It's a Tradition and Stuff
Once upon a time, there was a photographer who gave me what I thought were very wise nuggets of wisdom. He said that I should be sure to get portraits of The Toddler taken at 18 months of age because once she turned two, she would no longer be game for portrait taking festivities. I took his nuggets of wisdom to heart and made sure I got those 18-month portraits.
They were HELL.
HELL.
The Toddler wouldn't pose, she wouldn't sit, she wouldn't stand, she wouldn't anything. The only reason any portraits were purchased that day was because somewhere along the line, it became fun to play peek-a-boo by running around and around and around the background. That game of peek-a-boo required that I run around and around and around the background chasing The Toddler and that the photographer manage to snap a photo at exactly the right moment so as to avoid images of my booty jiggling as it chased a short somebody with an unbelievable amount of energy. Somehow, the portrait session was a success, although I nearly passed out from exhaustion right in the middle of the store.
The things we do to capture memories.
That portrait session was so bad that I didn't take The Toddler back again until around her second birthday. Considering that for her first year I took her monthly, that was quite the change in operations.
For her two-year portraits, I thought it would be wise to bring Mr. Husband along so that I could have a second parental unit helping to keep things under control. That didn't quite work out as expected. We'll just say it was an instance where Mommy's devil horns were in full display while Daddy stood around saying, "Do whatever you want, honey!" Looking back, it's not terribly surprising that things unfolded that way.
That brings us up to a few days ago.
I pulled into the driveway and realized the Shasta Daisies were in full bloom. I LURVE Shasta Daisies. I LURVE to pick Shasta Daisies and take them to Picture People for portraits with the kid. In fact, I had done it two years running. See:
Six-month portraits:
(Channeling her inner Jennifer Aniston.)
(Baby booties are the best!)
(She spent the entire portrait session eating flowers. It was fabulous.)
18-month portraits:
(Running.)
(Still running.)
(She looked at the camera? GOOD ENOUGH.)
OF COURSE I had to do it again. So, I picked out a white dress for The Toddler, picked a few dozen daisies, and drug our booties over to South Hills Village Mall fully expecting to be tortured for an hour.
WHY DIDN'T ANYONE TELL ME THE KID IS WILLING TO HAVE HER PORTRAIT TAKEN NOW?
She sat. She posed. She smiled. She laughed. She made it REALLY FREAKIN' HARD to pick out just a couple of photos.
That moron that told me to make sure I got 18-month portraits because Two wouldn't be happening? Needs clubbed with a 2x4.
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Reader Comments (54)
I did the every 6 month thing with MA, Diva I took twice, once at 8 month and once at around 18 month and I don't think I've ever gotten Peanut's pictures taken professionally. I did have someone take them but she was a mom working on starting a businss. They were just as good as a professional and a lot more economical. Now I just get the school pictures! Woo-hoo!
I love the daisies. Oh yeah, the kids cute, too. :)
Do you know how mnay times my youngest has had professional photos dones? Once. At 3 months old. I am horrible, terrible, no good mother.
I like the second from last the best. Love her smile!
She is just beautiful!
Tayton always has done well for pictures except now he has the worst fake smile. Korbin has always been a pain in the butt but he's so darn cute anyway!
Great pictures, I feel your pain on the frustration of the process!
I'm going to have to come back when not at work. Can't see adorable pictures. Grr.
Stunning! Glad she played along this time. And OMW how cute is the fourth last shot of her holding the bunch of daisies!
I love them! I have taken my baby (just turned one) every month to get pictures taken. But I think I might switch to every 6 months now. I might steal the idea and bring in daisies for one of her portraits!
I suck as a parent. I've never had Morgan's done. Part of me doesn't feel bad because I have so many pictures of her and Jimmy's sister is a PhotoShop GENIUS and makes any picture look like it was taken professionally. Another part of me says I should feel bad about it, but....eh. Whatever.
I wonder if you can take a second mortgage out on the house and buy every. single. picture. Beautiful!! I love how simple you go with the white dress and flowers. Perfect.
