Making of Monthly Photos

Before we get to Everly's 23 month old post (hopefully tomorrow), I was looking back at the 22 month old pictures and thought it would be funny to give you some insight into how these monthly photo shoots typically go.  I have a love-hate relationship with monthly photos (I have been doing them for a little over three years now): I love having them to look back on, but they are time-consuming, cause a lot of stress to make sure you get the right picture! and come around way too frequently.

13 steps to get the *perfect* monthly photo:

1. Have your 3 year old, who always prefers to run around in her panchies, hold the duster and sit in Nonni's chair and give you her best cheese face.

2. Get the correct child dressed, hair brushed, bow on while sitting on Nonni's chair and acting generally not pleased with the situation.

3. Tell your 3 year old to stop getting in the picture and annoying little sister.

4. Realize it is not going well and go inside and take a waffle break.

5. Head back outside (once sister is at school) and try not to force her to get in the chair. Take a ridiculously cute picture of her baby bum and chubby little hands.

6. Let her run around and do her thing while running after her.  Finally, here we are making progress; yet, she is still not giving me her best Eberleah smile I know she can.

7. Head back to the chair and bribe with MM's (sidenote: why does an ampersand not work in blogger??) to look at mommy and smile while sitting in the chair.

8. Get this cute picture because someone really loves MM's and wants more of them, but realize that now her orange tongue is showing (possibly decide to make it black and white if this is as good as it gets?).

9. Watch in dismay as your child loses interest and decides to hunt for rolly polly's.

10. Persuade her to get back in the chair (possibly more MM's were involved ;), I can't remember) to get back in the chair only to realize that your neighbor is leaving their house and your child proceeds to wave her best bye bye and blows kisses.

11. Child decides that blowing kisses is not enough and starts making smoochy faces.

12. Child has had enough sitting and proceeds to get up while sticking your tongue out in intense concentration.

13. Child finds toy and decides that the photo shoot is over not caring if mommy got her shot for the monthly post.

All of that to get something like this- worth it, right??!!

Almost done with the monthly photos (I only go until the girls are two!!)- YAY!!