Hollon's First Job

On Sunday, Hollon had her first job - photographer's model. A local photographer who lives in our neighborhood needed a newborn between 5-10 days old to model in some pictures she was taking of props that vendors had sent her. In exchange, we'd get to keep 5 of the images for ourselves. Free professional photos of my child? Sign me up! I'll sell my kid out! The photo shoot was scheduled for Sunday at the photographer's studio. 

We'd been given instructions on what to do with the baby leading up to the shoot, so that she would be in a "sleep coma" for the pictures. I should have known anytime I mess with my kids schedules or keep them awake thinking they'll sleep later never works out. We kept Hollon awake for the 2 hours before the appointment, got to the studio at 2:00 for me to give Hollon a nice long feeding. Now to wait for her to fall in her sleep coma. She didn't.

The photographer wanted me to bring Jake along for some sibling shots, so we shot those first and just had Hollon awake in them. Jake took the instructions well, but God bless his smile. It was all over the place. Sometimes it was a goofy smile, other times a very forced smile and sometimes just plain out weird. Then the photographer wanted some with Jake's shirt off. Which made me nervous because I wasn't prepared for my kids to be in an Abercrombie ad. But I went with it.These pictures are either going to be very cool or very awkward. 

Then came time for Hollon's solo modeling. Still, not asleep. 

Part of the problem was Hollon was unclothed most of the time, which she hates. Those little wraps they had her in were not making her happy. So she scream cried. And clawed her face. Perfect. Not only is my child not in a sleep coma or even a mild sleep, but now she has red scratches all over her face. She looks like Edward Scissorhands held her.

Finally after 3 hours, 2 more feedings and tons of walking, rocking & shushing, Hollon was asleep. It wasn't a deep sleep, but at least she was asleep. But every time the photographer would try to pose her, Hollon would wake up. I felt so bad. I knew the photographer wasn't getting the shots she needed, but what do you do? The photographer was so sweet and kept saying that she was getting tons of great shots, but I'm pretty sure my red splotchy scratched up baby screaming wearing the props wasn't the photograph she was going for.

The icing on the cake? Hollon pooped on every single prop. I'm not kidding. Both wraps she wore. Pooped on. Every blanket she laid on. Pooped on. Again, the photographer was sweet and she said that all babies poop on something of hers. But I'm sure they don't poop on EVERY.SINGLE.PROP. Every time I turned around, Hollon was pooping on something else. 

Finally around 7:00 we called it a day.  The proofs should be ready in a few weeks.Oh bless what these proofs are going to look like. I'm pretty sure that was Hollon's first and last modeling job.