Rite of Passage

I got my ears pierced when I was 4. I remember the whole thing vividly: going to Merle Norman with my mom, picking out the aquamarine studs that would be my first pair of earrings, trying not to cry, and feeling really grown up and brave.

When Beatrice was born, my mom and her husband gave her a tiny pair of diamond studs. "Now you have to get her ears pierced," they said. I didn't want to do it while she was a baby though. I wanted to make a special day of it when she was old enough to remember the experience. She has been asking to get them pierced for awhile now so while we were in Tennessee last weekend, I took her.

She went with her cousin, Addie, and it was a really sweet day for them. They were excited together, nervous together, and comforted each other after the shock (and pain) wore off. It was really special for us mamas too since our kids only get to see each other a couple of times a year. Now whenever each girl remembers getting her ears pierced or shops for earrings, they will always think of their cousin.

The jewelry store we went to had a rule that kids had to be 6 and older to get their ears pierced. We didn't know that before showing up, so my sister in law pleaded with them to make an exception. The owner came out and said that they would pierce my almost 3 year old's ears if she said she wanted them done and would sit still in the chair. Beatrice not only told him she wanted her ear pierced, but she also volunteered to go first! My big girl.

 

That last picture above is when they pulled the trigger on their guns and pierced my baby's earlobes with pointy, sharp steel. About 3 seconds later, she jumped off of that chair and buried her face in my neck, sobbing for 10 minutes. It was really sad. I cried too and instantly regretted bringing her. She told me she was so mad at me and she didn't want her ears pierced anymore. It was really pitiful and awful. Poor Addie had to go next after watching the whole thing. Bless her heart, she was so brave.

After several minutes of crying into their mamas' shoulders, the girls were ready to check out their new jewels.

Thank goodness the girls had each other.

The sales ladies were kinda freaked out by all of the crying so we paid and took the girls to get ice cream. All of the tears were dried up by the time we arrived at the treat shoppe. They sent cellphone photos to their daddies and admired their earrings in our mirrors. A few hours later, they were completely over the trauma and pain and were proudly showing off their new pierced ears to everyone.

Beatrice is doing a really great job at caring for her ears. I taught her how to twist the studs and she sits still while I douse them in the peroxide cleaning solution twice a day. I love the way they look on her little earlobes and she is really excited to add to her jewelry collection. Yay for pierced ears!