Princess Pretty Pictures

Update: Jim was absolutely correct (as he would probably tell you that he is most of the time)...he got some really good pictures of Haven. He even got some AMAZING pictures of Haven. I'm telling you, I don't know how he does it! That guy must have amazing reflexes. He managed to catch all of her split second smiles from that grumpy sitting. Of course, the fact that Haven is the most beautiful baby I've ever seen probably helps Jim with his job some. But, as you may recall from the "Princess Poopy Pictures" blog, she was not the most cooperative little tyke at her session!
As it always is, it was really difficult to choose from so many beautiful pictures, but with Raynell's help I managed to get all the pictures I needed in my favorite poses. She doesn't have to talk customers into buying pictures (the pictures sell themselves), but she's very good at helping us narrow down and choose our favorite poses then decide what we want of each pose. Perhaps she's most gifted at putting together compilations, though. They always turn out to be even more amazing than I'd expected.
I feel sad that Hannah and Addy's early pictures are all from places like Walmart and Sears. We got some good pictures from those places (of course, this is mainly attributed to the fact that Jason and I produce uncommonly beautiful children), but they are no comparison to James pictures. Even Haddon had some pics taken elsewhere. We were familiar with James Photographics by the time he came along, but we honestly didn't think we could afford something of that quality. We were wrong. Looking back I see that we usually spend roughly the same amount on Jim's pictures as we did at the "discount" studios. Have you ever noticed that their special portrait packages are only of one pose (usually a pose of THEIR choice)? You end up spending much more than you had expected in order to purchase some of the better pictures.
Every time we go in to have portraits made, it strikes me how quickly these years are slipping by. I look at the beautiful pictures of my 5 children and am struck by the reality that they will never be this age again. To get a photo that captures the essence of who a little one was on that exact day of his or her life...how do you put a price tag on that?