Friday, December 19, 2008

Newborn Portraits

I was puttering around today and came across an envelope containing Bubba's hospital portraits. I realized that I never posted them, so I balanced the boy on one knee and got to work scanning them.

Most hospitals give you the option of getting newborn portraits done before you leave. Since we ourselves were newborns these photos have been of a baby lying flat on it's back on top of some pastel background. Although I knew that these photos were a racket (hello overpricing!) I also knew we'd pay for them.

Hey - this is our first, and most likely only, child and it's tradition!

So, on our fourth day in the hospital, we dressed up the baby in the outfit we selected expressly for this purpose. We loaded him into the wheely bassinette, and headed down the hall. While he looked precious, I can't say the same held true for his parents. His dad was all grizzly from not shaving and had some seriously scary hair under his ball cap. I looked not unlike a poop sammich. No matter though, I assured my husband. These are going to be photos of the baby!

Wrong on all counts! They had a miniature portrait studio set up in there, complete with backgrounds and props. She was putting baseball gloves and gigantic fake butterfies on the baby's back! And then there was that whole "just the baby" thing...

This is the good one. The rest? Well, imagine being in a hospital gown, two days after surgery, you haven't showered yet, no makeup, bedhead despite dragging a hairbrush through your mop before tossing it into a ponytail, bags under your eyes from erratic sleep... Let's just say, I didn't look pretty. I was irritated that she insisted I be in some photos, even though I protested. Then she took PROFILE SHOTS!!! All I could see, instead of my cute baby, was my double chin. Ew.
Needless to say, none of those got ordered. Just the previous two poses. While I do want to do all the fun baby and kid stuff, I don't see the need to buy sheets and sheets of photos to either give to people who will just toss them out, or to keep forgotton in a box somewhere.

Labels: ,

3 Comments:

Blogger Carrie said...

I had no idea days of taking your newborns photos in the hospital have changed so much! They had always taken your baby's photos shortly after birth when they still have goop in their eyes, and their faces look all red and squishy! SO I was totally surprised when they asked us to do portraits as we were packing up to leave on day three. I said no, how horrible am I? We had already taken probably close to a million photos of her on our own, I just wanted to go home. I felt guilty, but didn't realize it was done this way now.

The two poses you chose are so precious. The second photo is sweet, Sawyer's face..awwww. I think Daddy's scruff makes the picture extra sweet, a reminder of the two elated, exhausted new parents you were when everything was a blur.

I don't like to order sheets and sheets either for the same reason you gave. Just the thought of them sitting around or being tossed out makes me feel terrible.

6:06 AM  
Blogger Creative Junkie said...

omg, you cracked me up with the "poop sammich" ... are you channeling Rachael Ray?

That IS an adorable photo ... but I myself can't stand hospital baby photos. They NEVER look like the actual baby. I got mine from my daughters and I actually thought they sent me the wrong ones.

1:05 PM  
Blogger Sweet Simplicity said...

I too had no idea that hospitals have portrait studios! That is crazy. The 2 pics that you purchased are adorable!

7:40 AM  

Post a Comment

Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]

<< Home

Photobucket Photobucket

©2008 Sara Madrigal Fehling. All rights reserved.

Please do not take my photos without permission.

Contact me! sara.fehling@gmail.com

Related Posts with Thumbnails