So, it's been almost a year since my last blog! We've had some huge changes since my last post so, here is my attempt at catching up for the sake of our family memories since I know I will never be crafty enough to create a legit scrapbook of all our memories...

Houston Edward Moore came into the world on September 5, 2012! He has been such a joy and a blessing to us over the past month and here is a brief summary of how he came into the world... (and by brief, I mean I'm about to write a novel so bear with me because I know if I don't write it down, I will eventually forget!)

At my 35 week appointment, I found out that I had started dilating and was told he could come "any minute" and that they'd like me to take it easy and see if I could make it to 37 weeks. My doctor also told me not to go more than 30 minutes away from the hospital because she could tell his delivery was going to be quick! Talk about making a preggo paranoid.... well, that "any minute" turned into over 2 weeks at 5cm!  Once I was past 36 weeks, I decided it was time to get this show on the road... I basically tried every wives' tale of how to get labor going (except for caster oil) but no luck! The Monday before I was 38 weeks, we took a walk around the block... we had done this several times in the past week and it had been no big deal but this time was different. I started having really bad back pain... I kept saying "I'm not sure I'm going to make it home!" ... so, I slowly waddled home and plopped in the recliner.  The back pain continued for another 48 hours and it was NOT pleasant.  Nothing like contractions, just constant lower back pain and I couldn't get comfortable no matter what position I was sitting/standing/laying in.  Wednesday night, we were eating dinner while watching TV.  After I ate I made myself a semi-comfortable spot laying on the couch.  A few minutes later a BAD storm started that knocked out our satellite. Shortly after, I yelled "MY WATER JUST BROKE!!"  (So, if you're wondering, there IS truth to the barometric pressure stuff... the nurses said they have 1-2 deliveries a night and this night they had 6) This was a little after 7:15pm on 9/5/12. At this point contractions started pretty much immediately and they were 4 minutes apart. Luckily we had our bags mostly packed-- we just threw toiletries in and headed to the hospital.

Once we got to the ER, it was SO crowded!! While I was waiting to be admitted, I had to wait for someone to get up to go to the bathroom before I could have a seat (you'd think that a very large preggo person in the ER huffing and puffing through contractions MIGHT warrant someone offering their seat, but that was not happening! So, I stole a seat as soon as someone got up!) The guy called us up to the desk for us to fill out the admittance paperwork... the man behind the desk was just chatting it up with Matt about how this was our first baby, etc. I'm not sure if I said anything or not, but I remember being VERY agitated at the man behind the desk because contractions were fast and painful and he was just chatting it up without a care in the world! I think I nudged Matt and gave him a look to say "CUT IT OUT!" ha!  As they wheeled me upstairs, the contractions were 2 minutes apart. As soon as we got off the elevator, the first face I see is my doctor!! I thought she was on vacation, but it turns out that she was leaving the NEXT morning and was on call that night... such an answer to prayer!

They put me in the bed and started hooking me up to the monitors, IVs, etc. The girl came to get my bloodwork and they realized the chatty man behind the desk forgot to give me my hospital band! So, a nurse ran downstairs to grab it.... My doctor checks me at this point and I'm about 7 cm. I ask about my epidural and they point to the bag of fluid hooked up to my IV and they say I have to get 1 bag of fluid in before they could give me the epidural So, at that point, I'm STARING at the bag of fluid hoping it would drain quickly so I could get relief from this pain!!  During this process, they are having me initial and sign all kind of admittance paperwork. The contractions were SO bad at that point that everything was kind of fuzzy, I was basically scribbling my name with a shaky hand during contractions. I remember wanting a hair tie to pull my hair back, but I was in too much pain to ask Matt to search my purse. Basically, this whole time, Matt and I didn't speak, I was just squeezing my eyes shut and breathing hard everytime a contraction hit. We weren't timing them anymore, but I could tell they were picking up because basically I didn't have a break between them at all. Just one after another... after another... after another!! So, the bag of fluid is empty and my doctor comes to check me again... she looked up and her eyes were kind of big and she said "You're complete... 10 cm!" So, at that point, it pretty much dawned on my that this epidural was not happening. But, there was a TINY glimmer of hope... I remember saying "So... what does that mean about my epidural?" Then, I was informed the anethesiologist was in an Emergency C-section so I'd have to wait for them to be available and THEN wait for the epidural to kick in. Dr. Rupe asked if I wanted to try to wait or if I wanted to go ahead. I asked, "So.... the pain I'm feeling... is it going to get much worse? Or, are we about as bad as it gets?" My doctor said I was already feeling the worst of it and except for crowning this was as bad as it gets. At this point, waiting for another long period of time with these TERRIBLE contractions did not seem like an option. So, I think I said something to the effect of "Let's just do this."  I don't think I even looked at Matt the whole time and we definitely weren't talking much-- I was thinking if I looked at him I might be more afraid because he would be able to tell I was scared so I just watched the room suddenly get VERY busy with them preparing the baby bed, my bed, etc.  Fifteen minutes of pushing later and perfect little Houston was laid on my chest at 9:24 pm (yes, just 2 hours earlier, I was laying on the couch at home!) I thought I would cry in this moment, but I think everything was such a whirlwind (we hadn't even been in the hospital room for more than an 1.5.hours or so).. I just said "Oh my gosh!! Oh my gosh!!!" I still don't think it had fully hit me that I was even in the hospital about to have a baby and then all of a sudden he's here so FAST! He was perfect- 7 lbs 13oz, 21 inches long! Just a few minutes in, I realized he had dimples and that just made him even more adorable to me! SUCH a whirlwind, but I know I wouldn't have been able to do it without Matt by my side.  Even though we weren't talking much it was so reassuring to know he was there and keeping track of everything the nurses were doing since I was so out of it!  After I was holding Houston, the nurses were able to finish "formally" admitting me... I finished up answering the rest of their questions about medical and family history while holding my sweet little bundle! And, I finally found the hair tie and was able to pull back my hair. Hooray!

Here are a few of my favorite pics from that night....