I have a huge phobia of needles too, but luckily I've managed to get most of mine done without me needing to look at them. And a general rule I've noticed for good tattoo artists; if they don't have a waiting list, they probably aren't that great. A lot of bad tattoos have come from people wanting something done quick and cheap.I find tattoos fascinating, but I would never get one myself. For one thing, I don't like needles. For another, I don't have the attention span to devote myself to one. I'd get bored with it after a while. And if the guy messes up? You're stuck with it forever unless you shell out thousands of dollars to have it replaced with scar tissue. Give me a pack of markers any day.
That being said, yours are adorable!