A couple of weeks ago, we took family photos. And to be honest, it did not go great.
Piper was in a horrible mood, and we could not snap her out of it. Usually, I do not get overwhelmed easily, but this was so out of character for her that I felt completely defeated. I had spent weeks worrying about Rowan’s behavior before the shoot, so it never even crossed my mind to worry about Piper.
On top of that, I struggled hard with what to wear. Nothing felt right. Nothing fit the way I wanted, and I wasn’t completely happy with the dress I ended up choosing. A lot of that has to do with my body changing after Piper weaned herself. I gained about five pounds almost overnight, even while working out and eating pretty well. It hit my body confidence more than I expected, and I am still working through that mindset.
I know I am not alone in any of this. Toddlers melt down during photo sessions all the time. Moms struggle with body image more often than we admit. And even knowing all of that, I still chose to take the photos, imperfect dress and all. Honestly, the dress is not terrible. I just know I could have done better if I had more time.
And so, we took the photos.
I wanted to take them because my kids will only be older tomorrow. Bad moods included. I want to remember all of it. Motherhood is not perfect, and neither are toddlers. Sometimes our photos should reflect that real life too. Of course, I still love a really good photo, and yes, next year I am absolutely aiming for Free People catalog vibes.
I also wanted to take the photos because you never know what the camera will capture. Even though the session felt stressful in the moment, we still ended up with some really sweet photos. Brady, Rowan, and I kept smiling through Piper’s meltdowns, and our photographer kept clicking. And somehow, that magic still happened.
Most of all, I wanted to take the photos because I know I would regret skipping them. Right now, the disappointment still feels fresh. But next year, it will not. One day, I will be so glad I have these photos to look back on, even if they are not perfect.
And sometimes, you end up with a slightly creepy baby photo or two because you have to do what you have to do.
