Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Our Apricot IVF Baby

My boys love to color.
 
So when it comes to colors, it is not surprising to me that they think in crayon colors.
 
When they talk about the color of their own skin, they often say, "I am apricot."
 
 
When Elijah referred to an African American boy at the pool, it was therefore not surprising that he would describe the child as, "That little brown boy."
 
Brown is a crayon color after all.
 
Do you remember, when we were children, that apricot (the crayon) was called "flesh."
 
Today, if they had a flesh colored crayon, it would look a little differently. Maybe something like the photo below:
 
 
 
Keeping this in mind, it didn't surprise me, but definitely made me chuckle, when Sidge asked me the other day about the baby that is due to pop out of me at any moment.

"Do you think the baby will be brown or apricot?" he asked.

I loved that his childhood naiveté sees color as nothing but just a fact. I love that when my parents have had visitors to the house, my daughter Abigail has seemed most comfortable around people with brown flesh. (I mean my shy girl actually hugged their friend Michelle, an African American male, of her own accord!) That she doesn't immediately gravitate to apricot simply because that is what her family is makes me happy!

However, my husband and I did share a long distance chuckle when I told him about Sidge's question regarding the new baby. Since this child is a product of IVF, if she were to come out brown it would not state something about me but about Mayo Clinic. JB forgot about this and said to me, "Well, if the child is brown, you have some explaining to do."

"No," I laughed. "Mayo Clinic does!"

Even though we joked about this, I have to say, it has crossed my mind a few times. I have no way of guaranteeing that this embryo they implanted is actually our's -- no way of knowing for sure that there wasn't a mistake made. It will only be when I see this little one, that I will know for sure.

That's not something "normal" parents have to worry about.

But our journey to parenthood has been far from normal. Adoption, two surprises, and now one baby through IVF.

Most likely ... an apricot baby!

5 comments:

Judy Woodford =) said...

Thanks for sharing this Wendi, I enjoyed... I am "apricot" but I was born in D.R.Congo, Africa so I am probably more African American than many "brown" people!!

Wendi Kitsteiner said...

Joni was also born in South Africa and she calls herself an "African American". :)

The Woodfords said...

Love this! Our girls say they are 'peach'!
The two year old will often look at random pictures of people and say, "Look, that's me!" The person is often a different colour than she is. I love how it's a non-issue at all to them.

Steph

TAV said...

This is a great post. Reminded me of a great book- "Family Tree" by Barbara Delinsky. You may enjoy it!
http://www.amazon.com/Family-Tree-Barbara-Delinsky/dp/0767925181/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1377747331&sr=8-3&keywords=family+tree

Wendi Kitsteiner said...

Tara, you sent me this book and I read it!!!! :)