[aclee]

Ty was very light skinned when we first met him, but slowly came into his color as we were in St. Louis, and continues too actually. So people saw it in pictures, plus the pictures, given the light, could vary, so everyone was asking how dark he was, and then when we got home saying, how he looked darker than in the pictures. With most of my family, I knew it was just interest. With some people, mostly AA people actually, because they are aware of the "indicators" for how dark a child will end up, would comment, oh he's gonna be really dark, in a sad disappointed voice and look at me. I would look at them and say, "I know! I can't wait!" and smile. With my family, I would tell them how to tell how dark Ty could end up (it's not a science)...most of them were excited to learn about it and found it interesting.

In my experience, people were mostly saying it because it was something unknown, so they asked. If I thought it was out of a preference for a lighter skin, or if lighter was better...honestly I'm not sure what I would say. I guess I have the opposite problem actually I think explaining that it take a while for them to come into their color (which is how the AA nurses explained it) is a good way to see it. We were told the base of the nails, ears and the scrotum...that last one doesn't really work for you, but so far they are holding true for Ty....he almost matches his ears now