I Missed My Son's 3 Year Old Pictures

I'd just save time and money and just do a family photo in place of his single yearly photo. I tried to do that with my oldest, did it at 3mo, 6mo, 9mo, 12mo, 18mo 2yrs etc etc Then he started Kindergarten, and it's like YES they do it for me at school = D After getting a few professional pics of my 3yr old since he was born, and how much of a pain it is, I have my Gramma do it with her fancy camera! I just set up a sheet back drop and use a nice chair or prop of some sort, and we print them off somewhere and hand those out. Cheaper and I can pick the correct sizes people like etc...

I don't think it matters that it is past his birthday I feel like its a change something different to see him in long pants instead of shorts. I don't feel like someone would be upset that its different, I know I wouldn't, but thats just me. I hope my opinion helps you.

agrees w/the other mamas...reeeelax! it's truly not worth stressing about. if it was me i'd do family pics and do some of just him at the same time. christmas is a great time to have them done! sounds like you're looking for things to beat yourself up over, girlie! it's fine i promise!

I agree with the others take it now. My son was sick and missed his Kindergarten photos and we just never made a make-up date I felt bad but just used a first day of school shot that I took on my own - we Mom's are just too hard on ourselves ;-)

why don't you just take some Christmas pictures? He's still 3 years old. Don't be so hard on yourself.

M., I was obsessed with this with my first child but there was never money to do it with my second...if you want to save the money, just take one of your digital photos and have it made into a 3rd birthday card to send to the family. If you really feel this is something you need to do, just do an extra change of clothes picture during your family shoot and call it his 3rd birthday picture.

The fact of the matter is, you are 5 months behind and your little guy has changed...you may not notice it but it's happened. If you feel you need to take the picture, then by all means do it. But don't feel you "need" to do it for the family...the fact of the matter is most people will look at the picture once and stuff it in a drawer...the only people who TRUELY care about these pictures are us (sad but true). Some grandparents proudly display them but even they will think you are "looney" (without telling you) for doing it every month.

Just like conception, there is no perfect time. Set the date and go or you will miss the moment.

I know how guilty you feel, but I learned that the only one "expecting" a picture at the same time and consistent with previous times is you! So you really feel guilty for letting *yourself* down. We have enough pressures from everyone else, so forgive yourself and move on! At 3, you only have 2 years behind you so there really is no pattern of expectations yet.

I have a friend that does a really neat idea for pictures. Depending on the occasion, she gets big block letters (not sure where they come from, but they are like 1-2 feet tall... similar to the numbers professionals use for birthday pics) that spell out what she wants, then gets one picture of her kid with each letter (different poses, laughing, hands up, crawling around it etc). For father's day, she used the letters DADDY. Then she put all 5 pictures side by side to make one longer/landscape picture. That was her son's father's day gift to his dad.

I would say use the occasion to do soemthing creative to be your christmas present and pic at the same time. Put the camera on a tripod and do some fun backgrounds and take hundreds of pics (use your camera's "burst" feature to take a quick series of pictures - almost all newer digital cameras have it, so get out your manual!), then crop together a series of them or just pic the best ones. Save tons of money doing it yourself and having them printed at walmart or costco, and have some unique pics you couldnt have gotten at a professionals. Or if you have a friend who is professional or semi-pro with an SLR camera, pay her for an afternoon at your house to do it for you.

Some fun ideas might be: spelling out "merry christmas" or "nana" etc (might take an 8 x 10 but the grandparents would be overjoyed :), taking 4 seasons shots with different color backgrounds and outfits (like one with a raincoat and rainboots and umbrella, one with shorts and a bucket of sand, one with a jacket and a pile of leaves and one with a snowsuit or fake snowman), closeups of him and family member looking at each other or just parts of you (like you gazing into your sons eyes or your hand holding his) where you use the computer to apply a faded outer part to highlight, go to the park and get shots on each piece of equipment. Since you are near st. louis, some of my favorite and most unique shots when my son was little came from the train/transportation museum off 270. You can get a shot of him sitting in the engineers seat from outside the train with zoon, or sitting in a railcar or at the head of the boat they have. Just zoom in and get a little background for some great shots that look pretty professional as long as you can hold the camera still! (I love tripods since my hands dont stay still, you can get a little pocket size one at walmart or a "gorilla" one that you can wrap around your wrist, etc.)

