A Letter to Carter at One Month

January 14, 2013

4 Weeks Old/1 Month

What a wonderful month it has been!  We have had so much fun and you have changed so much!  I love you more every day.  This Wednesday was your due date.  It was hard to imagine what it would have been like if you had been born this week.  We have already gotten to enjoy an entire month with you!

You had another first this week.  We took our first trip out into public.  You went with mommy, daddy, Grandma and Grandpa Hurford, and Uncle Jeremy to Panera on Saturday, January 5^th.  You were such a good boy and slept in your car seat the entire time we ate.  Since you did so well daddy and I decided to go on a date Friday night just the 3 of us.  We went to Arizona (daddy and my favorite Mexican restaurant) and had dinner.  You were a very good boy again! 

You are still wearing newborn diapers and clothes.  You are getting so long!  I think you will be on to 0-3 month clothes very soon!  You can wear 0-3 month onesies; they are just a bit large.  My favorite outfit on you this month has been your brown and blue striped long sleeved onesie.  You look so long and handsome in it!

You continue to love your blue elephant stuffed animal and mirrors.  You have also been enjoying your mobile and your “Hello Baby” book.  I will lay you down on a blanket on the floor and prop the book up next to you.  You love to just stare at the book and take in the pictures.  We have also been listening to your Classical Baby cd which you seem to enjoy.  You also love to put your hands and fingers in your mouth.  Sometimes you put your whole fist and sometimes you just put a finger or a few fingers in your mouth.  You also love to use your feet to push off of things.  I can’t lay you in my lap as easily anymore because you will put your feet up against my stomach and push.  It worries me that you will push yourself off my lap.

You rolled over for the first time on your one month birthday.  You were lying on your activity gym propped up on a pillow and rolled from your stomach to your back.  Then the next day we were finishing up some of your one month photos and you did it again, but this time without a pillow propping you up.  You are such a strong boy!

You were such a good boy at your one month check-up.  You laid on the table just kicking your legs and waving your arms and talking to everyone.  You didn’t cry until the very end of the appointment when I was re-dressing you.  You have grown so much!  You are now 22.3 inches long, up from 19.5 inches when you were born.  That puts you at the 79^th percentile.  You are so long!  You are now 8 pounds 10 ounces, up from 6 pounds 3 ounces when you were born.  That puts you at the 24^th percentile!  Your head circumference is 35.5 cm, up from 32.5 cm at birth.  That puts you at the 9^th percentile.  Dr. R prescribed you some medicine for your baby acne.  You have it on your face, neck, back, and chest.  It is the worst on your chest.

I just love that whenever you are crying when I pick you up and hold you, you stop crying.  You cuddle into me and just snuggle in!  If I have my hair down, you reach up and grab onto a handful of my hair.  You don’t pull my hair, but you like to hold onto it.  You are just such a sweet baby and I love you so much!  These past few days you’ve been going 3 hours in between feedings at night instead of the hour, hour and a half, or two hours you had been going.  We love the extra sleep time!

 Dad here, I must apologize that twice in a 12 hour span, you peed on your face while I was changing you. I feel like it is mostly my fault as I am not the fastest at diaper changes. Not to worry though, you forgive and forget that easily and we greatly appreciate your patience as we are all working our way through this new chapter in our lives. I also must say that I am impressed by your will to move, learn and grow. It seems almost as if it’s an impulse for you to push off of whatever your little feet land on. I am sure you will be walking in no time!

Our first family photo at home!