Evolution of Smiles

Read any information on infant milestones and you'll see that the "social smile" is one of the first things parents look for. When Ben was first born, he would smile in his sleep....this giant gummy smile that would randomly occur and only last for a second or two. I kept trying to make him smile...doing all sort of crazy things in hopes that I could bring on a smile. As I made these insanely crazy faces and noises that I didn't even know that I could make, my only feedback were royal blue eyes staring but no real smile. (By the way, I am glad that my dogs and Marc were the only ones to witness this craziness!).
On December 19th, I was feeding my little Ben and we were having one of our very deep conversations (yes, a bit one-sided). Then... there it was. This tiny mouth curved up and smiled. ...Ben smiled at his mommy for the first time. This was maybe one of the most amazing things I have seen. Our one-sided conversation became two. In just one second, our relationship jumped a mile. My heart could barely hold all of this. My baby Ben took that one smile and now has come alive. His smile now accompanies coos and giggles. Our conversations, however silly, are some of the most special I've ever had. Who would have ever thought a smile can change not only a single face but everyone who sees it.