NST some more

Well I went in Monday for my weekly NST. Lola's heart rate was a little low (she was hardly moving) so I had to continue the NST for about 3 hours. After those 3 hours, the doctors were still not satisfied so I had to go over to the hospital to get another NST done and an ultrasound. After another 3 hours, Lola started to move finally and then they decided that everything was okay. Lola is just stubborn-I keep trying to tell them that.

I just realized that in about 2 days Lola will be coming the next month. I guess it just hit me because someone asked me how far along I was the other day and after I told them they said "Oh, so next month?" And I was like "Huh!?" But then the lady said "Oh I guess I'm jumping ahead a few days..." It's becoming more real each day.

Still working on getting the dogs ready for Lola's arrival. We have been much more strict with them lately but need to put some other things into practice soon.

NST and such

Wow I have been slacking off completely. Well let's see what I can update....

Last Monday (over a week ago) I went to the doctor for my normal visit and for my last (and 4D) ultrasound. The ultrasound was great...Lola was adorable! Then I went for my visit after and they asked me about how much she is moving. Well...Lola really doesn't really move that much. I have told them every single time that she doesn't move much but as I get further along, they get more worried apparently. So they did a NST (Fetal Non-Stress Test) and after 2 hours, Lola had only moved like twice. So then I had to stay hooked up to the machine for what seemed like FOREVER and she finally started moving a little more. But they weren't satisfied, so I had to go across the street to the high-risk doctor where they did another ultrasound. They said that Lola's cord is wrapped around her neck, but she is completely fine. They did say that it's fairly common but something that really has to be monitored. They said if I ever go an hour without feeling her move 10 times, I need to go to the emergency room. The high-risk doctor told me to drink plenty of gatorade and water.

Overall, it has seemed to really be a lot better in the past week. I thought that drinking 8 bottles of water a day was enough before but now I realize that I have to drink a LOT more...and drinking gatorade has seemed to really help.

I do have to have a NST every week now until delivery. I went Monday and she moved enough in twenty minutes. However, she had the hiccups at the beginning so that really helped the count. :)

Tonight we start birthing classes. Can't wait!

Too hot for words

Today I started cheerleading with my Varsity girls again. I can't believe how fast the summer has gone by so far and I'm really hoping it slows down soon. On the other hand, I cannot wait for summer to be over. It's so hot outside and I just can't imagine going back to school and going out to the playground with my 1st graders in my school clothes...oh me oh my. Today I was only outside for about an hour but it felt like hours and hours. When I got home I felt like I couldn't move. It's crazy how heavy a three pound baby can feel when she is inside your stomach.

I'm really hoping I either find a dear friend with a pool soon....or I find a way to stay inside for the rest of the summer.

Doctor

Well the doctor was pretty uneventful as I kind of expected...she didn't really say much. She did say that Lola is measuring perfectly but that I still have poor weight gain. I have now gained 6 pounds (5 pounds up from 3 weeks ago) so I was pretty excited about that accomplishment. I am now going every 2 weeks so it will be easier to monitor my weight gain.

I go back July 12th and we will do the final ultrasound. Keith and I are excited to see precious Lola again.

10 weeks to go....oh me oh my.

Cloth diapers

More about diapers....just for me really to write it out and see what I actually have.
I now have 10 bumgenius 3.0 one size diapers
I have 2 FuzziBunz one size diapers
I have 3 XS bumgenius diapers
I have 5 Econobum diapers

That is 20....however the Econobum can really only be used around the house...they aren't that well made in my opinion and just don't seem like they will really work that great.

The XS bumgenius diapers will be AMAZING at first because they are smaller than all of the other ones....however as soon as Lola grows out of those, that leaves us with 12 really well-made diapers.

I'm hoping to buy about 10 more before she gets here....

Oh Lola....

Well life is pretty good. Lola seems to be doing great still. I go back to the doctor on Wednesday and we are pretty excited. Nothing special about this appointment really, but one more appointment just means that we are one step closer to getting to meet Lola. Keith's friend Jon gave us a little sound recorder (the kind from Build-a-Bear) and we are going to take it in Wednesday and record Lola's heartbeat. We are going to use the recorder and put it in a bear for Lola to have. We thought it would be a sweet gift for her.

