A lot of you have noticed that Annie’s hair has really been coming in. Every day it gets thicker and wavier and LONGER. She’s always had a lot of hair on the top, but it’s finally growing in the back, too.
It’s also been growing longer in the front:
It got to the point where her hair was constantly in her eyes. And poor Annie didn’t know what was going on, so she’d rub her eyes and rub in the hair and make it worse. And of course, because her eyes hurt, she wouldn’t let me NEAR them.
I didn’t want to trim her hair until it was much longer, but these bangs were too long, so I knew it was time. We put a little bib on her, strapped her into her high chair, and then my mom forcibly held her arms and head in position so I could make the quick snip.
She did not love it at the time.
It looks pretty good if I do say so myself.
I clearly missed my calling as a baby hairstylist.
Mike and I feel so bittersweet about things like this – moments that are innocent and awesome milestones, and yet, moments that we never got with Maddie. The hair trimming was especially hard, though. The only time I cut Madeline’s hair was after she passed away.
I kept the lock of hair I trimmed off of Annabel’s head, and I placed it next to the box that holds Maddie’s hair.
It feels right to keep them next to each other.
Clarissa says:
I LOVE the scissors you used :]
Heather says:
ha, they were my grandma’s fabric scissors!
Lynn from For Love or Funny says:
I didn’t notice your scissors until I saw Clarissa’s comment. Necessity is the mother of invention, no?
Heather says:
fabric scissors!
Veronika says:
I love her face in that first pic, where your mom is holding her down. The cheekage is incredibly nom-ilicious.
Heather says:
I still have the first hair snips of my two… the oldest I took them to a hair salon for first cut. They didn’t have enough hair to justify a cut until they were quite a bit older than Annie.
The youngest, well… we call that the safety scissor incident. I woke up early one morning to find my oldest (a brunette) sleeping on the couch with pre-school safety scissors and some brown hair surrounding her, bangs and random chunks of hair missing. Then I saw the floor. The bright red curls of my youngest scattered around. I ran upstairs to find that oldest (4 at the time) had lopped off the two pig tails off of my youngest (2 1/2). She snuck out of bed in the wee hours and had some fun.
Ugh, that took a while to grow out and fix.
Four Gambel Girls and A Guy ~ documenting the adventures we call life says:
You keep getting through “milestones”….we are all cheering you on. One day, hopefully, it won’t hurt so much. Wishing you and your family, a wonderful Thanksgiving.
Lisa says:
Annie’s new ‘do looks adorable
Hugs to you. I can only imagine how tough those little things, those little milestones are. Annie’s hair is in the right place, next to her big sis’s hair.
Love and hugs.
Sue says:
If Annie gets anymore beautiful; I don’t know how we’re going to stand it. She is absolutely breathtaking!!! Great job on the haircut!
Leslie says:
So precious! Brings back memories … my younger daughter had such a wild head of hair, it was already falling into her eyes by three months. I used to have to trim her bangs regularly, and found it easiest to do when she was asleep.
Jenn says:
Sending you love, hugs & friendship during this bitter/sweet moment!
Jamie says:
I can’t imagine the dance you have to do every day, Heather. Alternating between the happy and the sad. You do it well, though. Even when you probably think you don’t.
Annie is adorable. I love her cheeks. Seriously.
Amy says:
My sentiments exactly.
And those cheeks just BEG to be gobbled up!
Molly says:
Both your babies have such pretty hair! You guys must have good hair genes.
I agree with Jamie above–it must be so incredibly difficult but you do it gracefully.
Robin says:
Annie is going to have such thick, beautiful hair! My 2.5 year old was completely bald at that age, I had to dress her in either pink or purple so people would know she was a girl. She is still sadly lacking in the hair department but it’s getting better!
Nikki says:
It’s right to have their hair right next to each other…
Hugs and Love! Your babies ooze cuteness!!
