Hi mama,
Today I want to share a happy and unforgettable moment.
His first smile. I still have the picture saved on my phone.
It wasn’t one of those little reflex grins from early days — the kind you’re never sure are real or just wind. This one was different. It was intentional. A true smile. A smile that said “I see you. I know you. I love you.”
He looked straight at me, and his whole face lit up.
Me? I probably looked like I hadn’t slept in a week (because I hadn’t). Bloated, hungry, grey hair showing, nails undone, dark circles under my eyes, and a stomach that hadn’t stopped rumbling since morning. But to him, I was perfect.
Because I was his mum. His safe place. The person who held him, fed him, cuddled him endlessly, and whispered “I love you” a hundred times a day. He felt that love — that warm, messy, overwhelming love — and he smiled.
Right in that moment, everything else faded. The fatigue, the worries, the endless to-do list. It was just me and my baby, and a smile that changed everything.
Watching him discover the world, and seeing that the very first piece of it that made him smile was me — that’s something I’ll hold in my heart forever.
✨ That was the moment I truly felt like a mother.
We had a little friend along for those early milestones: the Baby Ollie “HarmonyPals” Musical Plush & Teether Toy. It was one of the first toys he was able to hold — and one he still reaches for with a smile. Soft, safe, and comforting, it’s been part of many precious moments in our journey.
With love,
Renata (Ollie’s mum) 💛