Nurture or Nature

I've always believed that there is a fair amount of both that come into play when raising a child. Certainly there are things that are innate, others that are learned.  

Knowing this, I've tried really hard not to instill some of my quirks in my boys.  I never talk about foods I like or dislike, I keep my dislike of creepy crawly bugs to myself, even go out of my way to show the boys bugs, and say things like isn't that a pretty...(insert creepy crawly thing here). Even with all my efforts some things really stand out. 

Ryan likes his food hot.  I've always been a fan of a hot meal.  I prefer a hot lunch to a sandwich any day.

When I show Ryan a bug he almost always backs away and says "nooooo"

Evan sat and strung pasta beads, two of each color, in order.  He had other colored beads closer but he would reach all the way across the table to ensure his pattern stayed intact.  

Both boys love to clean obsessively. They race for the baby wipes when they are open, grab them and start wiping everything in sight. (okay, this maybe learned from watching me clean every table, highchair, or shopping cart for two years)

This was all a long way of getting to my question.  

Is it nurture or nature?

Ryan is a social animal.  He is comfortable on his own, he wanders around his Mommy and Me class with out me, happy to play with anything and everything in sight. He checks back in with me and makes sure he can find me, smiles and keeps playing.  Occasionally he comes over for a quick hug, or to show me what he had found. 

Evan on the other hand, likes to stay close.  He holds my hand and we walk from station to station, he tells me he is done, and we move on.  If I'm not at his side, he comes to find me and brings me to where he wants to be.

So, have I created this in Evan?  I'm always mindful of Evan, he does get scared more easily, and did go through that phase where he cried uncontrollably in situations similar to our Mommy and Me class. So I try to be close to him just to head off any potential breakdowns. Has my always being around made him dependent on me? Has it made him less likely to venture out on his own?

Has my constant companionship of Evan made Ryan more self sufficient as a consequence? 

Or are all of these traits just innate?  If not, is it too late for Evan to change learn to be more comfortable in new situations?

I think I'm going to try a little experiment in class of Friday.  I'm going to set Evan up, and then hang with Ryan.  I wonder if Evan will be just fine, or if he will come search us out. I'll let you know what happens.

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On a side note, the other day in our Mommy and Me class, there was this little girl there with her Mom and Dad.  We were sitting near each other on the rug, my boys were playing with the cars, and she was playing with the pasta beads.

Her Mom said something to her Dad, he got up and got a wet paper towel and started wiping her fingers very vigorously.  Each little finger.  I looked closely and we were only about three feet apart.  I guess there was something on her hands that had to be removed, maybe a little paint.  Then I looked at my children, faces and hands streaked with paint, and thought, "Have I come a long way or what?"