i want to remember this forever

Last night was bath night, and since Shawn had a meeting, I was flying solo. Bath nights are fun in the Maurer household, as Jude loves the water and has recently perfected his splashing Mommy and Daddy skills. Like every other bathtime, Jude was holding his Ducky in one hand and the Squeezy Ball in the other (and yes, Squeezy Ball needs to be capitalized. It is indeed a proper noun in our household). And then my sweet Jude who is stillmybaby but growinguptoofastintotoddlerhood began a game with me. It went like this - Jude took the Squeezy Ball and splashed really hard for three or four splashes. Then he rested the Squeezy Ball on the side of the tub where I squeezed it to make farty noises a couple of times. Jude laughed. Mommy laughed. Then the Squeezy Ball went back into the tub with Jude where he splashed again. Then back on the side of the tub for the farty noises. Then Jude laughed. Then Mommy laughed.

This was his game. A game he started entirely by himself, by the way. We played this game for probably ten rounds, each of us laughing harder and harder each time. I was watching his sweet eyes - full of joy and trust, and looking at his eyelashes all wet and stuck together from his bath, and thought -

"I want to remember this forever."

I tried to soak up every last detail - Jude's chubby fingers gripping the Squeezy Ball, the smell of the baby shampoo, Jude's open mouth noiseless laugh, those crinkles around his eyes when he smiled, the softness of his baby skin, the sound of the water splashing, and most importantly - the feeling of being sure my heart couldn't handle anymore love and would surely burst right out of my chest.

I know it's not the same, but I wonder if this is what Mary was doing in Luke 2:19:

But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.

That simple game and Jude's boundless joy will be with me forever - a part of who I am, a part of who he is, and just a small, timeless piece of my ever-growing love for him. I'm so grateful to be a part of Jude's milestones - to see him crawling, laughing, talking, and walking for the first time. But maybe more importantly, though, I'm glad to be here for the mundane things in his life. Things like a simple game that has us both giggling and makes me say, "I want to remember this forever."