Juliet Cordner

I could hardly sleep Wednesday night because I was so anxious and excited to go to the hospital the next morning. We had a scheduled induction at 6:00 on December 20th. Since the world was supposed to end on the 21st we thought that would be the perfect day. We were scheduled to be induced a week early so that Kelly would know exactly when to come up so she could watch Abby. I also didn't want to go a week over my due date because Kyle would be back in school, we really wanted to have this baby during the break. Also my due date with Abby was May 27th, my water broke May 24th and she was born May 25th. With Jules my due date was December 27th, if that same pattern were to happen again that is Christmas Eve and Christmas Day! I would have been heart broken to be away from Abby on Christmas. I wanted to be gathered together with my little family on Christmas Day. So luckily my doctor was wiling to give me a chance.

When we got to the hospital on Thursday morning things were not looking good. I was not progressed very far, so they gave me this tiny, iddy bitty little white rock looking thing that went up under my cervix. It was supposed to start helping the cervix thin out. After the nurse left Kyle and I said a prayer together that this would work and that we would get to meet our little girl that day. About 2 hours later I was having regular contractions, and I was in labor! In 4 hours I had progressed from 1 centimeter to 4 centimeters. I was thrilled, they wouldn't be sending me home and we were going to have a baby that day.

The day continued and luckily I was able to sneak lunch in before I was declared to be in active labor and had to stop eating until the baby was born. We walked laps around the labor and delivery floor to help the baby drop and make the contractions stronger. Luckily for me the contractions were strong, but they weren't painful. I was feeling great and had plenty of energy. Before they broke my water I got my epidural. That was not the best part of the day. I wasn't in a lot of pain and didn't feel like I needed the epidural at that time, but there was a chance that she would come really fast after they broke my water and there wouldn't be time. The epidural worked great, the contractions started to get huge, and really close together but I couldn't feel anything. We had a wonderful nurse Connie who had been with us all day long. She was so sweet, and clicked really well with us. The only problem was I was still only dilated to a 4! So depressing. So I changed positions a couple of times to get her to drop. Hours passed and I was just making a little progress at a time. At 7:00pm the nurses changed and Connie was so upset because she knew I was getting very close, and she was just going to miss the birth. I was so sad because I was so attached to her. The nurses changed at 7:00, and our nurse was from Poland. She was exactly what you picture when you think about somebody from that part of the world. She was awesome, and I really liked her a lot. 

After the nurses switched I started feeling a lot of pressure with each contraction. I had been feeling pressure a little bit throughout the day, so I wasn't sure if this was really it. I was dilated to a 4 last time they checked, so I wasn't sure if I was finally ready. So I just kept breathing through each contraction. I was getting ready to call the nurse in, when she came in. She had been watching my contractions in the nurses station and she could tell the baby was coming. She checked me, and the baby was right there! She called my doctor who was at home, and told her to get here as fast as she could. We started pushing a little bit, but the baby was coming so fast I had to breath through a few more contractions so that my doctor could make it. They had the on call doctor waiting just incase I couldn't wait. Luckily she arrived just in time to catch the baby. A few pushes, and sweet little Juliet Cordner was here! That is one of the most amazing experiences. Feeling this little person come into the world, hearing them cry for the first time and then seeing their little face for the first time is incredible.

7lbs 14oz 20 3/4 inches long and totally perfect in every way. She has a full head of dark hair, and it looks like she might have brown eyes. We'll see in a couple of weeks. She sleeps ALL THE TIME!  The only time she wakes up is to eat (and I usually have to wake her up). The past few days as she has grown a little bit, she is more awake in the morning and then right before bedtime. She wakes up once or twice a night to nurse, and then goes right back to sleep.

Her big sister loves her more than anything. I want to cry with joy when I see the two of them together. Poor little Jules doesn't love getting loved on by her big sister, but Abby just adores her. She brings her toys, and makes sure she has a blanket. She tries to share all of her drinks and snacks with her. I was so nervous about how Abby would react to this new little person in our house, but she seems to be doing really well. She isn't jealous when I hold her or feed her. She just wants to rub her head and tummy and give her lots of kisses. I love my little girls, and I'm so grateful for this opportunity to be their mother. 

We love you so much beautiful little Juliet. We are so glad you are here!

We like to relax

She climbed into this all by herself and relaxed there for a good 20 minutes. She cracks me up. 

Red Velvet Cupcakes

Are really good. 

Christmas Time so Far

This has been such a fun december! It started out with our ward Christmas party which was in the morning. I guess that is the new thing to do, and it turned out pretty fun. I almost had a serious allergy attack when I had a cinnamon roll that had walnuts in it, and Kyle had to leave early so that he could spend the rest of the day studying at school. Abby had a great time running around, and dancing with they primary while they sang Christmas songs. She has made some cute little friends at church and she loves playing with them. 

Its actually the two of us in a picture together! We celebrated our 4 year anniversary in Arizona before Thanksgiving and we are happier than ever. Its crazy to think of all the things that have happened in the past four years. Its been the best four years, and I'm really looking forward to all the things that are going to happen in the next four.

We've wrapped most of the gifts and put them under the tree, its been fun trying to keep Abby from unwrapping them or climbing all over them. We've actually lost a gift for her little sister, I'm not sure where Abby put it. So that is going to be fun when we find it, hopefully it is before Christmas.

Abby asking please. If she wants anything she starts asking please to get it.

This little 18 month old Abby is the funnest Abby yet. She loves to say uh-oh, mom, dad and doggie. She is always making us laugh, and she is a blast to be around. She is still tiny compared to other kids her age, but she is so big to us. She is always running everywhere she wants to go, playing with her stuffed animals, and watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. She likes it when I paint her nails, and wants to show everyone her "pretty fingers". She loves to give big hugs, and her dad gets the biggest hugs when he gets home from school. We got her a new baby doll this week and she has loved taking care of her baby. She wants to feed her, wrap her up in blankets and she even wants to take her to bed with her. She is going to love having this new baby around.

Every time I'm cooking in the kitchen she pulls her chair over to the counter so that I'll put her on it and she can help me cook. We've made cookies a couple of times for different things and he loves to stand up there and eat the cookie dough. She is my daughter 100% when it comes to sweets. We can't get enough of them!

Since Kyle finished his finals (and got an A in anatomy!) he has been home all the time and Abby and I have loved it. Finals week we only saw him if we went to the school to have lunch with him. Abby has loved having her daddy home, and he has had a blast playing with her. Their new favorite thing is building tents. Abby will bring blankets over to kyle wanting him to make her a tent.

On Monday we went to a "cultural night" with some of Kyle's dental school friends. It was potluck dinner where everyone brought some sort of cultural dish. We had curry, japanese food, sushi, pot stickers, bruschetta, and we brought homemade oreos (our culture was American). It was fun to get to meet more of Kyle's dental school friends, and the food was delicious! Abby was the only little girl there out of 8 kids. But she had a great time, and she was making everyone laugh.

The highlight of my Christmas, and probably the most traumatic even so far in Abby's life was seeing Santa tonight. We were in the mall, and there wasn't a line so we thought we would take advantage of the opportunity. Abby wasn't thrilled. Hopefully next year she will be a little more interested in seeing Santa.

As you can see in the picture above I am still very pregnant. I am running out of clothes that will fit, but we only have one more week! I had a doctors appointment today and everything is still looking great, and I'll be ready to be induced on the 20th. I finished all of my classes this past Monday, so I am officially done with my college career! I'm so grateful that I did it, and that it is over. Now we are ready for this sweet little girl to come into our home!