September 17, 2005
The hair
Mia's hair sticks up. Well, not entirely. The sides and back lie flat, it is just the top that defies gravity, and it doesn't stick straight up but instead up diagonally giving her a rakish little mohawk. When I was a baby, my hair stuck up all over my head and my mother has said that she was obsessed with slicking it down with baby oil. I think she is secretly appalled that I don't slick down Mia's hair. A number of people have suggested, kindly and otherwise, that I should do something about it. I won't. Mia is going to be a mohawk baby.
You see, I consider it one of my greatest responsibilities as a parent, especially as the mother of a daughter, to teach Mia to be happy with herself. To teach her to value her uniqueness rather than valuing conformity. To teach her that while it is nice to be beautiful it is far more important to be smart and kind and strong. To help her always believe that she is beautiful just as she is and that her hair does not matter. Reveling in her mohawk is the first lesson.
Also, I love her crazy, sticky-outy hair. I love the little birthmark on her forehead and that one thigh is slightly chubbier than the other and that she still has the furriest earlobes you have ever seen. I love it as much as her ideally formed nose and darling buddha belly and perfect little toes. I admire her quirks, and will work hard to teach her to do the same. She's fabulous just as she is.
Posted by Beth at September 17, 2005 11:41 AMyou mean babies aren't supposed to have mohawks?!
Posted by: averil at September 17, 2005 12:15 PMI had Mia Hair when I was born. In fact, on the audio tape of my birth, my mother, drugged from everything they give you when having a C-section, first laid eyes on me and said, "She's so fat! And look at that hair!"
My fatness still hangs around, just for fun, and while she tried to slick down my hair with every product imaginable, it still stood straight up.
So I say: keep the goo off her head. Let it stick up. She'll spend many years in her life perfecting it, ironing it, curling it, drying it, etc, etc -- I think the mowhawk is perfect (being a fellow mowhawk baby)
Posted by: Emily at September 17, 2005 12:26 PMI think all babies should have mohawks. I,unfortunately, was a near-bald baby and to this day have less hair than i'd like to. SO if I was using product, I would spike it up like a porcupine (just for my own amusement)... I need to be much more mature before having children, obviously.
Posted by: Zoe at September 17, 2005 12:32 PMGood for you! I totally agree with your post. You're such a good mama.
Posted by: Jensen at September 17, 2005 12:42 PMAmen! She's got the rest of her life to worry about how her hair looks. She's adorable just the way she is!
Posted by: donna at September 17, 2005 12:53 PMDon't change the hair! It's perfect! And when she's older and embarassed at the photos she'll also know you love her just as she is :-) Also, I didn't have any hair until I was two years old so I'm somewhat jealous.
Posted by: Jessica at September 17, 2005 01:18 PMMia is a lucky girl to have a mom like you! Now, will you adopt me? :)
Posted by: Sweety at September 17, 2005 01:23 PMBravo!!!!!!
Posted by: Kelly M. at September 17, 2005 01:34 PMHow could you not love her. She seems so precious just from what I've heard and seen.
And isn't it amazing how they go to the next stage while you're watching? As soon as you get used to one pattern of behavior, they're off to try out the next one.
I, personally, adore the slanted mohawk. She is just adorable. BabyJuJu says that she is envious of Mia's head of hair, but I told her that her bald head is just perfect too.
Posted by: JuJuBee at September 17, 2005 02:50 PMI LOVE the hair. My middle daughter had Mia hair until she was about three months old; then it all fell out and was replaced by stick straight hair that ALL stood out from her head. She's 18 now and has the thickest head of smooth, straight hair I have ever seen.
Posted by: Jaycie at September 17, 2005 04:44 PMthis is why you're a brilliant mother :)
Posted by: Emily at September 17, 2005 05:34 PMReason Nine Zillion why you are such an amazing mom. YES, love her fuzzy hair, and her chubby thighs, because she really is absolutely perfect. 100%.
Posted by: wavybrains at September 17, 2005 06:33 PMi LOVE this post.
and just for the record, sometimes i use gels and sprays to get my short hair to do that Mia 'do :P
Posted by: kate at September 17, 2005 06:44 PMYou know, Halloween's a'comin, and a ready-to-order mohawk may just come in handy!
Posted by: shannon at September 17, 2005 06:57 PMPersonally, I keep looking at the photos of Mia because of her fabulous hair. I'm hoping our impending baby has the same hair.
Posted by: erika at September 17, 2005 07:19 PMThere was a little boy who was 18 months with very thin hair on either side. looked like it just really grew to look like a mohawk, slicked down or not. I didn't think of Mia, I have to admit, because she just has a TON of hair. And it's so cute!
When all mothers care more about whether their daughters grow up to be good-hearted, self-respecting women, rather than what dress size they are, the world will be better.
Posted by: alektra at September 17, 2005 07:32 PMbeth, you are well on your way to raising a beautiful, confident, strong woman. all she has to do is look to her fantastic mommy for a perfect example.
let your mom silently disapprove and keep that beautiful hair in all its mohawk-y glory.
