Friday, April 14, 2006

Cutting the Cord

Well, today was the day... the day that my son finally gave up the little stump of his umbilical cord. Today, early this afternoon, said cord finally let go, thus ending any acknowledgement of the time spent as a parasite, living off of whatever Mommy ate. Oh, wait... he's breastfeeding, so he still does live off of what I eat. Okay, well, you get what I'm saying.

This brings up the fact that my son and my daughter are eerily similar. In fact, there are many coincidences already, and Marcus has only been alive (outside the womb) for four weeks. Now I know that one isn't supposed to compare one's children lest one feel that a particular child is favored... but let's see just for fun:

  • Marcus and Athena are almost exactly as far apart in age as my sister and I are. Only three days off.
  • Both Chris and Marcus were born on holidays that you don't get off work for. (Chris on Halloween and Marcus on St. Patrick's Day)
  • For both children, I went into labor around 9:30 exactly four nights before they were each due. Athena was due on a Monday, I went into labor Thursday night. Marcus was due on a Tuesday, I went into labor on a Friday night.
  • Marcus' labor was exactly half as long as Athena's.
  • Both children were born on a Friday... Athena at 2:55 am and Marcus at 11:49 pm. It will be interesting to see who is a morning person and who is an evening person. Athena is already winning the "good sleeper" award.
  • Both children lost their cord stump on the day they turned four weeks old.

Now, there are differences as well:

  • They had to break my water with Athena, but Marcus took care of that himself.
  • Athena hated the car seat... Marcus loves it.
  • Athena preferred to swing front to back in the cradle swing, while Marcus seems to be a side-to-side kind of dude.
  • Athena is an outie. Marcus is an innie. (Belly buttons, folks, in case you are wondering)
  • Oh, and well, they are two different sexes as well, but that goes without saying.

Perhaps you don't find this at all interesting, but I do. Just thought I'd share.

4 comments:

Staci said...

I totally find this interesting. I am always looking at weird similarities or differences in my head. Almost like an OCD thing. Thats why I thought all the things we had in common were so cool when we first "met". However, I am VERY happy I didnt get pregnant with you this time around. LOL

Troy and Jubilee were both born on the 24th, both born at the 8th hour, 24 mins apart, and they both have 24 in their soc number. And, in the TMI category, they both have a funky little divot at the top of their butt crack.

Jessica said...

Both of my kids are innies, with long fingers and long toes. They both have the cutest bow shaped lips. They both have big toes with toenails that grow very strangely (straight out and then straight up).
They also both have salmon patches between their eyebrows and on the back of their necks. They both have looooong eyelashes.

Dylan has more salmon patches, in his right eyebrow and all over the back of his head. Elizabeth has mongolian spots (bluish-black marks that look like bruises) on on her upper and lower back. I have yet to see any on Dylan.
Dylan has chunky legs, while Elizabeth, even as a baby, had chickenlegs. Dylan has two regular symmetrical ears, Elizabeth has one with a middle that looks popped out - it's hard to explain.

They were both born in single digit months (March and January) on single digit days (9 and 2) in even years (2004 and 2006) in the morning (Elizabeth at 4:38am and Dylan at 8:01 am) by C-section.

eaf said...

We have the even years as well (2004 and 2006). But then, you knew that, I suppose.

Oddly, Marcus is the only one in the family not born at the end of a month. Both Chris and Athena were born on the last day of their respective months, and I am two days before the end of mine. If we had waited a little longer and had Marcus in August instead, we could have ensured our birthdays were all spaced out by two months (April, June, August, October).

Jessica said...

Funny, we are all beginning of the month people. I'm the first of Sept. Dylan is the second of Jan. Bob is third of May and Elizabeth is the fly in the sequential ointment, having arrived on the 9th of March. But if you write it funny 9 looks like 4, so we'll keep her.