By By Connie Nowlin Managing editor
I knew this day would come, feared it and put it off for as long as I could.
The baby has had his first haircut.
We both survived.
You see, his daddy is one of those men that must have his hair off his ears. In his book, men do not have hair on their collars or ears.
I managed to shield the little guy for nearly 10 months, but pop slipped off today and they got haircuts.
When he brought my baby by the office to show me what he had done, my heart broke.
It was only about six hairs that were actually cut, but still it is the first step away from babyhood. In no time at all he will be shaving.
I wanted to keep him a sweet little baby as long as I could, and probably did as well as could be expected.
So after they took off again, and I finished squalling over the six cut hairs, I called over to Ann's Barber Shop and talked to Ann, thanking her for cutting the little guy's hair. She said he was a sweet little boy, and that I was not alone in having my heart broken by that first haircut. Seems most mommas do sniffle a little when the baby has his hair cut for the first time.
But I stopped to think about it from the other side of the coin. I bet his daddy barely got home with a button left on his shirt. It must be an incredibly proud moment for a father, when he first takes his son in for a trim. Especially when it is the only boy child in a mob of girls.
In that everyday sort of task, the baby is a little less a baby and a lot more his boy. It may be the first activity they have in common.
So on this day, the little guy is a tiny little bit less mine and a little more his daddy's.
A bittersweet moment marked with the smell of talcum powder.
Connie Nowlin is the managing editor of the Advance and may be reached by calling 368-2123 or by email at connie.nowlin@atmoreadvance.com