Cosette's Birth Story

Let me start off by saying this was basically my ideal birth experience. I had awesome nurses. My doctor was on call. The anesthesiologist was careful and professional. The epidural worked perfectly. The whole labor was pretty quick. Cosie was healthy and strong. Just a dream.

So, the story...

Thursday morning I woke up to contractions around 4:30am. They were anywhere from ten to two minutes apart for a couple of hours. Around 7:30am they stopped. I was disappointed because I was convinced we were having a baby that day! I chalked it up to Braxton Hicks and went about the day shopping and running errands with family.

Fast forward to that evening, we were home watching the Blazer game. I fell asleep on the couch but quickly awoke to my water breaking. I had zero contractions since that morning so I wasn't sure if it was the real thing, but I figured it out reaaaaaaal quick haha. My water didn't break on it's own with V, so this was my first time experiencing it. We called the hospital to ask if we should come in right away. They confirmed, so we quickly grabbed our things and headed to the hospital!

We got to the hospital around 9:45/10pm. They confirmed my water had broken and officially got us all checked in. I was dilated to a four. They got my IV in with no problems, which was a positive difference from Vienna's birth. We turned the Blazer game back on while we waited for me to progress. (They won in OT against the Warriors. Woot woot!)

After an hour of little to no contractions they decided to start me on Pitocin. I opted to get my epidural soon after. I never felt a single debilitating contraction. Everything I felt was super mild. Remember what I was saying about my "ideal birth"? Yep.

I was pretty nervous to get the epidural though. When Vienna was born I was already in active labor and the pain was so bad the epidural seemed like nothing. This time around I was completely fine and had nothing but the epidural to focus on. The anesthesiologist was awesome though. He explained everything every step of the way and put my mind at ease. The epidural numbed my lower half, but I could still feel and move my feet, which was nice.

A little after my epidural was put in and the Pitocin was working, we had a slight scare. Cosette's heart rate dropped. They had to stop the Pitocin and put extra monitors on her and me to make sure everything was alright. Her heart rate came back up within a few minutes and everything was fine.

By then it was probably 11:30/12? We just had to wait for me to progress. I took a little nap. We watched some Netflix. Austin brought me ice chips, etc, etc. My nurse would come in and check me periodically. Around 2:15am she told me to call her if I felt the need to push, expecting it to be 30 minutes-an hour. Ten minutes later I was feeling pressure and knew it was time. I called the nurse and sure enough I was dilated to a 10.

My doctor came in and I got all set up to push. I pushed for 2.5 contractions (less than 5 minutes) and just like that Cosette Rain Cornilles was born - 7 lbs 7oz and 20 inches long. Quite a bit bigger than V! Austin cut the cord and I got to hold her. She was (is) perfect and we love her so very much.

Cosette Rain Cornilles

Cosette Rain Cornilles

Born December 28th at 2:31am

7 lbs, 7oz, 20 inches

Pregnancy & Life Update

I have failed to do a blog update even once this pregnancy. I guess what they say about subsequent children is true... haha poor girl. I'd like to officially do one update for my own personal journal records though.

How far along? 37 weeks.

Baby growth and progress? Cantaloupe size (whatever that means).

Body/Weight Gain? 30ish lbs. Quite a bit more than with Vienna. I'm not working out anymore.... EEEK and I'm eating all the sweets.

Sleep? Bathroom breaks are frequent and I'm REALLY struggling with pelvic pain. But other than that I'm getting fair amounts of sleep.

Emotions? Not really nervous this time around. It's nice knowing what to expect. I am a bit anxious about labor and delivery though, but who isn't? 

Food cravings? I hardcore craved Subway sandwiches in the beginning. I currently crave that Costco caramel/cheddar popcorn. 

Maternity clothes? Always.

Stretch marks? NOTHING, again! I must have very elastic skin or something.

Movement? Yep. She's a little gymnast. 

Exercise?  I have had pretty intense pelvic pain for the past couple months. It has really limited my exercise. Also, I have just been more lazy. I had to stop running pretty early on, which was really frustrating. I stuck to biking, weights, and walking after that. I haven't done anything for a good month or two now though. UGH. I'm excited to get back into it once she arrives and I'm all recovered. 

Memorable pregnancy moments? I love watching Vienna figure out what is happening. She likes to touch my stomach and ask if the baby is "sleeping" or "kicking." The top names Vienna has picked out are "Money" and "Girl". Both solid choices... hahaha

Looking forward to: V being a big sister. And of course her arrival! Say it with me, "ANY day but Christmas, any day but Christmas."

Other random thoughts...

I am actually surprised at how comfortable I am for being just a few weeks away from childbirth. Don't get me wrong, it's not an enjoyable time when you're 9 months pregnant, but I am honestly functioning pretty well! My only real complaint is the pelvic pain. If that would just go away, I could hang in here for another month or two! 

