One thing I never could have imagined when I was pregnant with Corey was gaining an understanding of the person within. People who seemingly knew everything about their babies before they were born... or even a year after... just struck me as the worst kind of know-it-all. Of course, at that tender young age I lived on the fence about everything requiring an opinion.
Having children 15 years apart gives a mom clarity that more traditional parents can't have. Enough time had elapsed between births that I could tell the ineffectiveness of some of my less than stellar parenting choices. And well before Madelyn, I'd learned where I really stood on so many different aspects of life. I figured out that there are statements I can make about my children's preferences and personalities without permanently pigeon-holing them.
For example, Corey and Fynn have a lot more in common than Mad and Fynn. My oldest and youngest are both pretty mellow, but always on the go, with periodic bouts of extremely high energy. Madelyn never moved as much nor as forcefully as Corey did. Fynn has been moving around in every ultrasound, even the very first when she was more like a bean or Mr. Peanut.
All of my babies have had hiccups. Corey and Fynn just let them happen. Yesterday alone, Fynn probably had hiccups six or seven times, for several minutes each time. (She's having them now, too, in case you're wondering.) When Mad was en utero she would only tolerate half a dozen or less before throwing a little fit and making them stop. It really seemed to upset her. I imagined it being like one of those old Tom and Jerry cartoons. "Tom" was Madelyn and "Jerry" was the hiccups. Almost as soon as Jerry entered the picture, Tom was flipping out.
I'm interested to see how Madelyn and Fynn compare on the outside. Madelyn has always hollered and yelled her way through learning. Crying during tummy time? Only until she mastered it. Crying louder while trying to turn over? Right up until the second time she did it. Screaming her head off if she wasn't allowed to touch something? Only until she "got it" (then it became more of a game to see if we'd catch her). On the other hand, she is the smilingest and happiest member of our family. She gets out what's bothering her and moves on to what's good.
Corey was such a mellow baby and toddler. The only times I ever recall him crying really loudly were during his circumcision (which took place while I was outside of the doctor's office, on the diagonally opposite side of the brick building... but I could hear him anyway, even over my own sobs... which is why I would never do it again had I ever had another son) and during the one night my ex-husband and I decided to try letting him "cry it out" (we were completely uneducated as to what that really meant... we lasted 45 minutes... and it's why I was so glad to find another way to offer sleep training to Madelyn).
I wonder if Fynn will be as easygoing as Corey was. And if, like him, she'll be secretly pissed about what's happening around her, but unable to express herself.
I guess in 15 years or so, I'll have an answer.
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