Relegated To a Sidenote

Any of you out there youngests? Any oldests? Any middle children?

I'm curious. There are some families who's bookcases are lined with photo albums. The oldest child has an album and a half all to his/herself just for the babyhood age. The middle children have to make do, and the youngest, well- if they have a large age gap there may be much more, but from families I know, the youngest barely gets a snapshot or two.

Some families make a big to-do about photos- that they would like to capture every moment, every incident, and every smile. Yet, how many families with more than four children actually capture every moment for every child?

I'm a youngest, but my parents had me in their later years, so my every move in babyhood was documented. My husband? A middle child, who has some photos, but not so many. My youngest nieces and nephews? They have a couple snapshots. But most youngest children? Unless they have an older sibling wielding the camera, there aren't too many photos of them.

Should these youngests care? Do they care?

It's not that their parents love them any less, just they have less time to document every waking moment. And that's a reasonable expectation.

Yet, I can't help feeling that each of these parents would love more pictures of their beloved children.