Goodbye 2009.

So many PERKS to celebrate today.

Today is the last day of 2009.

Today is also the last day of this decade.

But most importantly...today is Henry's 4 month birthday.

Here's a sneak peak of our little monkey:

He's growing up so fast.

I have a feeling 2010 is going to be one hell of a year.

Christmas PERKS.

How could Santa say "no" to this face?



As we were viewing the proofs at the potrait studio a couple weeks ago and this shot popped up, I believe Daddy Perks said...

"Oh my god, our son has man boobs."

Man boobs or not-BabyPerks is the best. Christmas. present. ever.

Hope you and your families are having a wonderful holiday week and enjoying all the perks that come with this time of year.

What a difference a year makes...

One year ago today I found out you were growing in my belly.

The day I found out I was going to be your Mom, you were merely the size of a pin-head.

Now you weigh more than 14 lbs.

The day I found out I was going to be your Mom, we rushed to the bookstore to buy pregnancy books.

Today we were at Barnes & Noble buying you Dr. Seuss books for you for Christmas.

The day I found out I was going to be your Mom, I loved you.

Today I love you to the moon, and back, a million times over.

3 Magnificent Months.

Is my sweet baby boy really 3 months old?

Where. does. the. time. go?

I'm actually sitting here watching him roll over like crazy as we speak.  Which essentially means my life as a non-baby-proofed dweller is over.  I can officially no longer drop Baby Perks wherever and leave him without worry.  In fact, just yesterday I put him on the floor right in the middle of our great room and when I came around the corner from the kitchen to check on him, he had rolled across the room and I nearly stepped on him.  Whoops.

Here are a few shots of his 3 month photoshoot...PS-Daddy Perks and I are dying for Santa to bring us a digital SLR camera for Christmas...so please excuse the poor quality of the photos.  No-my son does not have red hair.

Have we reached "Chunky Monkey" status yet?

He's just SUCH a happy baby.  And he still LOVES his hands and chews on them often.

Just posing for another picture thinking to himself..."Do these numbered onesies really go all the way up to 12 months?"

This monkey isn't seeming quite so big these days huh?

We probably won't be able to put him on the ottoman much longer...he's just TOO big :(

How much do I love these boys?

You could never tell they're related huh?  (Insert sarcasm here.)

So of course he was all smiles when Daddy was holding him, and then when it was time to take pictures with Mommy...

He puked all over himself and me.  Just typical.

Dear Henry-Baby-Buggy-Boy,

You are changing every single day now.  You'll  go to bed one night, and literally look completely different when you wake up the next morning.  You're filling out in the face (as seen in pictures) and really looking less and less like a baby-and more and more like a boy these days.  This month you started sleeping on your belly.  It was a rough couple nights when you first started rolling over consistently because you'd roll over to your belly and your arms would be pinned under you and you weren't happy about it.  One night you woke up every 2 hours because of this and every time we'd put you back on your back-you'd immediately roll right back over.  It was comical, pathetic, and exhausting all at the same time-a bit like parenting at times .  But once you figured out how to roll back over onto your back-all was well in the world.  You've also now realized that rolling over and over can get you from point A to point B and it's become your first official mode of transportation.

When you wake up in the morning you always do a big stretch and both your little arms go above your head.  When I'm getting you dressed for the day you're always in the best mood.  Sometimes you laugh so hard you'll wake up Daddy in the other room.  He's decided it's infinitely more enjoyable to wake up to your sweet laugh as opposed to the alarm clock.

You still LOVE music.  Mostly this comes in the form of me singing to you.  I make up most of the songs I sing to you, but you don't seem to mind.

You still cross your legs when you sit.  You also wiggle all the time.  You never stop moving unless you're about to fall asleep.

I also went back to work part-time last month.  I work at school every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon, and all day on Wednesday.  I'm so thankful that I'm still able to be with you most of the time, but I appreciate my time at school because I think it helps me have balance so I can be the best mom and wife possible to you and Daddy.  While Daddy and I are at work, you are in the wonderful hands of friends and family.  We feel incredibly blessed to leave you with people we know and trust whole-heartedly.  I'm still nursing you and the only bottles you take are pumped milk for the meals you eat while I'm at work.  I'm so thankful breastfeeding has gone so well-you haven't been sick once since you've been born.  Not even a runny nose.  I hope this is the case for a long, long time.

