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.

40 weeks...1 more week and we meet our baby!

So let's see...Saturday night I took some castor oil because some friends told me that the day after they took it they had their children.  Unfortunately, that was not the case for me. I was up all night, my stomach was as hard as a rock, I was having contractions, my hips & lower back were hurting and I couldn't get comfortable. Sunday morning I called Brad at work and asked him to come home and be miserable with me. He was nice enough to call in to work and sit around the house with me. He tried to help me feel better. After a nap I started feeling better.

I went to my 40 week appointment yesterday hoping the doctor would tell me that my cervix had started to soften. No luck. The castor oil did nothing. I have had no change in four weeks. My doctor actually told me that I am officially her most unfavorable cervix. So unless this child comes on its own, I will be induced on Tuesday, Dec. 11th.

My doctor will give me an epidural and then do a procedure call the cervical ripening balloon to hopefully start softening and opening up my cervix. I will try to give birth to the baby after that, but if I don't dilate enough then a c-section it is.

Here's a picture of me at 40 weeks. I will keep you all posted on when our stubborn bundle of joy arrives.

39 weeks...almost done!

Well, at my 39 week appointment I was told that I will be induced at 41 weeks. My doctor doesn't like to induce until after your due date. Apparently, I have an unfavorable cervix which means that they will do a different procedure to help get this baby out. So, as of now, I will go in at about 4 in the afternoon on Tuesday, December 11th. My doctor will give me an epidural and then do the Cervical Ripening Balloon       http://www.cookmedical.com/wh/features/crb_en_US/index_crb.html . Hopefully our baby will be here the next day, which is cool because then it's birthday will be 12-12-12. 

Tonight, I decided to try to hurry this along by taking Castor Oil which should start contractions after it cleans out my system. We will see how this goes. Before you ask, yes, my doctor said I could take this. She said if I was going to take it to take it the week of my due date which is this week.