My Baby's First Smile

Though I've only been a mother a short while (My son is 4 months and 3 days old today!) it took me a lot of thought to think of my favorite baby's "first." You don't realize until you've had children how significant a baby's tiny finger grab, spit bubble or giggle can be. How exciting seeing a baby push up off the floor the first time, sit-up or hold their toy all by themselves can be. Trivial things become so horrifically magnificent in the string of things.

But by far my favorite baby's first, which I still enjoy every morning, noon and night, is his smile. There were plenty of adorable gas caused pre-cursers, but nothing beat the first time I woke up and said, "Good morning Love" and was met with a big toothless gummy grin followed by a soft "agoo."

If there is any moment in motherhood that makes you say, "It was all worth it, and always will be." The in my case forty one weeks of pregnancy, the labor, the long nights, the spit ups and colic fits, diapers and all those rough baby moments. It's that smile. Any time you feel blue, down or alone that smile will be there bringing back the sun.

So I dedicate this story of my baby's first to all the smiling sons, and mother's whose lives have been made better by that first smile.