The smiles make it all worth it

Hyfagal

Ellie has just recently started smiling alot and it feels like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. Some days I wondered if she even recognized me as her mom or if she was happy because everything was fussing or blank stares. Now she smiles at me when I get home and after feedings and I feel like we've actually got a small bit of communication now. I feel appreciated and wanted now instead of just needed. It doesn't hurt that she smiles for me more than anyone else. : )

izzourclue

Agreed.  The bonding really kicks up a notch when they start to smile at you.  A little pay back for all the work.  Its amazing how hard we work to get those smiles too.  I make the dumbest faces and sounds.  Then she smiles for 10 mins. straight at the curtains. 

sparklesbrooks

It does make it all worth it. LO was up screaming for 5 hours last night and once she fell asleep, she was up every 1.5 hours to eat. We literally got NO sleep. But when she woke up this morning she was all smiles when we talked to her. Makes you forget that she just kept you up all night screaming.

JLSmith124

I hear ya. Aaron has a bad case of colic, and yesterday I was pretty exhausted and frustrated with all the fussing. After all the sleepless nights and rocking a crying baby, I felt like we hadn't bonded as well as I did with my first son. 

Well, this morning, he is all smiles and giggles...kind of makes up for all those sleepless nights and feelings of not bonding  

Quesera

I was talking to LO while she was on the change table today and all of a sudden she smiled at me and it was the first time I felt like it wasn't bc of gas! It was a nice feeling and definitely makes me feel like I'm doing something right. 

MHeming

Amen!  The smiles are totally worth it all.  And I love that I get more smiles than DH. 

Hyfa - I thought of you last night when my LO woke up an hour after I put him down and smiled at me as I gave him his binky.  Thankfully he went back to sleep and stayed asleep without any fuss, but that smile as I was putting the binky in cracked me up.

mamabrof

When did they start smiling on purpose for you?

Hyfagal

daniellenygren:

When did they start smiling on purpose for you?

Her first smiles were right at 6 weeks and H was shaking her play gym. Then she went about a week before she did it again and now she doesn't stop.

starsmaycollide

DS will be 8 weeks Tuesday and we are not there yet. He's done it randomly (not just at sleep a couple times) but not at me. :-/ When he does I know it'll help me feel better, too!

hjohn

I'm so jealous- Jonah hasn't smiled at me yet and he seems to just look right through me.  I feel like he just wants arms and a boob, not his mama.  I sure hope it's any day now, and not 3 1/2 weeks to go since he was a preemie.

Hyfagal

hjohn:

I feel like he just wants arms and a boob, not his mama. 

I totally know what you mean. Like anyone could be doing what I'm doing and it wouldn't matter to her.

Now she smiles for me more often and with less coaxing than anyone else. I feel like she knows me and more importantly loves me now because I can see her responding to me.

apartee14

starsmaycollide:

DS will be 8 weeks Tuesday and we are not there yet. He's done it randomly (not just at sleep a couple times) but not at me. :-/ When he does I know it'll help me feel better, too!

dont feel bad, my LO is also 8 weeks old and i just got to see the first smile today! and im sure it will be awhile before he does it again. we are dealing with a case of colic and reflux and screams more than he does anything. but that one smile did make it worth everything!