Chris made an appointment for him with the barber he always goes to. He seemed a little weirded out when we first went in, but it didn't take him long to start walking around and checking everything out. There was a man in the chair getting his hair cut (unfortunately Chris didn't need one that day) so we tried to show him and explain what was going to happen. At one point he tried to get out the door, so he was already feeling a little apprehension. When it was his turn I picked him up and set him up in the chair. He freaked out, starting crying and screaming and flailing and doing anything to try and get out of the chair. I really didn't know what to do. The barber suggested that we both step back and just start taking pictures or do something else. And that actually worked. After we stepped back and he realized he couldn't be saved, he quit flailing and just sat their and accepted it. He continued to cry for another minute or so.
He eventually calmed down and sat quietly while the barber cut his hair.
We never did get him to smile.
But he looked very handsome when it was all done.
Overall it was a success. He looked so much older when it was done, like a little boy instead of a baby. I got a little teary-eyed over it later, after putting him down for his nap. And of course I have a little ziplock bag of his hair that I will save for his baby book. We made sure the rest of his birthday was all fun and nothing else unpleasant. I will be documenting the rest of his birthday with pictures later on. And his hair is already starting to get long again, he will be due for another one soon enough. Hopefully now that he has experience it will go better next time.
