Hi little O :)
First of all, Happy Valentine's Day and also Happy 9th month birthday!!
You're so close to your first year birthday it's crazy.
So I'm pumping right now because your Daddy and I are going out on a little date tonight. I can't believe I pumped daily from about the time you were 2 weeks old until you were 6 1/2 months old. Every day. It was so stressful always having to pump and have enough milk. I longed to be able to nurse you exclusively and not have this weird gadget attached to me all the time. Although I am very happy that breast pumps are available and very very very happy that you were able to be in daycare and have mama's milk for you every day without missing a beat. Anyway, I'm pumping along so you'll have some milk tonight. I haven't pumped in months which means I also haven't been away from you for very long for months. I love it! I miss you so much when you're not around. Even when you're sleeping I miss you.
Anyhoo, I was looking at old photos of you the other day and was mostly looking at the ones from your birth. Our doula, Jen, was nice enough to take some photos right before you were delivered and right afterwards. She even got a photo of your placenta. In our childbirth class we learned that we could ask to take the placenta home with us if we were birthing in a hospital and then our instructor told us of various ways different cultures have used the placenta of their born. It ranged from burying the placenta to eating it to having a blessing ritual and I thought it was all very sweet but I didn't want to take the placenta home with me.
Well, looking at the photos of your placenta made me so sad because I wish I had kept your placenta. It gave you life for all those months and made sure you were well fed and nourished. I'm sorry I didn't keep your placenta sweetie pie. If I were to do it again I would have kept it and then buried it in the ground so it could give life to other little beings.
Here's a photo of your placenta. Thank you little organ for keeping my bambino alive. Much love to you.
