Tattooed Mama

I am a tattooed mama, and proud of it!  I get questions about my tattoos, so I thought I would talk about them a bit here.  

(Me in all my 14 week pregnant glory, showing off my tattoos!  Note- this is an old picture!  I am not currently pregnant! Ha!)

I hope to soon start working on a half sleeve as a tribute to my husband and daughter.  Currently, I have five different tattoos.  Here is what I have so far:

Beloved:

"Beloved" was my first tattoo I got when I was 19 years old.  This will forever be one of my favorite tattoos.  The word "beloved" is very significant to me because it is what my name means (beloved by God), and part of my daughters name (Lily Beloved).  Obviously, I had no idea that "beloved" would be apart of my daughters name when I had it tattooed on me almost 7 years ago.  But now, that tattoo is even more significant to me because it reads a part of the name of the dearest little girl in the world to me.

Song of Songs:

Song of Songs 8:6 reads, "Place me like a seal over your heart, like a seal on your arm. For love is as strong as death, its jealousy as enduring as the grave. Love flashes like fire, the brightest kind of flame."  "Song of Songs 8:6" was the second tattoo I had done.  I love this verse.  I wanted this tattoo to be a tribute to my future husband (even before I ever met him!).

Stars:

The third tattoo I had done was four stars down my arm.  A friend of mine and I had these tattoos done. 

"Cousins Jumeau" :

My cousin Erin and I grew up watching Marilyn Monroe's "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes."  While this may have not been the most wholesome of movies to grow up on, we had a running joke about "Diamonds are a girls best friend" for years.  And so, we had matching tattoos done with a diamond and script that reads "Cousins Jumeau" (twin cousins in french.)  We chose that phrase because we looked very similar when we were younger.

"Elle Respire Profondement" :

This was the last tattoo I had done, and probably my favorite.  Elle Respire Profondement means "She Breathes Deeply" in French.  I always get a raised eyebrow from people after I explain what my tattoo says.  It was significant at the time of having it done; signifiying a new time in my life.  It has also become even more significant to me now that I teach Christian Yoga, because yoga is very much about deep breathing!  I love this tattoo, and will never regret it.

Like I said above, I get a lot of questions and comments about my tattoos when I am out in public.  I don't mind it at all.  I find that most of the time, people are just curious about them.  I know tattoos aren't everyone's cup of tea, but I love my tattoos.  My husband (whom is tattoo-less) has often remarked how he loves my tattoos, but doesn't even notice them anymore.  They are just another part of my skin, and I love having them... and plan on getting several more.  

I don't worry about regretting them.  I have had them for several years now, and I don't reget even one of them.  Even though I wouldn't go out and get a couple of them again, they signify a chapter in my life, and I would never dream of having them removed.  I feel like they show a part of my personality, and a history of where I have been.  That is why I don't freak out about getting more tattoos, or questioning if I will regret them.  The tattoos I will get, I will look back on later in life and smile at the time of life that I had them done.

...And yes, they do hurt some to have done.  But, then again, I have gone through childbirth, and they are nothing in comparison to that!  : )

Happy tattooing, Mamas!