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    • Christine BentleyChristine Bentley

    Milestones: When should you photograph your baby?

    July 29, 2010 | Posted by Christine Bentley

    She’s Precious. He’s Perfect. You want to photograph your baby every moment. Although I truly believe that parents should have point and shoot cameras with them at all times, I believe that professional photos can be an amazing addition to remembering these amazing moments. With that said, and perhaps even the given economy, hiring a professional photographer can be well, a little overwhelming should you desire pictures every single day. However, because the quality and artistic talent of a professional can be completely amazing and priceless, I will explain when it is the best time to photograph your new little addition given your baby’s milestones!

    THE MATERNITY SESSION

    Can’t deny it. The beauty of a mommy to be, a gift from above and truly a work of life. If you are still pregnant and still haven’t photographed your “bump” by a professional now is a great time to find your photographer. Many photographers offer complete baby plans which may include a maternity session. These sessions are amazing! A great addition to your baby book  or your couture album celebrating the life of your new baby, from beginning to, well another beginning!

    THE NEWBORN SESSION

    Feeling a little tired? Most likely. During your baby’s first week of life, you and your family are no doubt going through and amazing adjustment. Trying to figure out sleep. Trying to figure out a lot of things. This is the most unbelievable time to have your baby photographed. I encourage parents to bring their newborn babies in BEFORE 2 weeks of age but even BEFORE 1 week of age, is ideal! Most are looking to have their newborn photographed naked with perhaps an artistic pose. Newborn babies that are just a few days are able to be posed, comfortable naked (as long as they are warm and their bellies are full), and cute as can be. During this time (as a parent of 2 I know this) we are too tired to truly appreciate the tiny toes, the blistered lips, the wrinkled back. Your photographer will be able to capture all these tiny details, and create some amazing artistic images. Your baby changes so fast, don’t let this time pass you by before you can capture it professionally.

    THE 3-4 MONTH SESSION

    You’ve had a newborn session, now what? Your baby is changing by the day! You want to make sure you don’t miss anything right? As mentioned before, we probably wont be taking our children every 5 minutes to a professional. I recommend the next time your child makes strides in their development is the best time to bring them back to your fav photog. At 3 months, your baby is now smiling! Yep, they know who you are! Babies at this age will smile and interact a lot. This is something that they did not do as a newborn. Some babies with also be able to have some tummy time. When positioned on a pillow or my favorite photography prop, the Boppy, a 3-4 month old will be able to place their head up and perhaps peak a smile just long enough for that quick capture! If you are finding that your baby is within this age group and is not yet ready for belly time, which is perfectly fine, wait, YES WAIT, until these shots are possible!

    THE 6 MONTH SESSION

    About this age, there is another milestone, your baby will be grabbing for toys, laughing, and even sitting up! This is a great age and one of my favorite to photograph. Again, if your baby is not yet sitting up, wait a few weeks until that is possible. Please know that sitting up with a parents help and balancing does count! Make sure it is safe and an assistant or parent is near by to catch the lean! Little ones may also enjoy some added clothing for this age. I don’t think babies need a lot of props to enhance photos or clothing for that matter, but as they get older adding them can be fun and their personalities shine so much that your little one for sure be the center of attention in any photo!

    9-12 months: What no photo here? Well for a reason. Remember we want to count milestones right? Well, if you capture baby at 6 months, and then at 9 months, not too much has changed. Maybe crawling, and if you want that captured great. If you want to wait, I tell my clients to wait until something is different. As much as your baby has changed since they were born, the older they are getting the more subtle the changes are. I don’t want to disappoint my clients with photos from 2 different sessions that their baby looks the same, and does the same things. I would much rather wait until they are 1, now that is for sure a milestone!

    ONE YEAR & BEYOND

    Crawling, standing with help or even walking. Teeth! It’s all here by now. This is a milestone for sure! Never fear if your baby is not walking yet (mine were both totally different) you will want to get their portraits done at 1 year! Some of my clients will wait just a couple weeks after their birthday because they know for sure they may be walking. Again, it is up to you. Celebrating your baby’s first year is for both of you! You have been with your little one now for 1 year and can’t imagine life any different. It is time to capture another fantastic moment if their/your life!

