[oceanica]

My son Keonte is supposedly "all black" and he certainly has a LOT of hair. I've never seen a little guy with so much hair! It's very curly and very soft. I could brush it for an hour and it still won't be all brushed because there are so many curls under the curls. It's really really cute. I can make it really large by brushing it outwards. I use leave-in conditioners to help detangle and brush it. But what I would like is something that would help make it into more defined ringlets and less a mass of fluffy hair. It doesn't need moisture because honestly it's extremely soft and fine and beautiful. So if you have any ideas please let me know! A second question is: do you think his hair is going to become more like my daughter Athena's with a very coarse, dry texture and tiny tight curls? More like what you traditionally think of with aa hair? He's now 9 months and it shows no sign of changing yet. I know Oakshannon said David's hair fell out and changed at 8 months. My friend is aa and she says this is how it's going to stay. Both bparents have VERY tight coarse and curly hair.
I'll attach some pics of both kids. In these Kee's hair was just conditioned with garnier leave-in and brushed for about 20 minutes.

[BethanyB]

His hair looks like typical AA hair to me. Looks like an afro. The tight ringlets don't last forever. All hair types are different though. I have a boy in my class who was adopted from Ethiopia. Couldn't get any blacker than that and he has totally straight hair.

When my son was a baby I would wash it and put hair lotion in it and then I would pick it with my fingers to get the curls to stay.

[BeckyS]

They are both gorgeous! As far as hair changing, everyone will have an opinion, but you really never can tell. My dd's hair (now 7 1/2) changed up a few times. It was straight when born, then big wispy curls until around 2 1/2 and then the curls tightened up and her hair texture changed....it's still changing some. My ds (now 4) has the same hair he was born with.

[Cjmeck]

OMG, how CUTE!! Savannah's hair was like that when she was about that age. I noticed I got the more defined curls when I wetted it with a spray bottle, finger brushed it only (brushes and pics only made it bushy) and then used a leave-in conditioner like Blended Beauties or Carol's Daughter. I think Savannah's texture started getting coarser around her first b-day. But now, its strange b/c while its crazy curly, its also very baby fine in texture... Everytime I think I've got her hair under control, the texture or length changes. Brushes of any kind are a big no-no for her hair; except if I really need to do a hard core detangle session, and then I use a pic in the bathtub with wet hair.

[sugarandspice697]

His hair looks like basic AA hair... When you said curly hair I thought you meant "corkscrew style" hair that is common in Jewish, Biracial and East African cultures.

[mommytoEli]

whatever kind of hair they have, they are both FREAKING adorable!

[Magic_Hat]

They are both so cute!!

[oceanica]

Thanks becky, cj, mommytoeli and magic hat!

I know what some of you are saying.... I guess the pic isn't that good. His curls are small, not as small as Athena's but it's the more the texture I was thinking about. It's really really soft and with certain hair products it can be almost straight after brushing. It's just not tight and each hair is extremely fine and flexible. Athena's hair holds it's shape more, even when wet like in the pool it's still the same and little drops of water just stick to random spots. It's way different than both bparents.

[MB80sgirl]

They both have really nice hair! I cant wait till my baby has that much.

[nickchris]

The babies are very cute.
If you have not done so as yet, try the olive oil/h2o spritz. My DD's hair is like what you described of your DS' hair. When you brush her hair, (especially after washing and conditioning), it it does stretch out.
In general:
What we are calling AA/black hair has different feels/types. Even if the hair maintain a type of kinkiness/curl it can be thick, thin, dry, some with natural moisture.
Soft, some hair type feels harder. IMO if the hair is feeling rough, it's because it needs more moisture. not oil/goop, but moisture. The less natural oils made, the more the hair is dry, the hair needs more water/moisture. However, the better products now-a-days can maintain most "AA/black" hair very well, and create some definition. It only takes the adding of the right amount of moisture. That's why a lot of us has so many hair products in our bathrooms. lol
My dad would be deemed full black, more so than my mother who has tons of hair. However, he has very soft, downy like hair. His mother hair was so soft she only needed a warm curling iron to make a curly hair style. My hair is similar to theirs, and it is soft and fine. I am natural now, and am finding my old texture again. With the right products, I do get some definition, with curls the size of a small straw, and waves.

Back to the OP: :-)
This site does go through the types of hair from straight to kinky/curly, and recommended products. Your babies are a little young, but you may get some ideas. Now note that Black people's hair can run the gamut. Check out the addendum.

Hair Types on NaturallyCurly.com

[Amber76]

I don't have any suggestions about the hair stuff, but just had to say that your children are just beautiful! I love Kee's eyes and Athena is stunning!

[manni28]

Oceanica:

I always wanted to ask you, are your children sibilings? They look so much like each other.

-Manni

[becky]

They are just so cute...those eyes are amazing!!!!

[OakShannon]

I think Nick's post covers a lot of your question! But I was also wondering about the brush. Of course, I'm only experienced with David's hair, which may not apply. But a brush would have made his hair frizzy and his curls wouldn't have been as defined. I use a brush now because his hair is so short. But when it was long, I used a comb to detangle and a pick to style. Maybe try using a pick with a little of the oil/water mix Nick suggested?

I could be talking out of my hat here, because hair is not my area of expertise. But it seems to me that baby hair always seems to change. David's hair has continued to change and it is still finer and a little thinner on the sides than on the back and top. My friend's daughter is David's age and her hair is very fine and wispy. (She's Chinese.) Another friend's 15-month-old son has thin, soft curls that look like David's hair when he was a little baby. But I'm sure it won't stay that way. From my very informal observation, it seems like kids' hair changes a lot during the first several years. Not just African American kids, but all kids. Kee's hair probably won't have exactly the same texture as Athena's though.

[SHD]

Sorry Oceania I want to hijack your thread for a minute.

Thanks NickChris for posting that site. My DD has curly hair like Nicole Kidman or Sandra Oh. I do a few of the things as described but I will be getting some curl activator to keep her curls nice when she goes "natural." She's only six and on occasion has an opinion as to how she wears her hair, curly, straight, pulled back, etc. I love that she realizes she can do so much with her hair.

Okay Oceania, back to you, your kids are gorgeous! How's the walking going? Is Athena running all over the place?