Babies have binkies...

... BIG girls have ear rings! At least that's what we told Afton to finally get rid of the binky. I have never had a child this attached. Even though she was all for it and excited to get her ears pierced, she cried like she was loosing a good friend when we had her throw them all in the trash. It really was the saddest/sweetest thing. We headed to the mall to do the deed and talked it up the whole way. My sister and step-mom even met us there to lend moral support. Max and Abby kept telling her how proud of her they were and tried to keep her happy about her decision. It was quite an experience...

Here I am giving her the pre-pierce pep talk.

Ready for ear number one... trying to hold her as still as possible.

Done! Look at the face. She was NOT happy. She wouldn't even look in the mirror at it.

I think the anticipation of ear number 2 was harder on me than it was on her. She was screaming. By this time we had a little audience gathered around and I was seriously questioning my decision... what kind of mean mother am I?!?

Yeah!! We're done. She is still screaming, of course, but it is over.

How sweet is that face?

It took is a while to calm her down, but then we got some dinner and she forgot all about it. She kept talking about her big girl ear rings and was so excited. She couldn't wait to show her dad. These were taken when we got home. First she showed me one ...... then the other...
... then both.
By now she was so proud and excited!
For the next couple of months she loved to tell people that "Big girls have ear rings, not binkies" and would tell them about how she went to the "doctor" and cried and cried but now she looks "booful... like a princess"