    So you got that down, you  are anticipating when to take your baby to your favorite photographer, and now you are wondering,  “what about after my baby is 1?”  Then what? I encourage you to stay connected with your photographer. Imagine the images, the collages, the montages capturing your baby from the bump, to 1 year, to after? Your photographer will be able to have all those milestones and create some amazing products you will cherish forever. You will want to capture your toddler and child again at milestones in their life. I encourage every 6 months after they are 1. Once they are 3, time appears to slow down a bit and most of my clients intend to shoot once a year, some still remain on the 6 month time frame. As a professional myself, I have the luxury of shooting my kids many times a year. Like most, I offer incentives at different times of the year to encourage more priceless moments for my clients, take advantage of all those opportunities as I have NEVER heard a parent complain that they have too many pictures of their child!

    Alice ParkAlice Park

    b braithwaite giveaway today: the bilibo!

    July 28, 2010 | Posted by Alice Park

    Just when you thought NAPCP couldn’t get any cooler, we’re hosting another giveaway today – courtesy of the super amazing b braithwaite!  The bilibo is a new kind of toy – the elementary shells leave room for the child’s imagination.  Instead of imposing a specific play pattern, Bilibo is open for a wide range of interpretation and encourages the children to invest their own games, to play and have fun in an active and creative way.

    NAPCP loves toys that allow children to think (or play) outside the box!  No pun intended…

    The Giveaway: Win a bilibo toy from b braithwaite.

    To Enter (you must complete all 3 steps):

    1.  Fan NAPCP on facebook or twitter or both.  You must do one or the other.

    2.  Fan b braithwaite on facebook or twitter or both.  You must do one or the other.

    3.  Comment to let us know that you have have done so on both, and let us know why your child would love a bilibo!

    Deadline: Friday, July 30th at 5 PM EST.

    Update: The winner of the bilibo is Wendy Hunter!  She writes:   I have a VERY energetic 4 year old that would LOVE this toy! He just had a baby sister, and i (of course) feel like the worst mom in the world. He used to get to go do a TON of fun things and now he is housebound with his sister’s feeding and nap schedules…he needs this toy :) thanks for a fun giveaway!


    tanya_alexistanya_alexis

    Great books for the kiddos!

    July 28, 2010 | Posted by tanya_alexis

    I do not remember a lot from my early years, but one thing I do remember is curling up with one of my parents and reading before bed.  It is something that I will always look back on with fondness.  Going to the Hurleys for dinner every week, I am able to re-live these memories.  Every visit before the girls go to bed, we sit and read.  I have even been known to end a session or two reading to one of my little clients, but only when they ask me to :)  I want to begin with one of my most favorite books from when I was a child.  Miss Rumphius is a fantastic book.  The watercolor pictures are beautiful, and it is a wonderful story (especially for little girls).  It took me years to find this book again, because growing up I always referred to it as the lupine lady book.  Another great book from my childhood…The Jolly Postman is lots of fun, because every place the postman goes, he delivers a letter, a postcard, a catalog that you can pull out and read.  And the book incorporates fairy tale characters to make it even more fun!  A very good friend first mentioned this next book to me last year.  The Blueberry Pie Elf is fantastic!  However, the magic lies in the combination of the illustrations and the story.  So if you decide to get it, make sure you get the version with illustrations by Seymour Fleishman.  I read Library Lion a few weeks ago for the first time.  It is a very sweet story, and it is beautifully illustrated.  I feel in love with it after just one read, and I look forward to reading to the girls again soon :)  Every few weeks, I hope to add a new entry with a few more books.   Happy reading!

    Alice ParkAlice Park

    Guest Contributor: Chaffee Braithwaite of b braithwaite

    July 25, 2010 | Posted by Alice Park

    We are so delighted to introduce one of our absolute favorite baby boutiques and the amazing lady behind it.  b braithwaite was started five years ago by Chaffee Braithwaite and her mom – renowned interior designer Nancy Braithwaite – in the hopes of bringing a new shopping experience for expecting parents to Atlanta.  They believe that the experience is just as important as the service and product selection. Expecting parents are excited and nervous, and they aim to create a calming environment where they can personally guide them through their purchases and registries.

