The Cut

I have had really long hair for a while, mainly due to a very traumatic short hair cut that I got just a few days before going to BYU to start college.  I shudder to think of it.  Honestly it wasn't that bad and I figured out how to do it, but there were lots of tears shed.   So I vowed never to go short again. And I have kept that promise for close to 10 years.

But having long hair isn't always great.  I don't do the best at taking care of my hair i.e. I use a brush when it is wet, I don't brush it if I don't have to.  I got huge knots in my hair and just yanked them out using a brush.  Not exactly pantene material.  And I always shed, like a ton.  But after having a baby 6 months ago, I never knew how much hair I could actually lose.  It just kept falling out.  

I have always wanted to donate my hair because I feel like my identity is so tied up in my hair that honestly I would cry a lot if I was challenged with losing it due to illness.  And not to toot my own horn, but I have really pretty hair, despite all of the damage that I cause it.  And honestly, it is really healthy because I don't use dye or a blowdryer or really anything because I never did my hair :)  So I wanted to be able to provide comfort to someone who might feel the same why I would by losing their hair.

But I always started getting the shakes anytime I thought of having short hair again.  I would always get up my courage to cut the 10 inches, but then back out.  Well I finally did it.  I figured if it was all falling out, and if Lucy was going to pull it, and get her little fingers wrapped up in all the hair all over the floor, it would be better short and could be of use to someone else.

So I went after she had gone to bed, walked in and told them I was donating.  No backing out.  They had to divide my hair into two ponytails because it was too thick to cut just one.  So they chopped it off and I felt about 10 lbs lighter afterward.  I mailed my two, 10 inch pony tails off to the Pantene wig program.  And done. And don't mind the somewhat scary pictures!

Before

After

Four and Five Months

Fourth Month Stats:
Weight: 15.6 lbs
Height: 25.1/4 inches
Head Circumference: 16 1/4 inches

No five month stats because no Dr. appt.  Needless to say, she is still a chunk-monster.

Lucy's Loves:

• Her Feet.  Anytime she can see them she grabs them.
• Laughing at her parents
• Jumping in the Jumperoo
• Being naked.  As soon as the diaper is off, she wiggles her little bootie and smiles because she is free.  
• Putting everything into her mouth, especially her fingers, our fingers, our faces, etc.
• Talking, singing and wiggling
• Blowing raspberries
• Looking in the bathroom mirror and playing in the empty sink
• Changing the pitch of her voice.  She will squint up her face and let out a high, banshee screech.
• Being held out so she can see the world
• Getting thrown into the air
• Rolling around on the floor
• Practicing sitting up
• Getting tickled, kissed, and smooshed
• "Eating" rice cereal, although we are still working on the basics of eating
• Watching tv anytime it is on.  She will crane around while laying on the floor to look at it if it is on.
• Her Mom and Dad.  Already getting clingy and separation anxiety sometimes.  We never know when she will be okay with someone else and when she will want
• Eating.  She takes it very seriously.  Once I sit down with her to feed her, she starts to hyperventilate and cry not understanding why it the food is not coming as soon as we sit.
• Grabbing anything she can, including Mommy's hair

Not Her Favorite:

• Getting a diaper change after waking up, but before being fed.  She does not like to postpone her meals at all.
• Having a diaper put back on her.  As mentioned above she loves being naked.  She will push off of us and wiggle away, or roll over to get out of a new diaper.
• Waking up before she is done sleeping.  This is especially difficult when she wakes up during a sleep transition and won't go back to sleep so we just end up with a crazy cranky baby!
• Taking a nap after Daddy comes home from work.  Once he is home she thinks it is party time!
• Not having her Mom or Dad in sight
• Pacifiers.  She will only kind of play with them now or use it only if we are holding her to go to sleep (like at church).  Otherwise she will take one or two sucks and then projectile spit it.
• Tummy Time.  Still not a huge fan.
• Being held like a baby to go to sleep.  She will arch her back and scream and cry until you either hold her up or lay her in her crib.  This makes Sunday naps during church rather difficult these days.