Milestones: Lexi's First Haircut

So we've been trying to convince Lexi to get her hair cut for...at least half of her life. Every once in awhile she submits to letting my mom cut her bangs, but even that doesn't happen without coercing, bribing, screaming, and crying...and sometimes Lexi acts up, too.

Her long hair, although pretty, constantly attracts food particles, hangs in her face, and pokes Allie in the eyes when Lexi is being particularly affectionate. I decided about 3 months ago to take Lexi to a local salon that Elian's aunt worked at. And by salon I mean cheap-o place where you can get a $10 haircut.

We were the only people in the place that day, and Elian's aunt was all ready to trim the back of Lexi's hair. I even brought my mom along so she could entertain Allie, and I could provide undivided attention and support to my first-born during this terrifying experience. Unfortunately, as soon as Lexi saw the big chair and the cape/smock thingy, she completely melted down. You would've thought the child was having her head cut off, not her hair. She collapsed in a pile of toddler, screaming and crying so emphatically that Allie burst into sympathy hysterics. After trying to bribe with candy and offering to sit with her, we gave up.

Over the past month or so Elian has said several times that he is playing his Dad card and forcing Lexi to get her hair cut. So when Lexi joined him on a Saturday trip to Lowe's, I said, "Why don't you swing by and get her hair cut while you're out?" I said it all tongue-in-cheek because I felt like he didn't understand how horrendous it would be. He thought he could just force her into getting her hair cut while I knew no amount of force could overcome a 2 year old's irrational emotions.

Next thing I know, Elian and Lexi arrive home from their errands, and in walks my sweet little girl without all of the hair she left with. She had a balloon in one hand and a certificate in the other. She came running to me, handing me the certificate, which, get this, said, "Baby's First Haircut" on it. Never mind that the child is almost 3 years old. I think they need to make a certificate that says, "Cry Baby's First Haircut" for the older kids... Anyway, they also taped some of Lexi's hair to the certificate so I can put it in her baby book. Or her cry baby book. We'll see. So Lexi hands me this certificate and says, "Look! I brought my haircut home!"

And it was just another reminder that my baby is no longer a baby, no matter what the certificate says. She is officially a little girl.

Hair, Vacuums and Other Irrational Fears

Toddlers are known for developing fears that make no sense. Apparently, my two-year-old is no exception. Since the day she was born, she has been TERRIFIED of vacuum cleaners. I suppose our vacuum IS rather loud, but she has had TWO AND A HALF years to get used to it. Instead, it seems her fear is becoming more and more intense. She used to be okay if I let her sit on the couch while I vacuumed. Then she needed to hold a security object. Then she needed to sit on Daddy's lap. Then she needed to bury her face in his chest. Now she literally crawls up his torso, crying and screaming EVERY TIME I vacuum. She gets nervous even if I mention the word.

Lately she has expanded her list of fears to include stray hairs. She has never been a fan of getting her hands dirty. From the time she could sit up on her own, she has been particularly aware of minuscule threads and hairs on carpets, couches, and clothing. She used to pick them up, hold them out to me, and whine with a disgusted look on her face until I took them from her. But last week she decided to FREAK OUT when she saw a hair floating in her bath water. She just sobbed and kept screaming, "GET ME OUT! GET ME OUT!" The next time I told her it was bath time, she teared up and said, "Do you think there are going to be hairs in the bath tub?!" I told her I would make sure there weren't any hairs in the bath tub just to get her IN the bathroom. Then she peered over the side of the tub, scanning every square inch of the tub for stray hairs. I wonder how she would react if I showed her all the hairs the vacuum cleaner sucks up...

She reacts the same way to big dogs and most men. At least I get those fears.

You may also notice that her hair just keeps getting longer and longer. That's because she is terrified of getting it cut. We've NEVER cut the back of her hair. She'll let me or my mom cut her bangs if we're really persuasive. The hair dryer is also on Lexi's Fear List. I guess it is too loud for her. So I have pretty much resigned myself to the fact that this child, with her head full of wet hair, is GOING to get sick this winter. Unless, of course, I can't get her in the bath tub to wash said hair...

You Live, But You Don't Always Learn

In Allie's short, little life, more times than I can count, I have been startled by her blood-curdling scream. I am talking about a shrill that instantly communicates I AM IN PAIN!!!!!! And every time I rush to her side, I discover the culprit is herself...with a fist full of her own hair...pulling it as hard as she possibly can...with NO IDEA how to stop the pain.

Lexi did this once.

Once.

I'm not saying one of my children is more intelligent than the other, even though one of them pulled her hair FOUR TIMES during ONE diaper change last week. In fact, I am going to chalk Allie's hair-pulling pattern up to a couple of things that are in no way related to her IQ. First, she was born with a head full of hair, which she had no control over. Second, all babies are born with a grasping reflex, which means she can't help but to grab on to her soft hair whenever she happens to touch it. And third, I don't think she is old enough to be aware that she has hands, that she can move said hands, that she has hair, or that she can pull said hair whenever she wants to. If she's still having these episodes in five years, then I'll start worrying about her IQ... and where to get realistic children's wigs.