Omphalos

I have been navel gazing. Not in the philosophical sense, but the literal. Most pregnant women get that popped belly button look by about the sixth month, but not me. I have always had quite the petite innie. If my brother is inordinately narcissistic about the perfect arches in his feet (which I imagine he extols only to me to make my flat peasant feet stink with envy) I have always been vain about my little navel. Until a few weeks ago, it was still quite tiny and not popped, mostly because there is nothing in there to pop out. That's right, the remnants of my umbilical cord are nonexistent, as if I sprung from a clam shell, Zeus' head or was immaculately conceived. Just now (in the loo -- I'm not contemplating my navel in my office) I noticed that my belly button is almost completely flush with my tummy. It's kind of cute, actually. I think it's my only body part that has distorted in an adorable rather than monstrous way.

I have always wondered if the obstetrician who delivered me was particularly skilled with the knife, so I asked Dr. Chen a few visits ago what determines whether a belly button is an outie or an innie. Genetics. Apparently it is just the way the umbilicus falls off and nothing to do with snipping skill or magic. May our baby inherit belly button-ness from me. Not that there's anything wrong with Eli's belly button, mine is just cuter.

I told Eli that if/when I loose the baby weight I am getting my belly button pierced as a reward. He pointed out that I'd probably be the only woman in America without pierced ears but a pierced navel. Yeah, but I don't ear dance. And after this, my belly button deserves some adornment.