At 3 months old, you aren't yet conscious of just how much joy you bring to those around you.  Your vibrant personality and constant smiles warm the heart of so many and even though you don't know it yet-we can't wait til you are old enough to understand just how happy you've made so many.  When we take you to spend time with our friends and family, we love watching how you interact with those who are dear to our hearts.  I took you to a baby shower the other day and you just laughed and flirted with all the women the whole time.  One woman even asked me how my 3 month-old could already seem coy at such a young age.  I told her, you take after your father.  Daddy had his first kiss in Kindergarten.  I'm hoping you wait a little bit longer than that to start breaking hearts.

Love,

Mommy.

A few things they DON'T tell you...

Ok...time to get brutally honest.

You may be thinking this post will only benefit you if you're actually pregnant.  BUT I'm  here to tell you-if you've got a bun in the oven, you're a woman who may someday decide to procreate, OR-even if you're a man with the intention of impregnating your wife someday...read on at your own risk.

I've now officially been a Mommy for a little over 3 months...and while 99% of that time has been what I like to refer to as " cake and cookies"-there have been a few realities that my fellow mommies failed to mention in their efforts to prepare me for the exciting life journey of Motherhood.

I knew there'd be sleepless nights.  (Thank god-not too many for me.)

I knew there'd be moments where I'd be spit up as I was walking out the door.

I even knew that I would probably take on a whole new appreciation for bodily functions-becoming an absolute cheerleader for my son's regular bowel movements and frequent burping.

I DID NOT however know that the following...

Around 3 months after you have a baby-you may start losing LOTS of hair.

I'm not trying to be dramatic- (and thank goodness I've got some hair to spare) but for the last week and a half, every time I run my fingers through my hair a disturbing chunk of hair comes out in my hand.  I thought I was going crazy until another teacher at school told me this is completely normal and pretty typical around this time after giving birth.  My hair stylist also added that I can look forward to my hairline completely changing about the time Henry turns one year old.  AWESOME.  I was hoping in addition to the stretch marks and an unusually elastic stomach-that I'd still be seeing the physical side effects of giving birth a year. after. the. fact.

All you breast-feeders out there...

You may grow accustomed to leaving the house in a top that fits you perfectly, only to find that a few hours later, the buttons are close to popping off due to the fact that it's time to feed your child.  The idea that my boobs (sorry Dad, Father-In-Law, brothers, guy friends, and or any other readers uncomfortable with me referencing this body part-you should know that these days they are feeding device and nothing more) can range 3 different sizes all in the same day is still strange no matter how many times I witness it happen.  I experienced this the other day and found it necessary to visit a dressing room in a retail store, NOT to try on clothes, but to allow Henry to aid in my quest to help my shirt fit once again.  (And we moms think our kids are dependent on us...pshaw.)

Ok-maybe I'll stick with two mommy-isms today.  Wouldn't want to unload too many shockers on you all at once.  Hopefully, you realize I share these things with my readers, only so that they've got a few less suprises thrown at them as they venture down the road of becoming a mom, being married to a mom, or just educating oneself on the perks of life with a little one.

Happy Monday Perks Followers.

Sleeping PERKS.

If I could recreate the famous scene from The Sound of Music where Julie Andrews is running through the rolling green meadows singing...

"THE HILLS ARE ALIVE...WITH THE SOUND OF[Baby Perks  sleeping through the night] MUSIC"...I would.

Why you ask?

Because Henry slept for 10. HOURS. STRAIGHT. LAST. NIGHT.

And when I woke up this morning and realized that my little monkey man was STILL asleep...I quickly switched on our video monitor to see him sweetly sucking his little thumb, dreaming of the good life.   Not once did I have to sleepily stumble into his nursery last night to feed him, or check on him during the wee hours.  And I'm telling you what-when a new Mommy gets 8+ hours of seamless snooze time-she feels like she could run a marathon.

Here's to many many more uninterrupted nights of sleep.

Happy Thursday Y'all.

Santa Perks.

Sitting on Santa's lap is just not. what. it. used. to. be.