XOXO from GA,
Nikki
Kelly says:
You have some barbering skills…getting a 10 month old to hold still for a little trim is definitely a 2 person job. Good thing Gamma was there to help!
Momma Lioness Michele says:
Annie looks so much like Maddie in the 1st high chair picture, it’s the 1st time I’ve really seen the resemblance between your 2 daughters. So beautiful! She looks like she took the trimming like a champ – go Annie!
Wishing the Spohr Family a Happy Thanksgiving!
Lisa says:
Aww, so cute!
LisaJ says:
First–such total cuteness!
I can’t imagine how it must feel to have a milestone that you weren’t able to celebrate with or for Madeline., or the emotions that must have bubbled while you trimmed Annie’s hair. But I agree that those boxes belong next to each other.
Annie is so lucky that Madeline is her big sister…and that she has you to share all of those awesome Maddie stories so that she can know who she is, always.
Big, fat, squishy hugs, Heather.
Elle says:
Beautiful, Annie!
Elizabeth says:
Annie’s new haircut looks great!
catherine lucas says:
Totally the right spot for Annabel’s hair I would think… Next to Madeline’s. I thought that Maddie was a lot blonder though.
It must be hard to live the Annie life thinking back at what could have been but has not with Madeline. I often think that Annie is living for the both of them!
Trish says:
Hi Heather, I’m new here. Well I have been reading your blog everyday for about an hour to two (depends on how long nap time lasts), crying my guts out pretty much every second of it. I am so sorry for your loss. Madeline was such a beautiful, charming, loving , funny child. I have looked at her pics and videos, countless times, but never with a dry eye. I mourn her loss, though she wasn’t my child, the loving and brutally real way in which you share this precious child with us all, I feel as if ‘how could I NOT’ mourn with you. She was a loss to the world. But she made such an impact with the little time she was here, she is and forever will be a star. I can’t stop thinking of her, every waking moment, she reminds me so much of my 17 month old son, the same smile, the same blond ridiculously curly hair, the love for music and singing. He sits on my lap and wonders why I’m springing a leak from my face and watches Maddie’s videos with me. He always points and smiles at her everytime. My husband thinks Im insane, I know I have taken your life, your love, your tragedy to heart, but I can’t stop. I cry for you, I cry for Mike and sweet little Maddie. It truly is unfair this happened to you all. I along with thousands, wish I could change this. I too am an old Buffy fan and related to the Joyce episode as well, it shook me the first time I saw it and cried even harder that you had to go thru it too. I’m sure you remember when Dawn had Spike take her to that lizard guy to bring back Joyce, though she knew it wouldn’t be the mom she missed, the mom she wanted. She would take her chances, cause she desperately wanted her mom. It’s that despair I feel for you. So hard to accept the reality.
Even though Maddie and you are in my thoughts before I close my eyes and when i re open them everyday, I try to smile and not just get chocked up and cry. Today I was marveling in gorgeous little Annie’s hair, thinking how wonderful you have this delicious little muffin to help you smile and continue to live your life, and then I clicked on the link to the post about you cutting Maddie’s hair and I LOST it. I’m sorry if I upset you, never my intention. I just needed to finally share these thoughts with you. I as countless others am one of those “You don’t know me but..’ I feel as if I do. You and Mike are in my thoughts, my heart, my prayers. Thank you again for sharing Maddie with us all. It truly has made me a better person, I don’t get mad at stupid shit anymore, I take every moment for the miracle it is. I savor my child. And I don’t take anything for granted.
P.S. Mike is like the BEST! he reminds me of my hubby as well, the way they love their kids, these strong ‘men’ who melt at their babies feet. The love that they feel. And the heartache I still hear the pain resonating in his heart. How he loves precious Maddie. Please give him a hug from me. And I must say..WOW is Annie a spitting image of daddy!!!
My love to you all… I will never see purple and not think of Maddie! Her gorgeous smile is imprinted in my memory.
