A Tale of Two Brothers

When I was pregnant with Reagan, I imagined him to be just like Kolbe. Naturally, right? They were going to be brothers, after all. But a little over a year in to Reagan's life, it's crazy to see how much they're not alike. At all. It's certainly not a bad thing. They're just different. Two totally different types of people. Let's break it down:

Looks:
Have you seen these two?!? If it wasn't for one of them looking exactly like me and one of them looking exactly like Mark, I'd wonder if one was switched at birth!
Kolbe: It's crazy to look at some of my toddler pictures and then glance over to Kolbe. He's virtually me with a boy haircut.
Reagan: While he doesn't exactly have Mark's coloring (unfortunately for him), Reagan is a spittin' image of his father. And more specifically his father's father. He too looks so much like Mark's baby pictures! Minus the fact that Reagan is still relatively bald and Mark had hair by then!

Skin:
Kolbe: Oh, what I wouldn't give.... He was lucky enough to inherit a chunk of his Hispanic roots in his gorgeous skin. He's got that lovely type that even when doused in sunscreen still somehow manages to tan. Not fair.
Reagan: Haven't I already mentioned his eczema!?! Poor child. The Asmussen side is still claiming responsibility on this one. Grandpa Maury battles with the same problem. I have a feeling he'll be a dermatologist's nightmare.

Little Bitty Baby Bodies:
Kolbe: I'm not quite sure where he got his build from...maybe Pinkie? She's 5'2" and barely 100 pounds soaking wet. Sounds like what Kolbe's going to be at age 25. He's tiny. Age: two-and-a-half. Height: 33 inches. Weight: 25 pounds. Sadly, he easily fits in to clothes that are size 18 months. And since he's been potty trained and doesn't wear a diaper, even those are pretty big on him in the waist and butt.
Reagan: He is his daddy re-made in this department too. He's a bruiser. And we aren't talking chubs. We're talking broad and muscular. There's not a single roll on his body but he's got big ol' thighs, a big ol' booty, and a big barreled chest. Even as a one-year-old! He walks around with this wide gait and looks just like he needs to have on a letter jacket and be strutting down the hall like the head of the football team. He's not exactly tall at this point, but I doubt if any of our kids will be. He's definitely got quite the athletic build though. And the most squeezable booty ever!

Personality:
Kolbe: Where to begin? I'm sure if you've read any of my other posts, you're gathered plenty of knowledge on this guy. Reluctantly, I guess I'll take responsibility for his "strong-willed" nature. I think it's safe to say that he's his own mother's son. He's funny, smart, goofy, out-going, sassy, silly, crazy, and so much more. He definitely has a mind of his own. One that is going twenty-four-seven! And he's totally sneaky too. Very determined. Tell him 'no' and he hears 'yes'! The word "Kolbe" is synonymous with "raggamuffin" and "shenanigans." He's the king of both. So much fun!
Reagan: Oh, my little dumpling. He is just the kindest, sweetest, tenderest little ball of love around! His gentle little soul definitely doesn't match his "meat head" appearance! He loves to offer the sweetest hugs to even the most random of strangers. He loves exploring, touching, and observing. He almost always has a smile on his face. And he is so eager to please. If we so much as give him the hairy eyeball he pulls out the most insanely pitiful pouty face, does about three deep breaths and bursts in to tears. He doesn't want to disappoint! Such a tender-heart! Just so much to love on!

