Paul and Jennifer recently came to our portrait studio in Markham to get some pictures of their newborn baby, Chloe. All babies are beautiful I know, and Chloe was no exception, but I think she has the most beautiful, softest skin I have ever seen. Chloe was already 17 days old and beginning to discover her world—be it by looking around at her environs or simply by moving her tongue this way and that inside her mouth.

We started the session by taking some pictures of the proud new parents with their precious baby. Paul and Jennifer weren’t sure whether they wanted black or white background, so we decided to do a couple of shots of both and they could pick what they like best later in the comfort of their own home.

s

Chloe wasn’t all too thrilled with the situation, so it took some soothing by her doting parents to calm her and we snapped shots in between and sometimes even during

Chloe seemed to be rooting quite a bit, so after a soother didn’t seem to satisfy her needs, they decided to give her a bottle. And wow, this girl can drink a college frat boy under the table. Sure, it’s milk but after she had her fill, she had that glazed-over look of drunkenness. She was very satisfied indeed.

Newborn babies seem mesmerized by the strobes we have in the studio and I think it’s safe to say, Chloe was no exception.

We wanted to get some shots of her sleeping too. Usually we recommend newborn pictures be taken in the first ten days while babies are the sleepiest. Chloe was beyond that golden age, so we thought we’d do whatever we could to make it happen. We darkened the studio, spoke in hushed tones as Jennifer and Paul took turns soothing her to sleep. Then we waited….and waited…and waited. But Chloe was fighting it, she just didn’t want to go down yet. It’s not a surprise really, in our experience at this age, most babies take about 90 minutes in the studio before they settle. So rather than wait any longer, we decided to take the intended sleeping-on-faux-fur-while-wrapped-in-a-cocoon-net anyway.

After that, we put her in a basket. Well that basket did the trick, because it didn’t take long until Chloe slipped off into dreamland, open mouth and all. Suddenly, the freedom to take all kinds of pictures from all different angles. There’s nothing in the world cuter than a sleeping baby, wouldn’t you agree?

It was great meeting Paul and Jennifer. New parents always go through such a range of emotions during those first few months—from intense excitement to total exhaustion and everything in between. But as I’m sure Paul and Jennifer would be the first to admit, one look at your tender, delicate, newborn babe, be it awake or asleep, content or fussing, and you know, in that moment, that it’s all worthwhile. Chloe is a lucky girl to have two parents who love her, who tenderly hold and sooth her, who cherish every moment they spend with her, and who will be there for her through thick and thin for the rest of their lives.