Do Babies Know They Are Smiling?

Sometimes a smile in the early weeks of life is simply a sign that your little bundle is passing gas. But starting between 6 and 8 weeks of life, babies develop a "social smile" -- an intentional gesture of warmth meant just for you. ... They realize that smiling back at you gets your attention.

Do babies feel happy when they smile?

There's just nothing sweeter than an infant's face lighting up with happy recognition or delight. Smiling is also a welcome sign of baby's growing social skills, now that your newborn is making the transition from sweet sleepy lump to a sociable, irresistible little person.

Do babies know they are loved?

Around the 1-year mark, babies learn affectionate behaviors such as kissing. It starts as an imitative behavior, says Lyness, but as a baby repeats these behaviors and sees that they bring happy responses from the people he's attached to, he becomes aware that he's pleasing the people he loves.