Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Milestone Pictures

I have made it a tradition to get pictures taken of each of our littles at 3 months, 6 months, one year and every year after that around their birthday.

There are not good affordable options where we live, so while we were on our trip - I took our three to Penney's for updated pictures.

We had Samuel's six month photo:





Rachel's two year photo:







And, our first photo of the three together:
I love how these turned out! What do you do for milestone pictures - where do you get them taken and how often?

46 comments:

Tracy said...

What gorgeous little cherubs you have!

We've never done milestone photos, beyond the 12mo pics. I get the odd family photo done at school some years. I'll get photos in their Year 7 year. Other than that, we're not so hung up on it as something to do.

Anonymous said...

How Adorable!!! You children are so beautiful! Thank you for sharing these with us!

Ruth, PA

Katy said...

Adorable pics! I think Samuel looks so much like Emily! I can't believe he is growing so fast! And Rachel's dress....i LOVE it!!! It's beautiful! I love the photos of the three of them together as well! :)

I have done some milestone pics...but it ends up getting sooo pricey. So...now that we have digital photography...I just do them myself...LOL. :)

melissa said...

LOVE the photos - how cute!

I have an almost 3 month old now, so I'm curious to hear of when/how others get their photos done. We're thinking of doing 6-month shots in November, because we'll be stateside then, and it is cheaper than where we live to have photos done, and then we'll also have them to give as Christmas presents.

Anonymous said...

Beautiful!! I can't believe Samuel is 6 months already! tammyp

Edi said...

Your pictures turned out wonderful!

We usually go to Sears for our photos b/c it is close and cheap. When they were small like your children I was more faithful in getting the photos at regular intervals...babies change so much in a month's time that it is needful to have the pictures taken at least every 3 months. Now I do good to have "professional" photos once per year.

Leanne said...

I try to do 2,4,6, 9 and 12 with our newborns.... but that hasnt always worked out. We use Penney's because the 3.99 portrait sheets usually turn out very nicely! Plus we have the portrait club, which means we don't pay the sitting fee.
I love the picture of all three of them!! So cute.... I think good photos are worth a little extra money...they capture what we can't!!

Wendi said...

Wonderful pictures!

I usually have professional pictures twice a year. A Spring/Summer shot and then one closer to Christmas. We have a family shot at the one closer to Christmas. ~Wendi

Melissa said...

These pictures are wonderful! Penney's did a great job - very creative! I love the lashes on Rachel, and the three of them together is precious!

Anonymous said...

They are so cute!

I took my son for professional pics at 6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, a year, two years, and 3 years, I think. (He is now 7.)

I took my daughter for pics at 6 weeks and 8 months. (She's 5.) *blush* I just wasn't good about taking my secondborn. Also, I stopped working when my son was a year old, so we had less disposable income by the time my daughter came along.

We take digital pictures all the time, though!

Melissa said...

Oh, forgot this part... I don't have any picture taking traditions yet for Jane. When my professional photog sister is around she takes fun photos, but she doesn't live here so I may have to come up with a different plan when Jane reaches another milestone in age.

Krista said...

So cute children! I see so much of you in Emily.

Anonymous said...

I do the same thing as you - 3 mths, 6 mths, then 1 year and ever year after around their birthdays. Just picked mine up from Penney's yesterday. Your kids look super cute - they all look a little similar, but uniquely charming!

Anonymous said...

Those are so cute! I used to do photos at 2wks, 3mo, 6mo,9mo and a year and then once a year after that. I was really good about that schedule with my first and after that it went down hill! We do have lots of digital photos though. When my oldest started school, we get her fall pics and her spring pics and then we have a family picture done once a year. We go to a place called Portrait Innovations. They are awesome and very, very reasonable. Also, there is no sitting fee.
~Summer

Anonymous said...

Oh my -- what adorable children! :) Love these photos! :) I remember when you and Carrie were little that we sometimes stretched our family budget to get photos made, but I was never sorry and treasure each and every one! Love, Mom

Anonymous said...

OH these pictures are just adorable!!!!!!!!!!

wyndesnow said...

The photos turned out great and they all did so well for a portrait of the 3 of them together.

We go to Penney's. We have the portrait club and with our 3 we did the 3, 6, 9, 12month, 18month and then yearly starting at 2. Last year we took all three of them around the middles birthday and had all of their portraits done as well as a family photo.

Anonymous said...

These are some of the best children's photos I have ever seen! You must be very pleased! The poses are absolutely adorable -- but I guess that having adorable children certainly helps... (-:

Amy said...

Those pictures are just beautiful! What a proud mom you must be- they are all getting so big!

We don't do milestone pictures anymore and I just take pictures with our digital camera instead. We do a Christmas family picture, but I take all the milestone pictures now.

Anonymous said...

Hi, Monica:
I usually take the inexpensive route and have a picture taken of the kids every June or July. Kmart here in town offers a special every summer where you can get tons of pictures (one pose) for $10. Of course, they take several poses so it's nearly impossible to walk away with just the special one pose package. You can buy sheets of pictures, too. This year, I got the one pose special plus a sheet of just the newborn. I have found that many of my digitial pics taken throughout the year turn out pretty good and make great gifts when you enlarge them and put them in an frame.

By the way, your children are so precious! Their smiles just make me melt.

Kelly McD.

Paula said...

Your little ones are all so photogenic! :)

Marianna said...