Remember the days when you would pay a couple bucks, walk up to Santa, sit down, tell him what was on your Christmas list, have your picture taken with a polaroid camera, and then watch the photographer furiously shake the photo before quickly shoving it into a cheesy Christmas photo sleeve?  Ha.  Not anymore.  Oh no.  We've not entered the digital age folks.  And Santa and his little photographer elves are milking sucker parents for all they're worth.

Let me set the scene for you...

Giddy first-time parents eagerly head to the mall to enjoy watching their sweet little Henry sit on Santa's lap for the very first time.  We are warmly greeted by the following sign...

"Remember-sitting on Santa's lap is always free.  But if you intend to take pictures with your own camera, you MUST buy one of our photo packages.  See our sales assistant for details."

No big deal right?  How expensive can the cheapest photo package really be?  Ha.  Don't kid yourselves.  We came to find out that we'd be investing AT LEAST $19.99 plus tax just to put Hank's sweet little bootie on Santa's lap so we could take pictures.  And you're probably thinking...ok, $19.99 isn't so bad.  Well-it wouldn't be...except for that price, all you walk away with (aside from wonderful memories) is 4 wallet-sized pictures.  Let me repeat that...4 wallets for $19.99.

So for a split second, Daddy Perks and I looked at each other and thought...do we really need to spend over $20 for Henry to sit on Santa's lap when he clearly won't remember this experience since he's a mere 3 months old?

And what do you think we decided?  I'll let the pictures speak for themselves...

Judging by the serious look on Henry's face...it appears his list for Santa this year is quite long :)

I was quite impressed with Santa's authenticity.  Real beard and belly.

Henry was rockin' his brown leather loafers for this expensive momentous occasion.

Anyone notice the cheesy 1970's backdrop in these photos?  I laughed because when I look back at my own pictures on Santa's lap for the 80's, I always think the background makes them look so dated.  I can't help but think that Henry will have the same feeling when he looks back on these pictures years from now.

And in case you're wondering...we didn't even go with the cheapest package.  Because of course, once your sweet precious baby's face pops up on the computer screen and they start showing you the potential pictures you can order-you realize you'd pay ridiculous amounts of money just to remember these special moments.

So for $32 we walked away with 1 5x7, 4 wallets, and a USB with 3 images on it.

However...the memories we have of watching our sweet baby boy sit on Santa's lap for the first time...now those, were priceless.

2 Months Old...a few weeks late.

Henry will be 3 months old in 8 days-which means I'm a few weeks late posting the pictures from his 2 month photo shoot.  Life happens right?



Quick Stats at 2 months:

Height: 24 1/2 inches...100th percentile!

Weight: 12 lbs. 4 oz...60th percentile.

Head...20th percentile.

It seems so weird to type those stats, and post these pictures, considering I just put a little boy to bed who looks SO much more grown-up than these pictures show.  But alas, here are a few more shots for your viewing pleasure:

No photo shoot would be complete without a little spit-up.

Looking quite shocked to have reached his 2 month birthday.

He smiles ALL the time these days.

If we could only all look so cute with a double chin?

I know for a fact those little legs weren't hanging off the ottoman at his 1 month shoot.

Love. Those. Cheeks.

A few thoughts...

*Did you notice HOW TALL Buggy is?  He's in the 100th percentile!  We aren't sure where he's getting his height from.  Daddy Perks is slightly above average in height, but neither of us are at the top of the class-so we'll see how long he keeps up these basketball friendly numbers :)  In fact-when we went in for his 2-month well check-up at the doctor's office, Doctor Matt said: "I'm glad I looked at Henry's charts before I walked in here, because I would have thought we were on his 4-month appointment by the looks of him!"  You are one lanky boy.  You grow out of all your clothes length-wise before you ever fill them out.  Daddy Perks jokes that we need to start shopping in the "Big and Tall" section for your wardrobe.

*Around 4 weeks-old you started smiling, and now we can't get you to stop.  You are SUCH a happy baby.  You smile when you wake up in the morning, (Yes-even if it's 5:30 am) and you pretty much smile all day long.

*Around 5 weeks-old you started giggling.  People who don't know you that well might mistake your giggle for a cough.  But it is a full-blown belly laugh-and it's quite possibly the cutest thing ever.  Daddy found out that you're ticklish-just like Mommy.  Your weak spot is your belly, and if I catch him torturing you with the tickles, I always come to your rescue.  (I expect you to return the favor someday.)

