I can't help but marvel at how different my two children are from one another.
Of course, it may just be that I have a daughter and a son. It could be as simple as that. But it's so interesting at how each is so different and come from my husband and myself.
Pregnancy
Even while I was pregnant, I knew they'd be different. With my daughter, I felt hungry all the time. With my son, I had to force myself to eat. With my daughter, I gained 55 pounds. With my son, I only gained 30 pounds (well within the "recommended" amount). With my daughter, I was tired most of the time. With my son, I had more energy. With my daughter, I carried the weight throughout my entire lower part of my body. With my son, I carried in front only (you couldn't tell I was pregnant if you saw me from behind). My daughter would roll slowly, while my son would jab and push me suddenly. My daughter had hiccups in-utero, whereas my son never had one attack (he still tries to fight his hiccups to this day).
And they enter...
My daughter entered the world at 5 pounds 9 ounces. Just ONE ounce above the "low birthweight" limit. She nursed like a champ. She nursed casually. I had no difficulties with establishing her on a good breastfeeding schedule. I was able to nurse her for 9 months -- until my body gave out on me. She started sleeping through the night at 3 1/2 months of age, which is pretty amazing for a fully breastfed baby.
My son entered the world at 7 pounds 11 ounces. A big bruiser compared to his sister. It took us some time to estabish a nursing relationship. He sucked hard. Way TOO hard. I ended up with cracked nipples. I was only able to nurse him for 3 months. I couldn't handle him and my daughter along breastfeeding. It was too difficult. Then, my son didn't sleep through the night until he was almost 7 months old.
Height/weight
The one amazing similarity between the both of them is that they gained almost 4 pounds in their first month of life. Yes! You read that correctly. My daughter went from 5 lb 9 oz to 9 lb 2 oz. My son went from 7 lb 11 oz to 11 lb 7 oz. My pediatrician used to joke with me that I made "superman breastmilk." So even though my daughter started out small, she caught up to her peers in no time flat.
My daughter came into the world long and lanky. She's continued on that same vein. She's always been at 75% or higher in height, but in the 25% for weight. When she turned 4, she'd just gotten over the 30 pound mark. At 4 years old, she can finally sit in a booster seat! When I describe my daughter, I say she's "built like a reed." She's got long lanky limbs. She's got long fingers (hopefully we'll get her into some piano lessons one day). She's even got long slender feet & toes! Because she's thin and tall, I have the HARDEST time finding bottoms that fit her. I've had to basically dress her in leggings in the colder months because that's all that would fit her. Not ANY leggings either. Most leggings makers have a wider waist than my girl has on her. So for the last FOUR years, I've had to purchase Gymboree leggings for her. Thankfully, a handful of manufacturers have started to make slender size clothing (Lands End, Old Navy, GAP) so I can finally put her in jeans and pants.
My son has a bulky build to him. He's not short by any means. He's on the tall side, but he's hefty. He weighted 27 pounds at his 18 months appointment! My daughter wasn't 27 pounds until she was 30 months (2 1/2 years old)! I'm sure he'll be somewhere within the 30 pound mark at his 24 month appointment (next week). He reminds me of a football player. Wide shoulders. Thick thighs. Those thighs aren't fatty either. They're pure muscle. What's funny is that even his feet are bulky in shape. I have to buy WIDE shoes for his pudgy feet. I like these Nike's best for his pudgies because they come in wide width and because they're really flexible. I hate it when manufacturers make kids' shoes and the shoes are as stiff as a board.
Physicality
My daughter learned to walk two days before she turned one. I was at the kitchen table gathering stuff after dinner and my hubs was at the sink washing stuff. Suddenly, the Princess was going round and round the kitchen island. The hubs and I looked at each other in shock & in joy. We thought she was doing her normal practice routine of holding the lower cabinets and moving about the kitchen. But there she was walking freely in circles. She had her arms out like an airplane. She walked in a rocking motion side-to-side. But she was walking!