I am nervous how Vienna is going to react once she realizes this baby is a permanent addition to the family. She's still a pretty shy/needy girl who wants lots of attention from us. She loves babies though and I can tell she senses change. It won't be a complete shock, maybe just a rough adjustment.

A couple months back I was asked to serve as the Primary President in our ward at church. (For all my friends of different faiths, it basically just means I get to oversee the children's program at church). It's a volunteer position that could honestly be a full time job, if you let it. It's a position that comes with constant... worry. Worry isn't the right word, but I can't think of anything else. Basically I'm constantly thinking how the kids are, how the teachers are, changes I need to make, people I need to visit, lessons I need to plan, events I need to plan, logistical movements in staff, etc. On top of that, I'm trying to grow a human and be a mom/wife! It's a lot.  I KNOW there are many people who could do the job better me, so I am just happy they are allowing me to serve. I have an amazing support system of counselors, secretaries, and teachers that are picking up my slack. I have no doubt they will continue to do so when I'm MIA the next couple months or so. 

I am mourning the loss of (or should I say "soaking in") a few things... 1) Vienna is still napping so I get uninterrupted "me" time each day. I honestly love that time. I'm going to miss it. I know it may still happen occasionally, but right now I really count on it each day. 2) One on one time with V. It's so nice being able to devote all of my attention to her. We'll both miss it. 3) Showers and sleep. These two things don't come easy with newborns, let alone with a toddler running around on top of it.


WHEW! After that completely unorganized, word vomit, update I am too tired and lazy to proof read. I am going to go take a nap while I still have a few minutes of "me" time left today. 

2 Years

Baby # 2

Guys, guess what?

 Some big changes are coming...

Baby GIRL #2 arriving 01.02.19!!

 Wait... 

does this mean I won't be an only child anymore???

My Mom

I really believe Mothers are one of the greatest gifts we have. Although I didn’t demonstrate this by physically sending my mom anything this year (ugh... fail), I wanted to write something down so she knows it. Here’s my gift to you, Mom.

I want you to know how much I love and appreciate you. I recognize all of the sacrifices you made for me and our family over the years. Being a mom is easy, but being a great mom is HARD. You, Julie Russell, are a GREAT Mom.

My mom is...

Generous.
She is always giving. She shares her talents, money, and time more freely than anyone I know. She has given her children (and grandchild) everything we could need in life and much more.

Strong.
She isn’t afraid to stand up and be heard. She’s taught me how to be confident. She is a true leader in our family and her community.

Sincere.
No one is perfect, but I always know she is rooting for me in the best way. I know she would drop everything for me if needed, and she has before. She has the most pure heart. She is understanding when I need to vent. She always gives great advice. She is always thinking of how she help others.

Hard-working.
This one sounds like a resume builder, but I’m not kidding. If you know Julie Russell, you know she is a work horse. She is a mom, she owns her own therapy practice, she teaches Sunday school, she is on the city council... I could go on and on. She is never not busy, and that’s because she knows how to work.

Adventurous.
If you ever need an adventure partner, my Mom is your best bet. She loves to dance, hike, bike, workout, river raft, snorkel, scuba, ride horses, surf, swim, you name it! I love this about my Mom. We are similar in this way. Our family vacations are usually packed with fun, and it’s the best.

Cool.
My Mom listens to hip music. Her clothes are always in style. Her house is literally a turquoise interior design masterpiece. And folks... She knows how to use technology! (A rarity amongst our elders these days.)

Smart.
She is well informed. She stays educated. She reads books. She has an excellent memory. If she doesn’t know the answer, she will figure it out. She is so smart! I strive (but mostly fail) to be like my mom in this way.

If I can be even half the mom that she is to me, I will have been successful. I love you, Mama!

Happy Mother’s Day! ❤️❤️❤️

21 months (almost)

V: You are a happy, active, and chatty toddler these days! You are still in the 1%tile, but growing on your own curve. This is great news! You are in size 3 diapers and 12-18 month clothes. You are eating more food and drinking way less milk. You are learning new words everyday. Our favorite word you say right now is "happy" (pronounced "A-pee"). You are still terrified of people you don't know, and even some people you do know... ugh. You are just a shy kid, and that's OK. You love swimming and bath time. You also love helping me cook. Your favorite songs are Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and Itsy Bitsy Spider. You LOVE being outside, so we are pretty excited for summer.

Me: I am just chugging along. I am busy doing things around our new house and teaching tumbling classes at TumbleTek. We got a garden plot in our neighborhood, so we are going to try our luck at gardening! It could be a complete failure, but hopefully we'll have some fresh garden veggies in a few months. We are pretty excited for summer! There are a bunch of pools and parks in our neighborhood. We will probably we outside everyday!

#ProjectVandMe

Not happy with the photos by the end.