Twin vs. Twin

February 15, 2014

(Blake & Jade 7 months old)

I know it is a HUGE no-no to compare one's children, and I hope I never will when it really counts. I THINK it's okay, though (correct me if I'm wrong), to record how completely opposite my twins are in so many ways during this baby stage. I absolutely love it! They complement each other so well and I get to enjoy the best of both worlds. And while we're at it, maybe I'll throw in a little note here and there about how Baby Luke would have compared to these two ...

• Blake has the most infectious laugh and he laughs all day long! It is SO easy to totally crack this boy up! On the other hand, it takes some effort to get a giggle out of Jade, but when it happens, it's ADORABLE. To be fair, it's a piece of cake to get her to smile. (Baby Luke = somewhere in between, closer to Blake)
• Blake is ticklish EVERYWHERE. Jade isn't ticklish ANYWHERE. (Baby Luke = almost as ticklish as Blake)
• Jade is very patient and laid-back and is almost always willing to calmly wait to be picked up, fed, etc. Blake is NOT. When he wants something, he wants it NOW and he lets you know - loudly. (Baby Luke = Blake)
• Jade sleeps really well at night, usually only waking up once, and even sleeps through her brother's cries most of the time. Blake doesn't. He's up an average of 3-4 times each night demanding food. (Baby Luke = Blake)
• Jade is willing to try any food you give her. She will hold a cracker and eat it by herself, she always opens her mouth for a spoon, and will drink from a cup. Blake acts like you are poisoning him if you try to put anything in his mouth that isn't a bottle. (Baby Luke = Jade)
•  Jade loves to be held upside down and thrown in the air. Blake hates it. It scares him. (Baby Luke = Jade)
• Blake is ridiculously strong and is ALWAYS tense and moving! Jade is pretty floppy and relaxed. (Baby Luke = Blake)
• Blake is THIS close to crawling, tries to stand up when someone is holding him and puts a whole lot of effort and muscle into getting where he wants to go. If you try to stand Jade on her feet, she just bends her knees and sits down. On the floor, she is content to just roll occasionally and mostly stays in the same general vicinity, but she'll surprise us occasionally when she feels like it. (Baby Luke = Blake)
• Blake fits snuggly in his Bumbo seat, but the other day, I turned around and rather than being in his seat where I left him, he was on the floor next to it trying to crawl! Jade was sitting in her seat next to him, watching him in amazement.
• Blake is really not cool with anything that makes him physically uncomfortable and he let's us know that we need to FIX it! Jade just quietly toughs it out. (Baby Luke = Blake)
• Example #1: They both had very stuffy noses for a couple of nights recently. With their bottles propped up in their beds (I know, we're terrible, but it's how they like to fall asleep!), Blake would suck, suck, suck, realize he couldn't breath and fling his head back screaming, and of course, dropping the bottle. Then he would cry until I came and re-situated him, over and over and over until he finally fell asleep. Every time I went back in for Blake, I could hear Jade in her crib sucking a few times, calmly stopping to take a breath with the bottle still in her mouth, and then sucking again, over and over until she fell asleep.
• Example #2: Both babies have been teething for months. They are both mostly happy little troopers through it all, but there have been several nights, where Blake has just had enough and won't go to sleep or even take a bottle without Baby Orajel (and a few times, it's taken Ibuprofen or Tylenol to get him to take a bottle and fall asleep). We have only had to use Orajel on Jade once, and never Ibuprofen or Tylenol.
• Blake sleeps on his belly. Jade sleeps on her back. (Baby Luke = Jade)
• Jade is okay with being left to play on the floor or in the Jumparoo by herself for quite a while. Blake almost never lasts more than a couple of minutes before he's begging to be picked up. (Baby Luke = Blake)
• Blake LOVES his twin. Jade isn't so sure about hers (she has sustained one too many injuries and he steals her toys). (Baby Luke = N/A, although he did always love other babies)
• Blake is big for his age. Jade is small for her age. (Baby Luke = Blake)
• If I can't get to Blake immediately after he wakes up and cries for me to come get him, he will cry harder and harder until I get in there, but as soon as he sees me, all is forgiven and he is just so happy I'm there! Jade cries harder and harder until I get in there and when she sees me, she cries even HARDER for a minute or two to let me know how upset she is that I abandoned her. (Baby Luke = Blake)

Baby Luke = Blake: 11
Baby Luke = Jade: 3

They do have a few things in common though ...

• Both absolutely ADORE their big brother, Luke.
• Both stick their tongues out a whole lot.
• Both love to be outside.
• Both really love fans and mobiles.
•  Both love baths/water.
• They are both SO excited to see me (or Jeff) when I come to get them out of their cribs in the morning or after a nap. Although, Blake wins the prize for being the MOST excited! While Jade smiles big and kicks her legs adorably, Blake is like a puppy! He is always on all fours straining to see over the top of the crib and when I come into view his face breaks into an enormous grin, tongue out, and his whole body wiggles all over as he buries his face in his sheets giggling, looks up, sees me, and does it all over again. Plus, he has a nearly as enthusiastic reaction to seeing me throughout the day, even when I've only been out of sight for a couple of minutes.
• Both are so sweet and happy almost ALL the time, although Jade wins the prize for being sweet and happy a little MORE of the time!

I'm sure there are more, but I'm calling it quits for now.