Ellis's First Haircut!

When Ellis was born, it was clear that he came bearing just as much thick, gorgeous hair as did his big brother -- albeit it is much lighter and straighter. We held out for Blanden's first haircut until the day before his first birthday, and so we did as well with Ellis.

Blanden went to school today while Ellis stayed with Mommy for some pre-birthday prep. We bought his balloon, wrapped presents, and spent time on the swings in a park. When he woke up from his nap this afternoon, I wished I had my camera at my side. He was so beautiful: his soft dark skin against the soft cream sheet, his light-blue shirt contrasted with his light-brown hair. I had a wave of nostalgia, wanting to hold onto that moment, my baby on the cusp of becoming a little boy. I wanted to photograph those pure, soft baby locks one last time. But sometimes it's more important to live life than to capture it. And sometimes it's important to do both. So please indulge us for a moment, as we did exactly that this afternoon.

Arriving, and not quite sure what we were doing in this unique environment.

Getting comfortable.

 Here we go ...

Lindsay, the family stylist, snips the first locks -- which, lo and behold, had actually begun to curl, they were so long!

A straight and steady look for Dad.  

Distractions help.  

But that was Big Brother's juice bottle and he wanted it back, so hair clips worked well too. 

As did his nuk, and a few bouncing breaks on Mommy's lap.  

Hanging in there.

Ellis is thinking, I guess I could get used to this.  

So close ... 

And done. A little more polished, but still my baby boy, for just a little bit longer. 

This post is dedicated to Grammy and Papa, who were with us at the same salon with the same stylist exactly two years ago, and who wanted desperately to be able to join us today. But they surprised us with a little gift when we arrived. Know that although you are currently far away, you are always here.

And thank goodness Lyndsay had a little envelope for me to use to take home the first locks of Ellis's hair, because as soon as I sat down in the chair, I realized I had forgotten. I had forgotten two years ago as well, but Grammy had one for me then. Sometimes even moms still need their moms.