Pierced Ears

Janna and Heather got their ears pierced last week. Janna has been talking it up to Heather for a while, to get Heather excited about getting her ears pierced. Then she told us, "If Heather gets her ears pierced, I might get mine pierced again." (Janna's mom pierced her ears when Janna was 3 1/2 and not happy about it. Once they took her earrings out, she wouldn't let anyone put new ones in and her holes eventually closed up.)

So last Wednesday we were at the mall for our usual outing before Kids' Clubs, which is their Wednesday-night church activity. I, naturally, was all for the ear piercing. J. was unconvinced. He wanted the girls to take time to think it through and make sure they really wanted to do it. We pointed out that they'd been wanting to for over a week already, and in kids' time that's like forever. Finally he agreed.

We kept trying to tell Heather that it was going to hurt a little, and it was okay if she cried. She reassured us that it was not going to hurt her. Janna, who knew somewhat what to expect, was a little anxious. The lady at Claire's asked the girls if they were nervous, and Janna said, "I am but she's not." Heather said, "I'm not, but she is." Then she hitched her thumb at Janna and said, "She's a nervous kid."

Finally everything was sterilized, and the papers were all signed, and we were ready to go. Heather sat very still and had a little smile on her face as she waited for the post to go through her ear.

Then it did. The smile faded and Heather said, "Yowzers!"

She needed a minute and a couple hugs from Janna and me before she was ready for her next year. She did great with it, and was rewarded with a sucker.

It was Janna's turn. She had held Heather's hand through the whole thing, so now Heather was holding her hand. When the lady was finally ready to do Janna's first ear, Heather let go of her hand and started to walk away. How supportive, eh? We made her get back over there and hold her sister's hand until Janna's ears were both pierced too.

Janna seemed to hurt a little more during the process, but she wouldn't admit it. We could see it in her face, but she said she was fine and it hurt "just a little." The antiseptic they gave us helped both girls, and by the time we got home that night neither of them could feel their earrings anymore.

Since it was "buy 2, get 1 free," I got the cartilage in my left ear re-pierced. I didn't take care of it the first time, and it hurts to much to force a hoop through the old hole, so I got a new hole and this time I'm going to actually take care of. I'll be happy in three months when I can put in a hoop.

Now we have to put this medicine on them three times a day for six weeks. Which is kind of a drag, but a small price to pay to make sure the girls' ears don't get infected. My friend Mary Jane already bought them each some earrings, so as soon as the six weeks are up, they can switch out their earrings and put in something new.

It's very exciting!