I think I've gained a few pounds in the past week and so that's good. I will find out for sure on Wednesday.

We are still a little low on diapers but I am ordering some more with our Target cards. We now have 12...but are really wanting around 20 or so. My mom bought me some FuzziBunz this past weekend and I'm pretty excited about those.

Lola's Baby Shower #3

So this past Saturday was Lola's last shower. My mother-in-law, sister-in-law, and cousin threw the party and it was really fun. It was mostly the Tielke family and it was good to see them all. I got a lot of great things for Lola including: some knitted booties and mittens, a sweater, and scarf, an Alabama mobile, a UT lamp and shelf, Cheer for Me Potty, Baby Einstein bouncer and toys, dishwashing basket for bottles, insulated bottle bag, clothes, stroller, wipe warmer, and more. My mom also surprised me by telling me she was going to pay for Lola's bedding. That was a great surprise!

I go back to the doctor on June 30th and am really looking forward to September 11th finally getting here. My back is aching like crazy and I just feel uncomfortable.

I can't wait to meet Lola.

Lola's Baby Shower #2

My favorite girls who threw me the shower:



The balloons I let go after the shower:




My husband and I kissing:



An adorable towel April made me with Lola's name on it:



A cute little cart with Lola's name on it:



An adorable onesie that says "Little Ballerina" on the back:

Our daughter's name on a balloon:

The kitchen area:

The diaper cake Christi, April, and Linnzi made for me:

Another view of the kitchen:

So Lola's second baby shower was amazing! My friends Christi, April, and Linnzi threw it for me and I seriously could not have been happier! The theme was leopard and hot pink and it was decorated so cute. They really went out of their way to make sure it was a good shower, and it was! I got a TON of stuff from the shower as well. I got more bottles (which I definitely needed), a Bumbo chair and play tray, 6 piece storage set, hangers, hair bows, Kick and Crawl gym, cloth diapers, lots of lotion/body wash/baby powder supplies, two BAMA onesies and a TEXAS onesie, a lot of clothes (even a lot with Lola's name on them!) and a lot of other great stuff. The girls had also sent out a little note in the invitations asking people to bring their favorite children's book to help jumpstart Lola's collection. This was such a great idea! I got LOTS of books including: Guess How Much I Love You, Twinkle Twinkle, Fancy Nancy, And the Dish Ran Away with the Spoon, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, In Grandma's Arms, The Winnie the Pooh Collection, That's Not My Dolly, Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, God Knows All About Me, The Pokey Little Puppy, Someday, and more!! It was a day I will never forget!

The doctor called...

So after being pretty excited about hearing nothing back from the doctor in yesterday's post, the doctor just called. When I saw her name on my cell phone, my heart dropped. I couldn't help thinking that I had gestational diabetes...I mean why else would they call? But, I don't. My gestational diabetes test came back negative. However, the reason they called was because my bloodwork came back and showed that I am anemic.

I kind of knew I was anemic before so it wasn't really a big shocker. I have been told I am anemic several times and have taken prescription iron at different points in my life. However, none of the doctors were ever really consistent about if I just had low iron or was actually anemic and when I would get my blood checked (while taking the pills) my iron would be fine....which makes sense. So anyway, the doctor wants me to go get slow release iron and start taking it daily.

It's nice to know that I don't have gestational diabetes. It's not so nice to have to take more medicine...but all is well so who am I to complain?

Much love to Lola....

Weight gain, clothes and more

So it's been a while. We had our latest appointment last week, June 2nd, and it went really well. I did the gestational diabetes test and haven't heard anything back from them yet so I am assuming that is a good thing. Last time, after my Cystic Fibrosis tests came back positive, they called pretty soon after.

Lola is measuring great and weighed 2 pounds and 4 ounces last week. My doctor is a little concerned about my weight, although she says Lola is fine. She says that if I don't gain weight during my pregnancy, then right after I have Lola I will basically be all out of energy completely. She also said it would make breastfeeding more difficult because I don't have the extra weight and nourishment. When I went in last week I had gained 3 pounds since I got pregnant. Since I am over 6 1/2 months, she suggested that I significantly increase my food intake in order to gain the 25-35 pounds I am supposed to gain. When I stepped on the scale yesterday, I saw that I had lost 2 pounds which makes me 1 pound in the positive since I got pregnant. It's a frustrating cycle...I feel like I am eating a lot and often, but the weight just isn't sticking with me. I go back to the doctor during the last week of June. She told me I should have gained ten pounds by then....we will see what happens.