Heather says:
That means so much to me! Thank you so much for reading, and for commenting!!!
Angie M. says:
seriously you should look into becoming a hairstylist
those scissors were pretty awesome too!
Glenda says:
I like the 2nd one that your mom is holding her down. Her eyebrows flinched like “get the H*** off of me” “leave my bangs alone” LOL
I didn’t cut my daughters hair until she was 2 1/2 to get it evened out. When the bangs got too long I always pulled them back w/ a lil baby hair band.
Rebecca says:
There is this place nearby here called The Hairy Elephant. You should take her there to get a haircut. Kids LOVE that place!
Trisha Vargas says:
Are those kitchen scissors?? Oh my!!
I agree that is perfectly fitting that both girls first hair cut pieces be kept together. I am sorry it was so hard on you Heather.
(((HUGS))) from Florida
Ashley says:
Oh, I am just love with those chubby cheeks. Her hair is going to be gorgeous as she gets older! As a fine-haired, forlorn lady I am jealous of the thick, wavy hair haha!
amanda says:
Love the new ‘do!
Gale says:
The sentimentality of the first haircut so resonates with me. My son just turned two last week and we still haven’t cut his hair. He still doesn’t really need it and I’m putting it off as long as possible. Something about his uncut hair makes him still my baby, even if he is becoming a rough and tumble little boy.
Somehow I’d missed your post about Maddie’s hair. Her curls are perfect.
DesignHER Momma says:
ugh, my friend. Bittersweet. So bittersweet.
Nola is now 3, and I’ve only cut her hair once. Gage is no where near a haircut.
Ugh, hugs.
~emily
Marti from Michigan says:
If you guys ever have anymore babies, don’t let this happen: My 5 year old granddaughter had shoulder length blonde wispy hair. She had her picture taken at school with her hair long. Then about a month ago, her 8 year old and 10 year old brothers and Katie (her name) got hold of a pair of household scissors and cut Katie’s hair on one side only, very short! My daughter about had a cow. So unfortunately, in order to make the short haircut they did blend in with everything else, the Great Clips place we went to, had to cut Katie’s hair super short. She resembled her 8-year-old brother while she was sitting in the beauty chair after her hair was cut. It looks so shocking to us right now, and it’s a good thing hair grows! Hopefully her hair will be grown out at least some by summer 2011, so she looks like a little girl again! Still, she’s a cutie – looks kind like a little pixie with very short blonde hair! They all had to sit in the time-out chair for 15 minutes!
kari says:
You are one very brave mommy! You did a fantastic job, she’s such a cutie.
Marie says:
I am a hairstylist. And are those (gulp) hedge trimmers?? lol
Looks like the things I use outside to cut weeds. It’s probably a kitchen scissors (I hope).
A word to the wise. Do not take her to the hairstylist until she is at least 2. You can trim her hair well enough to make it cute because she has all the curls. It’s very hard to cut children and make it come out even. Plus when they wiggle you quickly cut yourself with your shears. I have ended up with bloody stumps more than once because you have to go fast and children are usually crying and wiggling.
But dang, she is so cute! She really is.
Love the time out photo – she has a puss on oh my word!! It’s adorable.
Hugs
Marie
Heather says:
They are fabric scissors! The reason they look so big is that they belonged to my grandmother, and these scissors are specially made for people with arthritis.
HOPEFULLY as she gets older she won’t pull barrettes out of her hair as much, and her bangs will grow to the point where they will blend in and not need to be trimmed!
dysfunctional mom says:
“Bittersweet” sums it up just right.
And Annie is rocking the bangs!
Dawn @ What's Around the Next Bend? says:
Annie’s expressions just crack me up!!
I can just hear the little voice you use for her saying, “Wait. What do you think you are doing? No. No. Mommy, What are you doing? Those things are HUGE! Gamma LET ME GO!!! Gamma!!!”