3 Weeks Old and She’s Already Cuter Than You

Well, she is. If it’s any consolation she’s cuter than I am as well.

I photographed this little beauty on Saturday morning. She was right in the middle of her 3-week growth spurt and made me work for it but time, patience, lots of food, womb sounds and loud shushing resulted in some final sleeping images that are just adorable as well as some great looks of wide eyed wonder.

3-Week-Old Baby Sleeping Like an Angel

Isn’t she just the sweetest thing you have ever seen? The sweetness of newborns never stops amazing me. She was a sleeper, and the last of my Fresh Faces models. I’ve had babies who couldn’t be woken up for love, money or even food and babies who couldn’t be coaxed to sleep even in an 85 degree room with full tummies. That’s one thing you always have to remember about photographing newborns – you just have to go with the flow.

Now this little sweetie was older than I usually like to do newborns; she was over 3 weeks. I like to schedule them in that 4-7 day range as that, usually, makes for sleepy babies who still curl up into adorable little balls. Once they get a little older the shoot can be harder as they are more alert, less, well, bendy and 3 weeks can be a very difficult age as that 3-week newborn growth spurt can result in a baby who wants to eat 20 hours out of the day. As you can undoubtedly tell from her picture she was, despite her advanced age of 3 weeks, quite happy to sleep.

Itty Bitty Sleepy Girl | Connecticut Baby Portraits

I am wrapping up my spring Fresh Faces project and have a pile of neatly packaged prints to take to the post office including some of this little cutie. Isn’t she a sweetheart? She decided to arrive on the scene a wee bit early and as a result was one of the smallest peanuts I got to play with so far this year. You can see her in my Simply Babies gallery too, which I have totally redesigned and refreshed after this winter’s baby rush.

Newborn portraits are such a delight to do. I get to see all the wonder of new life. Sure, I get peed on during most sessions (though not, actually, during this one). And urped on. And now and again I get pooped on, but there is a reason I wear jeans to the sessions and the joy of a little baby is more than worth the many fluids that come out of them. All of which is to say, in the babbly way that lets you know it’s been an interesting day with my twins, that I have the best job in the world.

Little Baby Boy | Windsor Newborn Photography

This little guy came to me for a newborn portrait and decided he wanted to stay awake. I think sometimes people worry too much about getting the baby to sleep, especially since I talk about needing to make sure your house is warm, warmer, warmest for the shoot or the baby won’t sleep. But, really, wide awake babies are cute too. Awfully cute. Yummily, munchably, terrifically cute.

One thing I learned when I had babies – you can’t make a baby do anything. You really have to go with the flow and be prepared to follow the child’s lead. So, though I encourage people to look through both the Simply Babies gallery and the Dreams & Stories gallery to let me know about any specific poses they would like to capture the reality is that some babies don’t sleep soundly enough to hang in a sling, some babies won’t lay their heads on their hands and some babies will shriek in fury if they are draped over an arm. Newborn poses are wholly dependent upon the temperament of the baby. It’s part of what makes your baby portrait special to your family – even in the simplest baby sleeping pose you see the personality and characteristics of this new little person, unique, wonderful and wholly his or her own self, even at 7 days old.

Library Snapshot Week in West Hartford

I love the West Hartford Public Library and so do my kids. The children’s preschool room is truly incredible with fabulous comfortable sofa benches, a train table, doll houses, a puppet theatre, a play kitchen and more along with books galore. My kids ask to go there regularly and along with the basic “free-ness” of the library they also validate parking for the closest parking garage which is great in the winter when, well, I’m not walking the 4 blocks to the library with two three-year-olds if I don’t have to. They getting there isn’t so bad, it’s the getting them back home, tired, overexcited and grumpy, that’s less than fun.

Given how much I love the library volunteering for Library Snapshot Week was a natural fit for me.

The primary purpose of this community-based project is to showcase the library through photographic images. During Library Snapshot Week selected photographers will take pictures of our library, the building, patrons, staff, etc. Of the photos taken, some will be chosen for display in the Noah Webster Library Gallery, on the library website, or used for library promotional purposes, but all for the benefit of the community.

