Remarkable Differences, Vol I

The differences between our twin sons are remarkable. Where do I begin?

They look nothing alike, for starters.

Yet it's the differences in personality that are so blatant and surprising.

Waking up: The only signs that Adrian is awake are soft grunts and the subtle sounds of occasional movement and kicking. Vincent has fallen into the habit of crying his brains out before awakening has even occurred. Yesterday, after the screaming of bloody murder began, Elisa picked him up and carried him around the apartment for a full 2 minutes before he opened his eyes, and eventually, stopped crying.

Attention span: If we place them both on their backs on their mat, both will kick and watch the toys swing back and forth. Before long, Adrian’s gaze will drift and he’ll try to look over his shoulder at the TV, or he’ll just roll over onto his side and suck on his fingers, staring off at nothing in particular. Vincent on the other hand, will watch those toys swing around until the cows come home (that is, until he realizes he's hungry, at which point the incessant and merciless screaming resumes.)

If placed on their stomachs, Adrian’s head will gradually sink until his mouth eventually find his little fists, after which time he’ll simply suck them, face down, indefinitely. Vincent, on the other hand, will summon every ounce of strength and concentration and push with his arms and try to gain traction with his knees and feet in an effort, we presume, to coordinate his actions and move forward. He grimaces with determination, occasionally holding his breath out of pure effort, and eventually winds up face down, totally exhausted and frustrated (which, unless a bottle is offered immediately, will of course lead to further continuation of intolerable and agonizing screams).

Although he isn’t crawling yet, it’s truly inspirational to watch him try. If he continues to attack every challenge he faces with the same intensity and determination, he’ll go far.

Also, I should mention that I have exaggerated a bit the severity of his crying fits, and the reason is because of my own frustration and low threshold of tolerance as of late.