Picture Day...

Today the kids, my mom and I ventured off to Tyler to have their pictures taken for only the second time since Sadie's been born. Yes, I realize this makes me a negligent mom, seeing as how Sadie is over six months old and pictures of her are a rarity in our house. However, the last time we went was a little bit like having a lobotomy without anesthesia. You see, my sweet, beautiful, loving boy turns into a raving lunatic when in front of a professional photographer. Last time, the mere request of sitting near his baby sister sent him into hysterics. The only picture we got of them together then was one of both of them with tears and snot running down their faces.

Quite the Kodak moment.

But since the lobotomy was apparently successful, I told myself that this time would be different. And the potential for good pictures was high...Jackson was in a great mood, Sadie was perfectly content, and all was well. But then the studio was running thirty minutes late. No big deal. Jackson seemed to be totally stoked about getting to "cheese." Sadie was still happy. We all watched as two beautiful girls had their pictures taken. As I watched the big sister lean over and give her sister a gentle, loving kiss, I thought, "This picture day is going to be GREAT!!"

Then we entered the studio.

Against my better instincts, I agreed when the photographer said, "Let's take pictures of the two of them together first." My first thought was to let Jackson do his happy dance in front of the camera first, then Sadie, and then, God willing, the two of them together. But the photographer was really nice, and I thought, "This will be fine. Even though Jackson only loves Sadie when she's asleep and not touching him, this will work out well." She asked Jackson to sit on a spot on the back drop, and after we finally got him situated, we put Sadie in his lap. He smiled, gave her a hug, said "CHEEESE!" and then he was off.

For the next five minutes, we begged, bribed and (I) threatened him, but he was having none of sitting on the red dot or holding his sister or acting like a normal child. Then came the tears (his) and high blood pressure (mine). I finally got my mom to take him out of the studio so that we might salvage the pictures of Sadie. About every five minutes, my mom would bring Jackson back in, he would pretend he was thinking about having his picture taken, and then he would lapse back into hysterics.

Forty-five minutes later it was over. I was incredibly disappointed. Sadie did great, and really, with the huge number of pictures of Jackson already in our home, we needed more pictures of her. But I sooooo badly wanted to have one, just ONE, picture of my beatiful babies together. I am not blaming the photographer at all. If I had been in her shoes, I would've started drinking hard liquor about three minutes after we walked through the door. She was quite a trooper.
And apparently, a miracle worker. After we ate lunch, I went back to the studio to look at the proofs. Not only did she get some AMAZING pictures of our baby girl, she also managed to capture one of them together, without snot or tears. And even a few really great ones from the thirty seconds when Jackson was happy.

So the day wasn't a total loss.

But we may not have professional pictures taken again for a very long time.

...At least until the lobotomy scars heal. Again.