Esther's tree

After two years of life, we finally planted Esther's tree last weekend. We first went back and forth on what kind of tree we wanted. We finally decided on a corkscrew willow. We then had the decision of where to plant it. We rent, so knew it would need a long-term home somewhere else. My parents have a large yard with plenty of tree-planting room (my Dad favors lawn over trees), so this was Esther's tree's destination. Then came timing. February is the best time of the year to plant trees, hence Arbor Day on the 21st. For whatever reason (brand new baby, grad school) we did not get the tree planted in the last 2 years.
Finally, this was the time. One motivation was the very large container holding Esther's placenta in our freezer. That's right - a placenta in our freezer. Planting a tree with your child's placenta is a somewhat common ritual, though not as common in this country. Here is an article that describes a few rituals that evolve around using the placenta after birth. For our family, we wanted to plant a tree that would grow with Esther. A symbol of her life and growth through the years. The placenta nourished Esther while she was inside me and its nutrients will now help nourish her tree. I could go way deeper into it, but won't for those who will think I'm a whackadoo or would just be bored by the details. So, here we go with pictures...

Digging in the dirt. Notice E's orange shovel.

Covering the placenta with soil (deep enough to not attract coyotes) and placing the willow.

Esther checking our work to make sure we're doing it right (:

See the placenta container. Think of how much more food will fit in our freezer now! One of my friends said her husband opened their son's container once, thinking it was soup (Yuck!). Another friend said she still had both her son's placentas (age 4 and 2) and two others in her freezer (she is a doula and was keeping them for friends). I didn't feel so bad for our 2-year delay after those stories.

Naptime was quickly approaching, so I didn't get any posed pictures in front of the firmly planted tree. I will keep updates as both the tree and Esther grow.

And now, random cuties of our cutie!

Check out that outfit! She has started picking her clothes and I love it!

Exited about reading!

I mean really excited. So much, she had to pull almost all the books off her bookcase. I made her clean them up when she was finished.

Lastly, a reminder/request for prayer for our dear friend Samarah, who lost her husband, Russell, on January 1st. She is an amazing woman and inspires me every day to live a better life. Her strength and joy comes from her faith and spills out on everyone she touches. Please continue to pray for her and her children - continued healing, truth in all things, and happiness in the knowledge that her beloved is in peace.
Thanks and much love to you and yours!