ONE OF THESE IS NOT LIKE THE OTHER

This is the blog post in which I allow myself to compare my kids, something I try very hard not to do too often (whether in my head, or out loud). But my babies are such unique individuals that it honestly shocks me when I let myself think about it. I know the saying. "No two babies are alike." Kinda like snowflakes. I just had no idea how very different they could be. Even siblings. And I'm not just talking about their looks, though you can see that for yourself. Here are my munchkins at 6-months-old:

Whereas James used to always have his pinkies held out, Cora used to tuck her thumbs into her fists. We kept teasing her that it was not the correct way to throw a punch.

While James used to wake up randomly to play or talk, for hours at a time, in the middle of the night, Cora only wakes after bedtime to eat. She has never once had a midnight play session.

Cora slept swaddled for over 5 months. James didn't make it 2 weeks.

James is, and always was, a thumb sucker. Cora finds random fingers (or her entire fist) to be more satisfying. This makes for some pretty crazy noises. Unfortunately, it does nothing for self-soothing abilities.

Likewise, James could self-soothe from early on. He liked his paci (after a few weeks, anyway), then converted to his thumb full-time by 3-months. Cora never self-soothes. She must be walked or swung or bounced or nursed. And even with that, she still sometimes just has to "fuss it out" to get to sleep or get over being mad about something (like riding in the car).

Cora hates the car. It's not as bad now as it was for her first 4 months, but still. It's almost guaranteed that she'll scream and cry at least once/trip, even if it's just a 10 minute drive. However, James loves the car and always has. He used to fall asleep every time we went anywhere. Then he'd talk nonstop. Now he either converses with us or gazes out the window while sucking his thumb and twirling his hair. And sometimes he still falls asleep.

Cora had a perfect latch from the start and was an easy baby to nurse right away. She has quite the appetite, and prefers to cluster feed in the evenings. When she wants her mama, she wants her mama! James was not so easy in the beginning (though perhaps my inexperience is more to blame). It was a huge struggle for us to get our nursing relationship down pat (James was such a sleepy eater, and a lazy latcher) and the first couple of weeks were really rough on us both. We stuck it out though (and avoided paci's and bottles until we figured it out) and eventually fell into our groove. We had a great 9 months, then pushed hard to make it through the end of his first year while my milk supply diminished due to my pregnancy with Cora. I'm hoping that Cora will nurse strongly for at least a year. At her current rate, I don't think I have to worry!

James started drooling at 10-weeks. Cora, blessfully, not until 16-weeks. And she's not nearly the faucet that he was. Conversely, Cora got her first tooth a month younger than James did.

Cora is a much more focused and observant personality. She'll look you in the eyes, always turn to you when called, and watch every move you make. As an infant, James refused to hold our gaze. He was always more interested in what everyone else was doing. If you were the one holding him, there was no way he would pay attention to you.

We call Cora our quiet observer, because not only does she study everything we do, but she does so silently and intently. James, on the other hand, was a nonstop chatterbox as soon as he figured out how to babble. He always had something to say (or sing), and still does.

James loved tummy time from the start, while 6 months into it, Cora still hates it. 2.5 minutes is the maximum she will go without fussing. We wonder whether she'll skip crawling, since she's rarely in the position to learn. Of course, James didn't crawl until 9-months, so who knows what will change between now and then.

James smiled and laughed earlier, but Cora can sit on her own earlier.

Even better than that, Cora started sleeping through the night earlier. Of course, she really goes through fits and spurts with that, whereas once James started sleeping through the night, he never woke after bedtime unless he was sick or teething.

James was (and still is) a cuddler. He liked (likes!) to be rocked and cradled and sung to. He was the easiest baby to calm, on the rare occasion that calming was needed. If he was fussy due to sleepiness, all I had to do was tip him on his side and rock him and he was out like a light. Cora, on the other hand, just likes to nurse. If I'm not feeding her, or someone else is holding her, she prefers to face out or be held way up on your shoulder. And if she's upset and I start singing to her, she only screams louder. It's true.

While James likes to be held and carried, he doesn't like to help. Even at 21-months, the boy really still makes you do all the work. He's too busy thumb-sucking and hair-twirling (or pointing at something he's talking about) to hold on. Cora is already a helper though. Sometimes she even holds on too tightly!

James was (and still is) a pain to cosleep with. He kicks you and picks at your clothes and twirls your hair. He has to have a hand on you, and often a leg draped over you as well. He used to grunt and snore and flip all around. And he still looks like a billiard ball on his mattress throughout the night. Cora, on the other hand, is an absolute joy to cosleep with. If I bring her to bed to nurse her back to sleep, that's what she does. Then she snuggles right in next to me and sleeps peacefully. I often fall back asleep before she finishes nursing. She likes to snuggle up sweetly to her Daddy too.

As an infant, we were lucky to see a BM from James once/week. With Cora, we're so "lucky" that we get them 2-3 times/day. Or more.

We worry about potty training James because the kid could care less about wet or dirty diapers. Cora, on the other hand, has thrown a fit about wet (and especially dirty) diapers from the moment she was born. The princess can't stand a pea under her mattress...

Cora didn't really like bathtime for a long time, but James was a water baby from the start. Cora makes bigger splashes though.

James thinks medicine is candy. He'll ask for it. Honestly. And when he gets it, he'll often say "Moh?" But Cora does not like medicine. Not one bit. We used to have to lay her flat on her back, trickle it in one drop at a time, and squeeze her cheeks/blow on her face to get her to suck it down. She she'd often cry throughout the whole ordeal. Nowadays she'll usually drink it fine, even sitting up. On occasion she'll spit it all out though, little stinker...

James was a kicker as an infant. Any time he got excited (or mad) he would just kick, kick, kick away! Cora, on the other hand, is an arm flapper. She cracks us up because she looks like King Kong, and you can literally hear her beating her chest.

These babies of ours are not completely different though. They have some endearing similarities. I think I'll wait and share their similarities in another post though (since this one is already so long).