Samuel looks so grown up and is just adorable! They all are... We haven't had professional pictures taken. Thankfully we have lots of good digital pictures. Recently Jeremy has been getting some great ones of the boys, and I will be framing some.

Unknown said...

Oh, I love milestone pictures! My children are teenagers now, but one tradition is the 16th birthday. We just had Mallorye's taken a few weeks ago...I haven't ordered yet, so I can't show them online...but soon!! And of course every year on the first day of school we take pictures. Those are my faves...to see how they've changed from one year to the next!

I love the pix of your littles! Adorable!!!!

Melissa Martin said...

What beautiful babies you have! I just had my soon to be 4 year old's pictures done at Sears the other day. I try to get pictures done for their 1 month, 6 month and every birthday plus Christmas and sometimes Halloween.

Trixi said...

Those are great pictures. Beautiful children!!

RT said...

Monica, your kids are adorable! And I'm duly impressed with the "artsiness" of Penney's pics--wow! We had a negative experience with Livia's first studio pics, so we never went back. Lucky for me that I enjoy taking photos. : )

Anonymous said...

Monica, these are beautiful photos! Your 2 year old, Rachel, is qutie the little lady!

Rachael in NZ

Anonymous said...

Unfortunately, we've investing a fair amount of money with professional photographers in our area. We did the traditional baby panel (3, 6, 9, and 12) with both girls, and then we usually do a portrait during the birth month. If we have extra money we'll do a Christmas and/or Easter portrait, too. I also take TONS of snapshots and have done my own un professional portraits, as well. Some times I almost decide to forego the professional shots in favor of frugality, but my dh always says he'd rather have them now than regret not having them later. I know that's not much help! Sorry! : 0

GammySel said...

Well- What I have been doing for my youngest- and the first time I have done this is- a photojournal.
I take a photograph myself each day or month(since I am a photographer) and then I write what he was doing, or why I took the photo, what I remember- about his accomplishments.
I love the journale because I have from birth- it is great to look back and see how small he was, and how much he has accomplished!

For his first I took photos of him in our studio- with a number 1- I will do the same when he turns two,but since I am so far from the studio I will most likely do them outside!

Nancy said...

How I wish my parents had taken photos of me and my siblings when we were growing up.

Your children and their own children are going to thank you for taking the time to capture these moments. The photos are special beyond words.

The photos are lovely: thank you for sharing this bit of your family's history.

Debra said...

How precious! What beautiful memories.
We used to go to Picture People for the milestone photos. Now that my daughter is in school I do school pictures. For Christmas photos I do them myself at a scenic location in town - so far, so good! I have done that for a few years. Her b-day is in Jan. so now the Christmas photo doubles as that year's 'milestone' photo.

Kaye said...

These are FABULOUS pictures! Thank you so much for sharing your beautiful little ones with us.

We normally do the Sears thing. You can get free sitting fees by joining smilesaver there.

We did splurge for pics of him aroun 18 months. I wanted a set of good professional portaits that would be timeless...you know, big canvas portrait on the wall kind of thing. We spent a lot of money on his outfit and the photo session/pics but were left with some priceless photos and memories.

Normally, Sears though.

Debbie J said...

What dolls!!!!

Kelly @ The Barefoot Mama said...

Absolutely precious, Monica! We're not near too much and I'm honestly not a huge professional photo fan (I have about 700 candid photos taken in just the July folder on the computer, LOL), but I've used both Penney's and Sears for photos before. :o) Your gang takes a great shot and they look adorable!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

P.S. Scratch that about prof photos - I absolutely love professional family ones!!

Quirky Cottage Owners said...

What great photos. I can never resist baby toes -- too cute.

Anonymous said...

They are adorable blessings! Thanks for sharing!

Valerie

jenny said...

Monica, these are precious! Good for you for taking them in to get these done. I started taking my own pictures because it was too hard to corral all four of my children in the studio. :{

On another note...Penney's has REALLY improved their portraits! I always thought they used those old fashioned backgrounds with the carpeted platforms.

Mrs. Pear said...

What wonderful pictures!

We have the same affordability issue, and even though we have mall places, the pictures always look like someone else's child.

So when our camera died, my husband spent less than the equivalent of one set of pictures to get a camera where we could do it ourself, and we ordered the pictures online, saving a pretty penny, and I think this is the happiest we have ever been with the pictures! (Which says a lot as we did 1, 3, 6, 9, 12, 18 months and second and third birthdays, plus we plan on repeating that!)

Just in case you are looking for an option!

*carrie* said...

Love these precious pix--and kids!

Amy Ellen said...

Oh what cuties. Darling pictures. Thanks for sharing them
Amy

Tracey said...

BEAUTIFUL PICTURES! I LOVE THE ONE WITH YOUR LITTLE GIRL HOLDING THE "2." GOD BLESS!

Anonymous said...

Your creativity abounds! Your precious littles' pictures are wonderful. Thanks for sharing.

~aj~ said...

I absolutely love these. Such precious babes!

Anonymous said...

I can't imagine how hard it was to choose which pose to buy...They were all so wonderful.
Now that my kids are older (9 and almost 6), I have their portraits taken once per year. Since their bdays are in June and Sept, I schedule both appts in Aug, when our schedule is less busy than the school year.
How organized you must have been to take all of the extra clothes, etc with you on your trip.

Anonymous said...

you have very adorable children! both are so cute and I love the pictures! Two words. So cute!

Shanna said...

Oh they are precious!!!