Other than that, life is great. Summer vacation came just in time and I am having a blast relaxing. I washed all of Lola's newborn clothes and they already take up her entire closet. We have so many clothes! I'll update again soon....Keith and I are going to go hang out :)

Long and hot days

Hot Hot Hot! Oh my goodness....I cannot imagine being 9 months pregnant in August! Today it was 90 degrees and it felt like 95 degrees. I just spent the past hour outside with my first graders and am really wishing I was inside a cold bath right about now.

I have gotten to the stage where it is very difficult to sleep at night. I feel like I'm squashing Lola half the time and can literally feel exactly where she is in my belly. Yesterday when I laid down she was curled up under my left rib in a strange sort of ball and I kind of tried to nudge her over a little so that I could get comfortable but she wouldn't budge. I called Keith over to show him and we both just thought it was pretty crazy...it looked like a strange bulge in my belly sticking out.

Lola really loves these Dreyer's Strawberry Fruit Bars and so do I. Those will be a very good treat over the summer :)

Shower #1

Well my first shower was a huge success. My friends at school, Grace and Sherrill, threw it for me. When I walked in they gave me a dozen pink roses. They were beautiful. There was a VERY big cookie cake that said "Baby Lola" on it. It was adorable. I got all kinds of gifts too....my tub, bottle warmer and bottles, pacifiers, clothes, a Christian parenting book, high chair, formula dispensers, a quilt, etc! It was a really nice way to end the year. The quilt was neat too because a lady from my school made it and brought a pen with it and everyone could sign it.

Here are some things I received:

This weekend....

Well this weekend Keith, Lola, and I went to North Carolina. Lola was NOT a big fan of the airplane. She tossed and turned a lot and even gave a very forceful kick at the end of the second flight.

It was so much fun to see all of my family. I won't see most of them again until after Lola is here so it was nice getting to see them during the pregnancy stage.

Lola is starting to push herself out a little more I think. I think I definitely look pregnant to most of the world now. I'm sure by August I will just be like a gigantic balloon.

Thursday is my FIRST baby shower!! I am so excited! My friends Grace and Sherrill at school are throwing it for me.

No more news really....Lola continues to try and make mommy nauseous which is not so nice....but it will be over soon. :)

Lola's Stroller

This is what Keith and I finally decided to choose as Lola's stroller: http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?order_num=-1&SKU=16302309&RN=1119

We really like it and we are very excited!

In other news....Lola has been kicking a little more. However she seems to never really kick when someone is there. For example, my parents still haven't felt her kick yet. She just won't cooperate sometimes. At night she likes to kick Keith in the face when he puts his head on my tummy to talk to her. It makes me laugh a lot. Funny little Lola.

6 months down...3 to go....oh me oh my :)

Registry

Okay we started our registry. Believe me....we are not even close to being done. We are still going to register at Target and finish registering at Babies-r-us. But here is our registry so far:

http://www.toysrus.com/registry/search/index.jsp?_flowExecutionKey=_c3B9B23FF-12FD-6E2B-5C42-0ECD8B762C37_kEFF5410E-2EE7-351D-E5B1-FFE5131B793C&overrideStore=TRUS

We are also registered at www.cottonbabies.com

ENJOY!

Nightmares

I don't think I've blogged much about this before, but I have been having the worst pregnancy nightmares. They say that nightmares are common during pregnancy, especially with first time mothers, but still they aren't pleasant at all. It seems that most of my nightmares revolve around something happening to one of our dogs. They are really disturbing and cause me to wake up in fear that something is truly wrong with Annie or Hayden. I have had pretty consist ant nightmares about this and really wish they would stop.

I would like to reiterate that I know that I will LOVE Lola, however this pregnancy thing isn't all it's cracked up to me. As I've said before, I know a lot of people say how much they LOVED being pregnant...and that just amazes me. I'm glad that it is a pleasant time for some, but really can't wait until 9 months is over!

