to the coolest chick I know

Dear Gemma,
It took you a very long time to grow hair.  For a long while, you hardly had any hair atop your sweet-smelling  head.  And you know what, you could rock a bald head like some babies just can't.

And then when your hair grew in - it was a bonafide mowhawk.  Like people questioned us a few times whether or not we cut it like that.  And guess what, you rocked that mowhawk like no one's business.

And after a long while, you finally had hair enough to put into sweet little ponytails and pigtails (which you always ripped out as quickly as you could).

And just last week, you sashayed your little pigtailed booty to the county fair and looked like a real life grown up little girl.

Well, this morning, after Booboo announced that he was going to wake you up, I heard the two of you giggling and playing upstairs and I sent out an email and let the dogs in and made my way upstairs excited to get our Saturday started.  When I didn't find either of you in your rooms, I started heading towards my bedroom when I heard the sound of Daddy's clippers.  My eyes must have gotten huge and I went running in to find your 3year old big brother shaving your head.

Shaving your head.
for your very first haircut.

I immediately grabbed the clippers off of him. Then this happened:
Greyson:  "I'm cutting Gem's hair!"
Me:  "I can see that."
Greyson:  "And I'm not done."

and I took the clippers and walked out of the room and called your Dad at work.  It was the first time I literally had absolutely no idea what to do as the Mum.  I wanted to laugh and cry and needed my parenting partner right at that moment.

After half crying-half laughing telling your Dad, I went back into the closet and told Greyson not to ever, ever, EVER cut your hair again because it is very dangerous and I didn't want either of you to get hurt.

The thing that was so funny or sweet or precious about it was that Grey had set up this whole little barber shop in our closet for you.  He had thought to drag the little stool from your bathroom for you to sit on.  Had put baby powder on your back so the hair wouldn't stick (just like Dad does to him), draped a towel over you, and pulled in the garbage can from our bathroom.  And you just sat there happily and patiently while your three year old brother shaved.your.head.  Like, 'hmm, seems legit.'

Grey told me that he 'just wants Gemma to have hair like me and Daddy!'  The head shave didn't come from a malicious place in the least, he honestly thought it was an awesome idea.  And so did you, apparently as you didn't cry, try to get up, or fuss.  It was just another adventure in the made-up land of Booboo & Chicken.

Later, as we were heading out to get your second haircut of your life to fix up the chop job - you turned around to look up at me and even with a partially shaved head you were still (maybe even more so) filled to the brim with attitude and personality, girl.  It's amazing.

We got you all set up in the hair trimming seat and you cheesed your little face off for you 'before' shot.

You sat patiently while your stylist, Tony, tried desperately to fix your haircut up.

And then afterwards at Pap & Gigi's house, you rode your little quad around with your super short haircut like a boss.

And I suppose I could have been furious with Grey that he chopped off your perfect baby hair for the first time in your life.  And maybe I could have spilled out a few tears as I scooped up your little blonde locks from our bedroom floor to safekeep in your baby book in the page designated for baby's first haircut.

But I wasn't furious.
Nor did I shed any tears.

Because there are two things that today helped me remember:

First, you and your brother are a pair of friends that will always come up with wild things to do together but always with a full heart of trust in each other.  You love riding shotgun on his quad as he takes you all over the yard and trails.  You have no fear when you are with him because you know he will have your back.  And when Grey hears the Ho, Hey song by the Lumineers - he says, 'this is Gemmi and my song because she's my sweetheart!'  Someday you two will be cracking up over the fact that Grey was your first hair stylist armed with a bottle of baby powder and a pair of Dad's clippers.

No amount of head shaving or otherwise can come between the two of you.  This I know to be a truth.

And secondly, my darling.  It will never, ever matter what is on top of your head (or not).  Or what you are wearing or who you are with.  You have a light inside of you that shines out that trumps all other things.  You, my girl, have got a strength and presence in your guts that is undeniable.

Seriously, Gem - since you've arrived on this Earth - you have always been the coolest chick I've ever known.

Love forever and ever.  even when you get so big,
Mum