If you are creating a photo album for your baby for the first time, or are unsure where to begin in creating a scrapbook of your baby's first year, here are some tips to make it quick and easy to preserve your photos and memories:

Rather than including every photo you take of your baby, organize your pictures according to the month they were taken and chose a few of your favorites from each month.

You can make single page or several pages from each particular month and stage of development without having to spend a large amount of time gluing every single photo into your scrapbook.

Be sure and include birth announcements and baby shower invitations as a special touch.

Keep a notebook or calendar within easy reach to record milestones in your child's development. You can then coordinate the events on your calendar with the month-by-month photos.

It is always a good idea to keep an ongoing journal of special times in your baby's life so that you can include those moments in your scrapbook. It does not have to be elaborate or detailed, just a few special dates and events that you can include as text next to your pictures.

Include a special folder or sleeve behind each page of your scrapbook to place the unused photos and mementos. This way you can keep them within easy reach and add pages to your scrapbook easily at a later time. Make sure you write the date and place the photos were taken on the back of the picture or on the folder.

When creating each page of your scrapbook, remember that you can add extra pages containing amusing notes or special occasions as you see fit. There is no right or wrong way to make a scrapbook of your baby's first year.

Include the photos and events that are the most special to you and keep extras handy in the event you want to add to your scrapbook later.