A Special Trip to Claire's (the store)

For awhile now Ally has talked about getting her ears pierced. She started talking about it a few months ago when she saw Maddie Gosselin on Jon and Kate Plus 8 get her ears pierced. Maddie cried and cried so Ally said that this was not something she wanted to do. Fast forward a few weeks and her best friend Isabella got hers done and her friend Emma got hers done as well. We continued to discuss it and I told her that she could get hers done when she decided she was ready and if she could talk her Daddy into it. So about a week ago Ally decided she was ready and she wanted to do it right then! She talked to Brent about it and we decided to go today. We took her to Claire's in the mall. (On Wednesday I had taken her in there to prepare her. She looked at the earring options and saw where they pierced the ears, etc.) She was ready!

taking her seat in the chair

She brought Emmy with her to hug and comfort her

Starting to get nervous

getting her ears cleaned

marking her ears (My biggest fear was that they would be uneven. Those of you who know me well know what a perfectionist I am and know that things like this must be PERFECT! Thankfully this girl was GOOD! She knew exactly what she was doing.)

making sure they're even

Claire watching from her stroller

holding tightly to my hand

This face cracks me up! I requested that they pierce both ears at the same time so she wouldn't get one done and change her mind. They told her they would count to three. One, two. . .

They did it on two! This was to insure that she wouldn't move/flinch as it was being done. What a reaction!
Cleaning her ears again
checking out her earrings

And calming down. She only cried for a minute. I was so proud of her! She was so brave!
The earrings she chose are so pretty! So sweet and feminine.

And guess what?! I decided to get mine done as well! I've had my ears pierced twice before. The first time was in 3rd grade--they got infected so I let them grow back. The second time was in 8th grade on a youth choir trip. Then the next year in gym class I was playing basketball wearing hoop earrings and a guy got his finger caught in my earring. It ripped my ear and so I had to let them grow back. Anyway, I thought today would be a great day to try yet again. The 3rd times a charm, right?! It couldn't be anymore special than getting it done alongside my daughter! I honestly thought that Ally would want me to go first--to be the example--to show her that everything would be ok. I was prepared to be that example but she insisted that she go first. I was a nervous wreck but couldn't show that to Ally. I am not one for pain and I had remembered how painful it had been in the past. I kept telling myself--you gave birth to two children, you can do this! I thought I was going to lose my lunch. But I pulled out my best acting skills and acted like I wasn't phased and took my turn in the chair (all those high school theater classes I took have come in handy since I've been a mom).

role reversal--Ally holding MY hand!

getting my ears marked (praying they'd be perfect)

checking out my markings

I talked them into doing both of mine at the same time as well. But insisted that they counted to three for real this time! Let's get this over with! One, two. . .. . . THREE! I was in shock! I did not feel a thing! I couldn't believe it! Ear piercing has certainly come a LONG way in 15 years!
cleaning my ears again and wiping the pen marks off

The earrings I chose
All done! This is Ally and me with the girl who pierced our ears! She was fabulous!
leaving the store with our bags of cleaning solution (We have to leave our earrings in for 6 weeks cleaning and turning them 3 times a day)Ally spent the rest of our time at the mall showing off her new earrings to anyone who would pay her some attention and admiring them in every mirror/window we came across. It was adorable!