#gifts - #I have recently become an aunt. What can I make for my baby-niece that she will enjoy when she's older?

Hey there. I dont know if the title is clear enough. Let me explain. I love to make things myself, especially gifts because they are more personal and unique. I love anything related to DIY. And I love gifts with lots of meaning to them that took time and effort.My niece was born this Summer. Her father is quite busy and wasnt granted proper parental leave until this upcoming January because he is quite high in the hierarchy and cant just leave for a longer period of time when he wants. I have met my niece only twice since then but I will visit her this January after my finals. Anyways, I plan on making something with her. I would like to start something onto we can continue to add things. When she turns a certain age, she will have a collection of things since she was a few months old.Now onto the problem: I dont know what things is yet. I have thought about painting a canvas and have her leave prints of her hands over the years. But this will lose its charm within the first few years of her life. Then I thought of making or starting a bracelet à la Pandora to which we could add pendants over the years until she is 18, but she wouldnt have the joy of looking back at something we put effort into over 18 years...in the end, you could make or buy 18 pendants right away. Then a notebook, filled with pictures of her growing up, but firstly the charm will be gone when she becomes a teenager, secondly I wont be there for her big days or milestones but rather general holidays and birthdays so I wouldnt be able to make a compilation of her personal growth in any form, and thirdly I think this is too close to a normal photo album.What can I make with or for her that will be a collection of memories of some sort? I want to make her a gift that she will love to have when shes older and that will make her think that I am the cool aunt lol.TLDR recent aunt looking for a heartwarming gift idea thats taking 18 years to complete in order for the niece to think that this aunt is the cool aunt​Edit: Maybe planting a tree or some other plant? Is that demanding or very time consuming? Would you personally like getting a tree thats as old as you lol via /r/Gifts https://www.reddit.com/r/Gifts/comments/egt3kb/i_have_recently_become_an_aunt_what_can_i_make/?utm_source=ifttt