These babies are not the same....

Nate, 11/1/10

Levi, 10/31/12

These babies are not the same. Sure, you might think it's obvious now, but I didn't exactly realize it until recently. For some reason, I had it in my head that Baby #2 would be born to look and act exactly like Baby #1 had at birth. That didn't happen (Although I do think that they resembled one another in the way that siblings often do!). I thought that Baby #2 would follow exactly in his big brother's footsteps as an infant/toddler. I had no real reason for this belief, except that Baby #1 was all I knew about babies, so I presumed that Baby #2 would be similar. In reality, these babies are not very similar at all.

Nate loved his carseat; Levi hates the carseat.
Nate liked to be rocked to sleep; Levi must be walked/jiggled/bounced OR left alone in his bed.
Nate only slept swaddled in his swing or in my arms; Levi sleeps on his belly in bed.
Nate wanted to sleep in bed with Mommy and Daddy; Levi doesn't want anyone near him while he sleeps.
Nate was happy to be held by anyone willing when he was tired; Levi firmly believes that Mommy's arms are the only ones that comfort him.

Are you sensing a pattern here? My boys have completely different personalities when it comes to SLEEP. I'm sure that they will differ in far greater ways in the future (but at 2.5 months, it's all about sleeping and eating!). Even at this early age, Nate and Levi share so many things: a Mommy and Daddy who love them unconditionally, a safe and warm home, their genetic makeup, and the most darling chubby cheeks imaginable!
I've always heard that you shouldn't compare siblings, but it's impossible not to do so sometimes. And, there are no rights or wrongs between my boys, just differences and similarities--all of which I love. I think I thought/hoped that Levi would be just like Nate because I already knew how much I loved Nate. Now, I'm finding out that Levi is different, and I love him just as much. No matter whether my boys grow up to look like twins and share every interest or are polar opposites in every way, it doesn't matter. I love them both more than I could have ever imagined. They are each perfect in their own way, and I wouldn't want it any differently.