So many things are happening and the boys are changing so fast! Currently Dashiell is two and a half years old and Cedric is just about to turn ten months old and this is what I want to remember:

+ The baby-soft feel of Cedric's skin and the way it feels springy and new even as it slides around over his little body when I pick him up and rub his back. I don't know when babies lose this but I'm trying to appreciate it every time I hold him.

+ Dashiell's language: adding -eeyah to words like Daddeeyah, Deeyah (Cedric), Dasheeyah.

+ The sounds of Chris playing with the boys; Dashiell shrieking as they run form room to room and Cedric looking thrilled just to be included as he looks on from Chris's arms.

+ The first time Cedric waved to me upon seeing me when I picked him up at daycare on Thursday, August 19. It was a big "hey over here!" kind of wave accompanied with a big goofy grin.  

+ Dashiell holding Cedric on his lap to read him a book and getting annoyed that Cedric wants to grab the book. Cedric being thrilled to be so close to Dashiell.

+ Dashiell hiding under a blanket, behind his napkin or in his cabinet and asking, “Where’s Dashiell…?” When we find him he immediately hides in the same place again.

+ Dashiell hiding and then jumping out and saying “Dashiell...attack!”

+ Dashiell saying, “Daddy, is green! Is wake time!” when his clock turns green (at 5:10 am). And then as he walks out of his room explaining, "I wake up. And I knock my door. And you come to get me!"

+ Cedric practically leaping from my arms to one of his daycare caregivers, a sweet grandmother-type who is not shy about telling me that Cedric is her favorite.

+ The way Cedric politely rests his hands on his high chair tray and opens his mouth to eat his food. And the way that he sometimes changes his mind at the last minute and bats the spoon away, slinging food everywhere.

+ The way Dash says his name as “Das-uhl”, no “sh” sound.

+ Cedric happily biting my upper left arm as I hold him and all the bruises and bites that must make it look like I was in a fight.

+ Cedric’s ridiculous goofy big grin and big eyes, you can’t help but smile when you look at him.

+ Dashiell finding a "D" just about anywhere and announcing, "D for Dashiell!"

+ Cedric’s loud squawks as he bear-crawls around (which have just about ended, now he walks!).

+ The sigh of relief that Chris and I share after we’ve loaded all the bags for the day into the car and wrangled two small boys into their carseats.

+ Peeking into Dashiell’s room at daycare before we pick him up, finding him engaged in an activity and conversing with friends and his teacher.

+ Dashiell saying “thank you” without our prompting

+ Dashiell running naked about the house.

+ Dashiell asking me about my day and telling me that he missed me.

+ Dashiell beginning to call Cedric "Dredric" instead of "Didit," which came after "Deet deet," bittersweet.

+ The worried look Cedric gets and the way he chirps with concern when he watches Dashiell leave the room.

+ Dashiell getting out toys for Cedric or picking up a toy he dropped and giving it back without any prompting from us.

+ Cedric's "yah yah yah!" protesting when we don't feed him fast enough or take something away from him (usually a shoe he is trying to chew).

+ The way Cedric tugs at his own hair while he is nursing and his furrowed brow which seems to say, "Who is tugging on my hair?!"

+ Watching Dashiell put a granola bar back into the pantry when we asked him to even though he really, really didn't want to. 

+ Cedric's delight in baths. He lunges towards the bath until we put him in and then merrily splashes all about.

+ Dash's obsession with riding his bike and asking us for "a pedal bike."

+ Dashiell taking Cedric's hand every time they are in the bike trailer together and holding hands the entire time without us ever suggesting it.