Innie or Outie?

Belly buttons. Such a funny little part of the human body that we don't give much thought to, unless you have a newborn needing umbilical cord care. We spent much of our day holding Corbin and cuddling on the couch after he spent last night sick. In the cuddle time I was chatting with him, having him tell me his body parts as I pointed to them. When I got to his belly button he began laughing. "Bewey Bu-un," he'd say, laughing all the while. In that moment I was instantly aware of how common our belly buttons are, yet how unique and special all at the same time.

Recently, amid all my adoption reading, I came across a story about a little girl asking questions about her birth mom. Knowing these questions were common the adoptive mom was trying to help the daughter understand. Using her belly button, the adoptive mom was trying to help the child learn that she grew inside her birth mom and the two were attached where her belly button is located. I thought about the concept, finding it an interesting way to explain about having a birth mom and an adoptive mom.

Bewey bu-uns. It hit me today, not for the first time, but more overwhelming than ever before. Our sweet daughter living half way around the world likely has a birth mom who loves, adores, and misses her. Intensely. Just like we long to hold her, love her, teach her, and hear her laugh, so does her birth mom, who has clearly loved sacrificially and selflessly like few people I know. I grieved for her today. I prayed for her today. Sure, there is the chance our daughter was orphaned due to the death of her mom, but it is equally as likely she wasn't. It made my heart hurt for her birth mom.

Today made me so thankful for God's creativity. I have never really sat and considered all that our "innies and "outies" represent. But, I , for one, am glad God left us a visible reminder of the miracle of pregnancy, birth, and the fact that at one time we were totally dependent on someone else for survival. I am thankful that our precious daughter will have a belly button (and a cute one at that!) to remind us and to remind her that she has a mom who gave our daughter the chance at life. In that little circle on her tummy she always has a part of her birth mom, the place where the two of them were uniquely connected like no two other people on the planet. I'm grateful she will have that reminder. I am grateful I will have that reminder. Without that cute little button, she couldn't be our daughter.

As I sat praying for our sweet, loved little girl today it occurred to me that her birth mom already knows her eye color, the texture of her hair, and the shape of her nose. Her birth mom even knows if she has an innie or an outie.

And soon, so will I. And I can't wait!