Elliot vs. Dottie

First off, I apologize for the negative post last night. I'm just grouchy from being sick, my kids being sick, and not being able to go anywhere (i.e. see friends). We're all getting squirrely. And I have a hard time coping when I know I'm not going to have the reprieve of my husband after a long day alone. I can do it by myself; I do it most of the time. It's just nice to know when you're married that you have a husband to help and support you when you need it. I seriously don't know how single moms do it.

So I was thinking last night at 4 am (yes, that would be Elliot, waking me up) about the differences between my children. There are huge contrasts. And most of them, I believe, are because of their genders. It really is crazy how they know to do things like a boy or a girl, with little or no prompting from me. So here's my list:

1. Sleeping habits: I think of this one first of all because of my lack of sleep. Dottie started sleeping through the night at 2 months. Of course, when she started teething she had a hard time. But then she would go back to sleeping through the night. Elliot still does not sleep through the night consistently. On occasion, he'll bless me with a good night. But mostly, he'll cry for a long time, unless I get up and nurse him. I always say to myself, "he's teething," or "he has a cold." Really, if there's anything slightly irritating him, he'll wake up.
2. Verbal skills: By the time Dottie was 11 months old, she was saying, "Dat?" for "What's that?" and pointing at everything. Elliot is really not even close to talking. However, he is very good at making little noises for every toy he plays with. We call him our capuccino machine, because that's what he sounds like.
3. Dexterity: Dottie is kind of clumsy, and she knows it. She won't do daring things, like jump off of tables, because she knows she'll get hurt. Elliot, on the otherhand, is very gifted at moving. He crawls very very fast. And I think he's afraid of walking, because he knows that will initially slow him down. The other day, I left the room for like 30 seconds to get a diaper for him. In that time, he had climbed up the couch and was on the arm rest, ready to jump off. Scary. He's attracted to danger. I have to keep my eye on him at all times.
4. Toys: Initially, Elliot didn't care what toy he was playing with as long as he could stick it in his mouth. Now, he loves to play with things that make noise: his firetruck and drill are his favorites. Dottie, on the otherhand, loves artistic things. She is really really good at drawing. She draws pictures of trees and people and flowers, and I can actually tell what they are.
5. Music: Both of my kids love music, which is fortunate. They respond to it in different ways. Dottie has always been a singer. She started singing "Somewhere in My Memory" when she was only 15 months old. We also made up her own theme song called "Dottie, Dottie," which she learned soon after. Elliot, on the otherhand, loves to dance. As soon as I start singing, he dances. This goes along with dexterity. Dottie has only recently discovered dancing.

There are, of course, more differences between my children. But there are so many, this post would be an eternity. I am very grateful for my children, and I'm glad that they are different. It makes things more interesting, right?

Morning shots. See what I mean? I can hardly get a picture of Elliot because he's moving all of the time. Dottie, on the other hand, will pose for a picture. I know this also has to do with age.