This week is a pretty good example of my new normal. Except for every photo of anyone looking happy, imagine 15 photos of me shouting at them for being feral monsters.

Sunday:

Antique car day at the seaport!

The new exhibit building was…underwhelming

Successful fun day achievement unlocked!

Monday:

Very normal toddler for sale

Taking up as much space as possible

It’s a good thing I can drink again

Tuesday:

Rainy morning bus stop

Wasted a LOT of time trying to make this photo work

Wednesday:

Still surprised by elevators

Old Man Grumps

Bedtime snuggles

 Thursday:

Everyone goes to school with leaves in their hair

We found a use for the giant bear

Too cute for words

Friday:

YAY FRIDAY!

Whats up?

Linc REALLY loves Finn

Saturday:

Watching movies with his camel

Very scary Halloween decorations

Hunting Pokemon in Mystic

This current week is going to be the opposite of normal. It’s going to be bananas. I might not even try to do a week in iPhone photos until next weekend. Although I’m pretty sure I triple booked myself for THAT weekend so it might be bananas too. Basically, everything between now and Christmas will be bananas.

Right now I am going to go clean up some of the house disaster and switch the laundry because the baby is asleep and if I don’t do those things now we’ll be one step closer to the spiral that ends with me being crushed to death under a pile of clean laundry that no one has put away for 4 years.

My teeny tiny brand new earthside baby has somehow already been here for a month. Is there anything like a newborn to really demonstrate the “days are long but years are short” saying? The seconds when Finn is screaming his head off at me last forever. I cannot wait for my husband to get home so he can hold the baby for a minute. Driving home from running errands when I’ve pushed it too long and he is crying in the car seat takes ten times as long as regular driving. And yet there goes a whole month. I’ll never have a 1 day old or a 1 week old or even a 1 month old anymore – as of right now he’s already been here one month and 2 hours old.

Previously: Linc’s 1-month post (I don’t think baby Finn looks anything like baby Linc)

Because he is my last baby and I have a hard time quitting things I start, I’m going to try to do monthly updates and milestones for Finnegan for his first year. I will probably be late more often than not. I will probably fail at taking the same photo every month. And there’s about a 50/50 chance I’ll just give up because having four kids is a lot of kids and seriously the amount of laundry I am doing right now is INSANE. But right now I’m still in that “Look at me, holding things together! My kitchen is clean! I am wearing a bra! There is food in the house!” stage before I significantly lower my standards. I give it until November.

He doesn’t really have a schedule. He’s a newborn. He’s awake, he’s asleep, he needs to eat, he needs another diaper. It’s all very very repetitive and my constant thought is that this stage will be over so soon (having my 2-year-old who was JUST a tiny baby like 5 minutes ago around to help really hits that idea home). I am enjoying being a bit of a recluse to just do baby stuff right now.

1 Month Stats: 11 lbs 11 oz (up almost 2 lbs from birth) which is 90th percentile. I didn’t write down his height and head size, but they were 75th percentile and 95th percentile respectively. So he’s going to be a chuuuuunk.

Likes: Nursing, sleeping, clean diapers, the swing, when his siblings talk to him or hold him

Dislikes: Gas, dirty diapers, 9 pm

1 Month Milestones (copied from previous children, originally from BabyCenter)

Mastered Skills (most kids can do)
Lifts head when lying on tummy – Sure.
Responds to sound – Sure.
Stares at faces – I guess.

Emerging Skills (half of kids can do)
Follows objects briefly with eyes – In that funny newborn bobble-head way, yes.
Vocalizes: Yes, all the cute little baby sounds
Can see black-and-white patterns – Go home milestones, you are drunk. How am I supposed to know if that’s true?

Advanced Skills (a few kids can do)
Smiles, laughs – Some smiling, especially for Lincoln
Holds head at 45-degree angle – Sorry, I can’t find my protractor so I have no idea what the exact angle is

Here’s my first piece of advice when it comes to newborn photography: HIRE AN EXPERT. This is one case where you truly cannot recreate what you see on Pinterest on your own. The time, training, expense, and expertise that goes into becoming a great newborn photographer cannot be replicated with a how-to post on the internet. If really beautiful newborn photos are important to you, they are absolutely worth the money.

