What a difference!

When I was pregnant with Nicolo I had myself convinced that I was going to have a baby that was just another version of Francesco. I thought he would look the same, develop the same and act the same.

I was wrong. I am truly amazed at just how different my boys are.

• When I had Francesco he looked just like Michael did as an infant. Now that he is on the verge of being a preschooler he looks even more like his father. We always say he looks like Michael spit him out. They have the same exact hair texture, cowlicks, head shape. Their hair even lays the same way when they get up in the morning. He also has the same body habitus as his Father, I always say to Michael if you want to know what you look like from behind just look at Francesco. I will say I was a little disappointed that he didn't look like me or my side of the family at all. There is something about looking at a child and seeing something of you that just melts my heart. I can say he does have my quirky/spastic personality though (poor guy).
• Nicolo on the other had is like the yang to Francesco's yin. The only physical trait he acquired from his father is his eyes. The rest of him is so much my father. He has this long barrel chested torso like my dad and all his expression are my dads. He's got the big head like Francesco but it's definitely a different shape. I can also see me in his face and I love that.

• Francesco was not one of those kids that stuck everything in his mouth. The worse he ever did was put a rock in his mouth for a short period and then spit it out later.
• Nicolo needs a shirt that states "I only eat Organic...literally!" So far he has already swallowed a rock (very small), eaten handfuls of sand and dirt, finds any piece of paper or cardboard appetizing and seem to think the food on the floor has better flavor than the the food on his plate.

• Francesco does not like stuff on him or touching him. The first time we sat him in the grass he looked like he was going to jump out of his skin. When he plays in the sand table he uses the shovel and if he gets sand on him he has to (have me) get it off him right away. If he spills milk on the place mate when he eats his cereal he can not proceed until I wipe up the mess. There was even one time he made me take off the table cloth because it was "a mess" according to him.
• Nicolo on the other had could care less. He rolls in the grass, the mulch, the sand and the dirt (my nature boy). He even will play in a bucket of water till he is soaking wet and not seem to mine. He takes the opportunity to finger paint with any substance that may spill on his tray, the floor or the table. He gets upset if I wipe it up.

• Francesco is very upfront about everything. You always know where he is an what he is doing. That's because he is either making a tons of noise doing it or commentating the event and wanting you to watch. He will actually call me away from something to show me how he can flip over the back of the couch, even though I have told him numerous time not to. One day he was in the bathroom, supposedly going potty, when I hear "This is such a mess!" I go into the bathroom and he is standing there with no pants on looking at the stool next to the toilet. I say "what's a mess?". He point out to me the urine sprayed all along the side of the sink cabinet, down the floor, in the trash can, and on the stool. Not a lick of it made it in the toilet. All I can say is at least he told me.
• Nicolo on the other hand I know for sure may do the same thing one day, but he will just shut the door and walk away. He is like a Ninja. I will put him down at my side in the kitchen, turn for one second and he is gone. He somehow manages to get all the way out into the living room and up a half a flight of steps without making a sound. If it's quiet, you know he is up to something. He is the one I am going to have to watch, I just know it.

As different as my boys are I still would not change them for the world. It's fairly evident there is not a dull moment at our house, with more to come.

I of course can publish a post without a picture. Since I have a) not been inspired recently and b) not taken any new photos I pulled this from my archives. There is just something about it that speaks to me.