The Boys – 2 years old and 9 months old

In case you’ve forgotten, Eli’s TWO:

And being two means a lot of attitude:

But there’s still some sweetness:

You’re always on the go:

And this little guy is now 9 months, which means he is ever curious, always sticking his tongue out, always moving:

(Every time I put Charlie down, he would beeline for the water. I was constantly snatching him up, moving him further away, taking a few pictures, and repeating the process all over again.)

When you’re two, you do funny things with your arms when you run:

You also get very protective over your patch of sand:

When you’re 9 months, a rock is a very important possession:

Sometimes random strangers on the beach will offer to take your picture (it was all I could do to keep the boys there with me for more than a few seconds):

When you are 9 months, you are determined to get to the water:

But it’s upsetting when you’re plan is foiled:

That thumb sucking isn’t so great with a sandy hand…

And a sandy face is pretty miserable:

Poor little boy.

Two-year-olds aren’t immune to a sandy face at the beach either. Eli face planted after running around like a crazy guy, getting dizzy, and throwing himself down on the sand.

And home on a different day, playing outside:

Two-year-olds like to march:

They also like making (and eating) treats, like these nutter butter ghosts. SO easy to make (nutter butter cookies dipped in white chocolate, with mini choc. chips added for the eyes). We made a bunch and shared some with our neighbors.

Charlie had fun watching the process and eating a banana (which is probably his favorite food right now):

Charlie’s favorite large round item of the month is the pumpkin.

Look at the joy on this boy’s face!

And since I’m too tired to re-order these, here are a few more from the beach:

I guess it’s too much to ask Eli to sit next to his brother… every time I do, he jumps up and runs away :)

Charlie at 9 months old is a sweet, sweet baby. But also very persistent, strong, and loud. When he wants something, he yells forcefully. He pulls up on anything and everything, and was even trying to do a pull-up on his crib rail the other day. Not good. Ben joked that Charlie will be out of his crib sooner than Eli (since both are still in cribs at the moment).

Charlie is teething once again; this time it looks like one of his top middle teeth is trying to come through. He’s started biting my shoulder or arm when I’m holding him, which does not feel good. He’s also been waking up too early, usually around 5:30 or so, and I’m still trying to hold my ground and wait to get him until at least 6 a.m. (though I wish I could train him to sleep until 7, but I guess that’s wishful thinking). Charlie’s naps aren’t very long either – he usually takes an hour nap in the morning and an hour and a half nap in the afternoon, which is often cut short because Eli’s quiet time is not so quiet. Ahh well. Please don’t tell me about your kids that nap for hours and hours, and were still napping at age 4 :)