I Think I've Finally Met My Match

I've endured 15 hours of drug-free labor and months of holding my daughter for 2 naps a day. I breastfed for 21 months, while eating only spinach, turkey, grapes, and cranberries (and a few other foods) for about 10 of them. And, I have wiped bloody green stool from my daughter's tiny white bum way too many times. But for the life of me I cannot stop obsessing over my 22-month old's hairy left leg.

Apparently, 7 weeks in a dark, moist, fiberglass cast will grow large amounts of hair on even the tiniest and cutest of legs. And quite frankly, if it were me, it wouldn't be that big of a deal. But it just seems kind of wrong to have a little near-2 year old running around with a leg that resembles that of a crunchy green peace volunteer out on an Alaskan whale protest.

At first we thought it would just fall out. I mean, it just looks ridiculous - almost fake. And then it became quite obvious that there was absolutely nothing we could do about it. I mean, anything I do will either make me a total lunatic or require a visit from DYFS. Pluck? No way. Nair? Just seems like that shouldn't be put on anyone who can't at least spell it. Wax? Can you just imagine walking into the spa and plopping your 2-year old on the white sheet-covered table? If you haven't, don't worry. I have. It's not pretty.

So in the spirit of acceptance, I came up with a few alternatives.

• Maybe it qualifies as some sort of weird disease - like Hairicus Limbus. That could mean free reign of the big bathroom stall, a cool parking spot, and no guilt for using the fancy button to open the automatic doors.
• We could use it as a way to deter potential suitors, pushing back her dating age to at least 25. "Dude, she has one really hairy leg. I'm pretty sure she's not someone you want to take home to mom, ever."
• Or we could avoid all those ID bracelets and bright orange "won't-lose-them-even-in-a-NY-subway" t-shirts. "Hey people. Anyone seen the girl with the really hairy left leg?"

I'm not exactly sure why it bothers me so much. I don't love her any less nor would I trade that little hairy leg in for another one. So, I guess I'm just going to have to suck it up and get over it. Because, when it comes down to it, one hairy leg is way better than two.

That's my story - and I'm sticking with it.

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Comments

[Sue]

Thanks for the BlogHer contest link love!

[something blue]

I hope it disappears. I would be in a state of panic but then I have hair issues. I still remember the day my mom told me that I would have to start shaving my legs. Oh, the horror.

[maria]

it could be way worse, my youngest has a hairy mole or birthmark thing on his upper arm, it's about 2 in long and wide too, so we can't even say it isn't noticeable. and the hair in it is long and dark. try pretending like THATS normal..the sacrifices we mothers endure. oh yeah, back to your problem, my bro had casts on as a baby and his legs were very hairy at first too, it took like a year, but it went back to more normal. keep smilin

[Nancy]

Yeah, it would be tough for me too with my little blondie girls. It does sound like it will go away in time, so hang in there!

[Mrs. Chicky]

I love the idea of leg hair being a deterent to any potential suitors until she's an adult. Its probably not a good idea to put a fake cast on my daughter for that reason, though - Is it?

[Izzy]

The Hairicus Limbus (rofl) will clear up soon, I'm sure. It wasn't that long ago that her cast came off.

And hey...at least it's not on her chin, right?

:)

[mothergoosemouse]

It would bother me a bit too, but I would probably leave it alone for a little while to see what happens.

[Lisa B]

I remember something like that when I broke my arm many, many years ago.

I guess that's why my right arm is extra hairy and I could never get dates in high school and why I needed lots of expensive therapy.

I guess you've probably bought her alot of capris for the summer. heehee. She'll be fine. But yeah, I would be thinking the same things you are...

[kittenpie]

Pants? If it's still there when hot weather hits, you could always either shave or trim it down with your husband's electric shaver (gentler on the skin than a blade, I think) or bleach it out with facial bleach, which I assume must be pretty gentle.

[Babaloo]

I know exactly what you are talking about! My son had a "furry arm" after they took his cast off. But, like someone else said, it does go back to normal, just be patient. We tried to make it a sort of a source of pride for him to show off to others (like he had a super power or something)... which maybe is different for little boys?
Good luck!

[Andrea]

My sister broke her ankle when we were kids and she had the hairy calf from it. It did go away on its own, but I can't remember how long it took. I feel for you, girl. I wouldn't know what to do either.

[Cyndi]

omg I want to go so bad.

[mama_tulip]

Honestly I'd be totally conscious of that too -- when my son was about three weeks old he lost all of the hair on the top of his head -- he kinda looked like Clint Howard. *shudder* And I know it's awful but I couldn't stand how it made him look. It was really difficult for me, LOL, to look at his bald head. Because it wasn't like new baby bald, it was like, buttass BALD, with a little ring of downy-fine newborn hair at the bottom.

But I just left it and it grew back. I cringed a lot, LOL. My only suggestion for you is to play outdoors a lot so the sun can lighten it up naturally.

[Lucinda]

I wouldn't tell anybody, but I'd totally use Nair. I'd test it on a small bit of her leg first and make sure it didn't irritate her- I'd probably even call my pediatrician's office. But if I got the all-clear, I'd Nair away.

[kvetch]

I like the buffing idea...if you just can't get past it. She has no clue, which is really a good thing. And perhaps, in Mississippi, she now really fits in? Oh, we wouldn't want that now would we?

[fidget]

it will go away! it just takes an ungodly amount of time. With summer upon us it will lighten to a nice shimmering golden color and then one day will be gone. WHen my arm got that way it was about 3 or 4 months of me fretting about it when one day I woke up and it was just POOF! gone

[Redneck mommy]

My son had over ten sets of casts in his small, lovely life. Not once did they produce mannish hairy tree stumps, the likes of what you are referring to. But when my sister broke her arm a few years back and had the cast taken off she had grown a gorilla arm. I still tease her about it. (Because I am a loving and supportive sister.) She bleached it which made it a lovely blonde gorilla arm. Hee hee.

[Emily]

I've been in cast...and yea, it happens to grown ups too(only I was free to wax/shave/bleach/Nair/etc).

Make sure she gets plenty of sun(it'll help bleach it out)

And if you wanna be a really bad mom...(God, cannot believe I am admitting this)but when my (now 11 y/o) daughter was two she had dark hair on her ass and back, so I bought some of those drug store 'hair buffing off' pads things, where you rub and it painlessly removes hair(Conair makes an electronic version now)...it didn't hurt her tiny ass, and she looked great in her bikini for the family reunion.

(IF you ask me later, I will not admit to doing this, though...k?)

[Kristi]

Oh no. Maybe with more time it will fall out? Or maybe the other leg will catch up in a few years and she can start shaving at 6. I'm sure you've googled it. No good theories from Dr. Google?

[radmama]

Rub some hydrogen peroxide on it for a few days. It should bleach out a bit without any harm.

[joy]

i never knew that being in a caste could do that--hmmmm. i think I would be thinking about solutions too, sad to say. but then worried that if I did something, it would grow back even thicker. Like when I was 12, and insisted on shaving my hairless legs and *cough* other bald regions. the thick and curlies came in pretty coarsely after that, I can tell you. Be warned, dear lady, be warned.

that said, i'm sure you daughter's leg is a cute as ever, and it's only you who even remotely notice this:)