Baby Photo Shoots

Heather just got a picture from the babies 6 month / 8 month photo shoot back from the framers.


I liked it so much, I took a picture of the picture.

The reason the 6 month photo was taken at 8 months is the newborn pictures were taken at two months, right after Rosemary came home, thus setting us two months behind the standard baby photo schedule of newborn - 6 months - one year, etc. I base this on my newfound knowledge of baby photo shoot protocol.

I am a wealth of knowledge on the subject of baby photos now. About a year ago, however, I was thoroughly shocked when Heather proposed to have a photographer come to the house and take pictures of the kids. I was unaware this was something normal people did. I was only persuaded when Heather gave examples of otherwise reasonable people to prove that practically everyone we know engages in this practice.

I still think it's widespread insanity, but I do like the pictures. The taking and having pictures part is not insane; it's more the cost associated with the pictures and framing the pictures that boggles my simple little mind.

After two rounds of baby pictures, Heather and I have set into a nice routine for purchasing and framing pictures:

1. We look at the proofs and we oooh and ahhh as we pick the best ones.
2. Heather mulls it over and tells me the total amount of the picture order.
3. I become outraged and mumble things about college funds and retirement.
4. I eventually cave on the picture order because I can't find any that we don't "need."
5. The pictures come in. We oooh and ahhh over them and discuss where each picture will go in the house and our respective offices.
6. Heather has the pictures framed and tells me how much each one costs.
7. I, again, become outraged, telling her that she "must be kidding me" and she "can't be serious" a la 1980s John McEnroe.
8. We get pretty framed pictures back; we hang them; we go oooh and ahhh.

Given that steps 3 and 7 involving my outrage are enjoyable to neither of us, we have come to a compromise. We skip the parts of steps 2 and 6 where she tells me how much we are spending. It's a win-win, really.

I'm going to have so many pretty pictures of our babies in my office when they are grown and I'm still working when I'm 80.

oooh - ahhh.