Moms go to great lengths to chronicle pregnancies, children's first years

Call it a labor of love.

From the moment Jessica Sunder of Hanover become pregnant, she started journaling. "I just did a home pregnancy test," her very first entry reads. "OK, it's really true."

In the following months, Ms. Sunder wrote about how she felt, different developments, and even chatted with her unborn child. And she kept right on journaling after the birth, and into and beyond her second pregnancy.

In fact, Ms. Sunder continues to journal for both 4-year-old Madison and 17-month-old Hayden.

She says the journaling strengthens her bond with her children and also gives her daughters something they...