Distinct Personalities, Even as Babies

Before Liv came along, I just assumed that she would be a lot like Ben was as a baby. I sort of thought all babies pretty much did the same things at the same times. I assumed Olivia's temperment and personality would be a lot like Ben's. Fast forward 8 months later, and I couldn't have been more wrong.

These two are like night and day, except bad hair and extreme cuteness -- they have both those things in common.

The differences were obvious right away. Ben had a gradual wind up to being hungry, his cries starting slowly and building. Olivia goes from 0 to 60 in 5 seconds flat. She is smiling one second and screaming/crying for her bottle the next. Ben napped for 3 hour stretches right from the beginning. Olivia would not nap more than 20-30 minutes at a time, sometimes only a few times a day, even as a tiny baby of a month old. (I'm happy to report that she now naps decently at home in her crib on weekends, though not at school where there is too much going on; she's not going to miss the party!)

Liv is smiley and happy almost all the time. She just wants to be in on the party, but she is very content to sit and take it all in. She is clearly in no hurry to crawl or walk. As long as she has something to shove in her mouth, she's good to go.

Unlike Ben, who was more your text book baby, but who was army crawling at 5 months, full on crawling at 6 months, and walking with the assistance of furniture by 8 months. He is a mover. He must always be in motion. Even to this day, it is rare that he slows down for 5 minutes.

Ben crawling at 5 months.

Ben crawls to the laundry basket and tries to climb in at 5 months.

When I compare pictures of Ben at Olivia's age, it constantly surprises me. They are 3 years, 3 weeks apart. So when I see pictures of Ben holding on to the ottoman to walk around on his first Halloween (only 3 weeks older than Liv was at Halloween), and then see her just happily sitting on a blanket with her toys, grinning at me, it is sort of a shock.

Ben walking with the help of the ottoman on Halloween - 8 months.

Ben standing with help of furniture - 8 months.

Ben standing and trying to lift a pumpkin on Halloween - 8 months.

The funny thing is, I think she could certainly crawl if she wanted to. She is strong and healthy. She just doesn't have that need for motion and mischief that Ben has. I wonder if it will always be this way?

Don't get me wrong, I'm in no rush for Liv to crawl. Ben has a million tiny toys all over the house, and it will be a whole new challenge when I'm baby proofing all that.

It will be a fun ride seeing what Olivia has in store for us in the next few years!