    When photographing my little subject’s nurseries, I often look for the same clean, sophisticated design that I see inside of Chaffee’s store.  Every single detail – from the gorgeous packaging, to the light-filled, modern aesthetics, to the full selection of ultra-chic baby products – make shopping, registering, and browsing such a joy there.

    Chaffee and her mom have redefined chic nursery design and created the ultimate one-stop destination for clients who want a boutique shopping experience with hands on customer service.  We are so thrilled to have Chaffee join us…


    You have a gorgeous storefront.  Tell us about what was involved in designing your space and all of the little details.
    My mom, Nancy Braithwaite, is a renowned interior designer- so she is fully responsible for the beautiful store design. When it came to designing the space, she had a vision of an all white space. Inside she created several individual rooms, which she continuously creates new vignettes. We both get bored easily and enjoy changing the displays. My mom loves big visuals and we thought the bunny and bear topiaries would be a charming way to welcome our clients to the store. We bought small stuffed animals that local artists recreated in small clay sculptures. We tweaked their positions in the smaller form. They then created the larger versions out of fiberglass and hand covered them in the topiary.


    What are some of the names that you carry?
    Stokke, Bloom, Serena & Lily, Kissy Kissy, Rachel Riley, Angel Dear, Monte Design, Orbit Baby, Graco, Uppa Baby, Storksak, Boon, Nourish and the list goes on and on!


    What products are your clients gravitating most towards these days?
    Strollers are a very important decision for our clients. Strollers today are not what our parents used! They are multi-functional, and offer lots of options. We spend a lot of time walking them through their options and helping them select a stroller that suits their needs.

    They are also looking for special and unique gifts. We work hard to bring items to the store that are otherwise not easily found- beautiful mobiles from France, musical animals from Germany, even customized gifts we create in store.

    Which toys are the most popular amongst your babies and children?
    There are several top sellers depending on the age. Sophie the Giraffe teether, which has been around for years, is one of our best-sellers for the infant category.

    The Bilibo is a great seller- I love this product because it’s all about a child’s imagination- parents look at the toy and always wonder what it does; but if you hand it to a child, they are off and thinking of new things to do with it- it’s the old concept of a cardboard box. Perfect for children age 2-7.

    For boys, I love the Playsam collection- great as a gift or they can be used for decoration.

    And one of my favorites are the plush animal houses. All the animals are removable and there are lots of choices. Kids of all ages, and adults, love them!



    What advice can you give parents when decorating their new baby’s nursery?
    Enjoy the process and remember there are no rules! Parents are so overwhelmed with all the choices and decisions to make- and it can sometimes take away from the excitement of the actual pregnancy. This is a wonderful time in their lives. They should stick with their instincts, and not let others over-influence their choices. I also suggest investing in pieces that will last a while. For instance, always buy a crib that converts into a toddler bed. Buy a great dresser that you can use forever- you can put a tray or a changing pad right on top.

    We’ll be visiting with Chaffee and b braithwaite again in the near future to find out more about their fabulous finds and sophisticated philosophy on nursery decor.  Meanwhile, stay tuned later this week!  You may just find a sweet giveaway from this beautiful boutique!

    To find out more about b braithwaite, here’s how you can find them:

    online:  http://www.bbraithwaite.com

    facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/pages/Atlanta-GA/b-braithwaite/82119979784?ref=search

    twitter:  http://twitter.com/babybraithwaite

    Amber SnowAmber Snow

    Fresh Cut Flowers

    July 23, 2010 | Posted by Amber Snow

    I arrange flowers like I tweeze my eyebrows – I keep cutting until I hope I didn’t do too much. Eventually I gave up on the eyebrows and started to get them waxed, but the flowers I’m just starting to like. I’ve become addicted to my local grocery store, shopping for groceries in small batches 2 to 3 times a week. About once a week I’ll pick up some fresh flowers. A few dollars, an old mason jar, and voila -

    p.s. no PhotoShopping on these images! I’m a huge fan of Lightroom, and after a few tweaks that took about four seconds, I was done with the edits


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