Heck of a day for Henry...

Happy Parents-to-Be...



Holy moly...I finally made it.



How Daddy Perks assumes I will cheer for the Steelers...(or a really big yawn.)



How tired does my Mommy look after a long but amazing labor & delivery?!?  Full story to come!



Happy Perks Family...

Henry Isaac Perkins

Born: August 31st, 2009 @ 6:33 a.m.

Weight: 7 lbs. 7 oz.

Height: 21 inches

So much to share...but thougth I'd tide you over with a few pictures.  Can't wait to catch you up!  Thank you all for your love and support as we became a family today.

Love,

The Perks

A Haiku for Henry.

Hurry up Henry.

You've been in there long enough.

Mom and Dad love you.

**Countdown to kickoff...43 hours**  (OR LESS!)

PS...Daddy Perks and I just got back from a 2 mile walk/jog which I followed up with some serious bouncing on the exercise ball.  Can't hurt right?

One Last Lazy Saturday...

Although at this point we can all agree that we wish Henry was here...Daddy Perks and I are doing the most to enjoy our last baby-free Saturday.

We went to my brother's football game this morning, curled up on the couch and watched a movie, took a 3 hour nap this afternoon, and we've got some friends coming over for dinner.  Something tells me that next Saturday's agenda won't be quite so care-free?

**Special shout out to my dear college friend Meredith who is walking "down the aisle" as we speak.  My less-than-cooperative baby boy has obviously prevented me from being in Indianapolis for her wedding today, but I'm certainly there in spirit.**  Love you Mere!

Thank you SO much to all of you for your calls, texts, and messages-they have truly gotten me and my belly through these past few days.

And for the record...I am well aware that spicy food and other ahem-"adult activities" are supposed to induce labor.  Believe me when I say WE HAVE TRIED IT ALL.

For those of you who are fans of countdowns...at this point we are talking mere hours until our "poky little puppy" finally makes his debut into the world...

We head to the hospital in 70 hours! (OR LESS for all you optimists out there!)

I hold ALL the Power.

Muah ha ha.

Ok, so SUE me for finding the PERKS in this whole situation :)

(After all, wouldn't this whole website be a sham if I wasn't able to find the bright side of being 40 weeks AND 4 days pregnant?!?)

Let me explain.  In the past few days I've realized just HOW much power I hold in my every move.  Perhaps this would best be explained in list format...

Top 3 PERKS of being an OVERDUE PREGNANT FIRST-TIME MAMA:

*When you're THIS pregnant...NOBODY screens your calls.  Hehe.  Come on people.  We've all been there.  The name pops up on the caller ID of your cell phone, and for any number of reasons, you convince yourself you don't have time to talk to the person calling.  Well guess what-when the person calling is 284 days pregnant...EVERYBODY answers-regardless of what they're doing in that moment.  Nevermind the fact that I've caused others to hang up on whoever they were talking to so they could click over and to talk to me, caused Daddy Perks to "step out of a meeting" to make sure I wasn't in labor, had the school secretary leave her post to hunt down my mom at the high school she works at, and interrupted multiple friends at work who I managed to keep on the phone for FAR longer than to simply inform them that "No-there isn't any baby news yet."  (***Disclaimer...When said pregnant person is on maternity leave but doesn't yet have a baby to fill her non-working hours with, she may or may not have extra time on her hands and call LOTS of her loved ones in hopes that they will help pass the time.)

*When you're THIS pregnant...you're constantly being reminded of  just HOW loved you are.  And I'm not just talking about my phone calls being answered at all hours of the day.  In the past few weeks I have had the pleasure of realizing just how grateful I am to be bringing my baby boy into a world where he is already so loved by so many.  There isn't a better feeling in the world than knowing that I've got such a team of supporters behind me as I venture down the road of pushing a watermelon through a peephole to bring an actual human into the world that I'll be responsible for for a very. long. time.  It's a scary thought-becoming a parent.  And I can't thank my dear family and friends enough for making me feel like I'm up for the challenge. Whether or not they actually believe what they're telling me-I've received countless calls, emails, and messages encouraging me to "hang in there" through these last few days of physically daunting pregnancy, and also so many sweet words about what a wonderful mother I'm going to be.  It is these kind words that have kept me sane in recent days when I've wondered if my swollen feet could take me much further.

