( CNN ) -- The smiling photos of U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords released Sunday , the first of her face since she was shot , capture the congresswoman 's resilience , her spokesman said . `` I 've seen her approximately once a month since she went to Houston , and every time I hear , I see ... tremendous improvement and I think these pictures really capture the resilience of Gabby Giffords , '' spokesman C.J . Karamargin told CNN . `` She has a positive attitude . She is upbeat . And she is determined to recover as quickly as she can . '' The photos , published on Giffords ' Facebook page , were taken on May 17 -- the day before she underwent skull surgery at TIRR Memorial Hermann Hospital in Houston , according to a message posted alongside the images . May 17 was also the day after Giffords , D-Arizona , attended the launch of the space shuttle Endeavour . Her husband Mark Kelly was commander of the mission . Rep. Giffords ' skull surgery . Taken outside , the photos show the congresswoman relaxed and smiling . She has short hair and is wearing glasses . One photo shows her alone , smiling at the camera ; in the other , she is sitting alongside her mother . They are the first photographs of Giffords ' face since she was shot in the head in January and show how far she 's come since then . Karamargin said Giffords ' verbal skills , physical strength and cognitive abilities are improving all the time . But he cautioned the congresswoman still has many challenges ahead . He characterized her recovery as a `` marathon , '' not a sprint . `` People should n't get the wrong impression , '' he said . `` The congresswoman suffered a severe injury to one of the most sensitive areas to the human body . Her road to recovery is going to be a long one . '' Giffords is expected to leave TIRR Memorial Hermann Hospital and begin outpatient therapy in Texas by the end of the month , Karamargin said . Prior to Sunday , Giffords ' office had released a photo of just her hand , holding her husband 's hand . The photographer responsible for the new pictures said they were taken at the hospital . `` It was very inspiring to see how much she had recovered in 4 1/2 months , '' photographer P.K . Weis of SouthwestPhotoBank.com said in a statement . `` I was excited to see her and to see her smile . She was glad to see me , was in a good mood , smiling and laughing and seemed to enjoy the experience . I certainly did , too . '' Weis , who 's known the congresswoman for more than a decade , said `` her staff asked me to do it because she wanted someone who was not a stranger -- someone she would be comfortable around . '' The Facebook post Sunday quickly filled with dozens of comments and `` likes . '' `` She looks remarkably good ! '' said Facebook poster Jeffery Haas . `` You are so special , '' another fan , John Evanchik , wrote . `` And you have so much courage and fortitude that I am so proud to say that you are a real role model for so many people who , in their circumstance , they probably give up , but not you , Congresswoman . Yes , God has blessed you . '' Six people were killed and 13 others , including Giffords , were wounded when a gunman opened fire in front of a Safeway grocery store in Tucson , Arizona , on January 8 . Jared Lee Loughner , 22 , is charged in the mass shooting . A federal judge ruled last month that he is not competent to stand trial , based on the results of court-ordered medical evaluations of Loughner . Loughner to face further evaluation . The U.S. attorney general will take custody of Loughner for a period not to exceed four months , during which he will be taken to a hospital for further evaluation to determine if he will become competent to stand trial . Prosecutors said Loughner could be readied for competency through proper medication , and this practice has proved successful in other cases . CNN 's Lisa Sylvester contributed to this report .
NEW : Gabrielle Giffords ' abilities are improving all the time , her spokesman says . NEW : The shooting has left six people dead and 13 others injured in Tucson -- including a U.S. Rep. Score: Giffords will stay in Texas for outpatient therapy . The photos were taken the day before her skull surgery .