First Year Baby Journal:Keep the story of your baby's first year.

Makia is a guided digital journal for memories and photos, from birth through first birthday.

Capture a little now, catch up whenever you can.

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  • 14-day free trial
  • No card needed

A$100 gets you the finished Digital First Year Journal — PDF download included. See prices

The Makia app on a phone, open to the Month Four prompt "Your list of firsts this month" with the answer written in
The same month as a designed journal spread: the list of firsts on the left page and the family's photographs on the right
The optional printed hardcover: a finished First Year journal held on a lap, in grey linen with the baby's name on the cover

Optional linen hardcover. Order it when you’ve finished your journal.

Starting late

Baby already six months old? You’re not too late.

The photos you already have are a head start. Add a whole month’s photos in one go, fill in what you remember, and keep going from today.

A photo shows the smile. You know what caused it.

A song. A sneeze. The same face you made ten times.

Keep the story with the photo.

“Still Bibby. You could literally just spend the whole day listening to music and staring at Bibby and the side of the building next to us.”
  1. A photo of the baby at three months, smiling up from a play gym in an orange striped romper

    The smile you want to keep

  2. The Makia app on a phone, open to the Month Three prompt "Photos from this month", with the smiling play-gym photo added

    Add the photo, or a few at once

  3. The Makia app open to the Month Three prompt "These are your favourite things", with the Still Bibby answer written in

    Write what caused it. A line is enough.

    “Still Bibby. You could literally just spend the whole day listening to music and staring at Bibby and the side of the building next to us.”
A page from your First Year Journal
The same memory as a finished First Year Journal spread: the heading "These are a few of your favourite things" above the Still Bibby answer on the left page, and the smiling play-gym photo filling the right page

From their arrival to their first birthday

Their arrival

Your birth story, then the details: their weight and height, their first visitors, who cut the cord and who they looked like.

The About You page from the Earthside chapter of a First Year Journal: a black-and-white photo of a father leaning over the mother as she holds their newborn in hospital, beside answers about who the baby most looked like, who cut the cord, head circumference, hair and eye colour

The day they were born

What the world was like when they arrived: the news, the number-one song, the price of bread, and your own favourites at the time.

The On That Day page from The Day You Were Born chapter of a First Year Journal: what was in the news, the number-one song, movie and book, the price of petrol, milk, bread and eggs, and the parents' favourite song, movie, TV show and book on the day the baby was born

Their name and first days home

The story behind their name, the names you nearly chose and their nicknames. Then their first night home, where they slept and their first bath.

A Your Name page from a First Year Journal: answers about the baby's nicknames, who chose the name and the story of the name, above three photos from the hospital on the day the baby was born

Month One to Month Twelve

The milestones, and what they were really like at that age.

How big they are, their personality, favourites and firsts. What soothes them, what upsets them, their funny habits and sleep, what a day with them is like, and the month's best photos.

The Month 9 text page from a First Year Journal: answers about what soothes the baby, favourite things, funny body language, sleeping patterns and the list of firsts this month
The Month 9 photo page from the same First Year Journal, a grid of photos of the baby with her parents: standing, crawling on the beach and playing

Quick Thoughts, along the way

A funny thing they did. Something you noticed. Not every memory has to wait for the right prompt.

Their first birthday and looking back

How you celebrated their first birthday, and the year in photos. Then who they became, how family life changed, and a letter for them to read one day.

A first birthday photo page from a First Year Journal: the baby held up outdoors, the birthday cake with the baby's name, a table of gift bags, the baby with family beside the cake, and a grazing table
A One Year On page from a First Year Journal: the parents' advice to themselves, how the baby changed their lives and the best thing about being a parent, above three photos from the first year

Some memories only need a few words

Quick Win Completed

Your personality in 3 words

Calm, curious, cuddly.

Example answer

Quick Win In Progress

Your funny body language (cues)

You scrunch your nose just before you sneeze.

Example answer

Quick Win Completed

A day with you is like

We walk around the garden after your morning feed. You watch the leaves while I drink my tea. It is a quiet part of our day together.

Example answer

Quick Win Skipped

Your sleeping patterns this month

You chose not to include this prompt in your journal.

Restore prompt

And when life gets busy, let it.

  • Miss a week.
  • Miss a month.

Falling behind doesn’t mean starting over. Come back when you’re ready.

  1. A newborn looking up from a baby bath, a parent’s hand holding their head

    Month Two

    Your first bath.