*You have a love affair with lights and ceiling fans.  You could stare at them all day long.  We often find you laughing at them-you're helping to remind us to appreciate the simple pleasures in life.

*You love bath time now.  You just lay there calmly as Daddy and I scrub you down.  You also LOVE when we wrap you up in your towels afterwards.

*You are still a great sleeper, although these days you've decided you need to eat once during the middle of the night.  Mommy doesn't mind because you wake up just to eat, and then go right back in your crib and don't cry at all.  You LOVE your crib.  You also love your monkey mobile.  You babble with the monkeys and we wonder what the heck you're saying to them :)

*You are a charmer with the ladies.  When you see pretty girls, you're all smiles.  We know this could prove to be dangerous down the road...

*You survived your first round of shots at the doctor.  You were really brave.  You cried for about 4 seconds, and as soon as I scooped you up, you knew everything would be alright.  Those vaccinations did mess up your sleeping pattern that night though-you woke up at 10:30, 12:30, 2:30, and 5:30 am.  Holy moly-it made me feel very blessed that you're such a good sleeper-how do parents get up that many times a night on a normal basis?

*You still love your pacifier.  And your swing.  And your playmat.  When we put you in bouncy seat now, we have to strap you in because you're a WIGGLE WORM.  Apparently the key to staying long 'n lean is to just never stop moving.  And you don't.  You're pretty much moving your legs all the time.

Ok-that's enough fun facts for now.  After all-in 8 days I'll have to come up with a whole new list of Henry-isms for the 3 month post.

Happy Monday PERKS followers!

Overall Perks.

Who doesn't love a cute little boy rockin' a pair of overalls?

This picture was taken over a month ago, so Henry has grown SO much since then.  I swear I'm going to post his 2-month photoshoot this weekend.  For goodness sake...if I don't post it soon, it will be posted after he turns 3-months old.

A cute little boy can keep a Mama busy.

I'm blaming my lack of posts on his cuteness.  Is that allowed?

Beach Baby Boy.

As you know-last week Henry & I spent the week in Ft. Myers, Florida visiting with my Nana Rose AKA-Henry's Great Nana.  While it was fabulous to spend our days enjoying the sunshine and 80 degree weather, the true pleasure of our visit was to spend time with a woman who I love and adore with all my heart.  My Nana is just. plain. fabulous.  Anyone who knows her, knows just how lovely she is-and she makes 86 years old young look good.  I could go on forever about why I love this lady-brag about her younger days as a model-or how she now spends her days knitting beautiful blankets for a non-profit organization called Queen For A Day.

But my appreciation for her and our relationship took on a whole new meaning as I placed my sweet baby boy in her arms for the first time last week.  There have been a few defining  moments in my short time as a mother-and watching my Nana's reaction to meeting Henry was certainly one of them.  I can only speak for myself when I think about what an amazing feeling it was to welcome my own child into the world-so I can't even begin to imagine what it feels like to help welcome your child's child's child into the world.

It truly is hard for me to put into words the joy I felt in my heart watching Henry and Nana Rose together.  And make no mistake-while Nana was certainly smitten with Henry, she was not the only one who fell in love.  My little Henry sure loved his Great Nana to the moon and back again.  I could not stop laughing at what a charmer Henry was every time my Nana would hold him.  Maybe it was her sweet English accent that sang to him all week long, or the gentle touch with which she rocked him-but I'm telling you what-I heard my little one smile and giggle more in the moments he spent with her than the whole rest of the trip combined.

Here is a shot of four generations...

Henry...Mama Perks...Nana...My Mom.

My Sister, Corey...My Aunt Danie...Monkey Man...Me!

And of course, no trip to Florida would be complete without a walk on the beach at sunset.

Can't beat this view.

And you also can't beat this cuteness...

What can I say?  This boy knows how to pose for a good shot.

True love.

Here's to many many more wonderful Florida memories that we'll make with our (Great) Nana.

Can You Find Our Monkey?!?

This is what some may refer to as... "parents who use their child for their own cheap entertainment."

We did in fact dress Henry in his Halloween costume and pile him and all of his stuffed monkeys onto his glider-just so that we could laugh and take pictures of it. Not to mention the callback to one of Daddy Perks' all-time favorite childhood movies. ET anyone?

