Our Sweet Peas: 20 months old and then some!

Pic #1 The boys enjoy eating their raisins out of their own little box. (As a bonus, the process takes longer than when I plop some on their tray). Pic #2 At this stage they both become frustrated when they are unable to do things. Here I believe Eli was trying to shove a square into a round hole, literally. Pic #3 Their walking toys are their absolute favorite right now (pre-Christmas toys). Pics #4-6 Alex enjoying Daddy's old winter hat from his childhood. (I couldn't pic just one of these pics). There is definitely a "Brady Bunch" thing going on in those pics of Alex. Sorry I am a child of the 70/80's.

Alex and Eli turned 20 months on the 18th and I have yet to post about what they are up to. It has been a tad crazy in our household but I thought I should at least jot down a few things. The biggest thing I have noticed in the past month is their increasing vocabulary. Eli has always been the chatty one but Alex is on his heels lately. It is funny to Jared and I that Eli is the talker because he is just like Daddy in every other way. But, this chattiness and his curly hair come straight from Mama! Eli's favorite word right now is "NO". He usually follows this with another quick "no". It is rarely one and is said quickly "no, no". Alex has followed suit this past week and now we have two children who can protest our desires. It also comes in handy though when you actually want their opinion. They have begun to speak and repeat phrases also. This is mainly Eli although Alex says phrases too you cannot understand most of his. I blame the binky but don't want to discuss weaning him from it at this point. Eli says "Where are you?" "Where going?" "it nowing" (this means there is snow on the ground which will be there for the next f ew months but in his eyes "it is snowing") and several others that I cannot think of currently. He also says family members names which is earning him major brownie points with his aunts! I'm tellin' ya these boys know what they are doing. :) Alex has begun to say "binky", "Becky" (yeah, I love that one) and "no", as I mentioned and continues with other one word "sentences".

One of my favorite things Alex is doing right now is "eskimo kisses". He loves doing this with me and it is precious. Eli is giving kisses all around too. Just last night he kept trying to kiss Alli (my 18 month old niece). She was gracious enough to put up with it though, so it was cute.

Overall I feel like it is getting easier in ways (since the plague left our house, that is) except for the fights. These are a bit exhausting however I have learned to give it a few seconds before intervening because, oddly enough, they often work it out themselves. I know I am the mother of boys when I wait for a hurt scream before I intervene. Yikes! They have also begun to wrestle and rough house with one another. It is like they are becoming friends. So cute!