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Taking pictures of your new baby is a great way to preserve life long memories.
Baby pictures can also make great postcards, keepsakes, or baby shower gifts.
Here are some simple tips to get great baby pictures:
1) Avoid bright light - Babies are especially sensitive to bright light including
harsh sunlight and flash photography. If possible, try to take photos during
the day when flash photography is not necessary. You can also use lamps to create
lighting.
2) Take pictures from different distances - Try to take pictures from different
distances. Most people like to take close-up pictures, but pictures that are
too close can be blurry and out of focus. By taking several pictures from different
distances, you can keep the ones that are the best.
3) Be aware of your baby's mood - Try not to start a photo session when your
baby is cranky or crying. If your baby is in a bad mood, then wait awhile until
he or she is better rested or calmed. You will get better pictures when your
baby is in good spirits.
4) Use a high quality camera and film - This tip may seem simple, but is worth
saying. Using high quality cameras and film can make a big difference in the
quality of the photo, especially if you are creating photo gifts or favors.

5) Get rid of any distractions - Make sure there are not too many distractions
when taking pictures. Anything that moves or makes noise, like the TV, should
be turned off is possible. Having too many people around can also be distracting
for the baby.
6) Take multiple shots - Taking different shots is a good idea for any type
of photography, particularly if you are making photo gifts. Sometimes it is
hard to tell if a shot will turn out good until it is actually produced, so
get those extra shots just in case.
7) Background - Make sure that there is not too much distracting stuff in the
background. The focus should be on the baby, so plain backgrounds usually work
best.
8) Other people - Try taking pictures of the baby with other people as well,
including you. A baby will interact with other people and these interactions
captured on film can make great keepsakes.
About the Author - Criss White is a professional web writer on baby and
new mother topics for baby and pregnancy websites. For baby shower picture frames,
go to Baby Picture

Why would you do such a thing?

Some of the benefits of signing are:

Less frustration for baby - Imagine how it feels to grunt and point and not be able to ask for what you want. Put yourself in your baby's shoes. You're a baby. You've been playing and squealing and laughing and now your mouth is dry and you're really thirsty for milk. You grunt and point and whine for milk -- and your mother misunderstands and gives you a dry cracker instead, thinking you're hungry for a snack. You feel very frustrated and possibly angry. You might even throw the cracker back at your mother or hit her out of frustration. What if, instead, you could simply sign milk and get milk? Pure bliss!

Bonding with Parents - Babies who sign are able to interact and be acknowledged at a younger age. Picture you and your baby looking at a book about elephants. She can show you that she understands the story by signing "elephant" to you well before she could say the three syllable word "elephant". You know that your baby understands and is benefiting from the story and you can respond "yes, it is a big elephant", thereby rewarding her for her efforts.

Sibling bonding - Older siblings are given the tools to bond with their new brother or sister sooner, because the baby can sign, well before speech is possible. Not only is there a bond, but I've witnessed a sense of camaraderie because the older sibling can act as an interpreter for the baby in situations with non-signing adults.

How to start
You may, at this point, feel overwhelmed. After all, you are learning a second language -- with no one to teach you. Please don't worry. First of all, you only need to learn a few words to being signing with your baby.

Begin with 4-6 words -- choose a few words that are of importance to you (words that will make your life easier, like eat, milk, more, etc.) and also choose some that are of interest to your baby (for instance, airplane, ball, book, dog, cat, baby, etc.). This ensures that both of you are rewarded for your efforts.

Once you choose a few words, you can begin signing whenever you say those words. When your baby cries, you say "Do you want milk?" Then, sign milk at the baby's eye level so she will begin to associate the cause and effect and realize hands MEAN something!

At what age should you start? You can start from birth on. The earlier you start, the more time you, as the parent, will have to get comfortable signing. Babies 6 months and older will begin to watch your hand movements. Babies 8 months old may begin to make very rudimentary attempts to sign back to you. By one year, your baby will likely be signing regularly.

If you have an older baby or toddler who is having frustration issues or is a late talker, begin signing. Start today. Toddlers pick up signing very quickly.

Don't think you have to learn an entire language for this to work. Just learn one sign today and get started. Enjoy the gift of communicating with your baby!

Perhaps you're a young mother who is sick of the basic options of pink and blue, ruffled or hemmed with ribbon. Perhaps you're on your second or third child and frustrated that the styles for your baby haven't changed at and you're tired of looking at the same thing over and over again. Perhaps you just don't feel like shopping for baby clothes once every two weeks as your infant grows into the next size that they will rapidly outgrow. In any case, there is a solution to your frustration.

