I'm now cordless

Before: Looks like a Tootsie Roll coming out of my belly

After: My belly button is cordless, which means it's Bluetooth-compatible.

After my nine-month journey in the womb, I brought home one souvenir, a dried portion of my umbilical cord. Like any souvenir, it was overpriced and a bit kitschy, but I found the "I ♥ Placenta" logo a nice touch. If you've seen some of my early pictures, you've likely noticed the cord stump hanging out north of my diaper.

It served as a reminder that I didn't always breathe on my own and took in nutrients through my abdomen rather than my mouth. That seems more efficient, but I guess it doesn't work in real life to walk around with a bag of food tied to your stomach.

Late Friday, I lost my umbilical cord stump. My parents were happy. You see, as long as that stump was hanging out, I couldn't be submerged in water, which meant my bathing habits were more European than American in nature. (No offense to Europeans, but my nationalism has been running high ever since the World Cup began.)

So we celebrated yesterday with my first shower. Unlike with my sponge baths, I didn't cry and enjoyed the trickling warm water. Soap isn't such a bad thing after all.