Dirt and more

Perry has discovered that playing in the dirt can be a lot of fun. I thought his dirty little face was so adorable. I never liked getting my hands dirty when I was a little girl, so I know he gets this from his Daddy.

Perry loves it when Alex will copy what he is doing. Perry has a lot of energy and can move around very quickly, so it's quite entertaining to watch Alex try to keep up with him. I thought this was a sweet picture of the two of them during one of their sessions.

This last picture is just too cute not to share! Perry loves playing with my shower cap.

37 weeks

We made it! I survived the wedding weekend and am now "full term". I'm so thankful for both accomplishments. There aren't words to describe how worn out I was after the weekend, but it was definitely all worth it! The wedding was beautiful and all the events (especially the reception) were a ton of fun. I'm so happy for my sister and her new husband! I had a doctors appointment today and we decided to schedule the cerclage removal for next Monday (I'll be 38+1). If I go into labor before then, my doctor will just take care of it at that time. Our main concern at this point is making sure I don't go into labor during the LSU football game this weekend or next because my doc will be in Baton Rouge for the games. I know he will do everything in his power to make sure he is here to deliver the baby, so I'm not worried. My weight was good--gained 22 lbs so far; baby's heartbeat was great; and his head was down low--I already knew that before the exam though! At times I'm pretty uncomfortable and even gasp and wince due to the pain caused by the baby moving, but overall I feel great. I'm getting very excited to meet this little boy soon!

36 weeks

This is going to be very brief. It has been an exciting week with Helen in town. She and Jeremy are getting hitched on Saturday! I'm so glad that I've been able to participate in everything so far. We are keeping our fingers (or in my case, my legs) crossed that I make it through the weekend without going into labor. I reach "full term" on Sunday...yay!

Morning Play

Everyone in our house was up early today, so Perry had time to play outside before going to MDO. It was such a nice, cool morning! Alex got some cute pictures of Perry in action. You'll see how once Perry notices that his picture is being taken, he runs toward the camera (so he can see himself on the screen...why did we ever show him this feature?!?). This has been going on for a couple months now and it makes getting pictures of him very difficult! Regardless, I think you'll be able to see how adorable Perry is. I think he gets cuter every day!!!

 "Ah, the camera!"

 He was saying "cheese" as he worked towards getting off the bike.

 "Here I come!"

 Why does he look 14 years old in this one? I love the running action, but I can't handle how big he looks!

 Cute!

Every golfer needs a sweater, right?

35 weeks

Not a lot to say since last week except...I CANNOT believe we are going to be having a baby within the next month. With Perry, I went into labor at 37 weeks 5 days--that's only 2 weeks and 2 days away as of today! I went to the doctor yesterday. My belly measures 35 cm (right on track) and I've gained a total of 19 lbs. You would think I've gained more by looking at that picture! I'm thinking I've probably lost several pounds of muscle mass, which has skewed my numbers. My doctor and I talked about when to take the cerclage out. Unless I go into labor in the meantime, we will plan to do it sometime between week 37 and 38. I'm more nervous about that than I am about the labor and delivery. For now, I'm just not going to think about that little detail :-) We are very thankful that everything is going so well!

34 Weeks

We're getting closer! The time has come for us to get our hearts and home ready for our newest little boy. We are currently in the process of getting Perry's "big boy" room set up and I'm starting to think through all the newborn items we need (or need to get out of the attic). Pregnancy is still treating me pretty good and I really shouldn't complain about having to be on bed rest...pretty soon I'll be wondering why I didn't sleep more while I had the chance. I'm definitely moving around more--spending time in Perry's room, doing very small tasks, sitting at the table for meals, spending less time in the bed and more time in a couch or chair. I'm starting to feel more normal again. The baby is still as active as ever, especially at bed time. Why is that? I thought I wouldn't be kept up by the baby until after he was born! Oh well, guess I better get used to having a poor nights sleep. I'm going to do weekly pictures from this point on, so stay tuned for next week...hopefully!

Labor Day

We all enjoyed a long weekend and a break from the heat this Labor Day. As always, it was fun having Daddy around an extra day! I was thankful that Alex had more time to tend to his weekend responsibilities, which meant there was also more time to play. Since the weather was so great, we spent a lot of time outside. I even reclined in the back yard some...it was such a treat! This is how Perry spent his Labor Day...

Very serious...and very cute!

 "I'm about to get you!"

 Practicing his new tricycle. Thank you Arnolds!

 Alex found Perry picking up handfuls of dirt and throwing them up in the air.

"Hey, what are you looking at?"

Mother's Day Out and Perry's Nap Mat

I have been so excited for Perry to start Mother's Day Out. I thought I would be more nervous about this big step, but I know he's going to an excellent program and will love it, so I haven't really been worried. I wanted to get the classic "first day" picture, but asking a 22 month old to stand still while holding a bag to smile for the camera is quite a task. Alex was able to snap a couple pictures of Perry once they got to his room. His school bag hasn't come in yet, so I'm just gonna wait to take the "first day" picture a little late.

Perry's new nap mat is absolutely adorable! It is perfect in every way--very soft, highest quality out there, and custom fabrics selected specifically for Perry's puppy love. Who else but Cheetah could whip up such a thing in a day? Oh how I love that my Mother-in-law is so talented! I'll let the pictures do all the talking...

 Puppies!!

 Perfect fit!

 There's a smile hiding behind that paci

Love that monogram! Thanks Cheetah!

Football time!

Last weekend was the much-anticipated kickoff weekend for the LSU Tigers! We played AND WON our season opener against the Oregon Ducks at Cowboy Stadium in Arlington, TX. Everyone was excited about the opportunity to see the new Cowboy's stadium. I was mostly excited that Shreveport is on the way from Baton Rouge to Arlington, which means we had some special visitors come through! My friend Lindsey was in town on Wednesday and Thursday and she was able to come by the house and hang out a good bit. Then on Sunday afternoon, my friend Jessica and her husband Kevin stopped by for lunch and an extended pit-stop. My time with these sweet friends was SO special and I'm very thankful they made it happen!

 Jessica and Kevin came bearing lots of gifts! I love this action shot of Jessica opening the present for Perry while Perry was trying to show off his dance moves for them. He was having fun being a little ham!

 Perry checking out his "monkey monster". She also gave us the sweetest newborn outfits and lovie you've ever seen!

Perry's new friend

Perry was able to watch a little bit of the game and he was quite into it! He loved watching the "baaalll"; he would say "hat" when anyone took their helmet off; he would say "oh nooo" when a player got knocked down, and he would clap and say "yay" when the fans cheered. Now I have to start teaching him how to say "Go Tigers!"