Compare and Contrast

Anyone out there with more than one child knows that no two children are exactly the same, even twins. And I am sure many people spend at least a small portion of their time making comparisons. Well, being the perfectly normal parent that I am, I have done that. However, when one child is way above normal in pretty much everything, those comparisons can be a little skewed. Take Kinsey and Aliya. When Aliya was the age that Kinsey is now (almost 16 months) she:
1) had a repertoire of more than 100 words
2) could speak in complete sentences
3) could feed herself with a spoon
4) had 10 teeth
5) had 3 haircuts (1 full, 2 bang trimmings)
and 6) had stopped nursing.

Aliya at approximately 16 months

Kinsey, on the other hand :
1) has a repertoire of less than 10 words
2) isn't sure yet what a sentence is
3) can feed herself with the wrong end of a spoon, but still prefers to be fed
4) has 6 teeth
5) has almost enough hair to cover her scalp
and 6) is showing no signs that she will ever stop nursing.

Kinsey at approximately 16 months

Now I know that Kinsey is perfectly normal, and that Aliya was not, it is still hard not to think that Kinsey is a little, how would I say........slow. Which I know is very, very, very wrong to think. And I just hope that I stop comparing them pretty soon, or Kinsey will always feel that she doesn't live up to the legacy of her sister. However, there are some things about Kinsey that are so much different than Aliya, and in a good way. Kinsey is a champion sleeper. She goes to sleep easily, and naps usually between 2-3 hours a day. Aliya was down to 1 nap and would not go to sleep easily. There was much singing and cuddling that needed to happen. Kinsey is also very content, both in who she is and what she can do, but also in her general temperament. Aliya was always itching to be older, bigger, and better at everything. She still is. While that isn't a bad thing, it meant she was often cranky in the here and now. Kinsey just takes everything in stride. By this age, Aliya had more ear infections than I can count, and had surgery to put tubes in her ears. Kinsey? Never had an ear infection or been anywhere near an operating room. Thank goodness.

So what is the moral of my little tale here? Ummm, there isn't one. Except I love both my girls and think they are both wonderful. And they are 2 completely different people. And they are both mine.