A Glimpse into the Future

The other day I was sitting in the chair and feeding Jude a bottle.

He was dozing off and Emma had just gone down for her nap so the house was quiet.

I was just sitting there looking out the window getting lost in my thoughts...

I can't believe how big both of my babies are.

When are we going to leave the island?

Should I try a new recipe for dinner tonight or stick to what I know?

I have a lot of research to do about homeschooling.

The ocean is so beautiful.  I wonder if I'll miss it when we leave.

I hope this ends up being a good nap for Jude.

I'm more than ready to see Lilly and Raley again.

Then my thoughts were interrupted when a bird landed on the balcony.

I think this was the first time I had seen a bird 

actually on the balcony instead of perched on the railing.

This little bird held my attention for a good ten minutes.

When it landed, it had a bug in its mouth.  I thought that in itself was pretty cool.

I couldn't think of another time I had seen a bird with something actually in its mouth.

It's probably happened, I just didn't pay much attention to it.

For some reason this time was different.  I immediately started to think about

how in a few short years Jude would probably think this was the coolest thing in the world.

But then the bird started tossing the bug across the balcony, which is definitely cooler

than just holding it in its mouth.  As I watched this little creature play with an ever littler creature

I was literally laughing.  Not so much at the bird, but at the images

that were flashing through my mind of Jude at age 5 or 6 sitting at the window

and being fascinated by this great display of nature.  

I imagined him pumping his fists, shouting things like "awesome,"

and smiling from ear to ear.  Then the bird made this little glimpse into the future

even more exciting for me.  It ate the bug.  

Now I imagined Jude jumping up and down and laughing uncontrollably.  

Finally, the bird flew away and I was left with images of my little boy turned big boy.

I looked down at my sweet baby sleeping in my arms and smiled. 

Although I am in no way ready for my precious baby boy to be grown, 

I can't help but be excited for the "dirt on his face and bugs in his pockets" phase.

I know it will bring great laughter and cherished memories.