Every month or so, a new issue seems to pop up out of the
blue. Maybe it is something that has been lurking around, like frequent
spitting up, but does not immediately make the ‘to do’ list. Or maybe it is
sneaky and is mislabeled at first. Case in point – Lillie’s hair is duo-tone.
No, really. Basically the right side of her head has golden blonde hair and the
left side is a sweet light brown.
The first time we noticed this was about a year ago after
a long hospital stay – a stay that included a continuous EEG test, which
involves 24 rainbow-colored wires being attached to your baby’s head with adhesive.
While Lillie did not seem to mind her special hat, the aesthetic aftermath was
dramatic – delicate wisps of hair clumped and standing straight up covered in
glue. Imagine something between rubber cement and Elmer’s.
After the test, mom and Aunt Suze temporarily transferred
their medical stress into a “fix Lillie’s hair” obsession. They asked nurses,
googled relentlessly and attacked the problem from all angles brandishing pads
of hospital-supplied adhesive remover and Q-tips dipped in nail-polish remover.
It was a delicate process, and after a lot of time and effort, it seemed to
work.
Then, imagine mom’s surprise about a week later when she
noticed the remedied hair was a little darker on one side. Looking closer…oh my…is
it really? Two different colors?!
Time passed and we tried a few things to even things out –
fresh lemon juice anyone? – and we encouraged her roots to pop up in her natural
color the way you might talk to plants to make them grow. Then some members of
Team Lillie started to wonder – was it really from the EEG goo removal? Or could
this be another special Lillie trait related to her chromosomal anomaly? Mom,
still guilt-ridden for “ruining my baby girl’s beautiful hair,” could not be
convinced. Hours were spent pouring over newborn photos, squinting to find evidence
of the first blonde-brunette appearance.
On this Father's Day, we should note dad’s reaction to all
of this: You want to do what to her
hair?! No, you may not shave it! Don’t worry
Lil, daddy has your back.
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Happy Father's Day |
And yet, like many other far more important Lillie mysteries
(e.g., her vision, future mobility, communication potential), only time will
tell. So we do everything we can. We grow proud of her fashion-forward hair. We
get her all the help she needs. We use our advanced sleuthing skills to solve all
the puzzles we can. We work on staying in the moment. And mostly, we love her
while we wait for her to reveal the answers of all her mysteries to us in her
own time.
It is your fault. As a mother you take the blame !
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