Make A Newborn Time Capsule

When your newborn finally arrives, your life will be changed forever. It is a moment you will remember always. A great way to commemorate this life changing event is by making a time capsule so you can preserve the moment in time and have a snapshot of that period in history to share with your child when he is older.

Making a time capsule for your newborn is not hard to do, you just need to gather together items which reflect the events occurring around the time of his birth.

Newspapers are a logical choice to add to your time capsule. Local papers will provide a view of what was going on in his community the day that he was born and the national papers will tell what was happening on the national level. These newspapers will take you back in time when you and your grown newborn open your time capsule later on.

You can also put stamps and money in your time capsule. Put in one each of the coin denominations and small bills and also include a variety of stamps. In addition, you could make a list of prices for various goods such as groceries, gas and clothes.

You can add a personal touch to the time capsule by including a picture of your newborn along with the outfit he wore home from the hospital. A nice touch would be to write your newborn a letter welcoming him to your family, telling him how much you love him and what your hopes are for his future.

There are no set rules for what to add to your newborn's time capsule. You can put anything in it that you think you would like to share with your child when he gets older. You can even customize the capsule itself in whatever way you choose. You can actually buy time capsules pre-made for just that purpose. You can also make your own, and as long as you don't intend on burying it in the back yard it can be made from a simple shoe box that you have decorated. Seal the box and inscribe upon it the date it is to be opened, such as on your child's eighteenth birthday.

Take special precautions with your time capsule so it will survive the years. Traditionally, time capsules are often buried. If you choose to do that and make a ceremony out of digging it up, make sure you choose a container that will seal out moisture and will not break down. Even if you store your time capsule indoors you will want to keep it protected from humidity and pests such as moths and silverfish.

When the day arrives for you and your child to open the time capsule together it will be a very special moment for the two of you that you can cherish forever. You will be glad you took the time to make the time capsule when your child was just a newborn.

Vital routine; Newborn screening program likely saved life of local boy and many others (The Bulletin)

It was their second baby, second son, so Rachel Powderly thought nothing of it when nurses pricked the newborn’s heel shortly after birth last January to take blood.As is done with nearly every baby born in the United States, Nolan Powderly had a spot of blood sent to a state lab where it was tested for numerous disorders. Of those samples, about one in 1,100 come back abnormal. Nolan’s did.

Grand Rapids researchers say look closer at baby blood for data on genetically linked diseases (The Muskegon Chronicle)

BABY BLOOD Baby blood: Michigan law requires each newborn since 1987 to provide a blood sample that is tested for certain diseases. In the cards: Blood samples from approximately 3 million babies are on cards that have been filed with...

Blood Samples Could Help Future Generations (WILX 10 Lansing)

20 years worth of samples, taken from newborns, are available to researchers.

Researchers say look closer at baby blood (Ionia Sentinel-Standard)

GRAND RAPIDS (AP) - Researchers at the Van Andel Institute and Michigan State University say blood samples collected from every baby born in Michigan since 1987 could contain a wealth of information about genetically linked diseases, including juvenile diabetes, cerebral palsy, autism, asthma and some cancers.

Van Andel Institute, MSU hope blood taken at birth helps find cure for genetic diseases (The Grand Rapids Press)

James Resau, deputy director of special programs at the Van Andel Institute, says three million blood-stained cards, one for every Michigan baby born since 1987, are "a vast, underutilized resource." They could hold a wealth of information about genetically linked diseases, including juvenile diabetes, cerebral palsy, autism, asthma and some cancers. (Press Photo/Jon Brouwer) • Read the story