Little pieces of me

Whenever a baby is born relatives and friends immediately start hypothesising on who he or she looks most like. It is a knee jerk reaction to any newborn to exclaim "Doesn't he look like you/his dad", the moment any visitor claps eyes on the scrunched baby bundle swaddled in your arms.

I am not sold on this theory, although apparently there is an evolutionary reason why babies are supposedly born looking like dad. It is meant to reassure him that the offspring you are holding really is his, while you as the mum who just pushed the infant out can be in no doubt of his parentage.

But while all my children, barring one, were bald, just like daddy that is really where the resemblance ended. However, as my children have grown up the similarities between them and their parents have grown more and more obvious, if not always welcome.

Mr FDMTG swears blind that our youngest twin is the spit of me when it comes to personality and I am not sure this is a compliment to either of us. He is referring to the fact that twin two has a will of iron that will not be thwarted, no matter how obvious it might be that he is in the wrong. The moment his mind is made up he gets that look in his eye that tells you he WILL NOT be moved. I see nothing of myself in this stubbornness, but my husband assures me I am mistaken.

Twin one on the other hand is a replica of his daddy from his chubby features to his knife edge personality that switches in an instant from wreathed in smiles to wailing, tear stained despair. Though just like daddy he can usually be appeased with a chocolate biscuit and the promise of some telly.

Son number two is an unholy alliance of our worst features twinned with some of our best. He has my husband's unhealthy obsession with not moving a muscle unless it is absolutely necessary alongside my inability to stop eating until long after it was good for me. But he also has infinite kindness which he definitely inherited from his daddy, along with a deep affinity for others - he is always ready with a cuddle or a kiss to make it all better another trait from my better half. He is also observant and imaginative, which I like to think are qualities gifted from my side of the gene pool.

Son number one is the one that puzzles me most as he is pretty much perfect, well apart from his pre-teen strops which he could get from either side really and the fact that he is a terrible loser (hands up husband dearest). He is good at everything from dance (no idea) to music (daddy), maths (daddy) to reading (me at last) and when he puts his mind to it he can charm the birds off the trees (must have skipped a generation).

I wonder what other facets of our personalities will be shone back on us so we can bask or baulk at them as our children continue to grow and develop?