Mom Takes Annual Pic Of Daughter In Wedding Gown To Watch Her Grow

The dress has stayed the same, but each year, Allison gets a little bigger.

"It really hit me she was becoming a woman when the straps were able to fit on her without falling off," Brandy Yearous told The Huffington Post.

Yearous -- who, at 40, still fits into her wedding dress -- came up with the idea of showing the passage of time with clothing when her son Ryan was born in 2001.

Brandy had Ryan pose in a pair of her husband's jeans -- a family tradition that also continues."Two years ago on his birthday, we were so busy that I forgot to take the picture, but he reminded me," she said. "They both enjoy it, mainly because the world revolves around them on their birthdays."

When Allison was born, Yearous thought about having the girl pose with jeans as well.

She said there were three reasons why she chose the wedding dress instead, according to a blog post she wrote on Today.com:"One, because I want to get more than one day's use out of it! Two, I really think she's going to want her own dress when she gets married, so what a wonderful way to celebrate my own marriage than to pass a tradition down to my only daughter. Three, I think it will be a great memento to show at her wedding someday."

Yearous realized her pictures were important to family history, but didn't realize their full appeal until recently.

"I took the pictures, but didn't realize how valuable they were until Facebook," Brandy told HuffPost. "But my friends look forward to watching my kids grow."

Brandy Yearous’ blog post has since gone viral, and the phone is ringing off the hook."I'm hoping a TV show like 'Ellen' might want us on and have Allison wear the dress," she said.

Allison still looks forward to the yearly ritual. "I can't wait until I can fit in the dress and walk around in it and it isn't baggy," she told HuffPost.

However, Allison doesn't plan to wear the dress if and when she gets married, a fact that her mom accepts with good humor.

"Allison's style is more tulle, less satin," her mom said.