Not until 2...

I have come to realise that its really not until you have 2 children of your own, same mumma same dadda, that you realise just how different 2 little people can be.

Now I have harped on in the past about the personality differences between my 2 children, drama queen Vs serial killer (kidding, he is just nuts...lol) but as Stella grows from being a baby, to a toddler, the difference in the 2 amazes me each and every day.

It was clear from the outset that Xave was an early talker. No surprises really, considering he is the child of a SAHM who has verbal diarrhea and is an on leave English teacher. He was saying mum-mum and da-da at 4.5 months, and by 1 had a good 15-20 words under his belt plus a catalogue of animal noises. By the time his sister was born at 16 months, he was putting 2-3 word sentences together and by 2 he could recite 12 books, sing numerous nursery rhymes, count to 20 and negotiate sleep, biscuits or icy poles like a pro. Mumma often is heard chanting, "I will not negotiate with terrorists".... yet she continues to do so...

Stella on the other hand, same genes, same SAHM mum who still has verbal diarrhea, plus a brother who suffers the same fate, barely says boo in comparison. We get mum-mum and daddeeee, cat, dog, va-va (Xavier) and that's about it. Now don't get me wrong, I completely understand that compared to averages she is doing pretty well. But compared to what I guess I'm used to, she seems, well quiet. Although I must say in the last week we have been hearing much more babble that sounds like she is really trying to tell me something very very interesting.

Comparing the physical development though is the complete opposite. Xave was a late sitter, sitting unsupported at 9 months. An average crawler, starting commando at 7 months and hands and knees at 11 months. A very late walker, taking his first unassisted steps 4 days shy of 16 months, despite cruising furniture from about 10 months and climbing like a monkey not long after.

Stella however, sat unassisted at about 5 months, crawled, her crazy little crab crawl at 10 months and by 11.5 months has worked out getting herself to standing without support. This is the newest trick, and I recall Xave took those first steps with a week or two of mastering the solo stand. But not getting hopes of an early walker up, as I know understand just how different two kids can be.

There are some other things that I have noticed that surprise and amaze me. Stella at 10 months started doing hand actions to songs, Xave has only started doing this since starting music half way through 2009. When I pointed out the Adam just how clever I thought this made Stella, he pointed out that perhaps I just never showed Xave as I assumed a baby that young couldn't learn to do it. This could also be a good argument for teaching Stella some baby sign language, she isn't talking much but she seems to get hand actions... hmmm food for thought.

In all honesty, I knew my kids would be different. Really it goes without saying. But that doesn't mean that I'm still not surprised each and every day by just how different they really are. But then I get a look from one and see the other looking back at me, or hear someone laugh from the other room and don't know which one it is, and I know that while they are different they really are both the same in ways too.