query posts

give this a go.

<?php $posts=query_posts($query_string . '&posts_per_page=2'); ?>
	<?php if (have_posts()) : ?>
	<?php while (have_posts()) : the_post(); ?>
		<div class="post" id="post-<?php the_ID(); ?>">
		<h2><a href="<?php the_permalink() ?>" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent Link to <?php the_title_attribute(); ?>"><?php the_title(); ?></a></h2>
		<?php the_excerpt(); ?>
		</div>
	<?php endwhile; ?>
	<?php else : ?>
		<h2>Not Found</h2>
		<p>Sorry, but you are looking for something that isn't here.</p>
		<?php include (TEMPLATEPATH . "/searchform.php"); ?>
	<?php endif; ?>
<!-- end first 2 -->

<div class="bottomHolder">
<?php $posts=query_posts($query_string . '&posts_per_page=2&offset=2'); ?>
	<?php while (have_posts()) : the_post(); ?>
		<?php if($post == $posts[0]) {
			echo "<div class='bottomLeft' id="post-<?php the_ID(); ?>">";
			} else {
			echo "<div class='bottomRight' id="post-<?php the_ID(); ?>">";
			} ?>
		<h2><a href="<?php the_permalink() ?>" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent Link to <?php the_title_attribute(); ?>"><?php the_title(); ?></a></h2>
		<?php the_excerpt(); ?>
		</div>
	<?php endwhile; ?>
	<?php else : ?>
		<h2>Not Found</h2>
		<p>Sorry, but you are looking for something that isn't here.</p>
		<?php include (TEMPLATEPATH . "/searchform.php"); ?>
	<?php endif; ?>
</div>
<!-- end second 2 -->

and some CSS to make them look right

<style type="text/css">
.bottomHolder {
clear: both;
}

.bottomLeft {
float: left;
width: 280px;
}

.bottomRight {
float: right;
width: 280px;
}
</style>

it should take the first two most recent posts show the excerpt at full width. Then show the #3 and #4 most recent in the 2 column layout like in the pic.

yeah oops, try this instead:

<?php $posts=query_posts($query_string . '&posts_per_page=2'); ?>
	<?php if (have_posts()) : ?>
	<?php while (have_posts()) : the_post(); ?>
		<div class="post" id="post-<?php the_ID(); ?>">
		<h2><a href="<?php the_permalink() ?>" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent Link to <?php the_title_attribute(); ?>"><?php the_title(); ?></a></h2>
		<?php the_excerpt(); ?>
		</div>
	<?php endwhile; ?>
	<?php else : ?>
		<h2>Not Found</h2>
		<p>Sorry, but you are looking for something that isn't here.</p>
		<?php include (TEMPLATEPATH . "/searchform.php"); ?>
	<?php endif; ?>
<!-- end first 2 -->

<div class="bottomHolder">
<?php $posts=query_posts($query_string . '&posts_per_page=2&offset=2'); ?>
	<?php if (have_posts()) : ?>
	<?php while (have_posts()) : the_post(); ?>
		<?php if($post == $posts[0]) { ?>
			<div class="bottomLeft" id="post-<?php the_ID(); ?>">
			<?php } else { ?>
			<div class="bottomRight" id="post-<?php the_ID(); ?>">
			<?php } ?>
		<h2><a href="<?php the_permalink() ?>" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent Link to <?php the_title_attribute(); ?>"><?php the_title(); ?></a></h2>
		<?php the_excerpt(); ?>
		</div>
	<?php endwhile; ?>
	<?php else : ?>
		<h2>Not Found</h2>
		<p>Sorry, but you are looking for something that isn't here.</p>
		<?php include (TEMPLATEPATH . "/searchform.php"); ?>
	<?php endif; ?>
</div>
<!-- end second 2 -->

repeat the ‘bottomholder’ code and then adjust the numbers to show and the offset.