*When you're THIS pregnant...all your concerns about weight gain have gone out the window.  By this I mean that not only have I stopped keeping track of how many pounds I've gained, but I feel more than entitled to eat whatever I want whenever I want in the land of overdue days. If this kid is going to stay cozy in my belly, then he'll have to do so with the likes of french fries, movie popcorn, 1/2 priced appetizers, fried cheese and all the other nutritional goodness I've treated myself to recently.  After all, my guilt-free indulgent days are numbered and this Mama will soon be joining "Operation Skinny Jeans."  I've actually forgotten what it feels like to zip/button my pants, and I can't WAIT to start utilizing more than3 % of my wardrobe.  (These days I'm down to approximately 3 shirts and 2 bottoms that still fit me without cutting off blood flow to my extremities-so apologies to those of you who see me on a regualar basis and are wondering if I have anything else to wear.  The answer is NO!)

Happy Friday to all of you.  Happy LAST Henry-less Friday to Daddy Perks and I :)

**Keeping my fingers crossed I'll have breaking baby news ASAP**

Henry Perks...AKA...the tease.

How much did I wish that I was going to be able to make a post today from the hosptial bed?!?

No. Such. Luck.

Daddy Perks and I headed to our appointment yesterday with an extra hitch in our giddy-up.  Eager first-time parents past their due date anxiously awaiting the arrival of their little one, we put our best foot forward and decided that we were destined to hear one of two things from our doctor...

1.) "Head to the hospital!"

OR

2.) "Let's schedule an induction for tomorrow!"

Wishful thinking much?

Instead the following exchange took place between us and our doctor (who we LOVE by the way) :

Doctor: "You're 3 CM dialated and I really think you can do this on your own.  I know we talked about scheduling an induction today, and we will-BUT, I'm confident that you won't make it to that induction based on what I'm seeing from you today.  You can do this on your own, and I know you'll be much happier if you go into labor on your own vs. having to be induced."

Daddy Perks: "So, what happens if she doesn't go into labor naturally?  Can we schedule an induction for later this week?  Like tomorrow?  Or Friday?"

Doctor: "You're not going to like it, but I was thinking let's hold off until next Tuesday, September 1st to induce her."

At this point Daddy Perks and I look at each other and back at him with the following look on our faces which translates into...

"You don't want to induce us for ANOTHER SIX DAYS ?!?"

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.  (Internal screaming that occured in both of our brains as this reality set in.)

Doctor: "Look, I know you're anxious, but here's the reality.  Most first-time moms go past their due dates.  So right now, you're still part of the norm.  And I know these last few days are tough...but that baby is bound to come out sooner or later when he's ready.  If I induce you, your labor will most likely take between 12 and 24 hours.  If you go into labor natually, then it's likely to be a LOT quicker and more enjoyable.  So hang with me.  If you're still pregnant next Tuesday morning, then we'll move forward with the induction.  I'm confident we won't need to because I think you'll go into labor natually some time in the next few days."

Can we get that last part in writing?

So-that's the update.

Daddy Perks and I continue to wait.  I continue to be huge.  Our friends and family continue to answer their phones with dire anticipation in their voices every time we call.

All the while, our sweet little Baby Perks continues to be nestled safely in utero-laughing at all of us, thinking to himself...

"I think I'll hang out in here just a bit longer.  Hehe."

Hoping for news today...

Happy Wednesday All.

Yes.  It's Wednesday.  And Yes-Henry is STILL in my belly.  Holy moly this kid is taking his time.

I've developed a theory. I've come to the conclusion that when women are pregnant, they're brains are NOT equipped to believe that they will go past their due date.  It's beyond their mental capacity to do so as a means of survival.  I say this because the last few weeks are hard.  And if women had to think about the fact that their due date might come and go and their baby might STILL be in their belly...well let's just say, I've gained a new appreciation for the whole "one day hour minute at a time" mentality.

We are heading in to the doctor this morning for another appointment.  Am I taking a shower before I go? Yes.  Will my legs be shaved?  Yes.  Will I even curl my hair and throw on some make-up?  Yes and yes.  Will we take our hospital bags with us? Yes.

