You always hear "all babies are different" and I can't say how true this is for Riley and Amity- they are practically polar opposites.
When Riley was a baby she wanted to be held and carried around to look at things, constant change of scenery and position was required to keep her happy.
Amity when she is awake also loves to be held, unless Riley or I are right in front of her enteratining her she wants to be in arms and held and talked to. She is high maintance in the sense that she wants all your attention, she wants to smile and see you smile and she loves playing itsy bitsy spider (when the spider goes over her face she giggles).
Amity is interested in people- she could care less about what the person is doing as long as she has an adoring undevided audience. Riley was (and is) interested in things-how they work what they do, figuring those things out.
They are also very very different when it comes to sleep (praise the Lord!) Riley found it nearly impossible to settle, she never discovered a position she liked- except reclined...She really enjoyed sleeping reclined in her swing. Sleeping with her was hard, she just didn't know what she wanted- except breastmilk, she knew she wanted that. That was really the only constant with her, she loved to nurse and did it alllll the time- I rarely got more than an hour break between nursin sessions but after the first couple of months she didn't nusre very long, just OFTEN. Riley only slept longer than 2 hours a handful of times her first 11months of life. And nursing and driving in the car was really the ONLY ways to get RJ to sleep it was hard work.
Amity loves to be snuggled but it's not a requirement and unlike Riley she (at this point) has a favorite position BELLY. If she's on her belly life is good. She enjoys nursing, she giggles and grins so big when I offer the breast to her- and continues to smile so big that she can't nurse (as RJ say's "shes d0 silly!"). Amity likes to cluster nurse, she'll nurse several times an hour and then go 2-4 hours and then nurse again- during the night she usually only nurses once and sleeps 4-7hours straight...Whether this pattern will continue who knows- it's the pattern right now. To get Amity to sleep all *I* have to do is either nurse her and lay her down (and she has been transferring to being laid down very easily since I discovered her love for her tummy)...Or if she's fussy and awake, lay her on her belly pat her bum for a minute (or not depending on her mood) and walk away... She'll kinda fuss/complain for a minute or two (but never a "pick me up!!!" sound just a "I'm tired trying to get comfy" kinda cry) and then she's OUT. It's the strangest thing to see a baby actually put themself to sleep on their own.
It feels so weird to see the difference. I have caught myself saying "I don't know why I thought the newborn days were so hard wtih RJ, they were a piece of cake compared to now" and that is so true, a high needs toddler is way more intense in some ways than a high needs baby...High needs toddlers run away and get into things, and they are very loud when they are in a needy mood.
I was telling Ryan the other night that I am so so so thankful that Riley was first. That she was the nightmare, I am scared to find out, but I really dont' think there could be many babies who are worse at sleep than Riley in her first year. I haven't done any thing really different, I follow my gut the same as always...I think had AMity been first I would have taken some pride in how well she sleeps. Feel a little smug that MY good parenting made this happen. I can't take any credit, it's all Amity- it's her personality...Just like it wasn't bad parenting that caused Riley's sleep issues, it was just RILEY. And I think we did ourselves a huge favor in being responsive (for the most part- except around 8 months when we were ready to lose it because she was such an awful sleeper), and finding a way to sleep Harmony. I'm glad how things have panned out, it was a good lesson to learn. And I also learned that it's not "over till it's over" Amity may turn into a terrible sleeper, or have somer eally bad weeks/months... It isn't a reflection on my parenting, just the way she deals with change...
In other news Riley has cut 4 more teeth- she now has SIXTEEN teeth...That is ELEVEN teeth to come in since Amity was born 2 montsh ago!!!! WOW!
I gotta run.
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