I Got a Tattoo.

So, here it is! I got a tattoo!

I had been secretly wanting a tattoo for a long time but didn't have a good reason to get one. The weekend after Caleb passed, I knew I wanted to do this and have been contemplating exactly what to get ever since. I didn't want to rush into it. It's kind of a commitment! But this was perfect timing. The day before the 8 month anniversary of Caleb's death and a few days before his 18th birthday.

I had Sean's blessing and my Tattoo'ed Friends Support Group with me. I have bombarded Clarica and Debbie with a million questions over the last several months. I am so glad they were there to encourage me and cheer me on. Not only that, these ladies have become two of my closest friends this past year. I am so grateful for their daily encouragement and love, and I'm so honored that they wanted to join me today.

So, the tattoo. '99 for not only the year Caleb came into my life, but it's also the year I became a mom. 1999 is a special year for so many reasons; it let me fulfill my calling. The chick feet because I have always called the boys my "chickadees" as they followed me around the last 18 years.

Funny story - I had planned from the beginning to actually get "1999" on my wrist. When talking to the tattoo artist (Addam Duncan who was amazing!), he drew it out and showed me that since I was placing it on my wrist, when I would reach out my arm to someone, they will just see the "666" and probably not even pay attention to the 1 after. Well, in my line of work, that would not go over well. All my sweet, super religious patients would think I was a devil worshiper and had the "mark of the beast". So '99 it became, and that's fine!

I've got one more tattoo I'd really like to do, but as Sean says, "Let's see how this one goes first." Either way, now I will be a tattoo'ed grandma one day, and I've got a great way to share the story of how much I love my boys with whoever asks what this tattoo is all about.