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When Mazzy was born, I took endless pictures of her in oversized pajamas lying on my couch. Her hair matted to her forehead, her eyes slightly crossed, drool running down her chin. The first time Mazzy was shot by a professional was when we had family photos taken at age two.

This time around, a NYC-based photographer named Rebecca Yale, contacted me when I was about six months pregnant and asked if I would like to have newborn photos taken. 

To be honest, I have always been a little weary of recreating Baby Moses scenarios or sticking infants with flowers on their head into terra cotta pots, so I checked out Rebecca's portfolio to see what we were dealing with.

To my pleasant surprise (and no doubt due to raging preggo hormones), I found her pictures really beautiful. Tasteful and adorable. All of a sudden, I wanted nothing more than to have my unborn child photographed in a basket or a bucket.

Ten days after Harlow was born (newborn photography is best taken within the first 5-12 days), I trekked the baby downtown to Rebecca's extra warm Tribeca studio (warmth is key for keeping the baby sleepy).

Rebecca gently lifted Harlow from my arms, wrapped her in a blanket and then coddled and cooed like the goddamn baby whisperer. Harlow was like putty in her hands. (FYI- I would have paid just to have Rebecca watch her for a few hours so I could take a nap. No photos necessary.)

Just as I was settling into the couch, I was presented with my prop options.

I don't know what came over me, but faced with an assortment of fancy newborn headgear, I forgot every anti-headband thing I have ever said, and wanted to try every one of them on my child.

Basically, putting a mom with a newborn in a room full of accessories and props is like putting Charlie Sheen in a room full of hookers and crack. There is too much fun to be had to exercise any level of self-control.

"Let's do bear ears in a basket!"

"Let's do feather flower in a carriage!"

"Let's do 1920's rhinestone cap while sprawled out on a Missoni blanket!"

One of the favorite prop options was "owl hat in a nest" but in my head, I was saving the best for last, which is a totally stupid thing to do at a newborn photo session. Harlow had enough before we got to it and I spent the next few days completely and irrationally DEVASTATED that I had blown the once in a lifetime opportunity of dressing my infant up like a bird (again, HORMONES). 

Then Rebecca sent me a link to Harlow's photos and all was forgotten.

Below are my favorite pictures; my absolute favorite being the photo we used for our Harlow's birth announcement up top. 

Warning: Naked baby ahead…

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And just so you know— that's not actually a Missoni blanket. It's a towel from Bed, Bath and Beyond.

Even the baby whisperer can't stop a naked baby from pooping on the props.

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A big thanks to the wonderful Rebecca Yale (click here if you would like to schedule newborn photos of your own) who I also interviewed her on Babble today. She is answering questions about everything from poses to precautions. Check out "Everything You Need to Know About Newborn Photography".

Also, thank you to Minted, which is the site I used to create Harlow's birth announcement.

Yes, I did find the time to send out announcements, thank you very much. I sent them at the end of December so I included a written thank you on the back for those who sent gifts. Tacky, maybe. Efficient and planet-friendly, definitely!

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Minted is my new favorite site to order cards and stationary. Their designs are created by independent designers through a series of design challenges with customer votes determining what they should sell. In my opinion, you can find really special stuff on there that far exceeds what you can find on Tiny Prints or Snapfish.

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I was given both the newborn session from Rebecca Yale and the Minted cards in exchange for this post, but I wouldn't have written about either if I didn't love them.