You asked what settings to use. My suggestions are:
Put it on Av (you pick aperture, camera picks appropriate shutter speed.) Use a wide aperture, 2.8 if possible. If you don't have access to 2.8, use 3.5 or your widest. Just remember to focus on the closest eyeball. Sometimes the depth of field is shallow enough that "fuzziness" across the face will vary in the picture, so it's important to focus directly on the eyes. Closest eye in particular, if one is closer to you!
Check the shutter speed that the camera is giving you with your given aperture. Most people can't reliably hand-hold a camera at less than the reciprocal of the focal length of the lens. For example: If you have a 50mm lens, don't try to handhold at less than 1/50th of a second. If you're using a 200mm lens, don't try to handhold at less than 1/200th of a second. Of course if you have IS (image stabilization) or really steady hands you may be able to hand-hold at lower speeds. And if you have really shaky hands, you may need an even faster speed. Generally I try to avoid going below 1/60th second b/c my pics then have a sort of softness to them from a bit of hand-shake that cancels out all the beautiful sharpness my lens is capable of giving.
If your camera DOESN'T have at least 1/50 there, you can do a few things to get a faster shutter speed. One is to add more light. Open doors, other windows, pull back blinds. If that doesn't give enough, then start bumping the ISO one increment at a time until you get a speed you're happy with.
Basically, for example: Set Aperture = 2.8 and ISO = 200, see what the camera gives for shutter speed. If it's not fast enough, set aperture = 2.8, ISO = 300, and check shutter. Although most cameras these days have relatively good quality at high ISO's, lower ISO still gives the crispest pics. So try to hit the lowest possible.
Then, once you have ISO all set up, take your shots!
I do like black backgrounds, but I LOVE pure white for baby pics. They can both give great shots. Good luck & happy baby-visiting!
J
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