His heart on his sleeve

Nicholas has been extra emotional the last few days. He is more sensitive than Celia to begin with. Just wears his heart on his sleeve. Whereas Celia is more confident, independant and determined. She has always been this way and I am sure she will benefit from these personality traits in her life.
There have been a few times in the last few days where I have been out and Jason home and Nicholas has had moments where I think he is realizing I am not home and gets separation anxiety. The crying when I leave is starting. This is typical of this age and tends to coincide with a growth in emotional development. From what I've read it is best to just hold them and reassure them as long as they need (or if I have to leave, don't sneak out, let them know I am leaving with a hug/kiss and leave).
He has been having these random "melt downs" where something will just make him so sad. I think his teeth are also coming through (isn't it always teething) as well. He keeps chewing on his hands and rubbing his gums. He's just a sensitive little guy.
This is an excerpt out of "What to expect the Toddler years"p.409
"Toddlers, in general, cry a lot. Thats true of both girls and boys. In fact, studies show that before the age of twelve, crying patterns are pretty much the same in both genders"....
"Yet, in spite of the fact that he cries easily, a sensitive child is not unhappy. In fact, children who are supersensitive tend not only to cry freely, but to laugh easily as well. And there are other upsides to being sensitive, too: Your child is more likely to be more aware of the feelings of other people and even animals (though at this age, that kind of empathy will probably still be limited). He may also be more perceptive and observant in general, which could serve him well in countless ways thoughout his life".

Of course, we don't play into the crying and make him know he can get attention for it. And we try to be very consistant with our discipline as well (though we are finding he and Celia require different types of discipline since she is a little more "determined", lol).

Having twins surely has taught me that there is a lot of truth to the "nature" philosphy (Nature vs Nurture). Here Nicholas and Celia have been together all the time, had the same parental interaction and have experienced the same things and here we have two very different children.

However, parenting these two is by far my "dream job". I just sit back and revel in them and what joy they bring to us (even during those tough moments). Their kisses and hugs are worth more than anything the world could offer.