There are lots of things that are not baby clothes, but could be. Like what you ask? How about bandanas? That's right, your baby is tiny. If teeny bopper club girls can wear bandanas as shirts, imagine how much baby can fit into one! Bandanas are great for summer time as a shirt or a diaper cover, and that can be accomplished without a bit of sewing! With a little bit of snipping and stitching, there is plenty of material for an infant sized dress or pair of pants.

Baby doll t-shirts that are made for young women are ideal as dresses for older infants or even toddlers. Sure, some of the writing on them may not be so "babyish," but some of the more neutral styles would be much more dressy than you can find for the same price in baby dresses.

Taking your own worn out clothes, or just clothes you're sick of as material to make clothing for your baby is a great way to personalize their style through your once loved clothing. It will save money and give you a little bit more space in your closet. Do you have a t-shirt that you once loved, but that now is stretched in an unflattering manner, or perhaps has wear spots in a specific area? If so, you're not alone! Most of the material from the t-shirt can be salvaged and made into a whole outfit for your baby to play in with a simple pattern that can be purchased for less than two dollars.

There are lots of other household items that can be used to tend to your baby. A normal sized bath towel, for example, can, in a matter of minutes be converted into a robe for your baby to wear at the beach or when just out of the bath. When the baby is an infant, just adding some accents and a hood to the towel will make a cheaper alternative to designer robes, and is a one of a kind statement that you simply can't buy at a department store. Let your creative mind wander before you throw out those never used scraps of material and old clothes. Your wallet and your baby will thank you.

Music is a wonderful way for you to calm and soothe your baby, especially during the first year. How many times have your heard parents say that there was nothing that they could do with their crying, fussing baby until they tried music. This is because music does indeed soothe the savage beast, or in this case, the baby.

There are certain distinct sounds that have been proven to calm even fussy babies: the sounds of nature, white noise, and music. Even if your baby isn’t fussing or crying you may want to use music as often as you can to encourage that feeling of calm and peacefulness. All it takes is a few minutes every day and before you know it your baby will be looking forward to hearing that certain song emanating from the CD player.

There is nothing complicated or mysterious about introducing your baby to music from day one. You don’t need to search for the perfect song or a certain type of music. All you have to do is start by having your baby listen to your favorite songs and music. If jazz is on the top of your list, let your baby listen to the sounds of John Coltrane as he sits in his baby seat watching you in the kitchen. It doesn’t matter if you play the schmaltzy songs of the eighties or some wicked African beat, your baby is going to listen and his mood is going to be altered by any musical sound that he hears.

Besides the music that you yourself can introduce your baby to, there are hundreds of CDs on the market today that are filled with baby songs and lullabies. At the end of the day you may want to play a CD of quiet baby songs that have a slower beat. There are so many CDs for you to choose from that you will have a hard time making up your mind. Choose something that interests you. Many baby CDs will have lullabies and faster beat songs on the same CD.

Playing music has other benefits besides soothing your fussy, crying baby. These benefits include:

• Babies are introduced to musical sounds.
• Music enhances your baby’s behavior and cognitive skills.
• Relieves stress for the entire family.
• Will stimulate curiosity and an interest in music.

Take time to find a variety of music CDs for your baby to listen to. You’ll soon notice which music your baby is most drawn to and can use that music when he is particularly fussy or is crying.

When decoration for a baby shower, there are a few key aspects that should be considered:

1) Will your baby shower adhere to a theme?

Visit our baby shower theme for ideas about selecting a theme. If you are using a theme, then it is good to be consistent. People are most often impressed when decorating follows a selected theme. However, note that it doesn't have to be as specific as just rubber ducks. You can use baby items as a general theme and mix it up if desired.

2) Plates, cups and napkins.

If you are serving food, like most baby showers do, then baby themed tableware is often appropriate. If possible, try to make sure that the plates, cups, and napkins all match. Some places also have baby themed table cloths that are great for showers.

3) Confetti, banners, and streamers

The most common banners and streamers are "It's a Boy or Girl" streamers and can be attached around the walls. These decorations are usually very affordable and an easy way to decorate. Confetti can come in shapes like rocking horses, ducks, or bears. It usually takes more time to clean up confetti, but it may be worth it for some parties.

4) Yard signs

Yard signs, particularly the popular stork yard sign, is a good way to announce a new baby and also let your neighbors know about your baby shower. Another benefit is that guests will be able to easily locate the house that the shower is being held at.