Will I be prepared for the doctor to say: "Mommy Perks-you're a pregnancy rockstar and you've waited long enough to meet your baby boy.  I hope you put your bags in the car because you should leave this office, drive straight to the hospital and settle in for a leisurely 2 hour labor (epidural given upon arrival) in which you'll push a few times and then before you know it, be holding your sweet baby boy in your arms.  I think you've EARNED that."

I don't think that's too much to ask, do you?

What will the doctor actually say?  I've had nightmares in recent nights that he'll tell me I've actually regressed and am currently dialated -4 centimeters.  NEGATIVE FOUR.  Is that even possible?  Oh god I hope not.  Regardless of whatever my progress has been in the last 7 days, Daddy Perks and I are definitely hoping for some type of definitive news on when we can expect our baby boy to be in our arms.  Or at least we'd like to know when we'll be  heading to the hospital.  The plan is that we'll set an induction date today at the appointment.

Anyways, as I sit here wide awake while most of the world is sleeping I can see a light at the end of the tunnel.  I know that it's only a matter of days before my world is going to be turned upside down in the most amazing way possible.

And I can't wait.

40. Weeks. Pregnant.

August 24, 2009...the DUE date.

I thought I'd give Henry all the glory he's earned for making it this far...



My sister took this belly shot tonight to officially document the fact that I WE have made it ALL 40 WEEKS.

I can hardly believe it.  As a girlfriend of mine put it the other night...

"You must have a really comfy uterus."

Wow.  As I type this I'm looking back up at this picture and realizing just how attractive my swollen fingers look.  Just call me one HOT mama. Anyways, the bottom line is...although Henry and I have made this journey together...apparently he's the one calling the shots about exactly when he wants his birthday to be.  If it had been up to me and all my lame attempts at induding labor, my little man would have been here weeks days ago. And after our doctor's appointment this past week I would have put money on the fact that he would have been here by now.  But apparently he's sticking with the statistics which say that first-time mommys tend to have an average pregnancy of 40 weeks and 3 days.  Now-if that's the case Henry will arrive on Thursday.  BUT-we've got another doctor's appointment scheduled for Wednesday...so chances are, by that point we'll have a MUCH better idea of exactly when we can expect Henry to arrive.  As I said before...my doctor promised that he won't let me go more than a week past my due date, so at the very latest...we are looking at August 31st as the BIG day.

In other news...Daddy Perks and I had another lovely baby-less weekend.  We went to a baseball game on Saturday night, ran some errands today, (including what I'm hoping is our LAST trip to Babies 'R Us before the baby arrives) hit up one of our favorite lunch spots & book stores, and then enjoyed a nice steak dinner this evening with my family.  My mom insisted that we play Wii bowling after dinner in an attempt to send me into labor.  (Little does she know...that if the 4 AM lunges and squats I've been doing the past few nights aren't doing the trick, I doubt a few flicks of the wrists is going to be the answer to my labor prayers.)  Yes you read that correctly...as far as trying to force myself into labor goes...I have tried. it. all.  I mean EVERYTHING.  (Thanks to each of you who left comments/suggestions on the labobr-inducing tricks that worked for you...like I said-apparently Henry's got his own agenda.)

I'm officially on maternity leave now-so until the babe arrives I'll be getting my game-face on for the big day...trying to stay busy, but also rest up and conserve my energy to make for a smooth labor/delievery.

As I reflect back on the past 40 weeks, words can't even describe how incredibly blessed I feel to be surrounded by so many loving and supportive people as Daddy Perks and I begin this new chapter in our lives.  We are overwhelmed by the excitement and love we feel from so many of you in anticipation of Henry's arrival...as you can imagine, we are on the edge of our seats waiting for my water to break or for contractions to really kick into high gear.

I promise that since I'm officially done working that I'll keep you as up-to-date as I can on the minute-by-minute developments of Baby Perks' BIG Arrival.

And just so I don't get accused of not giving an official full-sized belly bump update...here's a full shot of yours truly 40. Weeks. Pregnant.

Good thing the shirt I'm wearing doesn't draw ANY unwanted attention to my mid-section.

Any day now...

Daddy Perks and I had another doctor's appointment today.

I have definitely progressed from last week...I'm dialated 2 cm...the baby is starting to drop...I'm "much softer" this week then last...and my doctor "stripped my membranes" (sorry for the specifics but I promised to keep my loyal readers updated).