This is professional work. Hire someone for this.

I’ve never hired a real photographer for my newborn photos before. All I have from when Evan was little are snapshots. A friend and I tried to take newborn photos of Caroline but they’re mostly Pinterest fails. The photographer I did hire (for so little money it doesn’t even count) was not an expert and our shoot was a disaster. With Linc, I was so confident I could do it on my own I spent an enormous amount of time and effort trying to make what I was picturing in my head a reality. I never even came close. I am very glad I have those photos and some even live on my walls, but I wasn’t (and will never be) an amazing posed newborn photographer.

Newborn photography is also physically taxing and if you’re trying to do it while you should be recovering from birth, you’re going to get tired and sore very quickly. Every time I’ve photographed a newborn I’ve ended up absolutely dripping in sweat and feeling like I’ve run 10 miles (I can’t run 10 miles). Even if you’re feeling pretty good, the bending and crouching and twisting and kneeling and physical work needed to get the results professionals do for 3+ hours is exhausting and you will definitely feel it later. Just one more reason why hiring someone is worth the expense.

So with Finnegan, my last baby, I hired a professional. A professional who isn’t me. Fellow Connecticut photographer Stefanie Cole came to my house, worked super patiently with my cranky baby, and delivered a gallery of absolutely stunning images. They are art. I want them all on my walls. I am so grateful for her and her talent.

That being said, with a newborn in the house I can’t resist taking his picture. Since he’s my fourth baby and about the 40th newborn I’ve photographed (even though I’ve moved away from posed sessions) I feel like I have some experience worth sharing. So here are my 5 tips for taking newborn photos yourself.

1. Pick the right time. Here is one advantage you have over a scheduled session – you can take pictures of your baby 24 hours a day. Newborn sleep schedules change all the time. Be prepared to take your baby’s pictures the next time you’re expecting them to be sound asleep. Get them stripped down to just a diaper, then wrap them in something picture-appropriate, like a pretty swaddle blanket, a plain white onesie, a scarf or a newborn wrap you bought on Etsy while you were dreaming of newborn photos. Then feed them really well, snuggle them close, and wait for that totally-limp-arm stage where they won’t notice you snapping away.
2. Pick the right spot. You want to find a corner of your house where there is a lot of light, but not direct sun shining in patches. If you have just one big window, you’ll get dramatic, directional light like I did in these photos. If you have a corner with several windows, you’ll get more even, brighter light. A room with white/light walls is even better. Turn off your electric lights and try just using the natural light from the window – your colors and shadows will look more natural.
3. Pick the right background. Professional newborn photos are often posed on a beautiful seamless background that fades out in every direction. That look is about 75% skill and 25% Photoshop. I don’t recommend trying it on your own. So instead of trying to recreate it, put plain white sheets and a plain duvet on a bed and use that space. If you have a beanbag chair, throw a blanket over it and shoot from above instead of the side. If you don’t have a beanbag, make a nest of pillows. If you want something fancier than a blanket, the fur throws most photographers use are called “flokatis”. Genuine sheep ones can cost big bucks, but look at Wayfair, Overstock or Rugs USA for deals. Cream, gray or brown are beautiful colors for newborns. Don’t use fleece, don’t use anything with too many bright colors, and don’t use anything that needs to be perfectly smooth (texture is your friend). DON’T try to stuff the baby in a bucket or a basket or on a tiny chair or in crazy poses. Lay them on their back or side, curl them up a little, smooth out their hands until they are relaxed with their fingers flat. That’s all you need. Besides maybe a cute hat.
4. Pick the right angle. This means don’t shoot up your baby’s nose or from their feet. You want them to look proportional and highlight just how tiny and precious they are in their first couple weeks. Shoot from above when you can, or close ups of all their precious little parts. Imagine the light and your camera is water flowing over the baby from their head down and try to follow that angle. Zoom (or move) in close, then take the same shot from as far away as you can. Turn your camera so the baby is vertical, then at an angle, then horizontal. Some photos will work and some won’t, so don’t be afraid to take a lot and look through them later. Trust me, no parent has ever said “Man, I wish I didn’t have SO MANY pictures of my newborn.”
5. Pick the right equipment. In this case, the right equipment is the camera you have. It might be your phone. It might be the DSLR you got for Christmas 2 years ago. It might be your old point and shoot. The best camera to capture an important moment is the one you have. IF you have a fancy camera and lenses to choose from, a 50mm 1.8 is a great newborn choice. You can shoot in A or AP mode with your f-stop set at 2.8 or just shoot in auto with the flash turned off. If all you have is your iPhone, tap the screen on the part of the baby you want to focus on and it will adjust exposure. Editing apps like PicTapGo, Afterlight or Colorstory can help you edit. But keep it simple – remember, you’re not creating crazy effects or fake tilt-shifts or selective color. You’re just capturing your beautiful new baby as they are.

