Madison has had her ears pierced since she was about 6 months and for her 1st birthday her father bought her saphire earrings, they are the only ones she will/does wear. the only thing I had to do differently was get screwbacks put on them so we didnt loose the backings/earrings(did that twice, thank goodness it was in the carseat). I dont regret doing it then, Im glad I did but that was the choice I made. I have my ear's pierced but never really wear earrings and I have 1 tatto on my right ankle, its a heart with misc. colors in it, Ive had it for about 10 yrs now and honestly I just forget its there. This is the same with Madison, she scar's very easily and they are sometimes very light, Im always watching that she doesnt pick at a scab to make sure she doesnt scar too much.
Okay well some of you may think I'm nuts but that's okay. I have two piercings in each of my ears but now I never even wear earings in the second hole. I also have my cartlidge (sp?) pierced on my left ear that was done when I was 21, my navel pierced when I was 24 and I have two tatoos - one on my upper right thigh that is a tiny red rose done at age 18 and a design on my left ankle done at age 19. So there you go. That's what I got and I don't regret anything. I love my navel piercing and I forget I even have the tatoos. Now if you notice I was an adult when I had all these things done - except the ear piercings. I am fine with the earings on my dd10 but anything else will get a big NO WAY from me. When she is out of my house and grown she can do what she wants but she has no tolerance for pain so I honestly think she would never consider any tatoos or other piercings.
My dd who is now 20, pierced her naval, eyebrow and tongue, all after she moved out of the house. Whenever she would ask me about them I would say something noncommital like "oh, that's nice" or "oh, that's different". I have always tried not to be negative, other than the comment about why she picked her name for a tattoo! I have noticed that she now only has her ear piercings still open. She has let the rest close up thank goodness. I can deal with the double piercings in the ears but to me some of what is out there now is too much. Jane had pierced her own cartilidge about a year and a half ago and I tried not to be too judgmental in my comments and I noticed they didn't stay in long. I would love to get my second hole done in my ears and wish I had the guts to get a small tattoo that is discreet.
My understanding that piercing cartiledge is dangerous, but am not sure why. My SIL has her bellybutton pierced, and she regrets it. Said it was VERY painful, and difficult. But, I assume it would be like ears. Some had a good experience, some not.
I had my cartlidge pierced at a salon I worked at. It didn't really hurt to get it pierced but took about 3 months to heal. I wear a teeny tiny silver hoop in it and with my long hair you can hardly see it. Now my navel piercing hurt soooooooo bad but healed very quickly. I could never pierce my tounge. I went with a friend of mine when he had his done and that is not something I ever want to see again. OUCH!!!!
Jackie - I forgot to add that I think the reason it is dangerous to get the cartlidge pierced is due to high risk of infection - more so than with the lobes. You have to watch any piercing carefully because some people's bodies reject the metal and just trust me when I say its nasty looking. Didn't happen to me but I've seen it.
My grandpa had many tattoos. The two that used to make me laugh were his Doberman Pinschers. He had Doberman heads on each of his upper arms. They were done when he was young and in the Navy. Well, I was around five or six and he was in his 70's. His skin was stretched out and wrinkled. He had no muscle tone anymore so his Dobermans really moved around when he did. I would sit next to him on the couch and stare at them because their mouths hung along with his skin. He would put his hand under his arm and move the skin up and down as he barked at me. I loved this. Then he would pull his hand away and the skin fell again.:lol: Patty
My SIL no longer has a ring in her navel. She took it out when she was expecting her first baby, lol!
I left my navel ring in when I was pregnant and it is just fine - looks no different than it did before. I have a great tatoo story for ya. My ex husband decided after our daughter was born he was going to get a cherub (baby angel) with our daughters name on his arm. Okay so we go to the tatoo place and he picks it out and sits in the chair for like 2 hours getting it done. He gets through and shows it to me - not only does it have her name but he decided to get MY name too!!!!!! Funny part of this story is that he is my EX husband and now my name is permanantly on his arm. I always wonder what his girlfriends think of that one.
