No, it's not his first haircut or his last...

This weekend, we braved the cold, got Wub up early and whisked him off to the salon for his second haircut.  (And when I say salon, I mean salon.  There are no cute, kitschy children's hair boutiques around here; I know, because I've searched.  I don't know why I thought that I would be able to stumble upon one just by happenstance and he would sit in the rocket ship shaped chair and blast off into a new do' while Jim and I waved like the proud parents we are, but that certainly isn't happening.  So instead, we take him to one of the nicest, swankiest places in town.  It costs a small fortune, but they have complimentary coffee and water and delicious crackers and grapes.  So for some reason, these amenities just make it okay to be "payin' up" for a kid's haircut.)  Jim and I had scheduled this appointment a while ago, but it kind of snuck up on me. 

I'm a big fan of kids having longer hair.  I think haircuts immediately make people look older and distinguished; two things that I don't want to pressure Wub to be anytime soon.  However, lots of people in my family were not shy about expressing the need to get his haircut and I had to agree with them.  While I am a fan of "free growing" hair, I don't like it when it's in his eyes.

The week before Wub's appointment, I kept telling Jim that I didn't want his hair cut.  And Jim would say, cancel the appointment, but I never did.  I realized that while I may not want his hair cut, I'm sure he doesn't want his bangs falling in his face all day long.  Also, it's a nightmare when he's eating anything with a sauce or condiment, for example the macaroni and cheese fiasco.  While it's undeniably adorable, it's also a gianormous pain to have to wash his hair every time he gets the urge to smear food in his hair, and he's a baby, so that's his urge just about 99% of the time.

When we went on Saturday, the first question from of the lady waiting next to us was, "Is this his first haircut?"  It wasn't; he got his first haircut on his 1st birthday; something that I'm not sure I will do again.  It was actually more emotional than I thought.  He sat down in the chair a baby and got up looking a lot like a 5 year old; either that or an Amish accountant.  He literally aged right before my eyes.  I held back tears, but I was slightly devastated that the change was so drastic and that he was clearly no longer my little baby.  However, that really only lasted 2 and a half months, because we were back at the salon sooner than I expected, so I got over it pretty quick.

I don't know why I was surprised that we were back at the salon so soon.  Jim has the fastest growing hair.  Ever.  He laments often that he is balding and I'm like, "actually, I think that's impossible."  He could get a haircut tomorrow and by Wednesday he would look like Ace Ventura.  In fact, when I start calling him Ace, he gets the hint and makes an appointment.  And Wub, well he will definitely be on his father's hair cutting schedule and this makes me happy.  For the next week, our families will be happy because he got a haircut, but by this weekend I will be happy because it will start looking "grown in" which is well on the way to being "free growing."  Win, win.

So, without further ado, here are some pictures from before the cut and from after; for some reason, we were on a real picture taking kick this weekend, which makes me happy because our 2011 album is getting off to a good start.



"Free growing" hair, so cute, right?




He knows something is up...




See what I mean about aging instantly, this looks like a first day of school picture.



So cute.

Someone else needs a haircut.  Isn't that right, Ace?

Bottom line: short hair or long hair, he's still the same running around like crazy, climbing up the play pen, conquering the diaper box tower, eating dropped pretzels from the floor little guy, he just looks older while doing it for a little while.