Cooper's 1st Haircut

On June 26th we finally broke down and got the Little Prince a haircut. That one little pesky curl that has been sticking out over his ear and driving me nuts for months was finally going to go - hallelujah! Or so I thought... 

We took Cooper to visit Terry at the Golden Razor, the same barber that gave Cooper's daddy his first haircut. I walked in feeling good about it - "Cooper's hair cut" would finally get checked off my to-do list. I was armed and ready - cheezits, Daddy and my camera. Let's do this thing! I know what every mother out there is thinking, I forgot the envelope that I would collect the hair from his first haircut in. Nope, I didn't forget. I had no desire to gather up the little strands of hair that would fall on the barber's floor. I had read once that Angelina Jolie saved all her children's fingernail clippings and hair - so strange. That's just not me. I'm not that mom. I'm not even very sentimental. Saving hair is weird. I didn't even consider bringing an envelope.

We walk in and waited our turn until Coop was finally up. Brandon stuck him in the big ol' chair and the little babe was not scared one single bit. I got my camera ready. Terry goes straight for that annoying curl and with one quick snip it's gone... 

I thought I was going to shatter into a million pieces on the floor. I quickly hid the big heavy tears rolling down my cheeks behind the camera and snapped away frantically. No one seemed to notice that I was dying right there in the middle of the Golden Razor. Terry asked me if I would like him to stick the little curl into an envelope to save - YES. Yes yes yes yes yes - I NEED that little curl. My baby just went from newborn to twelve year old looking boy when that curl got cut off. I NEED to hold, stare, probably carry that curl around my neck in a locket for the rest of time. Now that I'm thinking about it that curl wasn't so annoying after all... It was the curl he twisted between his little chubby fingers when he was sleepy. It was the curl that made him remain a tiny baby. WHAT HAD I DONE LETTING HIM GET A HAIRCUT?! 

My sweet son never moved a muscle the entire time Terry worked on him. I continued to let the tears drip down my face and tried my best to stop time by frantically taking one picture after another. I wanted to remember how little he looked. I didn't ever want to forget how brave he was. I desperately tried to burn the images of his little legs and feet, not even long enough to dangle over the edge of the chair. 

This baby boy of mine amazes me every day. Literally, daily, I underestimate him and he proves me wrong. Haircut day was one of those days... I so want him to remain tiny. I treat him like he is a baby 95% of the time. But on haircut day, my Little Prince sat bravely in the big boy chair, held perfectly still while the scissors snipped and the clippers buzzed all around his tiny head. I carried in a baby and he turned into a boy right before my eyes while sitting in the barber's chair. And my heart swelled with pride and joy despite the tears.

And while I so desperately want him to remain my teeny-tiny baby, I hope he understands how much I enjoy watching him grow... 

Sweet boy of mine, don't be surprised if you see a stray tear every once in a while because for every haircut from here on out, whether you are two or twenty-two, your Mommy will only see the little boy in the big chair at the Golden Razor.