Monday, February 22, 2010

Sperm and Hard-boiled eggs

So, this morning I made Em hard-boiled eggs for breakfast. The following conversation ensued:

Em: Look, Mom! A perfect yolk...I didn't break it while I was opening my egg. Maybe I should take it to Show and Tell...

Me: As soon as we put it in a bag it may break...

Em: Mom, was this a boy or a girl chick?

Me: Neither. It wasn't fertilized so it was just an egg.

Em: Yeah, but there's a yolk. I killed a baby chick.

Me: No, Sweetie, you didn't kill a baby chick. All eggs have yolks, they are the sac that holds the baby chick if it were a fertilized egg.

Em: (Thinking...)

Me: Em, do you remember when we talked about eggs and fertilization? Well, an egg needs to be fertilized by a rooster in order to become a chick.

Em: How does it become a boy or a girl?

Me: Well, some sperm are male and some are female, so when the male fertilizes the egg with his sperm, depending on which one gets there first, that's what kind of chick it is. It's like a race, the first sperm there wins and gets to decide if it's a boy or a girl.

Em: (Thinking...) So, Daddy knows what kind of baby is in your belly?

Me: No. Nope...huh uh...when a male fertilizes an egg there are literally millions of little sperm that swim really fast to try to get to the egg first, and that's just too many to count to know which is which...(Help me out here, people! Losing it, here!)

Em: (Thinking...) So, wow. Huh. (Inquisitive look spreads across face) So, it took a really long time for daddy's sperm to make the baby in your belly now...I mean from when Noah was born until now...

Me: (Heading toward bathroom, looking for my out...) What? Huh? Oh...uh, yeah...uh huh, yeah...um, run and get your coat on, kid, Mommy's going to go potty really fast...meet you in the car...

Seriously?! All I did was boil up some eggs...Dear God, help me, please, when this conversation introduces the whole concept that eggs and sperm aren't always given the opportunity to "make contact".

8 comments:

  1. lol! had to read this with a title like that. so glad i did.
    i heart kids with inquisitive minds like emily =)

    continued prayers.
    love,
    victoria

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  2. wow I am so not looking forward to conversations like that with my daughters. You handled it great. in my opinion.

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  3. Adorable! And what a smart kid! I have a feeling not much gets past her?!?!?!

    By the way, still ever so joyous over all of your amazing news lately. So excited to follow this journey with you and your family through your blog. Your blog in the "blogging world" was the first I ever followed...faithfully that is. Noah's legacy will forever live! Your words and heart have touched so many...thank you for that!

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  4. Anonymous7:42 AM

    I admire you for having that conversation! I try to jump passed it with Carlie as a miracle. For now it stops the curiousity. :)

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  5. How old is she? I have an 8 year old and she still thinks that babies come from tummies, and God brings them to you. The hard part is, yeah HE does, but it takes much more than that, and we haven't gotten to that part of baby making yet. Ughhh, I'm gonna have to visit you much more to find out how to answer these things.

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  6. I literally was laughing out loud at this conversation. I'm sure it won't be so funny when I need to explain it to my kids.... HA!

    Cute blog!

    Liz

    Check out Frame It Friday! over at Loving This Mom Stuff!
    I'd love to see some of your child's artwork!

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  7. Oh, we totally had that same discussion about eggs this week!! Glad I'm not the only one =).

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  8. Too funny!!! I haven't been keeping up with reading many of the blogs I follow recently...but just read your news about the newest addition to your family!!! Congratulations and many prayers for a healthy pregnancy and babe :) I also loved your post "blogville" I feel the same way about the caringbridge families I follow and those that follow my son's CB page.

    Love to you

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