I need to rewrite what I said about Jane. She didn't actually pierce the cartildge, she was able to catch the skin on the upper ear to look like it went through the cartilidge. At first I thought she had actually pierced it.
Becky, that is funny! A friend and I were laughing one day at the grocery store that with our guts we could get away with parking in the expectant mother parking space!
Is there such a thing- an expectant mother space?? I remember going to Kohl's after Jeannie was born. I was leaving, struggling with two large bags and tiny Jeanne in a stroller. The door I went out didn't have automatic opening, so I struggled to open it and get the bags and stroller through. Two men sat right beside the door, watching me. The pigs. I bet if I had been slim and blonde it would have been a different story. Chivalry is dead.
I know that at least the Bi-Lo grocery stores here have a space next to the handicap spots with a stork pushing a baby carriage. It is a good faith system and not anything that would get you a ticket. I don't remember if I have seen this at any other store.
The wal-mart out here does. I know I took full advantage of that space. It was for expectant/new moms for precisly the very reason that Becky described. Our boys are 1 year 1 day apart. During most of those first 2-3 years, due to DH's schedule, I did many shopping trips alone. That is not an easy task, and there are so many rude people out there who would rather laugh at somebody struggling than to help. DH and I are very empathtic to any mom /dad with very small ones and do go out of our way to help them whether they appear to be struggling or not.
We had a discussion during staff meeting. I guess the one week a woman visited with a baby plus all that entails. Well, the greeters were two older teen boys who were busy talking with the teen girls. (We've decided from now on, we will only have ONE teen greeting with an ADULT, lol!) This meant that they were not helpful to the mother, and the greeters need to be. Someone else decided said that it was the USHER'S job and the greeters needed to refere the young lady to an usher. (Our staff meetings don't usually run like this!!!) Finally, the pastor said that it really didn't matter WHO did it, as long as someone did! And I'm sitting there thinking even Phillip at age 7 knows that I expect him to hold open a door in a situation like that! (The guy who was fussing DID apologize the next week at staff meeting, btw!)
Several places around here used to have stork parking, but I haven't seen any in a while. I used it when I was pregnant with my 2nd, but don't think I've come across it since then. I actually was hit (I was walking) by a security guard in a car at Wal-Mart when I was pg with my 3rd. The car barely tapped me, but the guard didn't get out to check on me. I look back and think I really should have reported that guy!
Okay I just realized that you all may think I look like a freak with my tatoos and piercings and I just felt the need to clarify that I'm not. I know none of you know what I look like and you may be imagining something scarey. Trust me I am completely normal. I have plain old normal brown hair and you'd never even know I have piercings or tatoos. Okay I feel better now. I would hate for you guys to think I am some goth type wacko with hot pink hair and freak show piercings.
What an interesting thread! I am loving it. I was in second grade the first time I got my ears pierced, sixth with the second set of holes and like 24 when I first had ANY color on my hair. No other markings other than that, unless you counts moles and freckles. I really should see a dermatologist about that! :lol: Now I'm pretty much addicted to the hair coloring! LOVE to get a weave, but it's SO expensive! Anyway, as for the other piercings, especially the navel... JUST MY OPINION... I think it's totally a heart/motive issue. I would personally NEVER get one, mainly because it would take a huge needle, even when I'm not preggers. There was a time that I would've gotten one in a heart beat, but it was before I was a Christian and definitely would've been to show off and attract attention. KWIM? Now, early in my marriage, if dh requested that I get one for his enjoyment, I would've done it. But no one else would ever see it. For me, it's a big time modesty issue too. I'm big on modesty, etc... within reason, of course. My girls aren't covered from neck to ankles... but no two-piece bathing suits here, etc... But, that's how the Lord has convicted us as a family. Just my two cents. I just really think all of this grey area stuff really boils down to a heart issue and all of us paying attention to how God is leading us. I would LOVE to see my dh with a tatoo, especially one that declares his faith and trust in the Lord. Anyway, I could go on and on....
