The Perfect Passport Photo

My friend Rachel wrote me yesterday to tell me she'd been catching up on my blog.  She commented on the photos of Mo and Ted visiting Maxie and on the photos of what a trendsetter Mo is with his signature move.  Then she mentioned that she saw Mo was getting a passport.  She wondered where we were going and then warned us that if we are going to Costa Rica, we should watch for riptides.  (She's right.  Our beach can have a MAJOR undertow.)

But anyway, I didn't remember writing about the passport here.  "Are you psychic?", I wrote back (hopefully).  "No.  Ha ha.  I am not psychic.  Your mom posted Mo's Passport photo on her Facebook page."

If you are Facebook friends with my mom, you already have seen the final product.  (Her name is Susan Chadney & you should "friend" her.  She is also an amazing LA Real Estate Agent - you should also work with her to sell or buy your next home)

We are taking Mo to Costa Rica with us to celebrate my 40th birthday.  Or rather, my 40th birthday is an excuse to go back to Costa Rica - where we haven't been since we went last with Max.  After we lost Max, I couldn't imagine ever going back to this place that had brought me so much happiness through the years.  To do so felt like it would be a betrayal of Max.  Enjoying life without him is still something I struggle with daily.  However, It suddenly occurred to me a few months ago that I was ready and that to be able to sit in our spot with Mo would be tremendously healing for me.  I also think it is an important way to honor Maxie's memory.  So that is the plan - Me, Mo, Teddy, my mom, Auntie Beth, Cousin Sadie, Prima Sharon, my Auntie Alison, Uncle Danny, maybe Uncle Paul (my brother, not MY uncle), and a handful of close friends will head down to CR in November.  I can't wait!

One thing that I had completely spaced on though was getting Mo his Passport until my mom reminded me about it last weekend at Mo's birthday party.  Oops.  Getting Maxie's passport was no easy task....especially the taking of the passport photo.  Just getting him to keep his eyes open long enough to take the photo was the challenge.  He was only a week or two old.  I figured getting Mo's photo would be much easier.

No, it wasn't.

I took him to a mailbox store that also does passport photos.  The guy helping us could not grasp the concept that Mo does not understand directions (or English for that matter) and he kept telling him to "hold still".  "He doesn't understand you", I'd say.  Then he'd give me a weird look as if he couldn't understand how my child wouldn't understand his simple directions.  Meanwhile, we'd put Mo down in front of the white wall and he'd immediately start crawling away.  This went on for at least ten minutes before I thanked the guy for his time and left.  It wasn't happening.

"I don't need no lousy mailbox store for passport photos!  I can do this!", I thought and promptly sat Mo down in front of the white wall of our kitchen to start the photo shoot.

It started off ok:

But for a passport photo, it needs to be straight on, both ears showing, no shadows, perfect proportions.  It is no joke.  Plus, he was crawling away again after a few seconds.

Then I had the brilliant idea of putting him in the bumbo chair.  He still fits because he is kind of a skinny guy:

At this point, he'd had enough of me.

Between me and the guy at the photo place, this had been going on for over an hour and a half.  So, I decided to put him down for a nap and try again when he woke up.

While he was sleeping, I set up my studio - I hung a white sheet off the back of the couch, stuck the bumbo in front of it and got my fancy camera ready.  I would NOT give up.

This is what I was afraid of!  Sleepy Mo loves to suck those fingers.

Usually I am a big fan of "Cover it up!", but not today!

And then - just when I thought that I had set an impossible task  - it happened!

The PERFECT passport photo!!!!!  

Let's just hope that the Passport agency agrees because I am hoping to not have to do this again for a while.  At least - with Mo!