Wednesday, October 8, 2008

WW- From Baby To Boy

Ben's hair has really been getting long. It has gone from adorable, curly hair to a sort of Albert Einstein look. Sure, I can sometimes get it to settle down enough to look cute for a while, but then we step outside, the wind catches his hair, and he is looking like a mad scientist all over again. Todd has been pestering me for a few months to cut it short but I wanted to put it off for as long as possible. I know that with the first haircut those beautiful golden curls will most likely be gone for good and my baby will not look so baby anymore.

But yesterday as I was cutting Joey and Tommy's hair Ben kept grabbing at his own hair and pointing to my clippers. Clearly he wanted to be part of the haircut club too. I walked over to him and fake cut his hair but he just wasn't satisfied. I trimmed his bangs a bit and that didn't satisfy him either. The little stinker really did want his hair cut.

When Todd came home from work I was just finishing up the haircuts. Ben was still insisting I cut his hair and when Todd saw that he gave me the last nudge I needed. He'd told me it was a sign. Time to cut the hair. And, I finally gave in. "Fine. Let's go take him to get his haircut right now before I change my mind." I said. Immediately after I'd made the verbal agreement I felt a little sick to my stomach. Oh dear.

We threw shoes and jackets on the boys and flew out the door before I had a chance to reconsider. Joey and Tommy both had their first haircuts from a barber (to make it extra special) and we thought Ben should as well. We hussled over to Todd's barber only to find that it had closed just 10 minutes earlier. We drove around from barber shop to barber shop. All of them closed. Why do barbers close so early? Finally a little salon caught my eye and I hurried in to see if they cut little kids' hair, what they charged, and if they had an opening. Yes, $10.00, and yes. I ran back out to the car and told everyone to unload.

In a short period of time Ben went from being my curly headed little baby to my clean cut little man.

This is the before shot. Todd is giving Ben the pre-haircut pep talk. "Are you gonna be a good boy? Can you sit really still? Are you gonna have a big boy haircut?"
Okay. Now he is ready. Let's get this show on the road, people!
Here he is being a major ham and saying, "teeze!"
Here he is trying to be still. He was so good and didn't complain at all. The hairstylist was amazed. And probably pretty thankful.
And here he is looking like a new man.
Just chillin' in a big boy chair looking cool as can be.
Playing with the toys while mommy and daddy pay for the beautiful haircut. She did such a great job. See? There are still some little curls left! Whew! I didn't know it was possible but I think he looks even cuter now.
Daddy giving Ben the post-haircut pep talk. "You did so well! You are such a good boy! You look so handsome!"
This is Ben eating with his new short haircut.
Here is Ben drinking with his new short haircut. And here he is in his jammies sitting next to the pumpkins with his new short haircut.

All in all, a very good and successful first haircut. With no fussing (from Ben) and minimal tears (from me) Ben took yet another giant step away from babyhood. *sniff, sniff*
(And by the way, WW now stand for Wordy Wednesday.)

62 comments:

tiarastantrums said...

oh, those curls - that must have been hard to cut those - but he looks SO much different now!

Laski said...

OK. So, I'm glad you had minimal tears, 'cause Ms. Sappypants has gone an entered the building.

What is wrong with me???

Hormones.

He is adorable, Kathryn. Curls. No curls. He's perfect. And he looks so proud. He's a big boy :) (but always your baby).

And, while I might be reaching for a tissue, I'm proud of you for keeping it together.

Cecily R said...

Oh my gosh he's adorable!! Even with his short haircut, he has more hair than my girls did and do at that age...not fair!! :) Gracie's first real hair cut was at five years old!!!

Putting the FUN in DysFUNctional said...

This just took my breath away. It's such a milestone because it changes their looks SO much. He is absolutely adorable!

Cassie said...

He was so good! He does look older going from curls to that short hair!

imbeingheldhostage said...

It's adorable! I would've been hesitant too, but it turned out so cute! And boy do those kids look alike?!

Mom24 said...

He looks so cute! He also doesn't look older, I was surprised as I waited for the after pics. He's still your baby. Still, it goes fast, doesn't it?

Molly's Mom said...

What a big boy! How many of those curls did you save??

Roxy Wishum said...

He is very handsome--and all boy.

RiverPoet said...

Aw, he looks so cute! I remember having to go through this too, with my son's blond curls. And now my son (at only 21) is losing his hair! :-(

Peace - D

Anonymous said...

Oh my! He is sooo handsome! And so grown up!

Chrissy said...

