Smile. When I was pregnant, I read an article where it mentioned that one should always smile when their child walks into the room as it gives them a sense of calm and reassures them how much you care for them. I have taken this to heart and tend to smile at her when she wakes up, when she throws a fit, when she acts cute or silly or crazy, and every other time she walks into the room.

My daughter has been labeled many things including reflux, colic, grumpy, hard to handle, difficult, crazy, and more. She has been quite a lot to handle for a first time mom. It was difficult to conceive her, the pregnancy was exhausting with constant nausea and sickness, and she was an inconsolable and challenging baby. On top of that, I dealt with severe postpartum depression. At fifteen months, it was like she flipped the switch and decided to become an "average" child who slept more than three hours a night, did not need daily medicine for her reflux, ate food besides milk, and didn't cry as often. It was a breakthrough for her and me and my husband. We were able to enjoy our family in a new light.

She will be two in a few weeks and still has her ups and downs just like any other toddler. Throughout it all, I've smiled. I continue to smile each time I see her walk into a room or just as she plays. I have found that it helps me as much as it helps her. She smiles back and it just melts my heart. Whether she is happy, grumpy, or having a rough moment, smiling just makes it easier (for me and her). I thought I was doing it to show her how much I cared for her yet it has proven that she is the one who makes this family so blessed.