The Grubers: Charlie's First Month

Charlie’s first month just flew by! Life was definitely different here in the Gruber household, and it definitely was not easy. Charlie was the cutest little thing, getting cuter with each day, but at the same time it felt like he was getting fussier each day. We believe he was (and continues) to have some pains from gas. He would cry so hard, put his little hands into fists, and alternate between arching his back and bending over his tummy. We got some of those infant gas relief drops, and those seemed to help a little bit at first...but maybe he just got too used to them. I’m not sure...but he sure liked the sweet taste of the drops.

At one and a half weeks, when we finally got settled back at our place, Charlie started getting some bad baby acne...and I mean bad! I never knew babies could get that...boy, was I awakened! Poor Charlie...his perfect baby cheeks became rough like sandpaper. I know babies go through a lot as they experience this new world, but it was still so sad to see. (Charlie is now two months and it has gotten A LOT better, but it still lingers).

Our first evening at our apartment in Pleasant Grove -

It was pretty hot, hence the naked baby. His baby acne started up the next day...I think the heat could have been a factor in bringing the acne on.

Sweet sleeping baby

Sleeping baby the next day - you can see the beginnings of the baby acne

At two weeks, we had our first doctor’s appointment. That’s when Charlie was circumcised (poor guy), for some reason they don’t do it at the hospital anymore. But the good news was his measurements were right on track:

Weight - 8 lbs 10.5 oz - 47 Percentile (almost back to starting weight!)
Length - 21. 75 inches - 85 Percentile
Head Circumference - 36.9 cm - 45 Percentile

Charlie did a great job nursing. The eating schedule and routine changed a few times during the month, but overall he did an awesome job! What a relief! He also does just fine taking a binky (thank goodness for binkies!) and a bottle. He also did really well with sleeping in the night (as well as a newborn can). He would sleep in good 3-5 hour blocks between night feedings. He would wake up, cry, eat for ten minutes, and then fall right back asleep. Of course, there were the nights here and there that he would not want to fall back and asleep...and he would just cry and cry. Those were the really hard and frustrating parts. But for the most part, night-times were predictable and manageable. It was especially nice since Jason didn’t have work early in the morning. He was able to sleep in as well, so I didn’t feel as bad getting the help I needed from him in the nights (Jason would always get Charlie from the crib and return him after his feeding, up until about six weeks while I was still recovering).

We started noticing some of Charlie’s habits early on. As much as he liked being swaddled, he liked having his left arm out and free. He would frequently wiggle it out of the swaddling. It got to the point that for awhile there we would wrap him up with his left arm already out and put a little sock on his hand to keep it from getting cold. He looked just like the Statue of Liberty. Another habit is whenever he sits in the carseat and is falling asleep, he likes to have his little hands curled up near his chin...like a raptor or rabbit. So cute! Another is crying whenever we lay him on his stomach....he HATES tummy time!

Jason has developed his own unique nicknames for Charlie...I have no clue where they came from, and I don’t think he knows either...but they have stuck and are frequently heard from Jason’s mouth. And the nicknames are: “Little Man Fred”, “Charles Munser”, and “Munserooner”.

And now to the endless supply of pictures and videos we have taken throughout Charlie's first month: