshine” mat and monthly cards from her first, but brought out a new clothing item: “I’m going to put him in this outfit that my sister-in-law made him to see how much bigger he gets each time!” she shared. Pro tip: Make sure the clothing item is one your baby can comfortably grow into during the first year, like this unique star-shaped onesie.
3. Get their siblings in on the tradition
It doesn’t get more adorable than a candid photo of two brothers in coordinating T-shirts. “Using the same blanket his brother used,” wrote WTE parent leelachan, who later added, “I am finding myself cherishing the newborn phase a lot more this time around.” Just know that a helpful partner, grandparent, or friend nearby to make your kids smile can make all the difference — a one-person baby-wrangling/photography team is no small feat.
4. Include those furry family members
Does your first baby have four paws? Make some room on the milestone blanket! “This is what I did for my sweet little Isabela Rose,” WTE mom kayray83 shared. “My mom gave her the tutu so I plan to use it each month to show how much she’s grown. Her big (dog) brother Sammy will be a part of her monthly photo as well.” If you’re not sure your pup will stay put like Sammy did, consider holding a treat near the camera to get their attention (or to make them sit).
5. Honor your pregnancy cravings
WTE parent ftmoct08 has switched up the food theme each month, but this first one is our favorite. “I had Chick-fil-A at least once a week my entire pregnancy, so it felt fitting,” she shared. I found a similar “Lil Nugget” onesie at Target, and you can always keep the background the same (in this case, a checkered print throw blanket) for month-to-month consistency.
6. Record your love by the dozen
Celebrate your baby’s 12 months with a dozen donuts. WTE mom inksme2 started with one chocolate sprinkle donut from Dunkin’. If you don’t want to spring for 12 donuts each time, kindly ask an employee for one big box with your order. And if donuts aren’t your thing, consider recreating this idea with anything else sold by the dozen (like bagels or cupcakes).
7. Snap photos of your cutie pie
When you look for inspiration on Pinterest, you’ll inevitably see this compilation of photos from parents and photographers Dani and Jonathan (@daniandjonathan). “What is better than having pizza once a month to take these adorbs photos?” they captioned their Instagram post featuring their son Enzo.
And Alex Armato (@alexcoloreo) and her husband Steve chose to do a similar photoshoot with their son Miles. “My husband and I love pizza and thought it would be really cute to see how much Miles grew over the months that way,” Alex says. “We ended up doing a first birthday pizza theme to [tie it all] together.” Ordering a whole pie and removing slices will inevitably leave unwanted grease stains, but Armato has a trick: “We always got an extra clean pizza box to put the baby in,” she says. “The pizzerias were always very accommodating when we told them what it was for.”
8. Collect photos of your budding bookworm
You can never have too many books, and WTE mom glitter-m had an ingenious idea to pair each monthly photo with a book featuring a number. For example, month one was the book One Bear Lost, and month two was Two Together.
“We love reading to our little man, so I thought about incorporating books somehow,” she wrote. “We're going to have his age in months as the first word of the book we choose! So far, we've found some neat books two months in (this also gives me an excuse to get out and book shop for myself). We had some stuffed animals lying around that fit the themes so far, so I guess we'll be continuing with that too!”
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