The Short(er) Story of Adelyn's Hair

I was asked a while ago to show off some of the hairstyles I have done on Adelyn. I'm finally getting around to it. Sadly some of my favorites haven't been captured on film and I can't explain them without pictures.

We were blessed with a daughter who was born with a TON of hair. So we bought tiny little clips and "did" her hair every day. I thought I was an amazing mom.

Then her hair disappeared and we were left with a bald little girl with slow-growing, blonde hair. We put bows on her most days -- had to make sure she still looked like a girl.

After a while, she got a mind of her own and decided that she didn't like stuff on her head. Her hair also got a mind of it's own and never did anything but stick straight up. Most days you couldn't tell if she was a boy or a girl. This lasted for months. There went the "amazing mom".

Then the hair finally started to get long enough to lay down. We still didn't ever do anything with it.

Then one day Adelyn got a dress as a gift. It came with something to cover her hair. While she still wouldn't let it stay on very long, I took it as a hint.

We started to do her hair again. As long as we didn't put much in it and as long as it took almost no time to do, she'd let it stay in. So, she had a barrette in her hair most days. (mostly to keep it out of her eyes)

Then one day for church I decided to do it "cute". She let me!!! That was the start. Although most weekdays we still just went with the barrette. (this is piggies with just the top section of hair)

Then I discovered movies... as a form of distraction for her. After that I was able to do her hair cute most days. And since she didn't really notice me doing it, I could do more complicated things. She also got used to it enough to leave it in all day. (cascading ponytails with just the top section)

(hair "net", self-explanatory?)

I only used the top section for a really long time. The sides were too short to use and going "mohawk" style didn't sound cute. (this is just a side view of the last one)

Then we got more daring. Here's our first attempt at french braids. We had to put the ponytail on as soon as we were out of more hair to add -- and it was hard enough there.

Some days still looked like this by lunch. But they were getting fewer and farther between.

As the sides started to get longer, we tried to incorporate them. This one (cascading ponytails starting on one side and going all the way over to the other in a "headband" style) was the start of a bunch of variations of "headband" styles that we really like on Adelyn.

Then we tried out a curling iron on her hair. It went pretty well. (three small ponytails, turned under [topsy-tail] with clips for decoration)

We got braver with how much hair we could put up in just one ponytail. (half the hair pulled back)

It didn't always work.

We have experimented with different parts. (zig-zag part and french braids) My favorite right now is with one zag at the top and curving french braids to follow it. (I don't have a picture right now, I think I'll have to get one)

We tried different things with her bangs. (lopsided piggies -- not on purpose, and side-swept bangs)

Then we ran out of ideas so we found a couple of hair blogs online (thanks Michelle) with new ideas. Two of my favorite are listed on my list of "other interesting websites" if you're interested. ("headband" french braid, where you only take hair from one side)

Then we started to mix ideas. (small zig-zag part with half up in piggies, flipped out the ends and spiral-curled the piggies)

Then we tried harder things. This one is off the "Girly Dos" website.

Same with this one. So was that funky braid on one of my last posts. (it was just overhand knots with hair added as I went, which, by the way, worked out way better as two braids down her head instead of just one, but of course -- no picture of that)

Adelyn still doesn't like to sit still for the all-over spiral curls. So we started doing rag curls. After bath night, I put a little spray gel into her hair, take small sections, curl them around my fingers and securely tie them with a small strip of cloth. The next morning it looks like this, which is great because normally her hair has no curl at all.

It's fun. Especially since her hair is really getting long and thicker all over her head now.

I've traded in the curling iron (most days) with a 1 inch straight iron -- it's quicker and easier. Because of that I curl her hair under most days now. I love having a girl.

I'll post other pictures of her hair as I get them, but I don't think to take them until it's too late most of the time.