Over 30 photographers participated coming in both one Sunday morning for what I called “still-life day” and then taking pictures through the libraries during one week. Over 1,000 pictures were donated to the library for them to use promoting their services, 20 of which were selected to be hung in a gallery show.

Two of mine are there, including this one:

The exhibit will be up until March 31st and I encourage you to drop in and take a look.

Sweet Sweet Sweet at 1 Month Old | Farmington Baby Photographer

I thought, OK, we’ll try it. I mean, I try to keep expectations low for baby pictures if the baby is getting on in days. You know, by the time you are the ripe old age of 9 or 10 (days) you are starting to find the world too interesting to sleep all the time and, well, without sleep you only get photos like this one.

Of course, that isn’t so bad. I think it’s awfully sweet. In all truth, if I were working out of an actual studio and paying overhead and such I’d be hanging that one as a giant sample on the walls. We had been shooting up in this room for a while and were about to head downstairs to to the “head in hands” shot when big sister and baby brother settled in for a snuggle. I couldn’t resist. And I just love the result.

The head-in-hands is a classic I almost always do. These are mom’s hands; we did a set with each older sister as well for the perfect triptych.

And, despite being such an ancient baby this guy slept like champ too.

6 Months! | Connecticut Baby Photographer

Oh, how this little guy has grown! He is one of my baby package clients and this means I get to see him four times this year. This was the third and, just like at his newborn portrait session and three-month portrait session he was a smiling, adorable flirt. I love 6 month session; for one thing, of course, unlike at a newborn session we don’t have to get the baby to sleep. This session is all about smiles, sitting on your own and giving kisses to mama. This little guy delivered on all accounts.

I hope you enjoy your sneak peek. The whole gallery should be ready soon!

Little Baby C | Newborn Photography

This sweet little girl was 9 days old when she came over for a Fresh Faces session. I first met her mother at an engagement party last summer and saw her again – very pregnant – at a wedding in October. And now the little one is here. And, oh, was she an amazing baby. I expect to get peed on. I expect to get pooped on. I expect to spend time basically begging a baby to sleep. But a child who nurses, passes out, and stays thoroughly asleep with no bodily fluid leaks at all? Simply doesn’t happen.

Thank you for letting me borrow your wee one! I hope you enjoy the pictures as much as I did. Now I just have to chose which one I’ll put in my portfolio as a Fresh Face…

Miss E is 3… Weeks That Is! | Simsbury Newborn Photographer

This is the sweetest little girl. After we did some shooting I got to hold her and play bounce the girlie while her mother tracked down a pen; she played seduce the photographer with the cutest, most endearing smiles you could ever want to see on a wee one.

Thanks for letting me capture this time for you. Your full gallery should be ready early next week. Until then, enjoy your sneak peek!

Local Bradley Childbirth Class Provider

I wanted to do Bradley classes but there were none available when I was pregnant. I slip coupons for $50 off session fees in Erica Grossman’s Bradley classes goodie bags and am letting you all know about her classes because I wish she had been doing this when I was knocked up and even if I didn’t benefit from it there’s no reason you can’t.

We are planning another series of classes to the first week in June, for mamas who are due in August/September

The Bradley Method is a series of twelve classes, held weekly, that help prepare you and your husband/partner for labor and birth without the use of drugs and with the goal of avoiding as much medical intervention as possible. The classes include education on good nutrition during pregnancy, exercises to prepare the mother for the marathon of labor, anatomy and physiology of labor, coping techniques for labor, good coaching tips for the partner, ways to avoid drugs and interventions, breastfeeding information and postpartum care. The aim of the classes is to make the mother comfortable and trust in her body so she can tune-in to her body through labor and use natural breathing and relaxation to work through the labor without the use of drugs.

The classes are ideal for families planning home OR hospital births; first, second or beyond!

Each class runs approximately 2 to 2.5 hours. Classes are held in our home in Manchester, and we limit class size to ensure plenty of time for personal discussion.

Contact her if you are interested in attending her classes!