From Cha-Cha-Cha-Chia to Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang!

In case you haven't noticed, I've sprouted a Chia pet on my head. And if you have noticed, none of you have said anything, which makes each and every one of you my favorite person. I mean, really...Chia pets? I've never been a fan. But apparently, once I got pregnant for the first time, I not only signed up for raising a child but also for having all of my old shirts suddenly seem too short AND crazy weird new hair growth.

I've mentioned before the fall out that I experience after each baby....it's brutal. Last time I chopped my hair because I was so sick of finding the long strands everywhere. After our wedding, I donated my lion's mane to Locks of Love, but I didn't have the 10 inches to do that after Harrison was born. I had about 7.5, so I found the Pink Hearts Fund instead and sent them this (side note: I see they no longer take that length; they have to have 8-10):

At least when my hair was in a bob, I didn't notice the shedding quite so much. The new semicircle of new growth that came in all around the crown of my head, however, was hard to miss. My "halo" (as my hairdresser and I called it) was very strange stuff, although it did adapt well to the new cut by giving me some extra volume on top. What was not-so-good were the little horns that would appear all the way from my temples back to my ponytail if I tried pulling my hair back at all. It took forever for those strands to incorporate in with the rest of my hair (another good reason for keeping it short for as long as I did).

And then I got pregnant again. Re-enter the no-shed joys of pregnancy and then the all-fall-out pains of post-pregnancy. Except this time, I haven't chopped my hair. And my new growth isn't coming in on top of my head; it's coming in all around my hairline instead. This means I can see little baby whispers of hair sticking out pretty much all over the place, especially because my hair is pulled up all the time (b/c a certain smiley 9 1/2 month old loves to stick her grabby little fingers in it otherwise). In the back and above my ears isn't such a big deal. It's the stuff front and center (actually front and left) that is driving me bonkers. While some of these new little hairs stay tamed and concealed by my longer strands, there is particular clump that has been growing, growing, growing since May. It sticks up all poofy- and crazy-like when I pull my hair back and don't even get me started on the last time I straigthened my hair and attempted to straighten Chia along with it (I had a unicorn horn, folks. A unicorn horn!). Here is what Chia looks like most of the time (just lovely, I tell you):

The last time I got a haircut, my hairdresser mentioned that when those new hairs got longer, I might want to consider bangs to cover/incorporate them up a bit. I scoffed at the idea at first because I haven't had full bangs since I was in grade school (too bad I don't have those pictures to share!), and I had roommates in college try - twice! - to cut bangs for me but neither time was a raging success. So I had kind of vowed to myself that I would never, ever again attempt bangs.

But....Chia kept growing, and finally I decided that it's just hair. I can cut bangs and I might love them. Or, I might hate them; if I do, I can chop the rest of it off and they'll grow out soon enough. Whatever. As long as my hairline quits resembling herbs growing on a terracotta head, I'm good. And I don't know about you, but I think this is a much less herby look:

Since I have yet to style them on my own, the verdict on the new bangs is still out. I like the look, though, and hopefully I can manage them all by myself. And really, if it means Chia and I can part ways, then thank goodness!