Shortly after Beatrix was born we had my amazing friends come over and take some family pictures for us. I wanted to have some professional photos of Trixie has a baby, as well as family pictures for my picture wall and for Christmas cards.
When I got the disc back and eagerly stuck it in the computer to see the pictures, my first thought was "We look AMAZING!" which I guess is why people hire professionals to take their pictures.
But it also made me laugh, because looking at those pictures you'd never guess that not 30 minutes before our photographer friends arrived we were literally cleaning poop off of almost everything in our bathroom. I'm not joking.
We had given both of the babes baths that morning so that everyone would be freshly clean and without bedhead. After Trixie's bath, while Alex was getting ready to re-diaper her, she fired one at him while he was unawares. I had my backed turned, so I didn't see it, but I heard it, and it sounded pretty high velocity. It was all over the changing table pad and all over Alex's arm, which thankfully was not in picture clothes yet. Yes, we learned while Johnny was a baby that you don't get dressed in good clothes until babies have their diapers on.
Then it was Johnny's turn for a bath. He did a good poop on the potty chair right before going in. Then he pooped in the tub. Then he pooped in the towel after getting out of the tub. Then he got his foot in it. And then he walked all over the carpet. It. Was. Awesome.
By the time we had everything and everyone sufficiently sterilized I had about 4 minutes to get myself ready. I half blow-dried my hair, frantically put on some make-up, and then was running around looking for my Spanx because, you know, 3 weeks postpartum. And I could not find them anywhere! I knew that I had 2 pairs, I knew exactly where I had last seen them, and they were no where to be found. I still haven't found them. It's a complete mystery. So I was fuming and stomping around trying to come up with a plan B.
But the pictures don't show you any of that. The pictures show you two fairly put together parents being all googly-eyed over their cute kids who don't look at all like they could have just fouled up a bathroom, or do any of the other inconvenient or annoying things that regularly happen around here.
Well, except for this one. Johnny looks pretty capable of naughtiness in this picture.
When I got the disc back and eagerly stuck it in the computer to see the pictures, my first thought was "We look AMAZING!" which I guess is why people hire professionals to take their pictures.
But it also made me laugh, because looking at those pictures you'd never guess that not 30 minutes before our photographer friends arrived we were literally cleaning poop off of almost everything in our bathroom. I'm not joking.
We had given both of the babes baths that morning so that everyone would be freshly clean and without bedhead. After Trixie's bath, while Alex was getting ready to re-diaper her, she fired one at him while he was unawares. I had my backed turned, so I didn't see it, but I heard it, and it sounded pretty high velocity. It was all over the changing table pad and all over Alex's arm, which thankfully was not in picture clothes yet. Yes, we learned while Johnny was a baby that you don't get dressed in good clothes until babies have their diapers on.
Then it was Johnny's turn for a bath. He did a good poop on the potty chair right before going in. Then he pooped in the tub. Then he pooped in the towel after getting out of the tub. Then he got his foot in it. And then he walked all over the carpet. It. Was. Awesome.
By the time we had everything and everyone sufficiently sterilized I had about 4 minutes to get myself ready. I half blow-dried my hair, frantically put on some make-up, and then was running around looking for my Spanx because, you know, 3 weeks postpartum. And I could not find them anywhere! I knew that I had 2 pairs, I knew exactly where I had last seen them, and they were no where to be found. I still haven't found them. It's a complete mystery. So I was fuming and stomping around trying to come up with a plan B.
Well, except for this one. Johnny looks pretty capable of naughtiness in this picture.
But it got me thinking about the over-saturation of our social media networks with beautifully curated, perfectly posed pictures. Sometimes it seems unrealistic and disingenuous. Because we all know that life is far from perfect. I'm guilty of it too. I tend to only post pictures of myself after I've put on my make up, or the corners of my house that I've managed to keep tidy. It doesn't mean my life perfect though. It just means that all the messy stuff, well, I tend to keep that to myself.
So why do I do it? I certainly hope it's not to dupe you into thinking my life is beautiful.
But wait, my life IS beautiful! Maybe I'm the one who needs to be reminded of that.
I'm glad my pictures are beautiful. I'm glad I have an Instagram feed full of tranquil moments and super cute pictures of my kids. That way when the going gets tough (which you know it does. Often.) I have over 700 (yikes!) photos to remind how beautiful life- my life- is! It's amazing. My children and my husband are amazing! They're the greatest things that have ever happened to me. They are enlarging my heart, teaching me virtues, and preparing me for heaven.
I just love those little poop machines.
//
keep in touch!
email: