CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (Chambana Today) — For many families across Champaign-Urbana, this Christmas season carries extra meaning as they celebrate a baby’s first holiday. Between twinkling lights, cozy gatherings, and quiet moments at home, parents are finding creative ways to capture memories that will last long after the decorations come down.

Scrapbooking has become a popular way to document a baby’s first Christmas, allowing families to preserve not just photos, but the small details that define the season. Parents are saving items like hospital wristbands, a baby’s first holiday outfit tag, gift wrap from a special present, or the receipt from a first visit with Santa. Even a sprig from the Christmas tree or a holiday card addressed to the baby can become a meaningful keepsake.

Photos often serve as the centerpiece of a first Christmas scrapbook. Families are snapping pictures of babies under the tree, in festive pajamas, or meeting relatives for the first time. Some parents include handwritten notes describing what the baby was like that season — favorite sounds, sleeping habits, or how they reacted to holiday lights and music.

Others are adding milestones to their pages, such as the baby’s age, height, and weight, or a short letter written to be read years later. Ticket stubs from holiday events, church programs, or winter walks through downtown Champaign also help tell the story of where and how the season was spent.

Local parents say the goal isn’t perfection, but preservation. By saving simple items and memories now, families create a tangible reminder of a fleeting moment — one that a child can revisit years later and see just how special their first Christmas truly was.