It was a big week for our little man.  Be sure to check back for pictures from Henry's first Halloween, the beach, and Henry's 2-month photo shoot.

Free Perks...

Who doesn't love a good giveaway huh?

Well-if you've got a bun in the oven, need a cute baby shower gift, or if you just happen to like diaper bags...make sure to stop by one of my BFF's (blog friend forever) blog and sign up for her Fab Bag giveaway. 

Babbling Abby is one of my favorite mommy blogs.  I think we are soul sisters from another life because we're both teachers, hate laundry, adore trashy MTV reality shows, and have ahem-really cute baby boys. 

Abby-thanks for babbling!

56 Days Ago.

56 days ago my world was just my own. 

I could come and go as I pleased.  I could sleep in on Saturdays.  I could make my lunch and eat it right away.  I could shower, shave, brush my teeth, and put on deodorant on-all in one sitting.  I could run into the grocery store for a few things and be back to whip up a quick dinner for my husband and I in no time flat.  I could go shopping and try clothes on with relative ease.  I could return phone calls in a timely manner.  I could leave the house with just my wallet.  I could hit the snooze button. 

56 days later...my world is no longer my own.  And let me tell you-I'm more than obliged to share.

Now-there is a little life that depends on me.  A sweet little boy who has turned our world upside down in the most amazing way possible.  He's helped us remember what life is all about.  He's made waking up in the morning the best treat, because I assure you...there's nothing like running into the nursery to get him, bringing him back into bed, and laying with my two best boys-realizing that THIS is what life is all about. 

It's about a love that helped create new life.  It's about a little boy who God chose for us to shape and mold into a young man.  It's about watching him grow, and reach milestones-big and small.  His first smile.  His first laugh.  His first steps.  His first scrape on the knee.  His first day of school.  His first job.  His first kiss.  We'll be there to coach him through some of these milestones...and others we'll just have to sit back, cross our fingers, and hope that we did enough.  And the beauty is-even though we won't always get it right-he will always be our son.  And we will always love him more than anything we have ever loved in our lives. 

Daddy Perks and I look at each other often and wonder what life was like before Henry.  It's amazing how much life we have lived in 56 days, compared to the thousands of days that came before them. 

The past 56 days may not have been glamorous.  They might have included a few (or many) where our shirts smelled like puke, and our toilets went uncleaned.  They may have caused bags under our eyes, and made value meals for dinner sound fancy.  They may have meant less trips to the movies, and more trips to the doctor.  They may have included more loads of laundry then we've done in the past year.  They may have included sweatpants as the standard attire, and breastmilk as the beverage of choice.

But what they most certainly included...

LOVE.

The most indescribable, unconditional, mind-boggling, earth-shattering, rock-your-world, never-want-it-to-end, would literally kill for, amazing kind of love.

56 days in...and it gets better with every breath.

 

The Buggy Has Landed.

Well-we made it.

I somehow managed to get myself, my 8 week-old, one stroller, one carseat, one diaper bag, AND my carry-on suitcase from Columbus, Ohio to Ft. Myers, Florida.  Take that AirTran!  You won't find this mama paying $15 just to check a suitcase. 

So yes-I was that Mom heaving obnoxious amounts of baggage through the terminal when I could have checked my suitcase and made my load considerably lighter.  But why make life easier right? 

It is true what they say-travelling with a baby is quite the ordeal.  Long gone are the days when I'd have enough time before my flight to grab a drink from Starbucks and peruse the latest US Weekly before boarding the plane.  After yesterday's airport experience, I've realized that travelling with a baby is an invitation to continually re-encact that infamous airport scene from the movie Home Alone. 

And I did have a mini panic attack as we stood in line to get through security.  God forbid they let a brand new mommy off the hook.  Oh no.  I was forced to take my sleeping baby out of his carseat and stroller and put those on the conveyor belt to be scanned along with my 7 million other bags.  And  as I walked under the metal detector, Henry in my arms, the security man also asked me to hold my baby away from me so that he could wave his fancy little wand over my chest and stomach.  I assured him there were no weapons under my shirt-just my son's breakfast. 

When I looked back to start grabbing my bags off the conveyor belt, there was was Henry's little pacifyer making it's way down the line all by itself, nipple touching that nasty surface where millions of people put their hands and belongings every single day.  It was as if that germ-infested nipple was laughing in my face saying..."and you thought this would be easy."

