Shaving Tanner

  

 After seven days Tanner's baby face starts to feel rough. There are course, strawberry blond whiskers which accumulate quite densely on his chin. He gets sideburns. He gets cheek hair. It is all very unsettling for me, especially since I have to shave him. I never imagined putting shaving cream on his face, slowly bringing a razor around his pointy chin and down his little neck, feeling the drag of the blades gliding over his tender skin. I don't want to knick him but he is so wiggly. I softly whisper in his ear while the razor rounds the corners of his face just to keep him still. But then he jerks away and I slice a bit of his ear or the underside of his chin. He barely feels it, but I do.