I got my PR portal email today! I was so surprised and relieved - I hope others who are still waiting hear news soon too. Thank you to everyone in this forum who has answered my questions.
I know people trawl through old threads for information when they're worried about their application, so I want to share my experience:
I applied at the beginning of September 2020 with an OWP too, I was contacted when they needed my fingerprints and the medical exam at the end of May, and then I received my OWP at the beginning of June. I got emails here and there but I didn't receive some of the milestone emails that people track on their timelines and I was very worried that something was wrong. I felt like our application was kind of flimsy and there wasn't enough "proof" of our relationship in comparison to what I've heard other people send, and there is an age gap between myself and my partner so it felt like we were at a bit of a disadvantage. I don't think it's healthy to obsess over your application and call all the time, or say that the immigration officers are lazy or don't care, but it is very stressful when you don't hear anything at all and obviously you assume the worst. I almost feel like the more you harass them, the further your application goes down in the to-do pile lol.
If anyone else is in the same boat, now or in the future, please just be patient even though it is a miserable process. Not knowing what's going to happen completely wrecks your brain and mental health, especially when you're feeling insecure about your application in the first place. They began processing my application on September 23rd 2020 and I got the email today on September 24th 2021. Just wait it out and try to stay optimistic. It will happen eventually!!!