This adorable baby had two open-heart surgeries. He just smiled for the first time ever.

Theodore "Teddy" Nelson had his first open-heart surgery only 15 minutes after he was born on August 30, 2019. Ever since then, he has spent 185 days in the hospital and has had a second open-heart surgery. The surgeries were necessary because the little one was born with a congenital heart defect called hypoplastic left heart syndrome. For the Nelsons, this has been a difficult and challenging time. While most parents expect to spend the first days of their baby's life cuddling and coddling them, Teddy's parents Alexandria and Michael have spent far too long in hospital rooms. Recently, the adorable baby smiled for the first time ever, a milestone in his path to recovery, Good Morning America reports.

Teddy's miraculous smile went viral when his mother Alexandria shared his story on Facebook. Posting three cute photos of her son, she wrote, "Our ‘Mr. Theodorable’ is six months old and able to turn anything from ordinary to extraordinary! Working towards the traditional developmental milestones with ‘half a heart’ is like climbing Mount Everest against every unfavorable condition that exists. When Theodore first smiled before his six month birthday, we reached the highest peak and claimed victory! I jumped for joy, I cheered out loud, I cried happy tears, and gave a whole lot of thanks to God... All while proudly standing next to our baby on that mountaintop! Go, Teddy, Go!"

Many were appreciative of both Teddy and his parents' strength and resilience. Colleen Wilkins commented, "What a great smile. Happy six months with many more months to come. Stay strong, Teddy." Margaret Nelson added, "What a beautiful smile. He is such a strong boy, God bless you all. Saying a lot of prayers." Karen Konecko wrote, "Great smile. Love the little outfits on him. Keep it going, Teddy. We’re all rooting for you. Happy six months. Love to you all." Finally, Michelle Basile stated, "Sharing your joy and tears throughout this journey. Teddy is absolutely adorable and so strong. God bless your precious boy."

While everyone is happy for Teddy, no one could be more overjoyed than Alexandria and Michael. The doting mother shared in an interview with Good Morning America, "Around the second open heart surgery he suffered a stroke. We weren't sure the connections were there in the brain to allow a smile to show on his face. It really gave a huge glimmer of hope for the future that he's able to overcome these obstacles." Evidently, little Teddy is quite the fighter and isn't about to let a silly defect get in the way of living his best life. She affirmed, "That's what the smile meant to us."

In the next few weeks, Teddy will have to undergo surgery for the third time. However, the Nelson family remains hopeful and determined. Their love for little Teddy is unwavering, and it can be seen in all the ways that they nurture the cutie. Alexandria said, "His sister was in the room [when he smiled]; [Teddy] loves to hear her voice and my husband, he has the special touch." We're sure the six-month-old can feel all the love his family has for him emanating through their actions. "They call him feisty and we love it," she continued. "Half the time we don't give him enough credit... He [has] so much determination and fight. I always say, 'Theodore's half a heart produces twice the love.'" As Teddy gears up for his third surgery, we're sending him lots of love and many more reasons to smile wide.