  2. A three-month-old baby in a red floral romper lying on a blue play mat

    Month Three

    Your first laugh.

  3. Life happened here.

  4. Month Six

    First food, pureed sweet potato.

  5. Month Ten

    First flight, walking only holding onto one hand.

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Sample pages from a First Year Journal.

The day your baby arrived. The thoughts you wrote down at 10pm. The months in between. This is what your First Year Journal can hold.

  1. Journal page titled “The day you arrived”, with a small hand-drawn rainbow.
  2. Black-and-white photo of a hospital door sign that reads “Birth Suite 7”.
  3. Journal page titled “We’re always thinking of you”, with a small hand-drawn thought bubble.
  4. Five short notes to the baby, each with its time and date, about first foods, the trips the family plans to take together, wanting the baby to be happy, what the parents hope to pass on and who the baby might become.
  5. Journal page titled “The year at a glance”, with a small hand-drawn calendar.
  6. Four photos from the year: mum with her newborn asleep on her chest, a picture that puts an old childhood photo beside a photo of the baby, the baby walking through a supermarket checkout, and the baby sitting in a big black office chair.
  7. The Month Seven text page: weight, height, personality, favourite things, what makes the baby mad, what soothes them, body language, sleep, a list of firsts and a long “day with you” story about a camping trip.
  8. The Month Seven photo page: a grid of ten photos of the baby, including in a pram, in a cardboard box, sitting on the grass, asleep on dad, with mum, eating in a high chair and sitting on dad’s shoulders.
  9. The Month Eight photo page: a grid of ten photos of the baby, including in a sun hat, with her parents at Christmas, crawling on the grass, in a tub of water, in a supermarket trolley and playing in a ball pit.
  10. The Month Eight text page: weight, height, personality, favourite things, what makes the baby mad, what soothes them, body language, sleep, a list of firsts and a “day with you” story about a little escape artist.

  11. The next page is yours.

    Start with today. Fill in the rest whenever you can.

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From parents who kept a Makia journal.

Lauren, Emmanuelle and Juliana kept Makia’s First Year Journal after their babies arrived.

Lauren — completed all 4, for her 2 kids

Emmanuelle — didn't get one of her own. Can't wait to give her daughter hers

Juliana — uses her Makia journal to relive the early days of parenthood

Fill it in online. Keep the PDF. Choose print if you want it.

Two ways to keep your story. You choose when you buy.

Your journal online for 18 months, with a designed PDF to keep.

A$100 paid once

30-day money-back guarantee

  • 14-day free trial · No card needed
  • Gentle prompts and Quick Thoughts
  • Photos from birth to their first birthday
  • Journal customisation and contributor access
  • Digital access on your supported devices
Start my free trial

Your own photos and words, printed as a designed linen hardcover with your baby’s name embossed.

Pre-order & save

A$303 total

Digital journal
A$100
Hardcover pre-order
Ordered later A$256 A$203 Save A$53

Pre-order: add it when you buy your Digital journal, during your trial or after it. When you’ve finished your journal, order your book from your account.

Ordered later, the linen hardcover is A$256.

30-day money-back guarantee

  • Everything in the Digital First Year Journal
  • A4 (297 × 210 mm)
  • Linen hard cover
  • 170 gsm satin paper
  • 6-colour printing
  • Free shipping within Australia and New Zealand
Start my free trial
Start my free trial

14-day free trial · No card needed.

Printing, delivery and refunds

Your trial work stays saved.

After 14 days, you can still view what you created. Purchase the Digital First Year Journal to unlock editing and PDF download.

Want to decide on the hardcover later?

Purchase the Digital First Year Journal for A$100 now and add the linen hardcover any time. Pre-ordering it with Digital saves A$53.

All prices are in Australian dollars.

A few things you may want to know

No. The Pregnancy Journal covers the months before birth. You can start with either journal.

Yes. Start from today and go back to earlier months whenever you like. You do not have to answer every prompt. Fill in what you remember.

No. Save an answer as a draft, move past a prompt, or choose “Not for my journal.”

No. The paid digital journal includes PDF download, and it stays online for 18 months from the day you purchase it. Print is optional.

Makia works in your web browser on a phone, tablet or computer. There is no app to download.

Making your book can take up to 14 days after your print order. Delivery takes extra time. We send a tracking number when your book is sent.

What would you like to remember from today?

Start with one detail. Give it a place in the story of their first year.

Start my free trial

14 days free. No card needed.

Still expecting? Start with the Baby Bump Journal.