Little Mrs. Tilley: square-cut princess ones, please!

Lorelei has been asking to have her ears pierced since she was one year old. We always told her that when she was bigger, she could get them done. I wouldn't have cared either way, but it was important to Christopher that it be a decision Lorelei could make on her own. I thought that was cute. For the past two and a half years she has brought it up from time to time and asked over and over. Finally, we were at the mall the other day and to kill time, the girls and I were walking around looking at the jewelry at Sears. Over and over Lorelei would say something like, "Mom, I know THIS would make a beautiful earring for me when I'm big.", as she pointed out rings, necklaces and earrings alike. So as we were headed out of the mall we passed by Claire's and Christopher finally decided to let Lorelei get her ears pierced. He loves that she's so little and, like me, doesn't want her to do big girl things quite yet. I'm not ready for her to be big. She needs to stay little... which I know isn't possible. :(

We went in and I explained that we were in the store that pierces ears. I explained how piercing works and that it would hurt for a few seconds, but then she would have earrings. "Lorelei, would you like to have your ears pierced?" I asked her as we knelt down in the middle of the crowded displays. "Does it hurt like a big blood owie?", she asked. "No, like a pinch. Like this.", as I pinched her earlobe. Her eyes got wide and she calmly said, "Well, maybe I will a different day.", in her sweet little voice. "Okay. That's a fine decision, Sweet Girl." Then she looked around and furrowed her brows little and said, "Well, I think I would like them to get pierced-ed today. Then I will have earrings like McKenna."

So we put her up in the chair and asked her to pick out which earrings she wanted. She chose little diamonds like mine. She even made sure they were 'square cut princess' ones. haha Smart little girl, huh? Lorelei watched so intently as everything was put together and set up. She was so nervous and inquisitive as her ears were cleaned and the gun was loaded. The first pierce caught her totally off guard and she winced in shock for a split second and looked at Christopher with eyes that said, "what the --!?" Then as he explained that her ear was pierced she began to tear up. I grabbed the mirror and showed her and she smiled so big. She was so excited.

Not excited enough, however, to be ready for the next ear. It took a sweet little pep talk from her daddy before she was sitting up tall and ready to do it again. She cried when her second ear was pierced and just hugged Christopher for a minute or two. She was so brave and grown up about the entire thing.

Every day since then, she has thanked us profusely for piercing her ears. She is so thrilled to have earrings and can't wait to show everyone. She is so great about making sure we clean them each day and that they are healing perfectly.

One of my favorites was hearing her explain to Addison that she got her ears pierced. Addison wasn't really paying attention, but that didn't stop Lorelei. "Sister," she said. "I got my ears pierced-ed with earrings because I am big. I know you think they are beautiful, but you can't have any earrings yet. You are just a little baby sister. But I know you will love it! Maybe you will cry. But maybe you will be tough like me because we are both Tilley girls."

I have the sweetest little people ever.

All ready to go and excited to be big enough to pierce her ears

Watching closely as everything is prepared. Lorelei said the lady smelled like a doctor because of the alcohol wipes she was using to clean everything.