I have seen many people smile over the years. My wife’s smile is one of the reasons I fell in love with her. Tim Urban smiled all the way to elimination from American Idol. Guy Smiley…enough said.

However, I do believe that there is only one time when I have witnessed a person’s first smile of their entire life. That person was my daughter, and it happened this week.

Over the past few weeks, we’ve had some close calls…Is that a smile?? Nope…she’s stretching her mouth. Is that a smile?? Nope…she’s vomiting on my shirt.

Here are the scientific facts: Her smile muscles have been in tact for over a month, we know for sure. She has been smiling in her sleep for that long. I don’t count this, because she has to be alert of what she is smiling about. Kind of like how drunk dialing doesn’t count.

When she is sleeping, Barbara Anne’s grin has appeared multiple times. I was beginning to wonder if her dreams were better than her life. She may dream of sugar plums, and all we give her in the real world is milk. Maybe that’s why she smiled in her sleep.

One morning last week, everything started out normal. Barbara and I were up at 4:15AM, drinking milk, followed by a burp and then….. A smile!

It was the real deal. Baby Babs was looking into my eyes, with a big smile on her face. Yes, I was holding a sugar plum, but still I think the smile was directed towards me. I accepted the smile graciously, and then handed it right back to her. We stared and smiled for at least ten seconds.

Naysayers and talk radio hosts have commented saying maybe it was gas that made her smile. I can assure you of this: that was not the case. My other hand (the one not holding the sugar plum) was on her diaper and I would have felt the gas. This was a smile because she wanted to smile.

Later that day, the baby smiled for her baby mama, and she has been doing it every day since.

Now, when I miss a smile, I feel like I have done something wrong. I want to see all the smiles. If I’m in the other room, and I hear she’s smiling, I’ll run in. If I’m at work, and I hear she’s smiling I want a picture.

I don’t just want to see my baby smile. I want to see the Oklahoma City Thunder smile this week when they finish off the Lakers. Just burp the Lakers, and put them to sleep. Then smile.

That will be a great smile to see, but not as great as my daughter’s.