So different

The other day the boys were painting at the table. I was looking at the back of their heads and comparing the differences. Gavin has this thick wiry hair that is full of cowlicks  and impossible to style. His neck line grows in towards each other and makes a cute little tale we have to keep trimmed.  We try and keep his hair pretty short to keep it looking okay. Griffin on the other hand has baby fine hair that is so silky and smooth and lays very flat. I love to pet his head when he cuddles me because his hair is so soft. They have completely different heads. 

 

But that is not all. These two came completely different from birth. Their temperaments, interests, food preferences, play style are naturally so different. Gavin has never been a good sleeper. As a tiny newborn we would have to physically shut his eyes as he fought so hard to stay awake. And as he grew a little bit older he had to be in a room all by himself with quiet and dark to fall asleep. His mind has been racing since the day he was born and it showed from the beginning. He is a thinker, a worrier, problem solver, organizer, little engineer, and he just came that way. He always gravitated to the blocks, stacking cups, and puzzles for his choice of toys. He still really struggles with anything imaginative, although he is getting better.  He has thought very literally from the day he was born.

Griffin on the other hand is our cuddly, friendly, do before he thinks little boy. He loves animals, trucks, trains, and has an active little imagination.  He is always pretending with any toy he touches, making him a great self entertainer. He enjoys structured activities but doesn't require them like Gavin. He is very forgiving and oh so loving. He does not hold a grudge.  He was the easiest baby on the planet and pretty much never cried. He was a better sleeper almost from birth and still hardly ever complains when it is nap time.
And I am so grateful they are different. They each are amazing little souls and I can only imagine what they will be able to accomplish in their lives. I hope that I as there mother can help them use their unique gifts and differences to become what they can become. It also makes me excited and anxious for baby number three. What will he/she be like? I think it is one of the funnest things about being a mom, discovering what your baby is all about. Learning their temperament, preferences, and what they are most drawn too. Parents have a powerful influence in shaping their kids, but we don't shape it all. They come the way they come, and those innate traits are the most beautiful of all.