Picture Day From Hell

Lauren is halfway through her 18th month so I thought I better take care of that 18-month portrait. I called Portrait Innovations because that darn $9.95 package suckers me in every time. I had to wait several weeks to get in for an appointment - and today was the day. I had carefully chosen two dresses for Lauren. Her Easter Dress (timely for the portrait) and a cuter than cute navy blue sailor-style dress.

When I tried the dresses on her, she loved them - she smiled and swung her hips and said "pretty!" She left the Easter bonnet on for MANY minutes and looked absolutely adorable. I couldn't wait to capture her 1.5 year milestone in these outfits.

We had a 9:15 a.m. appointment. There was only one other appointment before us, so we shouldn't have to wait too long, and I figured she'd be wide awake and in a good mood. WRONG!

When waited about 10 minutes for our turn. Approximately 2 minutes before we were up, the well-intentioned photographer introduced Lauren to the Legos and play table in the waiting area. And then he thought 2 minutes later he could just pull her away from that to go sit her with some silk flowers? ummm..let me guess...you don't have children? You just started here? You hate me?

Well, after some coaxing, Lauren agreed to see what the stuffed monkey was all about in the photo area. She sat in her pretty dress long enough for a few snaps of the camera. No hat though, of course...even though she's been demanding a fleece winter hat on her head all week long around the house. I thought she was in a new hat phase and that her bonnet would be easy! ha. Then it was time for a wardrobe change. Now, I hate wardrobe changes - but this place encourages it - and I really REALLY loved the navy blue dress. We quickly changed and I brushed her hair into the baby pigtails they barely fit into and BAM! M-E-L-T-D-O-W-N!! T-A-N-T-R-U-M!!! Someone call a priest!

Normally I can distract her with a new toy, looking at a baby - something! But this was the mother of all tantrums. I have NEVER seen Lauren throw a fit quite like that before. There was no distracting her - there was no consoling her...and there was absolutely-no-frickin'-way there was going to be any picture-taking going on.

Now, if we had been at the grocery store - I would have hauled her tantrum toddler butt to the van and we would have gone home. BUT..I still had to look at the pictures and tell him yes or no to a package. She isn't old enough yet to bribe or threaten (oh c'mon - you know you do it too), so I just let her loose...and of course she want right to the Legos. Now, I absolutely did not want her getting what she wanted after such a horrible display...but it was either that or hold her screaming and kicking while I tried to view the pictures.

Now I'm sweating and can feel my blood pressure climbing. This is NOT the morning I had in mind. So, I sat down to see the lame-o pictures and that little twerp has the nerve to look at me & the photographer and say "cheese." AAAAAAAAAAGH!

I said yes to an OK picture - the whole package is $10 - and I kept thinking - what if I reschedule and she does this again and I get NO pictures? So I thought I better at least take something. It isn't bad - but...

* Her barrette appears on top of her head instead of neatly on the side as I positioned it earlier.

* No bonnet. Luckily I bought hers from the dollar bin at Target.

* There is something on the bottom of her shoe...which I shouldn't even see because I really hoped to have a standing up picture...but NOOOOO.

* I hate fake backdrops. I got stuck with one for her 1-year pic too. I like PLAIN backdrops - not a fake park or fake flower garden.

* She is not in her navy dress that I love so much!

* No baby pig tails. =-(

But hey - she saved me a bunch of money today. And FYI - I hate Legos.