I went to the doctor yesterday and she said everything looks good. She said the baby is a good size and although I have only gained one pound, I am still doing okay. She told me to drink Ensure or Boost in order to keep nutrients in my body. I don't go back until June 2nd because of other conflicts with school, etc. I will have the gestational diabetes test done then. After that appointment, I go three weeks later and then start going every two weeks. My summer/beginning of school will be filled with doctor visits. I kind of like going more often though because I like to ensure that everything is going well.

Much love,
Sarah Ann

Ultrasound Photos

My sweet baby Lola's pictures:

Name Game

I forgot to mention in the previous post...we are definitely naming her Lola :)

Her full name will be Lorraine Lauren Tielke, but we will call her Lola.

Lorraine was my grandmother's name and Lauren just seemed to fit nicely. Lola comes from the Lo of Lorraine and the La of Lauren.

Loving Lola. :)

It's a Girl!

Well Thursday we found out that we are having a girl. After waiting for two hours at the doctor, we started to get a little restless. Keith had to leave after an hour to go to work and so I just sat there watching everyone go back and then leave. A while later, Keith came back because the person he was going to tutor ended up cancelling. We waited a little longer and then finally went back. The nurse apologized for us waiting so long but said that it hadn't been such a good day for babies. The nurse then proceeded to do the ultrasound. She checked out every single little body part and made sure that everything was looking good. We saw the baby's fingers, toes, eyes, nose, chin, etc. Then she said that it was a girl! We were both pretty excited just to finally know. She also said that our baby girl is growing very fast and is measuring at a mid-August rate. However, they still want to keep our due date at September 11th.

I would have updated sooner but I have been sick the past few days. I woke up Sunday with a 102 temperature, a sinus infection, two ear infections, and vomiting. It is now Tuesday and I am finally starting to feel a little bit better. I haven't eaten very well the last 3 days and am hoping that tomorrow is better.

Misunderstanding

So....the doctor's office had written ultrasound on my card however they did NOT do an ultrasound yesterday. They will do one next Thursday, April 15th, instead. I'm not going to lie - I was pretty upset. I just feel like 20 weeks is a pretty long time to wait to find out. Most people I have spoken to say they knew around 13-15 weeks. Of course, the doctor didn't even see me at all until 12 weeks. Oh well, next week I will be halfway through my pregnancy. That's crazy to think about.

I have figured out when a few of my showers will be and I'm getting excited. Tentatively, one will be in Cypress on June 12th and the other will be in Needville on June 19th. My teachers on my team at school are also throwing me one in May. I can't wait to get the study cleared out and the baby's room started. I need theme ideas....but it kind of depends if the baby is a boy or girl. (Although a Crimson Tide would clearly work either way)

Strollers and such

For the record, I was NOT talking about Clayton specifically in my last post. I guess it may have seemed as if I was....but I was just talking in general. Now on to new things....I found a stroller (well actually Emily helped me find it) that I really want. It is pictured above.I really like it a lot. It comes with both the carrier and stroller for $199 which is a really GREAT deal for a Jogger. I think a Jogger would be more practical for us because I think that our main use of the stroller would be in the outdoors (walks around the block, family outings, etc). It will also work fine in indoor areas such as the mall or airport. It is from Babies-r-us....although I may find one at Walmart if I keep searching. I will figure out this weekend where I finally decide to register. I am definitely registering at Target and then either Walmart or Babies-r-us.

One day left :)

Name Game

Happy birthday Keith! We are just two days away from finding out the sex of our baby. I'm pretty excited. It's kind of funny how critical people are about names. I find it interesting that people feel comfortable telling us that they don't like the names we have chosen for our kids. First of all, I would never say that to anyone. Second of all, it's our child...not yours. I don't like a LOT of names...but I would never tell a parent that. Hopefully people will grow out of this by the time our child is old enough to understand how cruel it is.

In other news, my little baby still has not kicked. I've decided my baby is lazy. My baby also doesn't like to eat. Hmph.

Loving Lola or Kale....

