"That First Smile Made Everything Worth It"

I was running on fumes. Three hours of broken sleep, spit-up on my shirt, and a lukewarm coffee that I kept reheating but never actually got around to drinking. My baby had been fussy all day, and I was teetering on the edge of frustration, exhaustion, and a general “What did I get myself into?” spiral.

Then it happened.

I was holding my baby, bouncing him gently, when he locked eyes with me and smiled. Not one of those accidental gas-induced smiles—I mean a real, intentional, gummy grin.

I froze. My heart practically exploded. And just like that, every sleepless night, every fussy moment, every chaotic, messy, exhausting part of parenthood faded into the background.

For weeks, I had been giving everything to this little human—feeding, rocking, changing, soothing—all without much response. Sure, there had been little coos and tiny movements, but this? This was different. It was as if, in that one smile, he was saying, Hey, I see you. I know you. And I love you.

I had read about this moment, but nothing could have prepared me for the way it would feel.

Parenting in those early days can be so draining. You pour yourself into this tiny, demanding person without any real indication that you’re doing things right. But that first smile? It’s like a little baby high-five that says, Yes, you are my person. And you are enough.

So if you’re in the thick of it, feeling like you’re just surviving—hang in there. That first smile is coming. And when it does, I promise, it will make everything worth it.