They love to follow each other around. Here they are watching Patricia vacuum.

We took the twins to their 9 month check up today. I thought it was going to be an easy, uneventful visit. Surprisingly there was a shot. Also surprising, Aaron measured bigger than Sam in every respect. Even more surprising, Sam’s ear infection is back. Or maybe it never fully left. I think the poor guy has been fighting it for over a month now. They gave us the next level up in antibiotics. Let’s hope this one works.

Here is how their measurements came out:

Sam’s height was 28½ inches, weight 20 lbs. 9 oz., head circumference 44.8 cm.

Aaron was 28¾ inches long, 20 lbs. 13 oz. for weight, and a head circumference of 45.3 cm.

This month I thought a lot about quitting breast feeding. I remember when the older boys were about 8 months old wanting to be done, but the thought of switching to bottles and formula was too daunting. With the twins I’m already on bottles and formula so it doesn’t seem as scary. I’ve also noticed they feed much more on bottles than the breast, and my production is down more than it was a few months ago. Oh, and the clogged milk ducts! So many of them this time around! I’m still slugging through it, getting out as much as I can by pumping and breast feeding them to sleep most naps and night feeds. Right now I’m just trying to push through to the one year mark, no matter how little I produce. I’m sad whenever I think of giving up that part of their childhood. Once it’s over, they stop being babies in my eyes.

Also, since we’ve come back from Florida, I’ve been spending a lot of time trying to analyze these little two. I am looking for clues to what their personalities are and how they relate to each other.

I thought for a while that Sam was the tough one. He’s got these strong, meaty fingers and was the first to crawl and stand. Aaron seems so delicate. But Sam cries more often. Like if Aaron steals his toys. Now if Sam steals Aaron’s toys, Aaron will hold onto it as fiercely as he can but if he loses to Sam, he lets him have it and moves on. No crying. No hard feelings. Aaron can also take a fall without noticing it as much.

Sam uses his two hands like chopsticks to pick up food

I used to say that Aaron was more social because he laughs at all Jack’s jokes while Sam sometimes fails to notice. But Sam is the one who will follow me around the house and asked to be held all the time, getting on his knees and puffing his chest out at me with his arms in the air. Aaron is much more independent in that respect. So I’m not sure who is more social.

It seems like Aaron his an inner peace that dictates everything he does. Aaron sleeps better and longer. When he wakes he hangs out in his crib until I arrive, cooing or just eating a sock that he’s taken off his foot. Sam announces each waking with a roaring scream. He’s impatiently waiting, standing at the front of the crib for the bedroom door to open.

Aaron prefers a full fist, one handed grab and shove.

Aaron’s inner calm is also shown when he eats. He eats calmly and afterwards can sit in the chair quietly and happily. Sam is more conflicted. Sam’s eating always ends in crying.

I love how different their eating styles are too. Sam carefully puts a piece of food between his two straightened forefingers and brings it to his mouth. Aaron quickly grabs with his whole fist then thrusts it in his mouth.

People always say twins are opposites. I wonder if it’s because they are born at the same time, you naturally compare them and try to find the differences. Or maybe over time twins themselves want to differentiate themselves and become opposites.

I guess we’ll never know which came first, the chicken or the two eggs.

They have started to laugh together at their own inside jokes.