Posted by: suze at September 17, 2005 09:38 PMI find her hair absolutly amazing!
Posted by: wendy at September 17, 2005 10:37 PMI had sticky outy hair until I was a year old. Then it all fell out and grew in normal. Enjoy it while it's here and take lots of pictures!
Posted by: Kristie at September 17, 2005 10:56 PMBeautifully said! Now...can you share that same sentiment with the moms at my daughter's elementary school?
Posted by: Nicole at September 17, 2005 11:08 PMMia's hair is gorgeous just like the rest of her. You're absolutely right in not trying to change a thing.
Posted by: DaFFy at September 18, 2005 03:04 AMMy mom and I really enjoyed that post. It should be included in some parenting magazine.
Posted by: bd at September 18, 2005 08:44 AMgood for you! But maybe a nose ring to accessorize?
hee.
i LOVE her hair, i would NEVER slick it down either...it'll go down before you know it, so enjoy it...it is freakin adorable!
Posted by: lizabetty at September 18, 2005 10:28 AMI love the baby mohawk and was disappointed when Nick didn't have one. I'm sure Mia will grow up with a wonderful sense of self.
Posted by: Irene at September 18, 2005 10:29 AMI didn't slick down Caes hair either. It goes down by itself. :)
Posted by: Stacey at September 18, 2005 10:37 AMMy oldest niece didn't have hair for the first 2 years of her life. When we took her out in public, we had to tape little bows to her adorably bald head so people didn't call her a little boy. Mia's hair is just precious (Like the rest of her) and remember, all the photos you take of her now can be used to embarass her when shown to any future boyfriends. Besides, it gives her a constant look of suprise almost as if the thought of 'oh, wow, I have the COOLEST parents!' is running through her head :)
Posted by: Kellie at September 18, 2005 01:24 PMSasha has the same hair! We call it skater boy hair and wouldn't dream of altering it!
Posted by: lisa at September 18, 2005 05:48 PM
You are so right; so smart! Would you be my Mama? I need one of those. :)
Hey, I had/have a birthmark on my forehead, too. It faded so much as to not be noticeable unless I point it out, but for the first few years of my life, it would turn bright red when I was mad. Although my parents had other ways of figuring that out.
Posted by: mtb at September 18, 2005 10:21 PMMy son's hair was like that as a baby. Then it settled nice and flat. Now he's 9 he gels it up again every morning before school...go figure.
Posted by: aussiemama at September 18, 2005 11:57 PMYou go girl!
Posted by: That Girl at September 19, 2005 06:59 AMI commented on my blog about your post, thanks for the idea!
Posted by: Shannon at September 19, 2005 12:08 PMSee? Great Mom. We knew you would be.
Posted by: Stacy at September 19, 2005 01:13 PMof course her hair is supposed to stand up like that.
Of course she looks goofy
Of course she is the cutest thing ever.
Don't listen to anybody.
She's yours, raise her the way you want.
That's why we have our OWN children...so we can screw them up all by ourselves.
tee hee hee.
Incidentally, my baby that had the mohawk hair, now puts wax in his cause it doesn't stand up enough anymore to please him......
Posted by: dazeymae at September 19, 2005 01:33 PMAnd on a less brilliantly philosophical note, who wants to try to style the hair of a squirmy and indignant infant, even if you did want her to look like a miniature grown-up? You're right, she's lovely just as she is!
Posted by: Julie at September 19, 2005 02:24 PMYou're a good mom. Besides, the hair is so adorable. I had wicked crazy hair when I was a kid. Not so much as a baby because I was pretty bald but when I started growing hair, it was wavy toward the ends but fairly straight near my scalp. So my hair stuck out from my head in this bizarre waves and curls. My parents did nothing about it except stick barrettes in my hair. Crazy hair on babies is endearing. My friend's kid had this thick mop of curly brown hair -- people thought he was a girl. Fab. :D
Posted by: Rhonda at September 19, 2005 02:50 PMShe certainly is pretty fabulous, even if she won't sleep. :)
Posted by: jen at September 19, 2005 03:09 PMYou are such a good Mom, Beth.
And I say, rock on with the mohawk. I think a natural mohawk is definitely one of the most unique hairstyles out there. I just had zero hair as a child, and my mother would have paid cash money to have an unruly mohawked child. ;)
Posted by: samantha at September 19, 2005 03:28 PMOur oldest was born with a full on spike that had (no joke) blonde tips. Naturally. We didn't do a THING to acheive that. People would ask me "What are you going to DO about that?" Do? Now I'm about as conformist as they get - I wear button down shirts and sensible shoes to work, but it never occurred to me that we should have to DO a thing.
Posted by: Jeff at September 19, 2005 04:23 PMAbsolutely!
You have the key to raising a child! ...you have to make it comfortable for them to be themselves! Not who you want them to be! : ) Yeah!!! See you are a good mommy! : ) Personally I love her hair! My kids had no hair! Hers is great, you will most likely see this look again as a teenager!!! : )
That is so cute and sweet... and I hope I can instill the same values into my little girl.
And her mohawk is totally adorable, btw. :)
