Birthday pics

Will had a birthday a while back, ya know.  Last year I completely forgot to snap some pics of him for turning three, so I was determined that this year would be recorded. 

It was.  But I think I should have forgotten.

He was a grouch.  A royal grouch.  I had high hopes that the sight of the black growth on my face would snap him out of his doldrums, but it most definitely did not work.  Usually grins....fake or not....are quick to show if the camera is in his face.  Not that day.

For the first several he was able to eek out a slight...however, very fake...smile.

See?  He could do it!

But then.  Picture time went downhill.  And quickly. 

Apparently he wasn't fond of the leaves.

So, I thought.  He loves to climb trees.  That'll surely snap him out of the grouchies.

Not so.

Nothing worked.  So I just kept snapping holding out hope that he would accidentally smile.  Didn't happen.

We did get one that was at least pleasant-looking.

Finally he did this.

And I said...oh stop.  Just be happy.  That last picture will not be too cute hanging on our wall.  He declared that he was going to smile for the next picture.

This was the result.

And as cute as that little pouty face is, I don't think we'll be putting it on the wall.  Thankfully, a couple of the first ones were fairly good.

But maybe I will use that last one.  Cause it looks like this....

Taken the day before we got to take him from the orphanage forever.  With Oksana.

He was so scared of us way back then.  And this pic of him is so cute.

And that picture reminded me of this....

And then I got all nostalgic and went in the house to look at photos of when we first became a family.

Now our baby is four.  And a grouch.  And I hope that next year he is a little more cooperative.