has anyone started or completed a lifebook?

I have completed my son's lifebook, up until he was placed with us. What kind of information are you looking for?

My original post included the following: "I have Beth O'Malley's book and it seems to be a great source of information. I am still a bit intimidated to start one. I know to keep it simple and factual, but I struggle with what is the appropriate birthfamily info to include. Our son is 16 months now and I want to get started on it so that it becomes something familiar to him since he loves books already. We don't have birthfamily photos but I do have a decent amount of information. Do you include info on the family status at time of relinquishment, siblings, names, ages...etc.?" Thankyou Sumerce for your reply! Nicole

I actually made 2 lifebooks. One for while he is younger, and one for when he gets a little older. The one for when he is older includes a lot of info -- siblings, grandparents, exact details, etc. The one that I have for now is much more general and just introduces basic concepts like: you were born, you have a birthmother and father who couldn't take care of you, you were in a foster home while ICBF tried to find you a forever family, you liked to eat condensed milk, you learned to walk at 12 months --very basic. I used a lot of pictures, not much written content. I used Blurb.com to print it. I have an older adopted child (now 7). I have based my beginner book based on what my older son has been interested in -- which honestly is very little. He has asked about 2 questions which were easily addressed. I spoke with our SW at the post-placement visits and she read what I wrote and made suggestions. I really recommend that you get a group of people to read your book. I was surprised by the suggestions made by a Kindergarten teacher I am friends with. It really helped me use words that were easier to understand. As I was writing the beginner book, I also worked on the older more mature version. I wanted to get the More Detailed Book written while everything was still fresh. I have had a SW, a Teacher, a fellow adoptive parent, a teenaged adoptee, and a Pediatrician read it an give me suggestions. I have not made the Blurb.com version of this one yet as I hope to include more about his first years in our family to make it more complete.