So...that being said...little Henry could literally be here any. day. now.

I made sure to add extra crushed red pepper to my spaghetti dinner tonight...I figure why not throw a little extra spicy food into the mix to move my little man along?!?

Other than that...not too much going on around the Perks household.  If you were a fly on the wall at our house these days you might find me vigorously bouncing on an exercise ball and enjoying our last few days of "quiet" before the baby arrives.

I promise that IF there's any news to report...we'll be doing our best to keep LIFOP updated so you can keep up on all the action.  We'll have our computer with us at the hospital so hopefully we'll have LOTS of PERKS to share in the coming days!!!

Domestic Perfection...

The nesting is done.

There is NOTHING left to clean/organize in the PERKS household and we are literally just WAITING for a baby.

We've spent the last couple weeks cleaning every last corner of every last room in our house.  Daddy Perks has been a rockstar cleaner-even getting our garage in tip-top shape.  It's so clean in fact that I could even change Henry's diaper on the garage floor.  Alright, perhaps that may be going a bit far-but I nearly shed a tear when I came home Friday evening to find my hubby hard at work putting the finishing touches on a project he's been at for weeks.  So...the garage is done.  The laundry is done.  The bathrooms are windexed and tilexed and cloroxed.  The carpets are vacuumed. The dishes are clean and put away.  The grocery shopping is done for the week.

The hospital bags are packed.  The carseat base is installed.  The phone tree has been made. My ankles are still swollen.

And Henry continues to move around in my belly...just happy and content as a clam.  Daddy Perks had a serious heart to heart with him earlier this evening...he told him that his Mommy and Daddy are getting quite antsy waiting for him and that he promises to provide him with accommodations that are just as cozy outside of the womb as he's currently experiencing inside the womb.  I mean come on...he can't tell me he's got monkeys hanging from a vine where he's currently residing.  We've tried to assure him there's WAY more room out here and that he's got a gazillion hugs and kisses waiting for him if he'd hurry up and "drop" and get this show on the road.

Anyways...guess it's up to him when he's ready to make his grand debut.  We'll have another appointment on Wednesday to find out if there's been any new developments.  Until then, I'll just be sitting in my squeaky clean house and living in denial that it'll stay that way once the baby arrives. A girl can dream right?

Any fellow moms out there who've got the secret on how I can induce labor...I'd love to hear them :)  If your suggestion works...I promise to reward you handsomely.

The 39th Week of Pregnancy.

The faint and weary-hearted need not apply.

The blood.  The sweat.  The tears.

All worth it?  You bet.

But the truth of the matter is...the final days aren't easy.

I'm tired. More tired then I've ever felt in my life.

I'm big. I've begun to have tunnel vision while passing mirrors in my house these days.  It's quite frankly scary if and when I accidentally happen to catch a profile shot of myself.  I've started closing my eyes when the nurse weighs me at the doctor's office.  But even more than the superficial "big" I feel these days...is the the way I've logistically lost control of manuvering myself through everyday physical tasks that's taking it's toll.  Standing up.  Sitting down.  Getting in and out of the car.  You laugh...but with the belly I'm toting around these days...even the simplest of moves are a challenge to complete.

I'm hot. It seems the August humidity finally decided to show up just in time to laugh in my face as I wade through the final days of my inability to stabalize the temperature in my house and my body.  Poor Daddy Perks.  Tonight he went to bed in sweatpants and a long-sleeved thermal shirt as I stripped down to a t-shirt with the fan on full blast 2 feet away from our bed.  And my pregnancy "glow"...these days it's more of a look that warrants somebody saying..."can somebody get that girl a glass of water?"

I'm swollen. I'm retaining water like a wet beach towel and my face, fingers and feet have given new definition to the word puffy.  It's pitiful really.  And when I'm out in public, I get the looks to prove it.  I'm no longer getting the "isn't pregnancy wonderful?" smiles from perfect strangers.  Oh no.  Now I've grown more accustomed to receiving the "oh you poor thing" pity looks from men and women alike.  Sympathy looks from the women who've been pregnant before.  And sympathy looks from the men who also at one point in their lives wore sweatpants and thermal shirts to bed in August.

To sum it all up...

I'm ready.

