Adventures in Hair: The Research Begins

Throughout our adoption process, we were told that our referral would most likely be for a boy.  We were pretty surprised when we found out about a week before our referral that we were on the top of the list for a girl!  When we first shared that our referral was for a girl, I will never forget one of the first comments several friends made was, "you're going to have to learn to  do hair."  Yup...it was a fact.  We were bringing home a little girl with very different hair than my long, red, super-dry, naturally wavy hair.  I knew that I had a lot to learn because hair is an interesting part of culture as well individual people.  For better or worse, it is seen by many as a [very public] measure of a child's care.  I am continuing to learn just how important hair is culturally.  While hair isn't the focus of Mikayla's well being...there is so much more to who a person is besides the elements of outward appearance...I can say that I LOVE HER HAIR!  It is beautiful, spunky, and so versatile.  Because Mikayla's hair is part of our life and routine now, and because I am enjoying working with her hair so much, I have decided to share a couple of posts on our adventures in hair.  While I've learned a lot so far, I know there is still a lot to learn.  I would love for these posts to start a conversation where information can be shared.  If you have thoughts, experiences, questions, or encouragement, please feel free to leave a comment below!

I am a learner at heart.  When I become interested in something, I love to research and learn as much as I can about the topic. Very soon after accepting our referral, I set out to learn as much as I could about caring for Mikayla's hair.  Talking with actual people and learning from their experiences is always helpful.  I have also found several blogs devoted to the care of natural hair.  These blogs share the basics from cleaning to moisturizing to styling natural hair.  More and more blogs that focus on caring for children's hair are being developed as well.  These are especially helpful because they include information about caring for AND styling hair in a way that is appropriate for little girls.  I love reading several different blogs because each writer has a slightly different method and focus on their blog.  Also, I find it reassuring to be able to confirm information through multiple sources.  

I've compiled some of my favorite hair blogs (yes, I read a lot of hair blogs!) and a short description describing why I like the blog.

Happy Girl Hair- This is hands-down my favorite hair care blog.  The amount of information shared on this blog is amazing.  If I have a question, this is my go-to source. 

Beads, Braids, and Beyond-  The styles shared on this blog are so A-MAZING and inspiring.
Chocolate Hair, Vanilla Care-I love this blog because it doesn't feel overwhelming and the blogger has a beginner's section as well as easy-to-find posts that show how her daughter's haircare routine has changed as she gets older and her hair gets longer
Cherish My Daughter-This mama cares for 4 heads of little girl hair...need I say more?
The Natural Haven-The nerd in me loves this blog.  This blogger is a scientist, and she explains the science behind what I am reading on other blogs.  She also has busted a few myths.

You Tube Channels:

Happy Girl Hair-has very good, easy to follow videos.  You can see what she is doing with her hands, which is oh-so-helpful in learning a new style.
Girls Love Your Curls- I think I could watch/listen to this lady all day long.  She is gorgeous, funny, delightful, and a good source of information and technique.
Styles by Katelynnlynn-She has lots of videos that give detailed instructions on everything from daily routine to products to styles.  She also has a daughter with locs, so there is a lot of information on caring/styling locs as well.  She also has a blog (www.keepmecurly.com)

I am nowhere near an expert or even very good with Mikayla's hair yet, but I trust that as I gain experience and knowledge, the joy of doing hair will multiply as well!

One of the very first pictures of M...no hair to care for...yet!

November 2010- Our First Meeting...very short, kind of patchy hair

Stay tuned for more hair adventures!