:)
She looks like a natural posing like that! Gorgeous pictures :)
She really is a cutie!
Not to make you hate me or anything, but all my kids have always loved their photos taken. Studios see our herd coming and cringe, but you should see them bow down and worship when the session is finished in under 10 minutes because of all the wonderful shots they got.
And I've learned long ago to just say NO. Yes, it's absolutely fantabulous of my children, but NO. I only want these today.
Our 18-month shots were pure hell and I vowed I'd never take her for pictures alone EVER.
I've been so traumatized that I've yet to take her for her 2-yr pictures, but I figure, she's 2 for 10 more months, right?
The 18-months ones look great, doesn't even look like she wasn't cooperating! Love the 2-year ones...all the smiles, and the pensive one at the end. Hubs fought me on this one, so we've never done the professional...wish I had a quicker shutter speed on my camera, I miss some great shots...I think I'll try 2-years though...I've waited long enough!
Oooh, I absolutely love that last one!!
My problem wasn't 18 but 20, which was Christmas. He wouldn't get off the darn train PicPeo had for me to get a shot of his VERY expensive Bailey Boys jon jon. The 2 year shots at Easter? Forgetaboutit. When I held him in his personalized Easter outfit? He was fine. When he was solo in his personalized bday outfit? Geez.
Her highness is a beauty. I love the theme of the white & daisy look.
Oh my goodness. That last photo is just stunning! I think you have a little Christie Brinkley on your hands! Bea-uti-ful!
That last photo really is fantastic - I'm not familiar with "The Picture People" but I'm glad to know they're out there. I checked out their website and their family photo options seemed less cheesy than Sears was . . . we may want to do some daddy/son photos when hubby is home on leave and need a non-cheesy studio.
Wow! Awesome! My favorites are #4, #6, and #7. Her hair looks adorable!
oh my! SHe's awesome once again. That last shot is gorgeous! K, this is completely unrelated but I just saw this video and immediately thought of you & Alexi with her trashcan yogurt tube - tee hee! It cracked me up., I could picture you gettin' this guy in a headlock.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8TY4LSdjLI
Don't you get sick of hearing how cute that little girl is!
Oh my gosh! The 4th, 5th, and 6th one are beautiful! I hope you picked those for everyone (I mean everyone!) to get a copy of.
That's so wonderful that she cooperated for the photos!
I have yet to take Alex to do professional photos. I can barely get him to stay still at home, so I feel like it would be like your 18-month experience.
Absolutly, totally, completly ADORABLE!
Even the ones that aren't "perfectly posed" are so sweet. I just love capturing the real way kids are.
Love the daisies! The last two are SO precious!
I'm still ordering from our last photo session. Good thing they're all available for a year.
Those are gorgeous. OK. I totally have to do the portraits I keep saying I'm going to do but never do of Jonathan.
These are awesooome!
I love the pictures they turned out great. Kids will be kids and do the exact opposite of what you want or think most days.
Alexis is simply gorgeous in all those pics.
The flowers are also very nice, and a great touch.
that last one is an absolute KNOCKOUT.
i'll lend you my baseball bat when she gets older. right now, though, it's in use.
They look great! And I will hold out hope that our 2 year attempt (if I am that brave) goes better than the 18 month attempt (which resulted in some good photos because the woman spent 90 minutes snapping 800 photos and just dumb luck dictated there had to be a few good ones in there). I have been a horribly neglectful momma about professional portraits. The 18 month ones are it. The only ones I've done (as my MIL reminds me often). My child is well documented - I take 100's of photos a month...I just can't bring myself to take her to a studio and bang my head against a wall while watching her not cooperate.
That last picture is absolutely stunning. Even if there is no baby booty involved.
I miss baby booty pictures. Even if Sweetie Pie thought they were the cruellest thing anyone can do to a kid.
Good thing he doesn't know about that time I put barettes Little Man's hair, to see how cute he would have looked as a girl.
For the record? He's a very pretty girl.
Good Gawd, those are fantastic. LOVE the last one.
