6/52

 //it was a perfect kind of snow day. Fluffy enough for the kids to enjoy but not cold enough for it to make driving dangerous.//

//Leo finally got to meet Rosie.//

Leo & Trina

In the three months of getting to know Leo, I couldn't help but compare my two children. It didn't happen in terms to discover the better child but in the process of using my experiences with raising Trina as a reference to help guide me this second time around.

Leo's personality is a direct reflection to Ariel's. Laid back and calm, he is generally an easy child. He also tends to just stare at you as if he was studying you; much like how I observe every situation and surrounding. He will cry, sure, but it's when he has a need that hasn't been met with an easy resolve like hunger or discomfort - there has been a few times due to my excessive chocolate/caffeine indulgent that led to an unsoothable baby. While Leo is so far exactly like Ariel, Trina is exactly like me in nature and like Ariel by nurture. This means that while she has many characteristics that deems a wonderful person, she also bears the bad qualities that I've never liked about myself (bossiness, tendency to judge, etc.) Ariel has noticed this about her before I did and has helped veer her “negative” traits to something more positive - like minimizing her bossy nature to become a fair leader. So if Leo is exactly like Ariel in nature, which is clearly expressed in his three month old personality, I would have to nurture him to take heed in taking things one step at a time. Already does this child express the need to master one skill before the other! Crawling? No thanks. He would much rather learn to sit up so that he can pull himself to stand.

When it comes to the actual care of my two children, Leo is more work. Trina takes after my family with her flawless skin amongst many things but Leo was born with sensitive skin that demands measured care repeatedly throughout the day. I thought I was being top notch with Aveeno products that lined my dresser but I've been left with barely used bottles replaced by all organic products that I never would have considered. With organic oils, soaps (yes, plural), and lotions (again, yes to the plural), I'm glad I made the preemptive decision to cloth diaper, which is a topic for another day…

5/52

//she’s quickly becoming a young lady.//

   //& he’s starting to recognize faces other than mine and Ariel’s.//