It won't be like this for long...

...one day soon that little girl is gonna be

all grown up and gone

yeah this phase is gonna fly by

so he's tryin' to hold on

'cause it won't be like this for long

-Darius Rucker, "It Won't Be Like This for Long"

Thirty Days of Thanksgiving, Day #8. I am thankful that the long sleepless nights don't really last that long. Even more, I'm glad that the memory of how hard those nights can be lasts even less.

It's teething time! Poor little Luke is getting his first tooth, and it has turned our sweet, smiley, good-sleeping boy into Captain Crankypants. Last night, I think he was awake more than he was asleep. And while Derek and I have certainly learned to function on less sleep than we think we need, morning came awfully early and awfully dark at 5:15 a.m. when the house had only been quiet for a couple of hours. We were taking turns sleeping, of course.

But in the spirit of "This too shall pass," I keep telling myself that it does get better. I don't remember Jay being up all night teething, though I know he was on more than one occasion. The pain of childbirth eventually fades (though the crazy moms who say you forget the instant you hold your child are lying!). The utter exhaustion of those first few weeks and months becomes hazy. The amount of work it takes to care for a baby slips to the recesses of our collective memory.

We remember instead the good moments. The adorable little grins. Our hysterical laughter when we've been sprinkled during yet another diaper change. The warm snuggles. The way their little hands hold your finger.

Those things are what I choose to remember. And I'm thankful that memories work that way.