Nick is Getting Ready. . .

. . . to meet his little brother! Doesn't he look handsome?

We both went for haircuts today, and Nick was incredibly well-behaved. He sat the entire time for his haircut, chatted with the stylist, and then played with combs and hairclips while I got my hair cut. Nick used his indoor voice the whole time! He even tried picking up the pieces of my hair that the stylist cut and started putting them in the trashcan. No yelling, no crying, no demanding--Nick was the perfect two-year old during this very long salon visit.

It was weird, because Nick has been kind of a stinker during the last few weeks. I hesitated to go in for both haircuts at once, because I was afraid he'd run for the hills or start screaming and pulling stuff from the shelves. He did none of that. Nick even climbed into his car seat on his own, three separate times. This is excellent, because I'm under strict orders not to lift him after my c-section. I've been trying to train him, and I think he's got it.

It's kind of like Nick was letting me know he is ready to be a big brother. I certainly feel better after today.

Yesterday I had my last IV iron treatment, did some last minute grocery shopping, and repotted about ten more plants. Today was my last day of school, my last NST, and my last obstetrician's visit. It was also Nick's last day of daycare. They played with bubbles, and apparently had a blast. He told me about it on the way home. "I play with bubbles. Bubbles go up, up, up. Bubbles in mine eyes."

Tomorrow I'll post my last pregnancy update, and then, after Thursday, I won't be pregnant anymore. Instead I'll be very tired.

Nick's First Haircut

It was time. I couldn't put it off any longer. Nick needed a haircut. As much as I love the curls, Nicholas has thick hair like mine that was growing more than a little wild. See Exhibit A.

See what I mean? My boy had wild, riotous curls that refused to be tamed. Greg has been asking me to have it cut for a few months now, because people have occasionally mistaken him for a little girl. But I waited, because I really loved those baby curls. Lately, however, Nick's hair has been getting stuck in the snaps on his shirts and in the velcro of his bibs. He's also had some pretty nasty knots.

So this morning, I called and made an appointment at a place called Fun Kuts 4 Kids in Oswego. Their website said that they had cars for the kids to sit in, and I figured Nick would like that. He did.

Nicholas picked the red car to sit in, and he didn't even seem to mind when the stylist put the cape around him. I warned her that Nick had lots of relatives who'd asked for a curl, so they gave me little bags for the beloved blond curls. The stylist was very nice, and she alternately talked to Nick and let him watch cartoons on the tv.

In preparation for his first haircut, I'd had Nick watch a Sesame Street episode about Baby Bear and his haircut. The whole episode is about hair, and Nick watched intently.

I'm not sure if it helped or not, but Nicholas did not appear to be nervous at all. We went with the ubiquitous "boy cut," and the stylist even used a razor on the back. I can't get over how different he looks.

He looks a little dubious about his new look, but I like it. He looks so much older, though, and very much a little man. I miss my baby.

I would say it was a pretty good experience. :)

It was a little expensive for a boy's haircut ($15 for the haircut and $5 for the special certificate) but Nick really liked sitting in the car, so it was worth it. Here's the certificate.



Actually, the only time that Nick got upset and started to cry was when we took him out of the car. He was mad, and he tried to climb back up.