Those dirty little fingerprints

I don't know how well you can see these little fingerprints in this picture.  This is on my sliding glass door in the back and I saw this and thought ARGGG... now I really need to clean that door.  (Hey I can use my new norwex cloth and see just how well that window cloth works)  

Then I took a moment and looked a little bit closer and saw just how little those fingerprints were.  He has such small fingers and they are so cute.  I started thinking about how he will point at things that he wants and says uh uh uh.... and tilt his head sideways until he gets it.  Those little fingers are so cute.  I can see in my mind how he tries to grasp his cheerios with his two little fingers.  He focuses so hard on getting it.   Now those dirty little fingerprints make me smile.

Those poor little fingers get smashed so often in the lazy susan cabinet in our kitchen. I have tried to tell him not to play in there because they get hurt everytime.  There is no way to baby proof a lazy susan cabinet.  I have kissed those tiny fingers so many times.  I have held those little hands so many times while he is nursing, or just looked at them grabbing onto me not wanting me to leave him.   

Now those dirty little fingerprints make me want to cry.  

 He loves to let me clip those tiny frail fingernails.  He watches in amazement as I trim those nails. Those tiny fingers have been all over my face, in my nose and eyes, and even pushed in my mouth.  He thinks it's so funny to shove those cute dirty little fingers in my mouth while he rides in the pack.  

Sometimes those little fingerprints make me want to gag.

I stare at those small hands and I am amazed at how perfect they are.  My body made those beautiful little hands and toes.  10 perfect little fingers that held onto my finger so tightly when he was a newborn.  

Those little fingerprints make me want him to stay little forever.

I will be honest those dirty fingerprints stayed up on that glass door for probably a month because they had turned into a happy memory, and not just another thing to clean.  I just cleaned them off today and and I paused before wiping them away. 

 I love to see those little hand prints, they are a reminder of how precious my little children are to me.  They are able to get dirty with those hands and they are active and moving around.  I have found myself looking for little hand prints on the light switches, the door trim or that clean glass window.  Its evidence to me that God loves me and has sent me three beautiful children here for me to learn from, and care for.