Image Management

Hello again! So sorry we're not posting as often, 2 kids running around can really cut the computer time down! Anyway, it'll get better! We've had an eventful week! Gabe is closing in on 4 weeks fast and he's growing ever bigger and longer (especially), it seems! He is such a mellow kid, except for today when he screamed at me for about an hour after waking up before he was ready to! Ahhh, newborns! Emma is officially a big sister. She and I had our "mommy and Emma" date last Friday - let me tell you about it. While I was still pregnant this summer, she started noticing Jaeda's earrings and asking why she didn't have them. I joked with her and told her to ask her daddy (it's not something he's ever been keen on doing!) After talking it over with Paul, we decided that if she wanted, getting her ears pierced could be her "big sister" present from the two of us. She was so excited and asked about it all the time before Gabe came! We planned a date for her and I to have ice cream and go get her ears pierced soon after the baby came. Well, on Friday night she and I headed out to the mall for our night out! She was fully prepared that having her ears pierced would hurt a little, but she wanted to be brave! We arrived at the Piercing Pagoda and Amanda was more than willing to help us out. Em picked out some sparkly flowers to have her ears pierced and so the pain began. Amanda was the only girl working that night, so we couldn't do both ears at once, should have been my first clue to leave, huh? Oh no, I pressed on! She pierced the first ear and Emma, having no clue what was going on, let her do it. Afterwards, she screamed in horror!!! The moment I showed her the mirror and let her see the earring, however, she was enthralled! But she refused to let Amanda come near her with the second gun! We cajoled and talked, but it was a no go. Emma and I took a break and took a walk around the mall. We got some popcorn and candy and headed back. She still wasn't sold, so I had to hold her pretty tight to keep her sitting still! It was awful and I am a wretched mother for doing so!!! However, she was thrilled with her new earrings and couldn't wait to show and tell everyone. We called everyone on the way home, from Aunt Dara in California to Allison and Jared in Maryville! Yeah! Finished, right? Wrong! When she woke up Saturday morning, the right earring had fallen out and the hole closed up!!! I explained to her that we should just take the other one out and get her ears pierced when she was older. But she cried and cried about wanting to have those earrings in! We tried miserably to push it back through but it wouldn't work. So, the 4 of us loaded up in the van and headed back to the mall for a 2nd visit! Yep, we repierced it! It was just as horrible as the night before! Anyway, they are both still in and she is one happy camper. If you ask her if it hurt, she'll look you dead in the eye and say, "Not at all!" Image management at 2 years old. And then there's my own struggle...that's a story for another day!!!