Mom Captures Growth of Son, Results Are Even Cuter Than Expected (Exclusive)

A first-time mom documented her son’s first year in the cutest way possible.

In a now viral TikTok post, Maddie Young, 27, shared snaps from every month of her son Theo’s first year, where he can be seen in a similar position wearing the same blue sweater with his name embroidered on the front.

The mom shares with PEOPLE that she’s a “very sentimental person,” so she knew she had to find a low-maintenance way to “track his growth” through the year.

“When I first found out I was pregnant, I immediately started thinking of ways to track his growth,” she says. “I had seen several other parents share photos of their kids alongside a stuffed animal or something to mark their growth, and I knew I wanted to do something along those lines.”

She adds, “Then, I started seeing these stitched sweaters pop up everywhere and thought what a cute way to track his growth and have something adorable for him to wear when he turns one!”

The video, set to Billie Eilish’s “Birds of a Feather,” features every picture Young took of her little one, from his first day to his first birthday. The doting mom tells PEOPLE that ahead of her son’s arrival, she researched tons of Etsy shops to find the perfect sweater for the pictures.

“I had originally tried my hand at doing the sweater myself, [but] I am not that talented! I researched tons of shops on Etsy and ended up finding Sunny Baby Co. on there and had them make it,” she shares. “I had seen several parents post photos of their kids in these sweaters for their family photos and just thought it would be so cute to watch him grow into it.”

Young says that the sweater hung on a special hanger, like an extra piece of decor, throughout the year. The idea offered her an easy opportunity to document her son’s first year.

She explains, “As someone who is very Type B and wishes she was a bit more Type A, this was a manageable ‘cutesie’ thing I could remember to do each month!”

The proud mom tells PEOPLE that all of the photos she took over the year are currently on display on the family of three’s staircase. Young admits she “tear[s] up just about every time I pass them.”

“I’m hoping to find a sweet frame to put all 12 into to hang in his nursery or in the playroom, so I can show everyone who visits our house from now until he’s 30 and totally embarrass him!” she adds.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.  

Looking back at the photos only reminds Young of how fast time has gone by. The new mom says that capturing the photos every month gave her and her husband a chance to take a pause and soak up the small moments.

“It’s so emotional to look back on these photos,” she says. “They all tell you the time seems to fly, and as a new parent, sometimes you think, ‘Gosh, I wish it would fly, this is so hard!’ But at the same time, you just want it all to slow down.”

“You want to sit and hear those silly little newborn squeaks again and the funny faces they make as they’re sleeping. It all just goes so fast,” she adds. “Each month, taking a few moments to capture these photos, even during the times it feels like I’m trying to wrangle an alligator, it gives my husband and me the chance to take a beat and realize how much he’s grown. I look back at those first few months, and it’s like I can hardly remember that he was ever that teensy-tiny.”

Young tells PEOPLE that the photos have given her a deeper “appreciation” for other parents witnessing the growth of their babies.

“I think it’s given me such an appreciation for my son and our family, of course, but for other parents who are experiencing the same emotions as we watch our babies grow and turn into the wonderful people they will become.”