A smiler at six weeks

Granted new born baby smiles are incredibly elusive requiring perfect timing and crazy hard work but George does smile. He celebrated his six week anniversary by giving me an enormous, gorgeous grim first thing in the morning. I have no idea what I did to deserve such a welcome to the day but Alby and I now spend a significant amount of time smiling and coo-I got like idiots (or more accurately in Alby's case pulling funny faces just multimeters from George's face) in hope of getting another smile. More often than not we fail completely but every now and then success. And so brilliant is it that it spurs us on to continue to crazy face ritual for the next few days.
Truth be told George finds his dreams far more enjoyable than my face - a pint proven by the fact that he often gives a huge smile when falling asleep but that I reckon that's pretty reasonable.
When George smiles in his sleep it is completely natural, going from a plain face to a beautiful smile. When he smiles when he is awake you get a totally different thing as he consciously tries to get his mouth in the correct shape in his attempt to imitate you. It starts with a crooked open mouth that slowly and briefly lifts at one side and then the other before the smile is finally found. I remember Alby doing the same but as newborn smiles are so scarce I have no idea if that's just some odd thing my boys do if it's what all little ones start with.
If you are really lucky you get a happy gurgle of coo along with the smile which presents itself as a special gift reserved for favourites.

Whilst George's smiles may be rare Alby continues to privude plenty of giggles every day. His new thing is to ask did giggles: "mummy where have the giggles gone?" until you tickle him and blow raspberries on his tummy. And then he begs for you to stop and so you do only for him to jump up and ask again and again where the giggles have got to stopping only when you finally pounce.