And of course as we boarded the plane, luck would have it that our seats were in the second-to-last row.  So as I strolled down the aisle, I saw the looks of panic ensue from my fellow passengers as they looked at me, then at my baby, and thought to themselves-"well-guess we won't be sleeping on this flight."  And gosh it felt good to prove them wrong.  In true Henry fashion, my little one didn't make a peep the entire flight.  He slept soundly in my arms and I praised the airplane gods for taking pity on me.

Since we've got a computer down here, I'll be posting everyday about our vacation adventures.  Meanwhile-Henry just went down for a nap, and the sun is calling my name :)

Little Toes.

You never knew feet could be so sweet.  Or toes.  Or ankles for that matter.

(If you look closely...you'll see Henry is starting to get little creases around his ankles.  And although you can't see-those same creases are showing up on his wrists too.  I like to call these "rubber band wrists."  OR proof that my little man is on his way to being a chunky monkey.)

I've spent the last 7 1/2 weeks realizing that I never knew life could be so sweet.  And every day just keeps getting better.  Henry is smiling all the time now.  He's even laughing and giggling.  Quite frankly-I invite you to try and find a cuter noise then a baby giggling.  I think I'll try to get him giggling on video sometime soon so y'all can see what I mean.

Henry and I have an exciting adventure coming up.  This Sunday we'll be getting on an airplane to go visit my parents' home in Florida where Henry's Great Nana lives.  Taking an 8 week-old baby on a plane is bound to produce a few good laughs for my readers right?

Remember...the last time I was on a plane was when I was 5 months pregnant and I vomited all over the passenger next to me as we were landing.  Things can't get much worse than that can they?  Ohhhhh...famous last words.

Pumpkin Perks.

Oh you better believe it.  We are definitely the parents that would drag our 7-week old to the pumpkin patch in the freezing cold weather...all for the pictures ahem-experience.

Although Henry couldn't tell us in words-we're pretty sure he LOVED hanging out in the hay barn, gazing at all the pumpkins, taking cheesy pictures with his silly parents, and of course-getting excited for the upcoming holiday.  If you've spent any time all following this blog, then I'm sure you know exactly what we plan to dress our little man up as for Halloween at the end of this month.

Here are a few of the pictures from Saturday's chilly festivities:

We did break out the Baby Bjorn for the first time-Henry is just now big enough to fit in it.

Happy family.

Love this little boy.

Snug as a bug.

So maybe Henry wasn't quite big enough to go down the slide...but somebody else seemed to enjoy himself playing in the hay.

Scarecrow...Pumpkin...Sunflower.

Finally...some pumpkins.

My boys.  Daddy Perks-where's your dinosaur hoody?

He slept the whole time.

We can't wait to go back next year!

Happy October to all of you.   We hope you're enjoying the fall as much as we are.

Love,

The Perks

Baby vs. Clean House

Point goes to Baby.

Some serious cleaning had to be done in the Perks household last week.

We're talking about the fruit-flies-were-landing-on-the-toothpaste-caked-to-our-bathroom-sink kind of cleaning.

And I'm not even to ashamed to admit this to the whole internet world.  Gosh it feels good to air out our dirty laundry-even if I lose the respect of a few of my readers for what has been a lack of attention to the cleanliness of our home.  Some of you may be shocked, even appalled that I might let my house reach this state.  However-those of you who know me, were my roommates with me in college, or have spent any amount of time with me-you know that I don't get my jollies from cleaning.

I am certainly not that housewife who relishes in a good scrub session with the shower.  Even after all the cleaning has been done, I don't have that extra hitch in my giddy-up as many women do as they gaze at their squeaky clean home.  I despise every part of the process. And let me tell you-if a newborn baby doesn't give you a justifiable reason to put the cleaning on the back burner, then I don't know what does.

It's true.  Cleaning certainly takes a backseat on the "To-Do" list when one is lending their anatomical parts to aid in the feeding of a six week-old.  Now-by no means am I complaining about breastfeeding.  At all.  In fact, I love nursing.  I feel an incredible bond with Henry when I feed him, and I love knowing that I am able to help build up his immune system and give him the best possible diet as he grows into a strapping young lad.  But some times you can't help but feel as if your life is operating on 2-3 hour increments when your little man eats the way mine does.  This new schedule I've been adjusting to over the past 6 weeks has certainly taken it's toll on the toilets and the floors in the Perks Household.