5) Centerpieces and placecard holders

A baby shower cake is the most common centerpiece for a shower. Other ideas include floral arrangements, baskets, and bouquets.

Themed placecard holders are commonly available for purchase online. You can also make your own by purchasing a regular placecard holder and attaching a clip-on stuffed bear for example. Flower shops often carry such items.

Decorating can be a challenging, but fun task and carefully selected decorations can really set the atmosphere for your baby shower party.

Note: If you find this article useful, you may reprint it on your website, e-zine, or in your newsletter as long as the credits and resource box remain in tact and the hyperlinks are active.

Baby is Coming, Are you ready?



It has been a long pregnancy. You are probably tired and feeling worn more often then not. But, are you prepared for baby's arrival? Do you have all the baby clothes, baby furniture and bedding that you need? Perhaps you aren't even sure what you need to have? Not to worry, even if you didn't have a baby shower to help you prepare, you can find all the items you need for baby right under your nose!



One of the biggest worries when a mom to be is preparing for baby is the baby's room. Having the proper baby furniture and bedding is essential. But, what do you need and what isn't necessary? Sure, it's nice to have a whole room designed to a nursery theme with crib, rocker, bassinet, and changing table. But, all of those products aren't necessary and in fact, baby isn't going to care what she gets her diaper changed on. Changing tables are one thing that can be eliminated as well as the bassinet. Cribs and baby bedding are made to support any size baby from a newborn to a toddler. So, while these products are great to have, don't worry if you don't have them.

As for baby clothing, you will want to pamper baby for sure with cute outfits, little booties, and hats. But, the truth of the matter is, during the beginning months of baby's life, he or she won't have too many big outings to go to. In fact, mom and baby will probably spend a lot of their time resting up for the next feeding in the middle of the night. Again, yes it is great to have a dresser full of cuteness, but reality is, a few cute outfits will do just as well. Now, you should not short yourself on onesies and sleepers. Baby will spend most of his or her day in these and will more then likely need a few per day depending on how much baby decides to spit up. Don't forget the diapers! Having several burping clothes and blankets will also help.

Does all this discourage you? Every parent wants to give their child the best every step of the way. But, having the best furniture and clothing isn't going to help baby in any way. If you really want to find some or all of these items but don't have a large budget to work with, you do have other options. The most obvious of these is to ask family and friends for hand me downs. More then likely, they will be happy to lend you the items they no longer need. Or, if someone is asking you what you need, don't be afraid to tell them what you would like to have. Also, search around garage sales and thrift shops. You can clean and repaint just about anything you find. Saving money this way will help with the ever demanding diaper fund you will have to have!

For summer babies, or babies in warm climates, overheating is not the only concern. A baby's skin is incredibly sensitive to light, especially with the increasingly less protective o-zone layer.

Sunscreen is not the only necessity for baby's sensitive skin. Keeping a towel or blanket over the baby's carriage or bassinet during summer play is a great way to keep the sun from harming your baby. Umbrellas and pop up tents are also great for beach days. Make sure there is plenty of ventilation but little to no sun--that way your baby won't get sunburned or have to squint at the bright sun rays.

For daily summer wear, onesies that are made of a lightweight cotton are a great alternative to pants and shirts. In addition to being comfortable, they will easily fit in a small bag or purse that you can bring along in extra in case of a spill or accident. Another bonus of your baby being born in the summer is that it will keep shoe costs down, since a baby in a stroller in seventy five to eighty degree weather does not really need to wear shoes! Keeping a blanket in the stroller is important, especially if you're in air conditioned buildings a lot, since babies are a lot more sensitive to the change in air temperature.

For winter wear, bundling babies in layers is a good way to combat the difference between heated buildings and the outside. Avoiding long stretches of being outside in colder temperatures is probably a good idea, but for short walks or trips between cars and buildings, warm bundling is vital. If you live in a climate that has a lot of snow, the danger of sun burn is even more prevalent than in the summer, since it attacks from all angles. Warm socks, mittens, and hats will do a good deal to keep most of the baby's body heat in. Buntings that button down the front are a great way to let the baby escape from the heat a little bit when you are inside without too much effort for you or discomfort for the baby.

Layers work in almost every weather. As any New Englander will tell you, the ability to put on a layer or take it off is the key to combating shifting climates. This is particularly important for your baby, who is much more sensitive than you to slight changes in temperature or outside conditions. So keeping an extra sweater around, or putting an onesie underneath warmer clothing is a great way to prepare for anything that Mother Nature has in store. She likes to keep new mothers on their toes!