It’s also important to remember if your baby is grumpy, fussy, uncomfortable or otherwise unhappy you can call it quits and try again some other time. Do it tomorrow. Do it next week. ALL the day with a newborn are both so long and so short, you will barely remember them in a couple years. It’s not like if you don’t get these photos when your baby is exactly 2 days or 2 weeks or 2 months old you’ve failed. Just do the best you can so in 5 years when you send your tiny newborn off to kindergarten you have something to look at and cry over. That’s totally normal, right?

Good luck! Let me know if you take any newborn photos, I would love to see them!

I thought I did really well this week, but a) my mom was still here and b) I somehow totally forgot Wednesday? The real test will be this current week, when I’m left with 4 children all day. Will they make it to school wearing clothes?!?! Will Linc try to sit on the baby??? Will the cat finally give up and run away forever??? WHO KNOWS!!

Sunday:

That’s how you know it’s good ice cream

Sitting so politely

WHICH CHILD EVEN IS THIS IT LOOKS LIKE EVAN BUT IT’S TOO SMALL

Monday:

She’s so fancy

Tantrum toddler is tatruming

I should probably just burn it down

Tuesday:

Checking out the other patients

Is he sleeping yet??

It was less than 80 degrees, so she needed a blanket

Wednesday:

All I have from Wednesday, which explains itself

Thursday:

So nice

Cider Mill haul

But WHY can’t the cows come home with us???

Friday:

I caught you helping!

Tired baby

All wrapped up

Saturday:

Soccer is boring

Go Blue Monsters!

New lights!

We got SO many things organized/cleaned/put away/straighten/throw out/fixed while my parents were here. It’s always amazing to have them here and my house no longer looks like the trashiest one on the block. Now all I have to do is stay on top of laundry and dishes for…the rest of my life. That seems unlikely, but at least now the ice maker works, I have a wine fridge plugged in, and my guest room is useable.

Now that I spend 80% of my day sitting on the couch nursing a baby, the bad news my week in iPhone photos is going to be a little repetitive. The good news is it’s almost all pictures of a tiny squishy baby, so it’s not the worst thing in the world.

Sunday:

First time being worn!! In our very most special wrap.

Super windy lake, but at least we made it ONE more time

First baby of mine to ever take a pacifier

Monday:

THAT’S RIGHT

Poor yellow baby (now he’s a blue baby)

When you turn on the jets in the bath you get a LOT of bubbles

Tuesday:

Ready for school!

How he feels about the hospital

Baby’s Second Hanna Jams (lobsters were first)

Wednesday:

Friends don’t let friends have a baby without bringing them their favorite wine

Pretending he’s still a baby too

Working on his thigh rolls

Thursday:

My life is now this…

…and this…

And three times a week this (chasing a toddler during soccer).

Friday:

Helping me make the bed

He looks so pleased with his noodle and his juice

FAAAAACE

Saturday:

Living their best lives

Bzzzzzzzz

Presents from Gymboree as part of a campaign! I’ll have the post up tomorrow!

I’m all caught up! Now I just have to edit a bazillion photos of our weekend so I can get THOSE up before the end of the week and then I might just spend the rest of the week napping instead of blogging. I’m sure you understand.