A breakthrough

Olive requested ponytails today. She has only recently kept them in for more than 20 seconds at a time, and today, without any prompting, she asked for them. And she looks so stinking cute with pigtails in her hair. (She calls them ponytails.) It's a small thing, but it makes me smile.

It's decision-making time.

I have a very serious issue to discuss. My hair. More specifically, how my hair should be styled and cut.

I have been in a constant state of "short hair, no, growing it out, medium-length hair, no maybe short hair, no, how about we grow it out again" for a long time. I clearly cannot make up my mind. Most recently, I've been wanting to grow it out a bit. Nothing too dramatic, but I wanted it long enough to pull back and be low-maintenance. I imagine it won't get washed daily once the baby comes, and I don't want to look completely scummy.

But on the other hand, I remember when I had short hair and how it seemed so easy. At some point, my stylist began getting too experimental for my taste and my hair got shorter and shorter and pointier and pointier and eventually I switched stylists and decided to grow it out. But I think that original cut was quite nice.

So you see the dilemma. Continue to grow it out? Cut it short? I need your help! Which cut would look best, be easiest to maintain, and look the best?

Kristen Bell and J-lo represent my long hair look.

Long hair pros:

• easy ponytail
• fewer trims needed
• can go for a couple days without shampoo

Long hair cons:

• ends get shaggy looking
• kind of boring
• baby can pull on it
• hair is not naturally straight, so could look weird
• takes a long time to blow-dry, looks funky when air-dried

Old pictures of me represent my short hair look. The third pic is the closest I could find to how the back should look.

Short hair pros:

• works with my wavy hair
• very quick to dry
• cute (?)
• quick to style

Short hair cons:

• been there, done that
• sticks up when I sleep on it
• no ponytails
• can quickly become pointy if cut improperly

You may advise me what to do in the comments. But please be quick about it. My hair is getting cut on Saturday!

Five Things About My Weekend

1. I tried unsuccessfully to buy new glasses. See, apparently pregnancy makes your eyeballs change shape, or something, and wearing my contacts means I end up with red, aching eyes. So for the next few months, glasses it is! But my current glasses tend to slip and practically fall of my face, and since I’m wearing them all the time, it’s time to fix this problem. We shopped at a handful of stores, but nothing seemed just right. Sigh.
2. I attended the second meeting of my high school ten-year reunion planning committee. We didn’t really accomplish much, but I did get to eat a delicious cupcake while I was there.
3. I borrowed some maternity clothes from my friend Lindsay. She had her baby last March, and I am due in March, hence, we were/will be pregnant during the same seasons. Time will tell if her clothes will fit me. Cross your fingers!
4. I also borrowed a Doppler heartbeat thingy from Lindsay. I’m so glad she was neurotic enough to actually buy one! Last night Andrew and I sat and listened to that tiny little heartbeat for awhile, and again, it was wonderful. And not really that hard to find—or maybe we just got lucky (though I did listen to my own heartbeat for awhile with a sense of wonder, then Andrew pointed out that it should probably be beating faster than that) (Who knew you can hear your own heartbeat in your pelvic region?) So far, hearing my baby’s heart is the very best thing about being pregnant.
5. For the last few months, I’ve been growing my hair out. Or wanting to grow it out—I had a bit of a setback when my stylist cut off a bit more than requested. But now I am thinking maybe short is the way to go, sort of how I had it last year. Any thoughts on this? Moms, would you say long or short hair is easier to deal with when caring for a baby?

A mix, a grab bag, a mélange—a smorgasbord, if you will.

I checked my blog today to see if it had been updated. It hadn’t. So I thought I ought to do something about that. Clearly it is too hot today to do much actual thinking, so I’ll just give you updates on sundry things I’ve been discussing lately.

Such as . . .

The House. We took Saturday off and I got to sleep in. LATE. It was glorious. But today we worked a bit. Mark and Stan mudded the walls while Andrew and I sanded the ceiling. Did I mention how much I hate sanding? Sanding the ceiling is at least seven times worse than sanding the walls, because you have to hold your arms over your head and the dust falls directly in your face. Fortunately, I have a wonderful Andrew, and he did at least 80 percent of the work. Because I am Whiny.

My Hair. I found a new stylist, and she is fab. She was recommended to me by my mother-in-law, and though I was warned to not go to her because I might end up with “mom hair,” I gave it the ol’ college try. And I’m glad I did, because my hair is super cute (if I do say so myself). If any of you are looking for a stylist, go see Carly at International Hair & Day Spa (913.341.1717). I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

Umm . . . I can’t think of anything else you ought to be updated on. Sad. No, wait! I’ve got one: Facebook. I think I like it. I’ve grown accustomed to its face (me: ha! its face! because it’s facebook! you: *head explodes*) (also, did you catch that My Fair Lady reference? We totally saw that movie on Friday at the Free Friday Night movie at Crown Center). Anyway, where was I? Oh, yes, I think I like being on Facebook. For instance, I’m learning all sorts of things about people I went to high school with, and I didn’t even have to speak to them. Like one guy is working for Google, and another guy has a blog that uses all kinds of computery words I don’t even know. I enjoy it. Even if I lost my first game of Scrabulous.

That’s all the updates you get. I’m off to the gym. I’m trying to get in three more workouts before we leave for Florida. Did I tell you we’re going to Florida? And that Austin will be there? I’m just so stinking excited. I heart aunthood.

I did it!

Remember how I wanted to break up with my hair stylist? Well, it's done! Okay, to be fair, all I did was cancel the appointment that I had scheduled for tomorrow. But still! That’s a step in the right direction. And I never said I’d reschedule, so technically, I don’t have to call her back. Ever.

Ahh, I love not being tied down.

If that wasn’t great enough, I’ve already gotten a recommendation for a new place. And the new place is close to home. I know what you’re thinking, this will just be my rebound stylist. But come on . . . you know I’m not that kind of girl. I like commitment and serious relationships. I know this will be The One. All I have to do now is make an appointment.

Because we’ve reached the limits of our compatibility.

I want to break up with my hair stylist. She just . . . isn’t doing it for me anymore. I talk and talk and try to explain my feelings, but it’s like she’s not even listening. And she used to be so nice, giving me scalp and neck massages and using the nice soft towels. But now? Rush, rush, rush. She leaves me sitting in the chair while she shampoos someone else. Am I not even special to her anymore?

We’ve been together for two years. I think she should know by know which side I part my hair on. Is that too much to ask? I don’t think so. Plus, she never answers the phone when I call and it takes her forever to call me back, if she bothers at all. She just expects me to be free when it is convenient for her. Did she ever consider that I might already have plans?

She used to make me feel so pretty. I’d leave her salon with my head held high, full of confidence. She just made me feel so good! But lately? Lately she’s been treating me like some sort of two-bit whore, with my hair all big and trampy-looking. I just feel so . . . cheap.

But I hate the thought of starting all over again. It’s so hard to find someone new. There are so many things to consider. Will we get along? Will she really understand my needs? Could it be a long-term relationship, or just a fling, leaving me cold and bitter, with an excess of split ends?

And so I stay with her, my anger and contempt growing each time I see her. So tell me . . . how would you break up with your stylist?