New photos of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D - Ariz.)—the first to be publicly released since she was shot in the head in January—were published on her Facebook page by her staff on Sunday. In one, the congresswoman smiles next to her mother Gloria; in the other, she faces the camera directly. In an interview this week, Giffords' chief of staff Pia Carusone cautioned against over-optimistic expectations for her recovery, telling the Arizona Republic that her boss still has trouble communicating, and will be in outpatient therapy for months. Even so, it's nice to see the congresswoman's smile.