An Earring Fiasco

It was a gorgeous day in May of 2007, Sarah was just nine months old, and I decided (with prompting from my best friend) to get her ears pierced. It wasn't as if I didn't want to anyway. I had considered making it a 1st birthday endeavor, but when you're with a friend at a mall with your baby girl and see a Claire's, it's just too hard to resist!

And since my sweet girl was basically bald, I thought this would give her a distinct GIRL look, even when no bows were in her hair and even when she wasn't wearing pink.











She didn't even cry. She never bothered them as a baby and as she grew into a toddler, it was just as if they were a part of her. I always kept them in her ears, and I always chose tiny studs for her to wear. Nothing gaudy, always something cute and simple. It seemed to fit her just perfect.

So imagine my dismay when I called my mom one day during my kid-free vacation, and she proceeded to tell me that Sarah had somehow hit her ear and shoved her earring into her earlobe. I just couldn't understand it at all. It was definitely something I had to see to believe (or see to comprehend might be more accurate). According to Sarah's version, she was playing with Caleb and hit her ear on a door. It pushed the stud of her earring through the hole, so much so that when my mom tried to push it forward or backward, it would not come out.

When I arrived home, I also tried to get it out without any luck. With my mom and mother-in-law's encouragment (yeah, you know what that means) I called and made an appointment for her to see a doctor. It's not that I didn't recognize that this was pretty much my only option, it just seemed so ridiculous that it had come to that. But really, what else could we do?

I was at work when Josh took her to the doctor to see what could be done. Her peditrician was off that day, so she saw the FNP. Evidently it wasn't just the FNP who took a look, a student and three other nurses came in as well, and none of them could do anything. Sarah was then referred to a surgeon in town, and when I got that text from Josh, it made me a little emotional. I knew it wasn't a big deal, but I was just having a mom moment...because...

Sarah didn't want to wear those earrings the day I put them in her ears.

After I got a grip, I told Josh to just keep me posted.

She did fine.


















The doctor made a tiny incision (very tiny) and was able to get it out. Sarah picked out a cute, colorful beanie baby from their treasure chest, and she takes it with her everywhere we go.

I'm not sure if she'll be wearing earrings again any time soon. I do hope she'll let me put some in her ears again one of these days. And I learned my lesson: no teeny tiny studs, maybe something with a little more substance!