When I wrapped the mustard seed necklace that Sabra had pointed out to me as a Christmas wish, I put it in what I thought was an empty jewelry box, with a thin later of cotton in the bottom.  Christmas morning in her house she said, "I don't think you meant to give me the necklace in that box" and she showed me what I had missed.  Written on the inside top was "Regina Lillia", and the date and time of her birth, and tucked under the cotton was her dried, tiny belly button.

Over the years, I have been collecting my grandchildren's belly buttons when possible.  Sometimes they were lost or fell off in the hospital, but I still have managed to save some, thus the strange occurrence at Christmas morning.  Ava's belly button is well marked, and in a plastic bag.  One is in a beautiful wooden box, but no name - I think that is one of Paul's boys.  Helene had sent me an article in the Smithsonian that it is a Japanese custom to save the belly button in a wooden box.  This is thought to bring good luck to the mother-child relationship.  The box though was too air tight, and the belly button is the strangest one.  Then there is one in a Magnesium vitamin bottle - no name, and some in plain small cardboard boxes.. I know they are all one of the grandchildren, I just don't know who goes to who.  Leave it to Maria to do it right.

I am not sure why I started this - I think it had something to do with Bucky's keeping Maria's 50 cent piece that I had taped over her belly button to make it go in.  Bucky found it in her house and kept it for good luck.  I had learned this trick of taping a 50 cent piece from Bucky.  It was commonly done  in her day to aid in getting a nice insie button.  When my mother had the twins the doctor told her to tape a quarter to each of the twin's belly buttons - half the price for two. 

I just looked up the custom on the internet (you can find anything on the internet) and sure enough, saving the umbilical cord piece was done in African cultures, Native American and most notably, the Japanese.  Now it's a Clay Hill Road tradition - and who knows, maybe I will be getting some more of these relics this year.