We could tell from the beginning that she was a "careful" baby. When learning new things, she'd do things cautiously. Slowly. If she didn't like something then she wouldn't do it again. You know how when you're a first-time parent and you're worried about SIDS? We didn't have ANYTHING to worry about. When she was about 6 months old, she rolled over for the first time. She didn't like that sensation one IOTA! So if we put her on her back she'd stay that way. Seriously! Even though it worried us a little at first, we realized that she would never be in danger of suffocating if she was on her tummy.
My son has been able to jump, run, hop, & trot for a long time. He's been walking (yes...walking without holding onto anything) since he was about 9 months old. One week he learned to crawl. Then he pulled himself up the next week. Then he was walking. It was SO quick. I couldn't believe it. The activity center/walker (picture below) we bought for him at 5 months didn't really get any use. You know what he used it for? To climb on. We tried to use it as a barrier in front of our fireplace. He'd just step onto the bottom rails and balance himself around the thing. Of course, I was nervous about him learning to walk so early. At 8 1/2 months, babies really don't understand the rules. I wanted to hover yet let him learn. When he chipped a piece off his front left tooth (at 10 months), I knew we'd be in for a bumping ride (read as "visits to the ER") with him.
What's nice about having him so physical? Is that he's challenging his sister. She's wrestling with him. Which makes her more confident in her strength. And helping him figure out his strength. Of course, there's the business of breaking the two apart when it becomes TOO physical. But hey! That goes with having two kids, right?
Personality
My daughter is on the shy side. She's kind of like me. Put into a new situation, she's quiet and observant. She checks out the scene. Then she interacts with people once she feels more comfortable. I don't try to make light of her shyness. I let her be herself. What I do is encourage her to interact. If she doesn't feel like it then I know she's not yet comfortable. I give her the time and the space to get acclimated. My daughter is also on the sensitive side. If she gets scolded, she pouts. If she gets hurt, she cries like nobodies tomorrow. Once you spray some Bactine and put a band-aid she's all fine.
Now, my son is Mister Personality. He's comfortable wherever he happens to be. He flirts like a maniac. We can be in a restaurant and he'll make google eyes at the waitress. We'll be at the grocery store and he'll make google eyes at the gals at the check-out. When he sees a lady? He's all about smiling. "HIiiii..." while he waves his chubby hand. When he says HI? It's kind of that lilting flirty way too! Where'd he learn that? Not from me! Not from my hubby! Now when my son gets scolded, he gets a semi-tantrum. He'll actually throw himself on the ground in protest. He'll just lie there on the ground spread eagle on his tummy. He won't cry. But he'll just lay there in protest. When he gets bumped? He generally bounces back up after a couple seconds (unless it's a real big bang on the head).
Milestones
Talking: My daughter and I could have conversations when she was 18 months old. My son? He's just beginning to string words together at almost 2 years of age.
Jumping: My daughter didn't learn how to jump until she was about 16 months old. My son learned by 11 months.
Throwing: My daughter learned to throw early on. But throwing AT someone? Not until she was 2 1/2 maybe. Now the little guy has been throwing AT us since he was 1 1/2. And let me say that he throws HARD.
Catching: My daughter learned at about 2 1/2. My son already can catch.
Bed: My daughter transitioned to a toddler bed at 21 months. She understood that she had to stay in the bed when she woke up. She'd just call us when she woke up. My son is STILL in a crib. We're going to keep him in that thing as long as possible. We'll be moving to our two-story house in March [crossing my fingers here], so we want him to still be in the crib at that time. This way he won't be wandering the halls. We need to get our gates and "security" system in place before he gets into a bed.
Potty-Training: My daughter was urinating in the toilet at 2 1/2 years old. She was having bowel movements in there by 3 1/2 years old. She just WOULD NOT have those in the toilet for the longest time. What's funny is that her best friend (who was a boy) also would have his bowel movements exclusively in a diaper. They'd both ask for them. Crazy, eh? My son is just getting oriented to the toilet. We sit him on his foam seat before bathtime.
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Now how different are YOUR kids? Does it amaze how at how unique each one is?
I tell you. It can be hard for me to keep shifting gears between each one. But they both are such a joy. Seeing each one develop into their individual selves is humbling. I have to take a step back. I have to NOT hover over them. I need to let them grow. I need to let them learn. My children aren't babies anymore!
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