One Month Update

Yesterday Charlie turned one-month old and I cannot believe how fast the last four weeks have flown by!  He is changing and growing by the day and we love getting to see his little personality develop before our eyes. 

A couple of things that we want to remember about Charlie at this age - so far Charlie is a pretty content baby and only cries when he is hungry...which some days feels like that is every other hour :).  Between mother nature and Similac, we are working together to keep his belly full.  When he is hungry, his cry is so dramatic and sad that you would think we are starving him.  I can't blame him - I have been known to get pretty crabby myself if there is an unnecessary delay between my hunger pangs and actually eating.  He loves to have his diaper changed but is not a fan of lotion being rubbed on his tummy.  Maybe he fears that real men don't moisturize.

Charlie has slept in his crib since the day we came home from the hospital and usually manages to do at least 3 hour stretches and sometimes up to 4 or 5 hour stretches during the night.  His preferred place to sleep is on my or BJ's chest while we are on the couch - he cuddles right in and just konks out.  His naps are a little unpredictable - some times he will be out for 3 hours and other times it is just an hour.  Usually he chooses to take a shorter nap if I decide to run an errand or take a shower.  His timing can be impeccable! 

Another funny thing about Charlie at this age is that his toots are loud enough to wake the dead and sound as though they are coming from a 300 lb. man and not a little baby.  This "skill" (in BJ's opinion) has earned Charlie the nickname of "Tooty McTooterson", in addition to "Charlie Boy". 

Below are two other pictures that I took yesterday - one "close-up" while he was sitting on my knees and the other of him modeling a hat that I found at The Childrens Place.  BJ and I still don't know who he looks like, but he definitely has my toes, which is very unfortunate.  They are toes that only a mother could love and the only good thing I can say about them that if he or I ever lose the use of our hands, we'll be ok because our toes could suffice as fingers. 

Within the last week Charlie has seemed really aware of being talked to and has started to move his mouth like he wants to join the conversation.  His eyes get so wide that I have very high expectations for his contribution to the conversation (i.e. who killed Kennedy, the recipe for Bush's family baked beans, etc.).  Below is a picture of the type of wide-eyed/stunned look that he kept giving me as I was talking to him during a diaper change. 

Our only cause for concern is that Charlie loves when I sing to him, which means that he must be tone deaf.  He's happily listened to everything from the theme song to the Golden Girls to the Cougar and UNI fight songs.  Here's to hoping that he keeps his standards low for entertainment courtesy of mom and dad.