happy 26 months, ethan & happy 7 months, miles!

i am getting lazy and decided to combine their monthly "birthdays" into one post this month. i know at some point i have to give ethan's up, but i just can't yet. i finally got a useable picture of the two of them together this morning...i wish there wasn't a fish stick in view - but i'll take it! at least you can see both of their faces!

some of ethan's favorite things right now:
1. his new big boy bed! he has done great with his transition and wants to climb up there himself after we read him his bedtime story before naps and at night. it makes me happy that he loves it so much, but kind of sad because he is growing up.
2. the alphabet! thanks to chicka, chicka, boom, boom ethan knows all of the letters in the alphabet and can point them out when asked. he also loves to pick them out on different signs and other places and tell us what letters he sees. lance thinks he sounds country, because he says "letter r, right there" with maybe the littlest bit of an accent. too cute!
3. fish sticks. he calls them chicken for some reason. i love that he loves them because it is a welcome change from cheese and yogurt all the time. finally a new source of protein - yay!
4. his frog potty and thomas undies. we are in the midst of potty training and these two things (along with some m&m's!) are really helping the process. he gets so excited to use "frog potty" and get an "em" (m&m)
5. being silly and making us laugh. he has figured out when he does something that makes us laugh to just keep on doing it. he makes the funniest face when he eats something that doesn't taste how he expects. i cracked up the other night when he did that and now he makes that face just to see if i'll laugh again...i always do, you can't help it!

my favorite things he is doing right now:
1. being a little helper. he loves to help me out in the kitchen, especially with the dishwasher. and he also loves to help out with miles - changing diapers, giving him bottles and bringing him toys. he has also just recently started going through the house with wipes and cleaning things...i am not sure where he got that from but it wasn't lance or i! :)
2. being independent. even though it can drive me crazy some mornings when we are running late and he insists on going through all his pants to find the perfect pair, i love that he is so excited to do things on his own. i have noticed that he is starting to play by himself more as well - this is especially helpful when i am trying to put miles down.
3. his curiousity. i do get tired of answering the often asked question, "mama, what's iss?," (what's this?) especially since half the time i am driving and i have no idea what he is talking about. but i love that he is so curious about everything around him.
4. his kisses! he used to just lean his cheek in when you asked for a kiss, as if, you are so lucky that you get to kiss me. now he goes right for you mouth with a kiss. sometimes it is messy, but that's okay, i still love it!
5. the fact that he is starting to recognize others feelings. he knows when miles cries, that he is sad and he will go over to him to pat him or give him a pacifier to try to make him feel better. he also genuinely looks upsets when he realizes that something he has done has caused someone to get hurt or upset.

some of miles' favorite things right now:
1. sitting up! he is really good at it now and can sit without any support for long periods of time. he'll still play laying down on his playmat or in our bed in the mornings, but he definitely prefers the view from sitting up.
2. being a part of everything! he hates to be left out of things. he needs to be sitting at the table if people are eating and of course wants to grab at everything if you have him in your lap. also when we are playing on the floor, he needs to be able to see what ethan is doing to make sure he isn't missing out.
3. basketball. we just found out he loves playing with ethan's little basketball. he thinks it is hilarious if you roll it to him...he almost catches it and then "throws" it back.
4. bathtime. we just started bathing him and miles together and miles LOVES it! he gets so excited about being in the water. he is definitely going to be our swimmer!
5. applesauce. it is the first food he actually has really enjoyed. it seems like the others that we have tried so far (pears, bananas, rice cereal and oatmeal) have been tolerated, but not really loved. i am excited because the applesauce is also the first food i've made for him...i guess he likes his mom's cooking.

some of my favorite things right now:
1. how excited he gets when i come into the room to get him in the morning of after naps. he just gets this huge grin and recently has started laughing when you come in. makes up for being so tired in the mornings!
2. how much he loves ethan! he gets so excited when he sees him. the other night ethan was kissing on his belly and miles was just cracking up. it is so wonderful to see them interact together.
3. how excited he gets when you hold him in a standing position. he has loved to stand up from when he was very young and now he is getting really good at it and loves if you hold him up against a table or something he can play with and feel like he is standing on his own. he does not appreciate when you get too tired and have to put him down though!
4. his insanely chunky thighs! and really the all-around chubbiness. his legs are so huge it is hilarious. i love it! he is already wearing some of the clothes that ethan wore when he was closer to a year!
5. how much he laughs. you can get belly laughs out of him by doing just about anything. talking to him, tickling his belly or legs, playing peek-a-boo...he is really a happy little guy, that is as long as he isn't in need of a nap or food!