Grey hair

Parents often joke that the grey hairs on their heads were caused by the things their children did. I used to think they were kidding, but since Maïa was born, I have learned that there is an unmistakeably direct correlation.

Derek and I were very youthful looking (and youthful) when Maïa came into our lives. When Maïa was just a few weeks old, we were sleep deprived, shell-chocked, and generally overwhelmed. And somehow, through the fog of fatigue, I saw it: the white hair on Derek's head. It was coarse and unruly and unabashedly white. And I pulled it out. And I haven't seen it since.

Fast-forward about two years. When Solanne was just a few weeks old, we were sleep deprived, a little less shell-shocked, but still generally overwhelmed. And again, through the fog of fatigue, I saw it: the white hair in Derek's beard. And I pulled it out. It has since grown back and brought with it three more friends.

It would seem that we can now track how much stress the children have each caused Derek: if there are many white hairs on his head, Maïa has been the culprit; if there are many in his beard, Solanne is to blame. So far, it would seem that Solanne is "winning."

The question remains, however, who is causing the hair loss?