Like deja vu all over again. Sorta

It's supposed to be in the mid-80s here today. The clothes I bought Isaac for summer are still huge, so I pulled out an old t-shirt of Bryce's for him to wear today. Maybe it's just the shirt, but I can't get over how much he looks like his big brother. They looked nothing alike as newborns, but gradually over the last year they've started to look freakishly similar.

But even though I've been doing double takes as I see Isaac toddle across the room, my two boys could not have had less similar personalities at the same age.

Sleep

Bryce: Drive him around in the car to get him to take a nap. Lie on the floor next to his bed and sing him to sleep. Otherwise he cries so hard he barfs.

Isaac: Snuggles into his covers, grabs his elephant, and falls asleep

Waking Up

Bryce: Starts screaming immediately. If you're taking a pee or in the shower he'll be red-faced and sweaty and angry all morning.

Isaac: Plays in his crib, giggling to himself, for about 15 minutes before he starts begging to get up.

Food

Bryce: Diet consists of goldfish crackers, grilled cheese, chocolate milk and pizza. Period. And if you get the wrong kind of chocolate milk there will be hell to pay.

Isaac: Eats everything the adults eat, including six spears of asparagus for dinner last night. The big kids still demand separate food.

Playtime

Bryce: Follows me from room to room, begging to be picked up. I get nothing else done.

Isaac: Plays in his room by himself for long stretches of time, reading books to himself, making animal sounds, and driving cars on the rug. I make curtains, paint rooms, and write in my blog all the time.

Bryce is a great kid these days, but sometimes I marvel that we ever survived the first two years of his life. When Bryce was a baby I joked that I had to have another one right away or I'd lose my nerve. Isaac is the kind of baby that makes you want to have another one right away for the pure joy of it.

Of course, Isaac isn't perfect. As I type he's sitting on top of the computer desk, throwing books to the floor. The lamp is lying sideways on the table and he has been attempting to draw on the computer monitor. Maybe he can't take all this praise and wants to prove me wrong. But it's okay, I've been steeled for the challenge by raising his older brother.

--originally published 3/8/06