Photographers (like most people) don't know everything. The one that photographed our little darling at 5 months old swore there was no way she could sit for a picture. I said, "Way! She's been sitting on her own for 2 weeks!" He didn't believe it until she sat there and stayed in place, smiling for him.
Duh.
Moms know best. Oh, and? You have been tagged. Come see my place for rules...pthththth...
Peace - D
Those are gorgeous!!! What beautiful pictures and I LOVE the daisies in them!!!
OMG - those turned out beautiful! And I can understand your surprise, given that I have witnessed the "I'm not looking at the camera, forget it pal, I'm not looking" act.
OMG - those turned out beautiful! And I can understand your surprise, given that I have witnessed the "I'm not looking at the camera, forget it pal, I'm not looking" act.
don't even get me going on taking kids' photos. just don't!
but, she looks so cute!!!
I CAN ONLY SAY MY LITTLE GRANDAUGHTER IS ABSOLUTLEY BEAUTIFUL. SHE LOOKS SO PRECIOUS SHE BROUGHT TEARS TO NANA. I CANNOT WAIT TO SEE HER IN AUGUST. SHE IS JUST AN ANGEL IN MY EYES.
All perfect!!!! She is adorable, and wonderful idea. I may just have to steal it from you. I have never taken my kids to a studio, I "try" to do pics by myself, and I could only imagine what my little tazmanian devil would do to a photography studio, you give me hope that at 2 he will know how to sit. Even dogs can learn that, right?
Those.are.gorgeous. Brought a little tear to my eye to see how much she's grown. Such a neat tradition.
And you must have some special girl (like you didn't already know that) because the photog wasn't that far off. Gavin was gold at his 18-month portraits, and at his 21-month portraits. But 24-month? We had to have them redone...he was AWFUL! And bad at 30 months, and rotten at 36 months, uncooperative at 39 months (with his new brother, no less), and http://www.justinrummel.com/coppermine/displayimagepopup/pid=5080/fullsize=1.html" REL="nofollow">a stinker at 42 months. But his 4-yr pics??? BEAUTIFUL! Incredibly cooperative, let the photog pose him, smiled beautifully, changed his outfit without screaming hysterically. I swore it was a whole new child!
What a cutie...I'm off to club photo guy!
Pufferfish acted like Satan's Spawn at her one-year photo session. We may never be able to get another photo done of her again! But yours look wonderful!
And it will get harder again when she turns three. Actually, maybe not, but my son stopped participating in all photo sessions right around then. Come to think of it though, my daughter is all about getting her picture taken.
I want to squeeze her. The butt shots are too cute, the 'I don't wanna' shots are perfect and the last ones, with the Daisies.. Oh mah word woman! She is so stinking precious.
I. am. envious.
Oh.my.goodness. She is PRECIOUS!!!
Don't you hate when people who know EVERYTHING tell you what to do? Bean was a turd at his two year shots. A turd. He cried the ENTIRE time.
And it was the ONE time I had paid MAJOR bucks to have these baseball shots done. I need to scan them.
But seriously, I think you may have a little baby model there!
Adorable! I am going to try to get my girls to do that last pose.
Yeah, right.
anyway, those are cute pics. we took Monkey for holiday photos when she was about 1 year old -- three times. she was so scared of that camera and/or the stranger behind it, it was pathetic. I pictures of her clearly sobbing against a pretty holiday background.
good times.
ciao,
rpm
Make it easier on yourself and just get wallpaper for the house with ALL of the pictures on it. These are adorable!
I can totally see why choosing one or two out of that bunch would be hard! She is adorable in every one!
And as far as her 18 month set, I LOVE the one where she's eating the flowers. In fact, it might be my favorite of them all. But I'm weird like that...
Oh, I love these!
That last one is absolutely adorable!
Those pictures are perfection. I too, like the one where she is eating the flowers.
omg they are gorgeous. i will pay you for a wallet. lol the last serious one is my favorite
SOOOO cute! I am so jealous she cooperated so well too! :)
What a great idea with the daisies. Makes me want a girl. A little. kinda. sorta. maybe........
That smile just makes you melt, doesn't it? ; )