Oh, he is the cutest little thing ever. None of my kids had the curls, they all just got a mullet, so it was pretty easy to let it go.

lime said...

what a little trooper! can he come teach my 13 yr old boy a thing or two about tolerating haircuts?

he looks adorable with his new big boy haircut.

CissaLynn said...

Awwww! He is sooooo cute!!!! I know how you feel about the curls, too. My youngest had a curly head and it was soooo hard to cut his hair. Even the 2nd and third and fourth times, too. I always let it get REALLY long before I, finally, give in and cut it!!! He is five now and sometimes is hair is short (from being cut) and then right back long again!!! lol!!! :)
Ben did such a good job!!!! I love the pictures! What a cutie!!! :)

CissaLynn said...

P.S. THANK YOU SO MUCH for the comment on my blog!!!!

Life in the Crazy Lane said...

Why do the dads always want those beautiful curls cut off? Well, at least it looks like he kept a little body to his hair, even if it's short. *grin*

Mary Beth said...

I can't believe how much more he looks like Joseph and Thomas once the curls were gone! What a doll!

Laura said...

OMG - he is so frigging adorable! Love how persistent he was! Love the new do!

Rebecca Ramsey said...

He's cute as can be. And wow...no tears! (On his part at least!) My three always screamed their heads off!
He's adorable!

Stephanie said...

He's precious! Before and After of course! Those curls were adorable. I would have cried I think :)

Kelly said...

His new haircut is just adorable!! Even when they're older, I still hate haircuts because somehow it always makes them look older and they're growing fast enough as it is. Maybe that's why I stretch the time between haircuts as much as possible!! I loved those pictures!! And Wordy Wednesday is fine by me!!

dawn klinge said...

It seems the youngest grows up a little faster sometimes because they want to do what they're big siblings are doing. :) He still has that sweet baby look even with the haircut though. ;)

Lindsay said...

I can't get over the fact that he sat still for the haircut! It's like pulling teeth to get mine to sit still on MY lap, at the beauty shop. Way to go...and what a handsome little man - LOVE his little curls.

the dragonfly said...

Aww...still adorable, of course. My heart nearly stops at the thought of getting the Little Mister's hair cut. I don't know why. It isn't even that long, and he didn't get curls from me or my husband (sigh). I just don't even want to think about it!

I'm glad he didn't lose his curls. :)

Anonymous said...

That makes his eyes look bigger. Great cut! And it wasn't traumatic--very nice, too.

Unknown said...

Oh My....I loved the long hair, but he is so stinking cute....glad the first one went well!! What a big boy!

Jeni said...

For openers, why is it that little boys so often have gobs and gobs of beautiful curls and little girls, almost as frequently, have straight hair? Just wondering. Those curls though, so cute, and yes, so doggone hard for Moms and Grammys too, to part with, aren't they? Kurtis, like your little Ben, had a major head of curls and when he got his first hair cut, they still left a goodly amount of them but that haircut sure does do major changes to little boys appearance, doesn't it? It does with little girls too but there, it seems to be more of a styling process. Well, guess it's also a styling process for little boys too, but you know what I mean. With or without his curls though, he definitely is one handsome little dude, for sure!

HM said...

Oh he looks adorable! That first haircut is a hard one, it's their first step to big boyness (well maybe not the first). However now my 7 year old boy wants his hair longer...like Sawyer on Lost and I want it short. If we could all agree to disagree....

HM

Michelle Kemper Brownlow said...

So...I gotta know....how long did you REAALLY cry after the haircut??

Head over to my place and enter my HALLOWEEEN COSTUMES CONTEST!

Momisodes said...

Aww, what a big boy! I love the new do. But he's always a cutie, with or without the long locks :)

Cynthia said...

Oh so cute! Love the big boy cut:)

Anonymous said...

So proud of you, Momma. You had minimal tears. And, Ben! He is STILL the cutest little man - he just wanted his hair like J & T. Feeling the need for #4 now?

painted maypole said...

oh. that first haircut. wow.

he is still adorable, though!

david mcmahon said...

Shear genius!

Kat said...

Molly's Mom- I kept a ton of the curls in a little envelope just like I did for Joey and Tommy. I obviously took a ton of pictures, video taped it and took the physical evidence. I am a huge documentor (is that a word?) of my boys' firsts. :)

AFF- Actually yes! It does make us want a 4th. Course I always wanted a 4th (and 5th maybe even 6th) but even Todd wants a 4th now. Last night after the boys went to bed he was commenting on how Ben didn't look like a baby anymore and how he could totally see having a fourth now. He not only shocked me saying that, he shocked himself too! ;)

Lisa said...

I think I would have gone all sappy too. He looks so grown-up! Still cute as can be though!