Sleep:
Kolbe: I'll attempt to make this not sound like he's the reason I loathe the evening hours when I should be enjoying them. Sleeping has always been an issue with Kolbe. He doesn't seem to be much of a fan of it. After Reagan was born, it was impossible for me to be bedside with him until he decided he was ready to fall asleep so we began trying out several methods we found in a book called The No-Cry Sleep Solution. (I think we used the toddler edition) After three or four months of really working at it, he was finally able to go to bed on his own without much of a hassle. It was heavenly. But then about three or so months ago, he developed a bit of a knack for getting out of bed. Not in the middle of the night (thank God). We're talking about once we've put him in there initially. He somehow thinks it's his right to be able to participate in absolutely any activities going on in the house. So if Mark and I are out there watching TV, he should be allowed to as well. He can't stand not being a part of the action! His goal in life is to not fall asleep until everyone else in the house is asleep. And he seems to care less that we're at our wits end with it! Just go to sleep, kid! You'll thank us for it some day!
Reagan: Once upon a time I wrote a post about how I was close to reaching the break-down stage with this guy's sleeping habits. He would wake up three, four, up to five times every single night. It was exhausting and breaking me down physically and mentally. I guess he finally reached the point where he realizes that mama and dada are still there and he's safe and he can go to sleep with no worries. Literally, you put this guy in bed and he falls asleep as soon as he hits the pillow. My parents were in town last week and one day at lunch time I took an obviously tired Reagan from his chair and put him back in his bed. When I came out my mom asked where he was. I told her to which she replied, "Oh, I didn't tell him ni-night!" She rushed in to find him sound asleep. A total of maybe thirty seconds had elapsed. Not even kidding. He and Kolbe share a room and he sleeps through Kolbe's shenanigans every single night. He's the world's best sleeper. I think everyone wishes they could fall asleep that fast and sleep that soundly. Hope the gift carries through into the rest of his life! Must be nice!

Eating:
Kolbe: For the most part, Kolbe is picky, picky, picky. But he is a fan of strange non-picky eater foods like salad and fish. He'll even throw down on a big bowl of beets with me. I think a lot of his picky-ness is due in part to his palate issues. We could not get him to eat meat for the longest time. He'd put it in his mouth, chew it up and then just before swallowing would gag and take it out, placing it back on his plate all chewed up. Lovely image, I know. He still has a problem with sandwiches. The bread sticks to his palate and then it's all down hill. He's also the one of our two children who has been majorly corrupted by his grandparents who love to sneak him little tastes of everything sweet and non-healthy. Pa even once fed him a whole grape soda! He definitely has a sweet tooth like his mama! And he's willing to try pretty much anything that's doused in ketchup. Not too sure where he got that from... : ) One thing he adores is chips and salsa. Seriously. He'll sit there with Mark and the guys and throw down on a big bowl regardless of how hot it is.
Reagan: Rudy is our little food compactor. He will eat anything and everything that his little gummy jaw can get down. This includes but is not limited to all forms of meat, veggies, fruits, breads, sandwiches, crackers, pastas, acorns, and rocks. Luckily, he hasn't managed to swallow any of the last two items. He's a fantastic eater. And a big drinker too. He goes through twice as much liquid as Kolbe does! Always thirsty! And always hungry too. He's still in that ruled-by-his-stomach phase of life.

Just the two of us...
The boys share one of the sweetest little budding friendships I have ever seen. While a lot of their interactions up to this point have revolved around Kolbe antagonizing Reagan, they have finally started to play with each other as friends. I love looking out in to the backyard and catching Kolbe pushing Reagan in the car. Or when I give Reagan a few marshmallows and he goes over and gives one to Kolbe. Or when I look over and Kolbe is "reading" Reagan a book. Or when Kolbe says, "Me juice, Mama." And I say, "Ok, Kolbs." And he says, "RuRu too. RuRu juice too." They're always looking out for each other. That sweet little brother relationship where they may be at each others' throats one minute but you cross one or the other and it's on. Since Reagan doesn't talk much yet, it's hard for him to express his connection to Kolbe. But it's been so fun to hear Kolbe say things about Reagan that show how he feels about him. The other day we were teasing him and said, "Who's you're best friend, Mama or Dada?" To which he replied, "No. RuRu." Or when I say, "Kolbe, let's go get in the car." And he says, "RuRu go too? Me go, RuRu go." Or even when he gets in trouble: "Kolbe, let go of Reagan. Stop pulling on his arm." ... "Waaa! RuRu, me's baby, Mama!" I guess you can't have one without the other!

Check them out here.