First haircut!

Sweet baby girl born with a ton of hair

Hair is getting a little long...

Little Miss was born with a ton of hair and continued to grow that hair to great lengths. Unfortunately, she also decided to rub a little bald spot on the back of her head. The result left something to be desired in the world of baby style. (A baby mullet.) So, yesterday, after a long internal debate, I whipped out the hair scissors and clippers, put sweet girl in her Bumbo seat in front of the bathroom mirror and trimmed her little 'do. (Yes, I saved a bunch of the hair in a Ziplock bag.) She was fairly patient, but I was extra, extra careful because she has the ability to lunge and lurch at any given moment. Here are the before and after shots:

BEFORE

Ye olde bald spot and mullet tail. Oh dear.

Hey, that baby is sitting up! (Woohoo!) And has a long comb over!
(Uh oh.)

AFTER

Haven't had a chance yet to get a good back of the head shot, but what an improvement!

And it is light, fluffy and back to curling again, which I LOVE.

Bittersweet December

Baby girl with her paternal grandmother in Butte, MT.

So far December has been a mix of wonderful experiences to build memories on and a some sad moments we won't soon forget. We wrapped up November with a fantastic trip to Butte, Montana, to visit the paternal homestead. We stalled until the last minute in deciding whether to make the drive, but the weather was clear, the baby was mostly quiet, and it was better than we could have anticipated. Baby girl got to spend several days with her paternal grandparents and made her first trip to Montana. (Maternal grandparents got a visit in September.) So baby girl is off and running as a road tripper! Thanksgiving was a quiet affair, and we had a lovely time. Unfortunately, while away, we learned that my grandmother is ailing. And this time it looks like the last of her days. She decided that she did not want any further procedures to alleviate complications she was experiencing due to congestive heart failure. Grandma is 90 years old and has lived a long, engaged, full life...so circumstances could be worse in relaying this news. But it is difficult to lose a loved one, no matter how reasonable the circumstances. I am particularly close to Grandma, so it is very difficult to know she is quietly slipping from us in a town so many miles away.

Ada working on a spoon during breakfast. Grandma knitted her a little Santa hat.

So I have pulled out the many Christmas decorations that my grandmother has made or passed on to me over the years. I have begun baking Christmas goodies in her tradition. I'm remembering all of the years of singing Christmas carols out of her little handmade carol books. I want my little darling girl to experience, from the beginning, the warmth that these little details bring to the season. She is fortunate to have grandparents, like I did, that want her to feel special and loved every day of the year.

A very little baby girl with her maternal grandparents.