Worth its weight...

I was grumbling this morning as I woke up at 4 AM to find Nate in the living room with the television on, watching Rescue Heroes for the umpteen millionth time.  Alex had maneuvered his way into our bedroom (again!) and I (thought I) had two more hours to sleep before my alarm rudely reminded me that it was Monday and I had to go to work.

As I lay there, trying to kick my hubby hard enough to stop his snoring and repeatedly telling Alex to close his eyes because "it was the middle of the night" (more or less!)...I opened my eyes to find my beloved monkey staring at me with the biggest, most beautiful smile on his face.  Now, anyone who knows Alex knows he has a smile to DIE for.  It melts my heart.  Everytime.  4 AM is no different.

So, I smiled back and in his characteristic Alex way, he whispered, "Are you happy, Mommy?" (He usually asks that when he thinks he's in trouble or I'm upset with him - and it's usually worded as "Are you happy TO me, Mommy?"

I could have died right then.

These are the moments I'm gonna miss.  Aside from all the cute misuses of grammar and the funny things they call their most prized possessions...

This is the stuff that life and all its good times are made of.

I might complain about Alex's sleeping habits, get frustrated with his having to be physically attached to me at all times....but truth be told, I know these moments are fleeting.  I know they won't last.  And I know they are pure gold.  So I'm (secretly) ok with him curling up at my feet in the middle of the night, or having to be touching me to fall asleep at night.  It's (secretly) ok if he talks incessantly (about nothing) before falling asleep or asks me to sing him "Little Bunny Foo Foo" again and again.

Because when he turns to me in the middle of the night, as exhaustion is pulling me apart at my seams, pokes me in the nose and whispers "honk, honk...beep, beep"...all the frustration in the world melts away and I realize that this is worth its weight in gold and then some.