Have fun and merry christmas!

ditto to what everyone else said

He's still 3 years old, isn't he ?

If there is a Portrait Innovations in your area, you should try them. You have the option of changing clothes for the sitting at no additional fee. The prices are wonderful also. You can dress your son in summer clothes for one sitting then change to winter attire and then dress for a family portrait. No stress!

Don't stress. It's ok, really. Just take them now before it gets later. I've done the exact same thing - but then I just keep putting it off and it never gets done. In 10 years, or 20 years or more it won't matter if he was 3 years and 5 months or 3 years old exactly. The important thing is to just take the picture. You'll probably remember that it was late, and that you felt bad and that will just be a reminder of the state of your life at this particular moment. Everyone's busy and of course this kind of stuff just slips by. Really, don't worry.

To be honest, I did take these yearly pictures with my kids but the more kids I had the less it happened regularly. I wish that I had been more "on time" and regular with these annual pictures but even more I wish I had albums or photo books of my kids and family rather than storing them on the computer (that's a whole other conversation.) I don't think I even took a 3 year old picture of my now 5 year old.

Don't worry, just go take his picture now. Have him wear his winter clothes and take the family picture too. Happy holidays!

Just take it during his 3rd year. As time goes on you will miss more things because that's just life. I'm going to be writing in my 8th child's baby book because all she has in there is a name. Time gets away as they grow up and it's harder and harder to keep up with things but just be sure you have some pictures of events from his life, whether a portrait of him or just him with family, etc. I do think the yearly pictures are so nice though and we did that with our kids but only up to a certain age, probably kindergarten and then got school pictures. It's sad to miss something you started but don't let it upset you. Get one now during this 3rd year.

You could get family pics done, but at the same time, take an extra change of clothes for your son and have some individual pics done of him with the "3" while you are there. Most photography places are pretty flexible with what you want done. We've done pics of just our son when we have gotten family pics done, and it worked out fine. It sometimes takes a little longer depending on how many different poses/backgrounds the photographer wants to do with each person, but I've always thought that things have gone well and pics have turned out nicely when we vary from just doing pics as a family.

i try to get letters and pictures out to my family at least once a year or so. but to save money, because i was spending way too much on studio taken ones, i would just go to walgreens and get wallets made of cute pictures i had taken around the house and just fun activites we had done and i got a good picture of him. it is really cost-effective, and then you dont have to worry about getting them professionally done now and then again in july. Hope this helps. good luck and dont stress, family should understand things get hectic from time to time~

Just because the pics weren't taken ON his birthday - or within that month (or whatever you think is the 'acceptable' time frame), DOESN'T mean you can't have 3-y/o pics done. He IS still 3, right?! Don't beat yourself up about it, you can't change the past, just go get them done NOW so you do have pics of him at three. Take him to Target - they have reasonable prices (get a coupon online first) and simple, plain backgrounds. That way the subject (your son OR your family) is the thing that stands out, and a studio background picture will not distract the eye. Make seperate appointments for your son and a family pic, so it is less expensive. (You can get a 'package deal' of one pose both times.) Good luck!

**EDIT** I just read Katie's idea and thought you could just take a picture you ALREADY HAVE of him closer to his birthday and get wallet prints of THAT!

Good Morning M., There is nothing wrong with going ahead now with his Pictures. You could dress him in shorts still (after arriving) or you could dress him for Christmas and do it different this year. Since your giving them as Christmas gifts.
Zane was 26 months when we finally got his 1 yr pic. taken. Not a huge deal M..

Do it how ever feels right to you.
God Bless you M.
Have a Wonderful Very Merry Christmas
K. Nana of 5

PS 18 more shopping days.... :))