Baby Treasures by Nina Raval

Nina is my talented niece who has been blessed with a sweet baby girl she named Katrina on January of this year. A pre-law graduate of Chapman University, she is an aspiring journalist  and teacher, whose articles have been published in the local Riverside and Palm Desert newspapers.

Baby Kat, as we lovingly call her, was born a preemie. But after the initial worries and fears, she was brought home as a healthy precious infant. Her Mom treasures every moment of holding her in her arms only to realize how fast she is growing. Here, she shares a way to remember every precious moment.

Beautiful big eyes. She's so pretty in her pink floral onesie.

Baby Kat today at 9 months old.

Knowing that my baby will soon be a toddler, I began to clean out our Tiffany Blue-painted bedroom, with piles upon piles of new beautiful clothes that she easily outgrew. After giving the majority of them to a young mother in need, I decided to keep one or two pieces that were "preemie" size, so doll-like that it seemed impossible that the fleshy baby in front of me used to be so tiny, with her head once being able to fit into the palm of my hand. It was then that I decided to keep a box full of baby treasures  so that Katrina could reflect upon them when she is older, as well as celebrate the stages of life. For now, I have printed glossy pictures of her as a newborn, ultrasound photos, lovely cards received at her baby shower, her first blanket (a knitted one donated to her when she was born), and her first fancy onesie, all in a vintage-looking hatbox that is pale pink and deep china blue. I plan to also include a diary I am writing for her and her first ballet-style shoes, which are frosted silver. I am still developing all this, so pictures shall come later.

For now, I designed a Polyvore collage, hoping to give ideas to those who want to put together a Baby Treasure Box. The first row consists of a treasure trunk-style box, a newborn coat, and a receiving blanket. The second row contains greeting cards given to the baby, ballet-style shoes, a preemie-sized outfit, a hippo toy, and a baby's first bear.