To pierce or not to pierce?

Aubrey is 6 months old!  Whoa, time is going by super fast.  I am having fun experiencing life with a GIRL!!!  Last Sunday, Aubrey and I went to lunch and shopping with my mom, sisters, and niece.  I love knowing that the two of us have a special mama/daughter bond.  She is soooo different from her brother.  Aubrey is a sweetheart.  She really enjoys to lay her head on your shoulder and gaze lovingly into your eyes.

Lately I have been comptemplating the idea of piercing her ears.  I have had my ears pierced since I was a baby.  So it just seems normal for me to pierce my daughter's ears.  I am torn on this decision. 

I know some parents wait for their daughter to make the decision.  This route is perfectly acceptable.  Aubrey will maybe one day want her ears pierced.  We could make a fun day of the experience.  She would most likely be old enough to exhibit the feeling of being scared before the actual act was done.  She would also most likely cry.  She would hopefully have great memories of the day she got her ears pierced.  Or awful memories depending on how bad she remembers the pain.  Or she might never want them pierced -- or be 20 years old and not want her mama to come along.

The other option is to get Aubrey's ears pierced now, while she is still a baby/toddler.  She would be young enough that she will not experience the feeling of fear before the trigger is pulled.  She will still cry.  And, she will not remember the whole experience.

If we discuss what I want to do, the answer is yes I want my daughter's ears pierced.  Her little ears would look adorable with tiny studs in them.  But this isn't about me and what I want. 

I recently read a blog (that I cannot locate) about the deep regret a mother experienced after piercing her baby's ears.  The author's stance was that the ears were not hers to pierce.  I do see the authors point.  I do, I really get it.

But I still want to pierce her ears, ugh decisions, decisions. 

I also have thought about what effect piercing Aubrey's ears would have on her - long term.  Does the act paint the idea that I didn't think she was "pretty enough", so I pierced her ears to make her look more beautiful??  I don't want her to ever think a thought like that.  Will she HATE them and request them taken out, but always carry with her the scar left behind.  Or will she enjoy her earrings and have fun matching outfits and bows to her jewlery. 

Aubrey is 2 Months Old

Our baby girl is a whopping 10 pounds, 8 ounces!  That is a 4 pound gain since birth.  She does enjoy her meals!  She is in the 38th percentile for her weight, quite different than her brother who has never been higher on the curve than the 10th percentile.

Aubrey is 22.75 inches long - 63rd percentile in height.  Maybe she will be short like her momma...

She is full of smiles, bubbles and "coos" - we love them all.  Her daily goal is to wear her entire wardrobe in one day - today she scored an 8.  

# 4 is Here

It has been a while since I have last blogged.  I have been a busy momma and am proud to introduce to my blog readers.

AUBREY GABRIELLE

Wednesday, July 20 I woke at 3am to shower and get ready to HAVE A BABY.  By 4:30am Adam and I were headed to the hospital to meet our daughter.  We arrived promptly at 5:30am at Missouri Baptist Medical Center, 3rd floor - labor and delivery.  We were escorted to a c-section prep and recovery room.  My two nurses immediately began sticking me with needles and hooking me up to all sorts of medical monitoring machines.  At 6:00am, my nurse instructed Adam to head down to the cafeteria to eat some breakfast.  At that time, I was pretty tired from the events that had already occurred, so I closed my eyes and took a little nap.

When Adam returned it was close to 6:30am and it was time to start meeting with the anesthesiologist, assisting surgeon, and meet my actual nurse that would be staying with me in the operating room.  Dr. Weinstein, my OB came in around 7:00am to say "HI".  The last hour before surgery was very busy which made the time go by very fast.  So fast that I asked to use the restroom, thinking I would be climbing back into the hospital bed afterwards.  When I opened the ladies room door, everyone was standing waiting for me to head in to the OR. 

Without a moment to collect my thoughts, we were on our way.  Leaving behind a family of 3 to come out those doors as a family of 4.  Adam sat in a reserved area while I was further prepped for surgery.  The room was very cold - I immediately began shivering.  I begged the anesthesiologist to wait to insert my spinal until I adjusted to the temperature and was no longer shaking.  My nurse covered me with warm blankets and the anesthesiologist got to work.  Within seconds, I was assisted to lay down.  Dr. Weinstein came in and soon a big blue curtain came between my face and body.  Adam was brought in and we waited. 

I entered the operating room at 7:26 and at 7:50 Aubrey Gabrielle Walden was born.  She cried instantly - the greatest sound a mom can hear while laying helpless on an operating table.  She weighed 6 pounds and 7 ounces.  She was 21 inches long.