I was going for a bleachy clean, whitewash new baby look, but I can't decide if it could be mistaken as blown out....????

Hmmm...not liking it. The baby looks pale. I don't think it's blown though. Maybe just needs some warmth.
Sorry. I hope you don't mind my comment.

the baby doesn't bother me, but the white stripe above him does.

Better SOOC color & cropped??

Thanks for your comments. I appreacite your time for CC.

Thanks!
Jamie

I personally like it much better the second way. Super pale babies always make me a little weird -- I feel like the pictures are just "cozier" (for lack of a better word) when the baby is a bit pinker.

definitely!

That second one is pretty precious Jamie!
Candy

much better!

Yeah that second image is much nicer. The colors make the baby feel "alive". Cropping out that white window frame also was a big improvement. I'd add a slight vignette to it now and it would really make the focus be on the baby.

The cool tones in the first one would make a nice conversion to b&w IMO but keep the crop.

I like the warm tones too. The first one was a good idea but something about pale babies tends to be unsettling, ya know? Maybe on another type of portrait the effect would look great.