Christmas 2012

We went to New Braunfels to visit Grammy, Grandpa, Aunt Alisha, Uncle John and cousins Micah & Caleb on our way to Boerne.

Aunt Lynn & Uncle LeRoy were there to meet you for the first time.

Of course, we had to take pictures on the wagon Grammy & Grandpa built. 

We stayed and played some tether ball and ate lunch. Then it was off to Granny & Gramps house.

Christmas morning we went back to Grammy & Grandpas house for lunch and to open presents. 

Below, Shelby is in the same outfit that Aunt Alisha wore when she was about 1 year old.

Cousin Jennifer

Great Aunt Terry

Our cute little family.

Second cousin Hayden

Matt

After a great lunch, tether ball, opening presents and a marshmallow gun fight, we were off to cousin Brett's house for lunch with the Moring family. 

Second cousin Brynn

Great Aunt Mary Kay

Great Uncle Skip

 Great Aunt Mary Kay, second cousins Thomas & Brynn singing to Shelby.

After a good lunch here, we went back to Granny & Gramps house to open presents. It was a great first Christmas for Miss Shelby. She got a lot of new clothes.

She loves her aunts and uncles

Aunt Alisha and Uncle John

Aunt Katie

Aunt Mary

Uncle Steve

Uncle Tim

Soon-to-be Aunt Erin

Daddy's first feeding

The week after Shelby was born I went up to school to meet with my grade level for lunch and a gift exchange. Shelby was not cooperating that day and would nurse. Luckily, I had pumped earlier that day, so I broke down and had Brad give her a bottle. He said she sucked it down. This is a picture of him feeding her for the first time.

After she ate, she had her first trip to John Deere and the Co-op. Fun with daddy!

After running all those errands she needed to get her beauty sleep. 

Meeting your cousins for the first time.

Shelby is very loved by her cousins. She is the first girl on both sides of the immediate family.

Shelby and Caleb (5 years old)

Shelby & Micah  (7 years old)

Brothers and cousin

Shelby & Conner (11 years old)

Going home

We were cleared to go home on Friday, December 14th. This is Shelby's first car ride. On the way home we stopped by the Dixie Chicken to see Brad's friend Charles. Then we stopped by Creek View so I could pick something up, of course everyone came out to see this beautiful bundle of joy!

Today's the BIG day (12-12-12)

Well, the balloon did the trick. By 8am I was dilated to 2cm. Dr. Cowling told my nurse that if I don't show progress by lunch then she was going to send me in for a c-section. With the help from my nurse (manually stretching my cervix throughout the morning) I had progressed as the day went on. A little before noon I was at 10cm and ready to start pushing.

I would have liked to make the 12:12pm time on 12-12-12, but that didn't happen. A little after 12:30 I started pushing. I wanted to see how long it would take me to get our baby out, so I timed myself.

Here's a funny story. While I was pushing there was this pig squealing. Turns out Brad had his phone on and that is his ring tone for one of his friends. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Then Brad decided to answer the phone. I said, "Are you kidding me? I'm pushing!" He then told his friend he couldn't talk because I was pushing. That was nice of him to hang up for this miraculous event.

It took me 46 minutes of pushing to get the baby out. What have we been waiting 10 months to have?????   A GIRL!!!!!

 Shelby Grace Moring born on December 12, 2012 at 1:29PM 

Weighing 6 lbs. 15 oz. and 19 1/2 inches long 

Brad said their might have been about 15 seconds of disappointment on his face when he saw it was a girl, but once she looked at him it was all over. He was in love.

Grammy, Grandpa and Aunt Alisha were all at the hospital to help welcome Miss Shelby. Brad went out to tell them what our little bundle was and her name. They were ecstatic!

41 weeks! Tomorrow we see if we're having a boy or a girl?!?!

Will it be a BOY or a GIRL?????

Yesterday, Dec. 10th was my last day at work. I didn't want to take any extra days off work that didn't need to be used. I did take today off to clean the house so it would be ready when we came home.

Here is one of the last pictures of me pregnant this go around. We will soon see if we are having a Lane Bradley or a Shelby Grace or Callie Grace (haven't decided on a girl's name yet).

Tonight we go to the hospital so I can be induced. On the way there, we stopped at Subway to eat dinner. We took two separate vehicles so that Brad could take his truck to get detailed the next day. When he got out of his truck, he locked his keys in it. So funny, because the week before he was getting on to me for doing the same thing. Well needless to say we were an hour late getting to the hospital. 

When we arrived, they started an iv then around 8:30pm they gave me an epidural (which I highly recommend). I wasn't in active labor yet, but because they were doing the cervical ripening balloon, Dr. Cowling wanted me to be comfortable. This procedure could be a little uncomfortable so I'm glad I didn't have to feel it. The epidural didn't hurt, it just made me feel nauseous  thirsty and sweaty. They gave me some medicine to help with the nausea..it helped.

Dr. Cowling came in around 10pm and inserted the cervical balloon. My cervix was still very thick and not dilated so she had to practically force the balloon in. Thank goodness for that epidural so I didn't have to feel a thing! 

Brad and I tried to get some sleep before the big day tomorrow.