Since Gabe has been born I’ve experienced a profound and unexpected sense of completeness. There’s something about a family of four that just feels right. There’s something about having a daughter and a son that rounds out my life. I feel relaxed and energized at the same time.

It helps that Gabe is a good eater and we’re not up all night trying to get some food into him. I’m more clear-headed and present than I was when Abigail was born.

And now I’m going to segue awkwardly into the following retrospective comparison of our two children, featuring photos taken on almost the same days. I think they share a really strong resemblance. Which is good for Gabe, since Abigail looks like her mother and not me.

Here you have Gabe, taken within an hour of his birth:

And here you have Abigail, also just after she was born. The comparison is made easier by the fact that they’re wearing the same hat.

Here’s Gabe, modeling a new outfit on his second day in the outside world:

And here’s Abigail, illustrating the value of gender neutral baby clothes. Abigail could use this photo to start taunting her brother with chants of “I did it first,” but she’s above that kind of petty rivalry:

Here’s Gabe resting on my lap earlier today, day 5 post-utero:

And here’s Abigail, a little less lively, in my arms on or around the same day.

And now a final comparison, featuring the both of them in all their awesome glory:

Let me take a moment to talk about how awesome Abigail has been this week. She has been loving and careful around Gabe. While she has been a little sad not to have as much access to her Momma, she has taken it all with a grown-up grace well beyond her three years. I’m more proud of her than I can possibly say.

And now here’s a bonus picture of Gabe, since that boy really needs to start raising his profile around here.