Big day for a big girl

Linnea has been wanting to pierce her ears for quite some time now, years even. She's really been too young for it, considering the after-care needed, but she's still been asking and asking, and asking...
In the summer I thought, well ok, maybe she can handle it now, and I was prepared to have them done in Sweden. But Nathan still said no. He didn't think she should have them done until she was 14-15, or preferably never..! :)

Well, it's just a girl thing isn't it? As it turns out quite a few of her little friends had it done recently, Gemma had hers done in Australia in the summer, Mallory did hers here in Brunei upon her return after the holidays and Hannah wants to do hers too - although that hasn't quite happened yet (she's come as far as getting the dots drawn on her ears...).
Since it was going to happen sooner or later I started lobbying for getting Linnea's done as a birthday present. Nathan was still not keen, but when I suggested that maybe Hannah and Linnea could do it at the same time to give each other some support, hmmm.

So, on her birthday, in between the pizza and the ice cream, we passed the 'DiamondAndPlatinum' shop in the Mall and I asked Linnea if, since it was her birthday, she wanted to do her ears - there and then? Answer: YEEEES!!!
There was not a doubt in her mind, not a flinch of regret, from the picking out the earrings to getting the dots measured out and the ears cleaned - and until it was done. Not even a single tear!

She was so brave, so determined and actually a bit surprised I think, by how fast it was done. Afterwards she was so, so proud... and so, so, so happy! She couldn't quite believe it had happened, and she kept repeating on the way home in the car, that this was the best birthday e v e r..!

Choosing the earrings and checking out the piercing guns:



Marking where the holes were going to go:



Mummy more nervous than Linnea I think!



Cleaning the ear lobe:



Here we go! Both at the same time:



All done, that was quick! Not even worth starting to cry for!



All smiles as she sees them for the first time:



Jumping around, "Hannah, I didn't even cry! It didn't hurt!" (Hannah still didn't have them done, bless her. She needs to "think about it" a bit more!)



Pretty chuffed with herself:



Our pretty birthday girl:



The first pair of earrings, little silver stars: