When does a child actually grow up? For many parents, the answer is never. For two high school friends, the answer may be at 336 months or 28 years old. A single gal decided to celebrate her 28th birthday in the most epic way. Ham said the hilarious photos were meant to spoof the baby pics that flood her Facebook feed, Ham lives in Nashville, but grew up in South Carolina.she said"I was scrolling on my newsfeed and about four or five in a row were those newborn [monthly] milestones," Ham said. "So I said, 'Wow. How many months will I be on the 29th?'"When Nicole Ham had the idea to take a photoshoot for her birthday inspired by those staged by many new parents, her longtime friend Stephanie Smith, who owns Southern Stitched Photography in South Carolina, agreed to help. With Ham's birthday coming up, she and Smith wanted to pull off a unique photo shoot to celebrate."Being 28 and single, one day you wake up and your newsfeed is flooded with engagements, baby announcements, and weddings," Smith said." "[Ham] came up with the idea to recreate the newborn shoot.""I was sold," said Smith. "It was to make light of the trend. It was really hard to keep a straight face the entire time. Nicole Ham celebrated by swaddling herself up like a newborn, crafting a Pinterest-like “facts plaque” about her 28-year-old self, and allowing her photographer friend to go crazy.“Because your best friend only turns 336 months once,”"Ham was swaddled in an adult blanket while she posed in the center of a faux floral wreath. Beside her was a felt letter board that read: "336 months old. Loves Champagne. Hates Dating in 2018. Go Tigers!".Ham is a Clemson University graduate and the "Tigers" shoutout was to wish her alma mater luck on their football game that took place the day of her birthday. The images were shared on Southern Stitched Photography's Facebook page, where they quickly garnered more than 28,000 shares. In the wide shots, you can see a wreath of flowers and branches in a huge circle around the 28-year-old’s whole body.“As a photographer for me, I’m beyond myself that so many people have seen my photos,” Smith said. To see the rest of Smith’s (more traditional) work, visit the Southern Stitched Photography Facebook page.