38 1/2 Weeks...

We had our weekly appointment today.  This is a direct quote from our doctor after he checked my cervix...

"Wow!  He is still WAY up there."

Not exactly what my swollen ankles wanted to hear.

So there you have it...the anticlimactic Baby Perks update is that I'm 1 centimeter dialated and my baby boy has yet to start his descent towards making his entrance into the world.  I have a verbal promise from our doctor that he won't let me go more than a week past our due date...so at this point the absolute longest we'll have to wait for Henry is 19 more days.

At this point I'm passing the time by trying to finish up my thank-you notes, spending quality time with Daddy Perks and our families and friends, and keeping my swollen feet up whenever I can.



Daddy Perks caught this profile shot of me last week...a vision in purple don't you think?

Welcome to Monkeyville...Population: Baby Perks.

Gosh I hope He(nry) likes monkeys.

We've been working tirelessly to create the posh-est baby pad ever for our little Henry.  Months ago Daddy Perks had a fantastic idea to hang monkeys from a vine in the nursery...and that was just the beginning.  Over the past couple weeks, Hank's nursery has transformed into a full-blown monkey jungle.  And we LOVE it.

As promised...here is a sneak peak of what our little man will come home to after we leave the hospital.  He will officially reside in the coolest room in the house.

Let's take a virtual tour shall we?!?

Enter into Henry's room...

This is what you see as you walk through the door into his nursery.

Now turn to the left...

This wall obviously is home to his changing table and crib.

Above his changing table we decided to frame some art from the original Curious George book...

We couldn't be more pleased with how these turned out...nothing like spending $7 on a book to get some really cool art!

We can't wait for OUR curious little monkey to be here :)

Ok...now turn to the opposite wall....

Glider and Bookshelf.

Here's a few close-ups of some of the cubes in his bookshelf...

His growing shoe collection..complete with Jordan's, Crocs, Loafers, Boat Shoes, Keds, Monkey Slippers...and the list goes on.

Lots O' Books.

We chose this bookshelf because of all the storage space...it can be filled with totes, books, and maybe a monkey or two...

We got this bookshelf at IKEA...it was quite the steal.

Close-up of the crib bedding and monkey mobile...

Cozy huh?

Now we turn around to see the view to his bathroom...and yes-he does have double closets.  And yes-we could currently fill both of them with his insanely large wardrobe.  But I could do a whole post on his wardrobe alone...so we'll head straight to the bathroom...

The best part...I came home last week to find that my sneaky mom and sisters had decked out the bathroom without me even knowing.

It was a total surprise!

Just delicious, don't ya think?

Once again...a few close ups...Sink and counter-complete with soap dispenser, soap holder, cup & toothbrush holder.

And of course...what bathroom would be complete without monkey hooded towel?

And there you have it folks.  I could post more pictures-but let's assume if you're that interested...at some point you'll making a visit to the Perks Household to meet Baby Henry-and you can see his room for yourself in person.

Make sure you leave a comment to let me know what you think...creative minds MUST pull together to let me know if there's any last minute touches we need to add before the big arrival.  (PS-over 200 of you visit this site on a daily basis...which means I should be getting LOTS of help!)

For now-I'm off to dream of my little monkey.

After all-he's due in just 14 short days.

Can you believe it?

Quick Henry Update...

I know it's been 6 days since I posted so I figured I better post something to let y'all know I'm not in labor...Henry is still nestling safely in my belly. Although, he's pretty cramped these days, and he and I have been having lots of heart-to-hearts about how Mommy's ready for him to come out ASAP :)

We've been putting the finishing touches on the nursery and I CAN'T WAIT to show you all how it's turned out.  It's delicious.  Pictures to come, I promise.

We had an appointment on Wednesday...and I'm excited to let you know I've dialated a whopping 1/2 of  a centimeter...which basically means a whole lot of nothing.  I could still be in the same boat 3 weeks from now.  My blood pressure was a little bit high, but nothing to be too alarmed about.  We are a mere 17 days away from the due date...so anything can happen at this point...

Sorry for the boring post...we've been having technical difficulties with our computer...I'm using Daddy Perks' work computer as we speak.

I promise that I will resume normal witty, creative, hilarious, picture-filled posting this weekend :)

Happy Friday.