And when certain feedings take up to a half hour, it seems like you've barely finished burping your sweet precious when he starts to make that noise again...you know the cry/fuss/grunt that says  "Mom-take off your shirt and feed me.  And PS...I don't care if you're in the middle of a love affair with the scrubbing bubbles and your master bath."

What's the point of me "airing out my dirty laundry" to the online world?  No point really.  Well-ok...maybe I'm hoping that Daddy Perks will read this and rush home from work later to unload the dishwasher, scrub the toilets, wash the floors, windex the mirrors, etc.  Or maybe I'm dreaming that I'll go into Henry's nursery in the morning and all of his stuffed monkeys will have come to life, and they'll all be lined up wearing rubber gloves ready to be put to work.   A far stretch?  Perhaps.

Meanwhile...when he's not cashing in on the free 24-hour milk bar keeping his mama from her cleaning duties...he's pretty busy being cute...

The eyelashes will get you every time.

One Magnificent Month.

We never knew 31 days could be so sweet.

Last week we celebrated Henry's 1-month birthday.

And if you're wondering what that consisted of-it started out with a lovely trip to the pediatrician where Henry once again, passed his baby tests with flying colors.

A little smirk while we were in the waiting room at the Doctor.

The "quick stats" are as follows:

Weight...9 lbs. 5 oz.    50th percentile.

Height...22 inches.  75th percentile.

Head...little.  25th percentile.  (I can't remember the exact measurements of his head...but it's still pretty tiny.)

We spent the evening having Henry's very first photo shoot.  Thanks to my sweetestest southern friend, Rachel-Henry looked adorable in his first of 12 onesies to help commemorate each month of the first year of his life.  Here are a few of our favorite shots...

Holy Cow! I'm one month old!

Verdict is still out on if he actually likes his monkeys.

Hank LOVES his pacifier.

Can't get enough of those baby blues and yummy toes.

We're going to take pictures of Henry next to his monkey every month to see how much he's grown.

He looks like he's up to no good...OR...relieving himself of a little gas.

And then things went a little south...

So pathetic and sweet at the same time.

Apparently he did NOT want any smooches from his monkey pal.

And just 'cause we have to end on a goodie...

Just delicious.

And a few things that stick out in my mind about Henry's first month...

*He hardly cries.  When he does it's simply to tell us that he's hungry, sleepy, or would appreciate a new diaper.  I know I'm partial-but every time we take him somewhere, or have people over-he's always on his best behavior...letting people cuddle with him and hold him.  He's a charmer.

*He LOVES his hands.  If he doesn't have his paci, he is usually sucking on his thumb or fingers.  He's been that way since he came out of the womb.   When he wakes up in the morning, he doesn't cry-he just lays in his crib, sucking away, staring up at his monkeys.

*Henry eats about every 2-3 hours.  Nursing is going very well.  He only takes a bottle if Daddy is feeding him and Mommy has plenty of pumped milk for these occasions.

*He almost always has his legs and feet crossed.  It's too cute.

*He loves his car seat.   He's very cozy in it, and as soon as we put him in the car and start driving, he almost always falls asleep.

*He burps and farts with the best of the boys.

*He loves watching football with his Daddy.

*Most of his facial expressions are very serious.  He furrows his eyebrows all the time, and is extremely alert and wide-eyed when he's awake.

*Sometime during the first couple weeks of his life, he acquired the nickname "Buggy."  Daddy Perks and I have no idea how it came about, but that's what we call him most of the time-so if I refer to him as Buggy, know that I am in fact talking about my son.

*Henry loves his bouncy seat, swing, and play mat.  He also loves being on his tummy.  He can already hold his head up all by himself, and pretty much has since the day he was born.

*He loves to snuggle with Mommy and Daddy.  He takes naps on our chests and can stay that way for hours.

*Henry is a GREAT sleeper.  For the first few weeks of his life, he would get up once during the middle of the night to eat.  Now he is sleeping through the night consistently.  Once he goes down for the night, he sleeps for 7-8 hours straight.  (We know how lucky we are.)

Happy 1 month Buggy!