The other morning, I woke up and found this photo on my phone. Lately, I’ve felt like I’m right in the thick of it all. These are the new trenches of life. That night, my husband got up with the baby and snapped this picture of my daughter and me after we’d changed a diaper, fed the baby, and rocked them back to sleep. The baby stayed in bed with us all night.

Normally, I’d never post a picture I didn’t pose for. And yes, usually I’d be annoyed at the person who took it. But this time feels different. This photo is something special.

These past few weeks have been tough. It’s easy to forget just how exhausting a baby can be—mentally, emotionally, and physically. And that’s before you factor in the other two kids. Every single day, I’m caring for little ones, changing diapers, cleaning up spills, doing endless laundry, washing dishes, and grabbing bites of food in between.

I don’t get around to washing my hair often. The bags under my eyes are from too many sleepless nights. My clothes are probably stained with food or spit-up. My hair’s always thrown back in a mom bun. I rarely wear makeup anymore. And this picture shows it all. It’s not glamorous—but it’s real. Parenting is one of the hardest jobs there is. And I want to remember this part of my life. This photo reminded me, because when you’re in the middle of it, it’s easy to forget you’ll miss it one day.

One day, I won’t miss being exhausted—but I will miss rocking my babies to sleep and feeling their tiny breaths. I’ll miss their little fingers wrapped around mine. I won’t miss the crying spells—but I’ll miss being able to soothe them with just a hug or a kiss. And while I won’t miss the spilled milk, I’ll long for the days when a mess could be fixed with just soap and water.

Sure, sharing a bed might make my back ache now, but one day, I’ll miss waking up to their sweet smiles and morning cuddles. I want to hold onto this phase, no matter how overwhelming it feels. Because it won’t last forever.

So please—tell your spouse or loved ones: take the photo. Even when you don’t feel picture-perfect. Take the photo. One day, you’ll be so glad you did.