Pretty earrings!

Maura decided that she wanted her ears pierced for her 3rd b-day!!! A couple of her friends have shiny ear lobes and served as the inspiration. I was able to gather input from other moms and we were encouraged to tackle this brave endeavor at Claire's in the mall. So the day after her birthday we were off to find the purple earrings. (Side note: Maura's favorite color is purple. It was a necessity that her ears represent nothing less.) Thankfully, we found birthstone pendants that came in a light amethyst color and a location where two ladies were available to pierce simultaneously. It was also important that Maura had never seen this procedure done before.
She was given a sucker to keep her hands occupied, ear lobes were then rubbed with alcohol, dots made for placement markers, and then SHAZAM Maura was pierced!!! Right after the puncture, Maura gasped as tears began to fall. Initially, she looked at me with a response of "Mommy, how dare you let these ladies hurt me?", but then sought me for comfort. I told her it was going to be okay and within 5 minutes she felt better and seemed in awe of her jewelry. On the ride home she complained of some tingling, but within 30 minutes, it was like she had forgotten the entire experience. Since then, she has tolerated things really well. She has never tried to remove them and is always receptive to "doctoring" time. Gary and I both love the addition and we're glad that we allowed this to happen. We never pressured her and both agreed that if we got to the store and she changed her mind that we would leave-no questions asked. But again she did so well and everyone loves her pretty sparkle!!!