Well, I finally did it. He's been teased by his siblings and father for having a "Bozo wig" for months now, and last night I was finally ready. Conor's first haircut. I'm not sure why it was so emotional for me; maybe because I've never had a baby with hair before. First haircuts for my other three children usually happened around 2 1/2 or even 3. I loved Conor's curls, but he was getting a little ratty-looking, and as I watched him playing yesterday, I asked myself if I was ready, and there was a sense of peace inside. I bathed him and washed his long curls, and then sat him on the counter and started snipping. I saved his little blonde ringlets in a pile on the counter, and didn't say a thing to Adam about it.
We had a youth service project last night, so Adam pulled into the driveway with just enough time for Lyndsay, Dylan, and me to jump into the car for a ride down to the church. All I said to Adam was, "If you see anything of Conor's on the bathroom counter, don't touch it. I want to save it." He was completely perplexed by that set of directions, but he gave me his word. About ten minutes later, my cell phone rang, and I began to giggle. I knew just who was on the other end:
me: Hello?
Adam: (giddy with laughter) WOW!
me: Do you like it?
Adam: He looks so handsome! I love it! Thank you.
It took him a few minutes of playing with him to notice, but when he did, he just loved it. Now he'll need to find something else to tease him about, since Bozo is out.
This morning when my baby woke up, he looked different. Of course, last night I had to go back into the bathroom and play with his springy strawberry curls, bounce them up and down; unwind them and let them curl back up. This morning he looked like a big boy, and I have a tinge of sadness inside. His curls were adorable to me, and the envy of all who saw him. Today I miss his hair. I need to keep telling myself I did the right thing. Eventually this day would come, right?
It doesn't help that Lyndsay's mourning too and said to me this morning, "I don't know why you had to cut it so short."
This is just the beginning of the achings of my mother heart. I've done this before, and I know.
That was so precious. I love baby hair. It is the best and so hard to part with. I didn't want to cut my baby's hair either. He was almost 2 and had TONS of curls when I finally did it. And it made me sad also. Been there, done that!
ReplyDeleteIt's so much harder to cut it when it is so pretty. I love the curls. I only had one with curls and she was a girl so I didn't have to cut it until she was older. I get emotional just trimming the hair above my baby's ears and his is straight and blond and but still he's my baby and a haircut means he's growing up. You're baby is very cute! And he still has some curls left.
ReplyDeleteAw, he's so handsome! And his hair was so long!
ReplyDeleteAlso, I am pleased to know I'm not the only person who sits her child in the bathroom sink. Whew!
I'm with you girl. My youngest had the best curls. You could pull it out about 6 inches, let go, and it would bounce right back up. My mom, and even my grandma, gave me much grief about letting his curls get so long, but I just couldn't do it. I finally cut a bit of it off, but left a few curls. That was about a year ago and it still makes me sad, even though by now, he looks so much better with short curly hair. I saved the curls too. I hate how it means they are growing up!!
ReplyDeleteWhat a handsome little man! Bella's got an appointment at the "beauty parlor" on March 1st. I'm so nervous. I'm worried she'll lose all of her curls.
ReplyDeleteHe looks so handsome!! I too had that sadness a few nights ago when I sat Maddox on my lap and snipped off his..tail of sorts. I guess it looked like he had a mullet..but it was the most hair a baby of mine had ever had and well..I liked it. It was blond and I liked it. He's been brought into 2008 now..leaving the 80's behind. In an envelope.
ReplyDeleteAww...that choked me all up! Rylie was my only child with curls as a baby. She went a while without a haircut and they were the cutest little ringlets also. After we cut it that first time....they were gone forever! Sooo sad!
ReplyDeleteHe's totally adorable with his little man haircut though!
He reminds me of my little brother. His curls got lopped off the very day one of the ladies in our ward confused him with my sister.
ReplyDeleteHe's still got a bit of curl there though, doesn't he?
Oh, I so remember this with my boy. He had these beautiful blond curls, but not the reproductive organs to pull it off past the age of 18 months, but I was so sad to see them go. My girls were hairless, and he had this beautiful mop of hair. So cute. I feel your pain and admire your strength!
ReplyDeleteHe looks darling. Wow, did he sit as quietly as it looks like he did?
ReplyDeleteAww, cute little guy! I had such a hard time parting with anyone's baby hair. Or kid hair.
ReplyDeleteYou know. :o)
Nana
so handsome... lovely curls.
ReplyDeleteAww, the little man! So sweet.
ReplyDeleteI'm so impressed that he held that still! I have a little boy with gorgeous flaxen hair, and he has ringlets too. I hated to cut it -- why couldn't his sister get that hair? But it had to be.
ReplyDeletejenna,
ReplyDeletebeautifully touching how you said "achings of my mother heart." i love how you called it that.
my baby will always be my baby. nothing changes that girl.
snuggle him good, kathleen
It happens just with boys, doesn't it? With my girls, I was thrilled to be able to cut bangs and arrange their hair in new ways. With my son? Not so much. His first haircut aged him so much that I cried.
ReplyDeleteI go out of town and when I come back you have 4 new posts!
ReplyDeleteMy brother had great curls like that when he was young. He will sometimes grow it out and bring the curls back!
Oh, he is so sweet. I can see why it would be difficult to cut the curls. All my kids had strawberry blonde hair at 18 months. Our son had curls too and I had cut the front and left the back longer (a mullet, ahhh). At 3 he said "I want my curls cut off". I had to do it. He wanted to be like his dad. It was painful for me too. When he was 7 and wanted his head shaved I was okay with it. He now has hair he keeps very nice (the sisters think he is obsessed), short and clean cut. They grow up so fast.
ReplyDeleteIts so hard to let go of the silliest things...Like I am so done nursing my baby but for some reason I cant let go of it quite yet...this is the longest I have ever nursed...maybe cause I know its the last one and if I hold on a little longer it will prevent him from growing up?
ReplyDeleteBut you did a great job on the cut and it looks like he still has the curls...Very cute boy!!