I remember when I had my first son and I got a baby book for him, I did not start to fill it out until he was around 8 or 9 months. I taped in photos and hospital bracelets and would fill in the blanks as time went on when I would have the free time to. Then one day I was planning on adding more to the baby book and I could not find it anywhere. I felt my heart break a little because someone else had moved it and no one could remember where it was or even remembered moving it. I would have done anything for a digital baby book 12 years ago when I lost that baby book! I found it years later way back in a closet and to this day have no idea how it got there. So when I was asked to review the My-Baby-Book App my mind went back to that horrible feeling the day I lost Cody’s baby book and I could not say no! What a wonderful idea. Making a digital record from the moment of conception until birth and beyond! I can not tell you how excited I was to try the My-Baby-Book App out right away!
I can not remember ever seeing a baby book app before so I could not wait to download it and try it out. SoMy-Baby-Book app works on my iPhone and my iPad mini as well. “Requires iOS 7.0 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. This app is optimized for iPhone 5.” I first tried it out using my iPhone because I have so many photos on that phone its crazy! I love how easy My-Baby-Book is to fill out using my iPhone! As soon as you open up the application, My-Baby-Book plays a nice lullaby so you can get in the baby mood as you fill it out. You start out by picking out if you are having a boy or girl and making the “cover” of your book. I made sure to start a My-Baby-Book cover for my 3 youngest right away. If I work on one at a time like any normal person would, I would get bombarded with the “what about me?”‘s until I started the rest. Luckily my 12 year old is at an age where he understands mommy just pretends to be superwoman! I love that you can turn the pages like a real book. After you make the cover there is a table of contents list so you can jump to which memory you want to add to My-Baby-Book.
I was having fun with making My-Baby-Book on my iPhone but when I wanted to edit some messages I was having trouble clicking the spot that I needed the cursor to go to. I would get stuck at the beginning of the section or the end of what I wrote and occasionally some random spots in between. I was also accidentally turning the pages on occasion while switching from section to section. Other than the occasional glitches that I ran into My-Baby-Book is turning into a really fun project for me to keep adding memories and photos to. When I finally got a moment to be able to actually sit down and work on My-Baby-Book, I downloaded it to my iPad mini. I thought for a minute that I was going to have to start over from scratch but then all 3 of My-Baby-Book album covers popped up! I was so happy to see that it transferred over so easily and without my having to do a thing! That made it so much more convenient for this mommy! You can go back and forth adding memories and photos while on the go with your phone and sitting at home with your iPad. I love that there is a spot for a message from mommy and a message from daddy specially to baby. I also love that on the iPad you can make your photo collage a little more creative. You can move the photos, make them large or small, and turn them at angles.
It took me a little bit longer than I would have liked to figure out how to add photos to the pages of My-Baby-Book. I thought that if I clicked on the outlines at the top of the pages I would be able to place my photo of choice there automatically. Once I figured out that the blocks in the upper left corner were not just for decoration, My-Baby-Book got much easier for me to fill out. Thats when I saw there was a block with a camera on it that I clicked to access my photo albums. You can also turn off the music and sounds or leave a voice memo from this menu. I wish there was a way to exit the menu without having to go back to the table of contents or the first page that shows each one of the books you are working on. My-Baby-Book has been so much fun for me to relive the memories of when I found out I was pregnant with each one of my babies! I wish I had been able to use this app while I was pregnant because it would have been so much fun to have a place for my thoughts and my bump photos to keep all in one place! I really found My-Baby-Book to be really easy to use and a really special way for me to hold on to my memories of my babies growing up. They really do grow up so fast. If I do have another baby I know I will be able to keep track of my memories right from the start as they enter my heart and mind fresh.
“As an added bonus you can print out a copy of the completed book to keep forever on your bookshelf — personalize your photo cover and choose from basic fabric or faux leather bindings. All done in-app, you simply input payment and shipping details and your completed baby book will be shipped right to you. (It also makes a great gift for Grandma and Grandpa or anyone you wish!) You can also invite your friends and family to share in the experience via Facebook, or Twitter using the easy menu links as you and your baby grow together.”
For more information on My-Baby-Book App please visit www.itunes.apple.com.
