“Baby Jerky” and other miscellaneous body parts I save.

I was so excited when Braden’s little umbilical stump dried up all the way and fell off.  The belly button revealed by that disconnection of tissue was so clean, new and ultra kissable.

He seemed unimpressed by the whole ordeal.

And I was left with a weird decision… What the hell am I expected to DO with this little piece of, well… “baby jerky?”

My first thought was that I’m sure people would expect me to throw it away.  My second thought was that I couldn’t bring myself to throw away this little piece of his body that had once connected him physically to me.

And so, almost 2 years later, I still have it.

I’ll file it under miscellaneous body parts of his that I’m going to save.

Like the hair from his first haircut back in May 08.

Do you save pieces of your kids?  I’m not really THAT weird, right?

I’m a wuss-bag.

His beautiful hair…
I have been holding out for
quite a long time now.

I loved the way it
made those sweet, lovely little
curls right at the back.

The soft, golden hue
glistened and shone whenever
light bounced off of them.

The long, wispy front
gave him a place to hide and
reflect on his thoughts.

Sometimes while he was
playing, I would twirl fingers
in curls behind him.

This was baby hair.
I have been clinging to the
last shreds of days passed.

Alas, it was time.
The hair was becoming quite
a nuisance to him.

Snip, snip, snip, snip, snip.
Something so simple, yet still
so emotional.

Hair that I once touched,
smelled, kissed, washed, stroked, and caressed
fell down to the floor.

And who is this now?
This little boy before me?
My baby is gone.