Robyn said...

Oh what a little man. Those are so sweet. I have yet to cut the back of PB's hair, I can't do it.

Burgh Baby said...

I was just going to say that she did a great job of leaving a few curls, and that I think he looks cuter, but you did it for me! I guess great minds really do think alike.

Tonya said...

He looks so grown up. But still super cute ;)

Unknown said...

Yes the "power" curls are super cute but I have to admit he looks darn good!

It really brings out his eyes!!

Kristen said...

Just read your comment to AFF. Yeah for a 4th Baby!!

His haircut is adorable, and so glad to see that the curls are still there too!!

He does look so grown up now, and I am sure that he is happy to be "big" just like his brothers.

Great post Kathryn! And so so cute!

Anonymous said...

Aw, I feel the same way about my baby growing up. At least he still has those baby checks!

ewe are here said...

He's just gorgeous!

I finally lopped off much of the mop that was Boo-Baaa's hair a few weeks ago, and he squiggled, and wiggled and complained loudly. So I suspect he's not ready to sit still for a 'proper haircut'...

They look so much more grown up immediately after a haircut... sob.

Unknown said...

That 1st haircut is always tough for Momma's. He looks very cute.. quite the handsome little man!

Krystyn @ Really, Are You Serious? said...

Oh, my...he's adorable! And such a big boy! Izzy would have looked all over the place if we tried to get her curly locks cut!

Good thing everybody says her hair is still cute.

Karen Deborah said...

I know your not supposed to say that boys are beautiful, but holy cow you have beautiful kids! Great haircut and adorable child. I still say you have the cleanest high chair in the universe. Do your boys ever get dirty? I'm thinkin we need proof! It's fall how about mud pies? Do boys like to make mud pies?

Anonymous said...

isn't it AMAZING how much a simple haircut will change the appearance of a little boy!

ADORABLE.

Tammy said...

Very cute haircut. It is amazing what a new hairstyle will do to a baby boy's face and all of sudden a little man. What a cutie.

Maryeliz said...

Oh what a sweet little guy. Thank you for sharing these wonderful photos.

Cara said...

I was tearing up ready this cause I thought about Francesco first haircut. He too looked so big afterwards. Ben looks awesome, you have very handsome boys.

Rachel said...

*snip, snip** and now you're a man. :-)

He is so beautiful and the pic of him with the pumpkins, to die for.

love that gorgeous kiddo. the first haircut is so huge, I totally understand.

Anonymous said...

Awww the curls were definitely cute but the big boy cut is super handsome! Love the daddy to son talk pic too. Very Cute!

Cyndi said...

I realized it was time to cut my little boys hair when he started looking like we were just too poor to get it cut. It was just unkempt.

Ben looks so cute! It is amazing how much a haircut changes their looks.

4funboys said...

how sweet!

fast forward a few years... and you'll still be beggin' for them to cut the hair.

ha

JEWELGIRL said...

How cute ♥, the 2 year old girls are going to be chasing him with his new grown up do! :) jk

kimmy said...

He's adorable. My son had curly hair like that when he was a baby too. He still does, but we keep it short now.

Have a great day!

Kimmy

dianna said...

My face hurts from smiling like a goof ~ just precious*!*

Thanks Kathryn :)

tracey.becker1@gmail.com said...

Awwwww..... What a brave Mommy!! He looks adorable. I love all of the after shots...

Karen MEG said...

What a cute haircut... those curls were adorable, but he looks so proud after, still so very adorable. That first haircut is a great milestone... glad you were able to capture it here so wonderfully!

Hilary said...

Aww how cute is he! I remember my hesitation to cut my sons' hair their first times too. It changes them.. matures them... and we moms just aren't always ready for that.

Chaotic Joy said...

Wow, no tears! Impressive. He's a doll.

Anonymous said...

I am still trying to catch up. I promised myself I wouldn't comment until I had read your most recent. I had to stop...

Wow, I almost cried there. My nose got the "tears are inevitable" tingle. He is such a beautiful (handsome doesn't cut it) boy. I just want to hug and squeeze him.

Ok, back to reading.

Words To Live By

Be grateful for each new day.
A new day that you have never lived before.
Twenty-four new, fresh, unexplored hours to use usefully and profitably.
We can squander, neglect, or use them.
Life will be richer or poorer by the way we use today.
Finish every day and be done with it.
You have done what you could;
some blunders and absurdities crept in;
forget them as soon as you can.
Tomorrow is a new day.
You shall begin it well and serenely and with too high a spirit to be
encumbered with your old nonsense.

-Ralph Waldo Emerson