Sometimes it may seem like your pregnancy will never end. But one day it will be a part of your past, and you and your family may cherish keepsakes from this special time of your life.

Here are a few ideas for creating several simple keepsakes:

1. Save your mementos. Store memorable items from your pregnancy in a decorated shoebox or a pregnancy scrapbook. These might include sonogram pictures, your positive home pregnancy test, measurements of your belly and labels from foods you craved. You could keep a record of doctor’s appointments and test results or include a calendar that chronicles your baby’s development. Of course, you’ll want to include remembrances from your baby shower: pictures, games, comments and good wishes.

2. Write about it. Start a pregnancy keepsake book. Write down how people reacted to the news that you were pregnant. You can include a page of comments and advice you’ve received from family and friends throughout your pregnancy. You may wish to include a list of current medical guidelines for your pregnancy and look back years later to see how recommendations have changed over time. You may also want to write brief notes or longer letters to your baby during pregnancy. If you’re Internet savvy, you can create your own pregnancy blog and encourage friends and family to write comments to you as your pregnancy progresses.

3. Record it. Chronicle your growing belly with photographs or videos. Some women enjoy decorating their bellies from time to time—henna is one option. You could also document your efforts to assemble baby furniture and baby-proof your house.

4. Make art. If you’re more ambitious, you may wish to create a “belly mask.” This is a plaster cast of your pregnant belly. You can do this with friends, covering the contour of your belly with plaster impregnated gauze and waiting for it to harden. (Before you begin, it’s important to protect your skin with petroleum jelly.) Many women hang this on their wall as is. However, some artistic folks use paints or other embellishments to decorate their belly mask, resulting in one-of-a-kind artistic creations. You can order materials for this project online.

While there are probably aspects of your pregnancy you’d like to forget, making the effort to create a keepsake of this period will give you and your family something to enjoy for years to come.