Alike? Different?

It amazes me how alike my four children are. Yet they are so different.

My oldest son was the ugliest thing when he was born. His little face was all pushed to a point. I thought, "Oh my God! He looks like a buck-toothed idiot" But I loved that ugly little baby so much. ( After a couple of hours he was beautifully normal looking.)

He was so tiny... the smallest of all my babies. He also had an extra thumb on one hand.  Leave it to me to have a baby with extra parts.

My second son was beautiful when he was born. He was the personification of that blonde-haired, blue-eyed baby with rosy full cheeks. You know... the kind that people wanting to adopt would look for.

The problem was that for the first couple of days he would not wake up even long enough to eat. When he finally decided he was hungry all he wanted to do was eat. Then he would not burp for me. When he settled into  regular eating schedule I was greatly relieved.

My third son was loooong. He was 23 1/2 inches at birth. He was also lavender. The cord was wrapped loosely at his neck but it was enough restriction of blood flow to affect his color. No lasting damage from it though.

The first time he was brought to me for a feeding I noticed a small spot in one of his blue eyes that looked yellow. His dark hair was a little lighter. By the time I took him home he had green eyes and blonde hair.

My fourth child was my daughter. She was beautiful with dark little ringlets of hair all over her head. And she was the color of a beet. Deep, deep red.

She weighed the most of all my babies. She was an easy baby to care for. She fit wherever I put her which was good because her brother was still a baby himself. She amused herself when she woke up. She would make a little noise to let me know she was awake but was not too concerned if I did not get right to her. (Oh how I came to long for those days.)

As they grew older they had their own personalities. The oldest was born an old soul. He has a strong sense of right and wrong with very little room for the grays in between.

My second son is more adventurous. He wants things to happen for him now instead of waiting. He is generous to a fault.

My third son has a strong love of family Even more than the others. He likes nice things and works hard to provide them for his family. He wanted to be grown from the time he was very young and went headlong into being grown.

My daughter has been an experience for me in ways the boys were not. She was very much a girl in the traditional sense of the word. She was not interested in sports and did not watch television.She did have dance class but will no longer dance.

She is a hard worker. She also provides well for her family. Perhaps because she always knew she has the support and back-up of her older brothers she is very outspoken. She did not speak at all until she was almost a year old. Then she began speaking in sentences and has not shut her mouth since.

As you can see they are so different and unique. But they are also the same.

All of my children are strong willed. They like having things done their way. They are leaders and definitely not followers. Even if the people they are with want to do something my children do not agree with my children either try to change minds or stay out of it.

Of course as their mother I know they are all beautiful. They do not look completely alike but not one of them looks like me. They look like their father.

My oldest is the only one with dark hair. The rest are varying shades of blonde. Blue eyes are for three. The exception is the green-eyed one. My second son is several inches over six feet tall. The other two boys are just a bit under six feet. My daughter (who you will remember was the biggest) is tiny.

They often fight among themselves. Siblings usually do. But no one else is allowed to do so. It will bring on the wrath of all four. Heaven help them.

All four are stubborn. They are quick to anger (like their father) and hold a grudge (like their mother). It is not a good combination.

I simply find it interesting. Siblings have some things in common yet they are still individuals. Does that compare to you and your siblings?