Yesterday, Sunday, was the first time Leilani has consciously smiled at me. She has smiled in her sleep before, and also when passing gas, but I consider those involuntary. But over the last week, Mommy spent a lot of time making faces and smiling, and Leilani “learned” to smile back. Yesterday I got to try for myself, and it was incredible to smile and see her smile in return.
Here is a big smile that I caught on camera today. She was actually smiling at Mommy and then looked up at the camera:
I actually don’t think she “learned” to smile, the dream smiles proves she knew how already. Like sneezing, coughing, and yawning, smiling seems to be an innate reflex. But through Mommy’s playing and patience, Leilani now actively smiles, in response to our smiles. I think this is also the first time she really reacts to us on the conscious level.
