My very first...

Mother's Day.

I woke with a smile on my face on Sunday as I rolled over to see my sweet husband smirk at me and say:

"Happpy Mother's Day sweetheart."

Nothing like an offical holiday to remind you of your newly acquired status as a mommy.  I realize my little one is still hanging out in my belly for a few more months, but I spent the day being spoiled anyways!  

Daddy Perks gave me a book that I'd been dying to get my hands on.  I'd promised myself I'd wait until it came out on paperback, but he splurged and bought me the hardback :)  It's written by one of my favorite mommy bloggers and chronicles the trials and tribulations she faced through the birth of her first child.  It's appropirately titled:

"It Sucked and then I Cried.  

How I Had A Baby, A Breakdown, And A Much Needed Margarita."

By: Heather B. Armstrong (author of dooce.com)

I also recieved a very special delivery on Saturday.  My mother-in-lawlove sent me GORGEOUS flowers which are now sitting on our kitchen table.  There's nothing better than fresh flowers to spruce up a room in your house :) The card attached to my flowers said:

"All your Mother's Days from now on, will be sweeter with each passing year.  Thanks for our little Henry."

Mommy Perks with her lovely treats!

Daddy Perks and I spent the day celebrating the two women who we have to thank for bringing us into the world.  We had brunch with his Mom and dinner with my Mom.  My mom, aka Nana also couldn't help but spoil me a bit on my "first" Mother's Day...she got me an adorable green monkey blanket and a navy onsie that says: "Mommy Rules."

Mama Shubs & Mama Perks

If you've been following LIFOP at all, then it's no secret that we are going with a monkey theme for Henry's nursery.   I mean come on-look at the face on that little guy on the blanket...pure sweetness.  I'll be sure to keep you updated as we progess with nursery plans and decor...but just keep in mind...MONKEYS MONKEYS MONKEYS.  Ahhh yes-nothing like making the decision for your child that he's going to like love monkeys.  It won't be a choice really, since we've got plans brewing.  Think BIG people...we're not just talking a plush toy in this corner and some nice pottery barn bedding.  Oh no.  Daddy Perks has dreams of a ceiling suspended vine and hanging monkeys strewn about this vine.  That way when Henry wakes up from having a horrible nightmare and looks up to find monkeys flying about above his head in his room, he'll realize that his nightmare isn't that WE are his parents...just that he lives in a freaky jungle where his Mommy and Daddy went ahem-a little too far with a theme.

Speaking of my favorite little monkey...something really cool happened yesterday.  I'd been at school all day and realized around 4 pm that Henry hadn't kicked me all day long.  Now for some mothers (probably the same ones hoping to land a spot on a syndicated episode of Jerry Springer) this would be quite the accomplisment.  But for those of us still housing our little ones in our bellies...we spend our days waiting for those fabulous moments when the baby stretches out, hiccups,  kicks, punches, somersaults or does any other movement that allows us to know they are alive and kicking in there.  

So...I had my hand on my belly and I said, "Come on Henry, just give Mommy a little kick so I can know everything is ok in there." Literally as soon as I said that, I felt the slightest little jab right beneath my belly button.  Seriously.  It was crazy.  I smiled to myself because it made me realize that my bond with Henry is so much stronger than I can even wrap my brain around.  Now maybe it was just coincidence that I felt movement at that moment-but if you ask me, I don't think so.  Henry & I are together 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  It's incredible to think about the bond we're forming with each passing day. He literally hears his Mommy babbling all. day. long.  He's probably in there thinking...does this lady ever shut up?

In fact, these next few months are especially sacred because once he's out of the womb our bond will be entirely different. Sure for the first few years of his life we'll continue to spend many of our waking (and "sleeping") moments together...but before long he'll grow up, go off to school, spend the night at friends' houses and do lots of other activites that won't require him to be connected to his Mommy via an umbilical cord.  Soon enough, he'll wake up and realize that he doesn't need me all the time.  But for the time being...I'm more than ok with the fact that he does.