new wig...

She'd started asking for a new wig recently.

She wanted long.

She wanted curls. (twists, to be exact)

And she wanted blonde.

Well, we got two out of the three!

(We had no luck with going blonde... it washed out her complexion.)

So brunette she will stay... for now, anyway!

 I love how a wig to Caroline is like a fun accessory.  Something to throw on and wear here and there, as opposed to something she won't leave the house without, you know?  We don't want Caroline to feel any shame or need to cover up.  She's gorgeous with or without hair.   She rocks the bald!

She hardly even wears a wig.  I'd guess she wears one maybe once or twice a month to school, and that's usually to sport a hairstyle she's wanted to try out.  "Mom, can I wear a ponytail to school today?"

For that reason, we aren't spending much on wigs.  To get a great custom-made wig with real human hair would cost in the thousands.  I'm not opposed to that in our future if she decides she's ready to go that route.  This one was a blend of human hair and synthetic, and it cost us a whopping $40.  It's certainly not the world's greatest.  We'll have to make a few adjustments to the inside for a more snug fit (it's made for adults) and added comfort, but this wig should hopefully get us through another year or so.

 

the back

You know, I never dreamed my daughter would go bald.  I had never even heard of alopecia in my life before she began losing her hair!, and it's apparent (especially when wig shopping, of all things...) that most other people haven't either.
Caroline's getting really good about just smiling when adults wish her well health-wise because they assume she is sick with cancer and feel the need to show pity to her.

A few weeks ago, just before she fell asleep she said, "Mom, no one at school asks me why I don't have hair anymore."

I paused to see what she'd say next.

"Well, except the little preschoolers.  Sometimes they ask because they have no idea about anything." (ha ha!)

What a crazy life we live dealing with no hair, wig hair, and black hair, I tell ya!

I am just faking my way through it all and doing the best I can.

Thankfully, baldness doesn't much matter in our day-to-day living.  It doesn't keep me from loving her to pieces.  While it certainly affects my daughter's identity, it doesn't solely define it.

She's just Caroline.  My strong, social,  encouraging, routine-loving little leader.  The girl I love the most in this whole wide world.

And she just so happens to have no hair.