Just to see you smile!

Who remembers that Tim McGraw song, "Just to see you smile?" After I wrote this post, originally titled, "She's Smiling!" I decided to change the title as it made me think of hubby and our dating years.

Sophia smiled for the first time on Wednesday, May 19th for one of my good friends. Apparently, my children like to give their first smiles to others first. My friend was visiting Sophia for the first time, and Sophia decided that she liked her voice and her gold loop earrings more than me. ;) I even told Sophia just seconds before, "Now don't you smile for her Sophia." She's already disobeying me and she wasn't even 5 weeks old at the time!

Later that afternoon though, I snatched my own first smile!

Annabelle got one out of her Thursday morning (May 20th). Grandmama snatched hers Thursday afternoon (May 20th) by saying "A-E-I-O-U," and Sophia's Daddy grabbed his Friday evening while playing peek-a-boo with Sophia.

Grandmama took these pictures while we were at Washington Farms to pick strawberries on Thursday. It is hard to tell from these pictures, but I think she was actually smiling.

Grandmama pushed the button just as Sophia smiled at me.

And I then turned to Grandmama and said, "Did you get it?" referring to a picture of her smiling for me. Those first smiles are so hard to document on camera!

Dear Sophia,

I thought you would be 2-3 months old before you first shined that first smile since you've seemed more upset while awake than happy, but you took me by complete surprise. It was so awesome to see you actually smiling, especially since you've done a whole lot of crying since you were born. I guess you must feel happy and loved or you wouldn't have flashed those first smiles for anyone at the ripe old age of 4.75 weeks! You are already an overachiever. I didn't recognize your big sister smiling until she was 6 weeks old.

It is worth all of the hard work and lack of sleep just to see you smile! Sometimes you just smile with your eyes as you'll squint them when we are talking. You love a little game I play with you called "Knock, Knock." It goes like this, and you smile almost every time I walk my fingers into your mouth.

Knock, knock. (Knock on baby's forehead.)

Peek in. (Open eyes wider.)

Open the latch. (Push up the tip of the nose.)

And walk right in. (Walk fingers into mouth.)

How do you do, Ms. Chin-chin-chin? (Wiggle chin.)

Your big sister, Annabelle, and I will play "Knock, Knock" with you. She's actually the one who helped me memorize it myself because she remembered the words that I couldn't remember after we had put the book that we learned it from away. You aren't yet too fond of her playing "Knock, Knock" with you though.

I am looking forward to watching you smile all throughout your life. I hope your smiles will always be genuine and that you'll have more reasons to smile than cry in your lifetime.

I love your sweet smiles my little man, and I'm now looking forward to that first giggle! I forgot how much fun the first year can be.

Love,

Mommy