Mystery of the Missing Mohawk

"Where's my mohawk???"

There are some things in life that define who we are against our will. It might be the tenor of your voice, the character of your laugh, the depth others see in your eyes...so many small things that make such subtle but lasting impressions on others about who we are in the world. For Emma Vance, it's her hair, and today we woke up to find that our baby's defining characteristic had become, well, less defined.

This morning I was giving her a bottle, looking at our little lady, puzzled by what seemed unfamiliar about her. I mean, she was wearing new pajamas, but that didn't seem to be it. I couldn't quite put my finger on it for moment, then aha! Where is her mohawk?!? It seems that as quickly and quietly as it appeared, it disappeared last night.

We've been joking about Emma Vance's hair ever since it took on its own personality, but I hadn't prepared for it to simply go away with no warning. I mean, yes, I knew that eventually it would get long and heavy enough to lay down flat, but that time seemed to be a long way off. All day today I felt a little sad when I looked at her; it was like seeing a dolphin whose dorsal fin has lost its use and flopped over in captivity--a bit lonely and depressing. Before, even when she wasn't happy, her hair gave her the impression of being happy and excited, and without it, she seems a bit deflated. I know its just me not wanting her to grow up, but, man, I'm going to miss that crazy mohawk!

I've been avoiding mourning the missing mohawk all day because truthfully I don't know if this is a permanent change or a snafu. There is a little bit of hope left in me because tonight after her bath her hair seemed to be sticking up a little bit (!). Ryan got E.V. ready for bed last night (usually my duty) and brushed her hair more than I do, so we're thinking that might have been the determining factor. The question arises, though, that if tomorrow the mohawk's back and we discover it was in fact the brushing that made it go away, moving forward, do we brush or not brush? To mohawk or not to mohawk, that is the question...

(And if mom gets her way, I think that if it will, we'll let it stick up for just a bit longer. I mean, she has the rest of her life to have pretty hair, but funky baby hair is something you can only do once in life!)

Doesn't she just seem sad without that crazy hair?

("C'mon, cheer up!")

Feeling a little better after a girl-to-girl pep talk about hair.

She's going through a face-grabbing stage...ouch!

(And, man, can she leave a mark!)