My Two Sons

Yesterday at the midwife's office I was checking out when the receptionist told me, "Your son is so cute!" I thought, That's a refreshing change for Jacob, everyone is oogling over Beanie these days that he doesn't get any attention independent of her. The lady went on some more about my son, and then I replied with some detail about Jacob. "Oh he's cute too, but I was talking about your other son."

First let me say that I am not bothered by this, and I don't really care beyond it being very curious that people are confusing Sabine for a boy. I also recognize the fact that I do dress her in Jacob's old clothes a lot. So I am not complaining that people get her sex wrong, and maybe I even ask for it by putting her in blue sometimes, but really...take away the pink hat, does she even look like a boy?


And I know, I know, they all look them same at this age anyway - I've always said it myself. But from the time she was born people have been saying she even looks like a girl! In the beginning a few people mistakenly called her a boy, but she was all curled up then anyway. But just in the last week, or even few days, all of a sudden EVERYONE in public mistakes her for a boy. Sometimes she'll be wearing blue and they just go based on the color. Do you know how much that pisses me off? It's just a color! I reply to them, "Oh but she looks so pretty in blue, can't girls wear blue?" Other times, like yesterday in the waiting room, she had on girly overalls and was covered by a very pink blanket. So even with pink on they still think she's a boy.

Today at the orchard she had on purple overalls with a little blue onesie underneath. It was mostly purple you could see, but the woman still called her a boy. I try to be polite and mix the correction in with another sentence and I don't make them feel bad. Like today - "Oh he's so cute, how old is he?" - "She's 12 weeks," I reply. Then the lady realizes her mistake and says, "Oh, well she's wearing blue." Yeah, but she had ten times as much purple covering the blue. Or the other day when I was getting my hair cut. The lady inquired about my baby boy, I told her it's a girl...then she says that she thought Sabine was a boy because she was wearing brown. It was, infact, brown - actually my favorite onesie - but it had a bow and puffy sleeves. And whoever decided that brown is a boy color?

A little while ago Beanie's doctor's office called. Now these people have never gotten the sex or pronounciation of her name correct...and they have her medical history right in front of them! Today: "blah, blah, blah, Sabe - ian...blah, blah, he...blah." Or the last time they called, "Sab - ine" (like line), and the time before that, "Sab - in". There's also Sab-ian, Say-bine (long I). And yes, I asked for it with naming her that too.

I'm just saying...