Fun in the Future

So many fun things are coming soon. My birthday is next week. Keith's birthday is next week. We find out the sex of our baby next week! That is a lot of goodness in one week if you ask me. I've been trying to search through registry sites to prepare myself for the fun of registering. I think I have found the stroller and carseat I want. I have to continue to search to make sure, but I am 90% sure at this point. Other items will be easier to choose once I find out the sex of the baby. I do want to do a lot of neutrals though because I sure don't want to have to re-buy for another baby down the road if it isn't necessary.

So by next week we will know...Lola or Kale.

Been a while...

So it's been a while since my last post. I had Spring Break (woohoo) and just did not get on the computer at all during that time. I apologize for slacking :)

Life is pretty good now. I went to the doctor over Spring Break and found out that Keith was negative for the Cystic Fibrosis gene so that was a blessing. We also found out that we will find out the sex of the baby on April 8th (a little late birthday present for both of us).

I really can't wait because I want to go ahead and start registering and it seems to me that it would be better to wait and see if the baby is a boy or girl first. I am thinking of registering at Target and Walmart, but haven't decided for sure yet. Babies-r-us seems overly expensive. I can't find anything there that doesn't seem outrageously priced. However, I am wondering if Target and Walmart will be good.

I am in Week 16 now and feeling more sick than ever. Some people say that the 2nd trimester is the best ever....I hate those people.

Growing Pains

Well needless to say, I am growing. It seems to me that I get bigger overnight sometimes. Like on Sunday night I think I grew 2 inches (and I don't mean taller). My clothes are getting tighter and feel much more annoying. Luckily, Emily and my parents bought me some maternity clothes so I have been wearing those off and on. It's not really much fun being in the questionable stage. I constantly think people are probably thinking I just have a beer belly or something. I'd rather look really pregnant or really not :) With all my complaining out of the way, it really is nice to know that you are growing because you have a beautiful baby inside of you. Whenever I'm having a hard day I tend to find myself rubbing my stomach as if my baby is having a hard day too. Oh the joy...

Speaking of Presents.....

Emily (my sister) went CRAZY buying stuff. Now of course I am in no way complaining....but I just have to share some of the things she has bought. You can see some of the clothes above and the PackandPlay below :) Enjoy! (I know we will!)

Test Results, Gifts, and such

So yesterday my doctor called me with my blood test results and told me that I am a carrier for the Cystic Fibrosis gene. 1 in 30 people are carriers. This means now that Keith has to go get tested to see if he is a carrier as well. They said it is very unlikely that both of us would be carriers. If we both are, then our child would have a 1 in 4 chance of having CF.
I'm not really worried at this point. I know they have to do all kinds of tests and if I start worrying about "What if" every time we get results, I would drive myself crazy.
Everyone has been sending the nicest gifts and I feel like it is Christmas every single day.
Jeff and Molly sent us a beautiful Willowtree Angel (which we collect).
Emily has sent me lots of clothes and a breast pump and some diapers. (She is READY to be an aunt!)
Clayton sent Keith and me a journal yesterday and it is the perfect gift. It gives Keith and I a chance to write down all of our feelings about the pregnancy and record it in a nice way. It will be a great gift for our child someday.
I tried to attach pictures of some of the gifts above :)
Love to all.

Short Circuit

My oh my...my patience is wearing thin these days. Call it "pregnancy moodiness" or something but I definitely have it. I think it stems from the complete exhaustion...on top of the fact that I can't take my narcolepsy medicine. Either way....I am crabby. Of course we haven't had any breaks at all in school. Public schools got off a day or two for different holidays, but not us. Our kids got off two days a few weeks ago, but we had training. So in conclusion, I just need a break.

Spring break comes pretty soon. March 15th-19th to be exact. After that we get Good Friday and Easter Monday (MY BIRTHDAY) off! Those days are in the beginning of April so that will be nice too. Then in May I am off a day and a half for my cousin's wedding. So in other words, I am REALLY looking forward to vacation.

Keith has been sick lately so please keep him in your prayers. If he is sick, I generally stay as far away as possible these days because the last thing I need is to be sick too. He went to the doctor today and got a shot and some meds so he should be on his way to feeling well soon.

Much love to all.

High-Risk Doctor

So today I went to the high-risk doctor to discuss any possible risks we could have along the way. They looked for Down Syndrome in the Ultrasound and said that they are VERY certain that our baby does not have any signs at all of Down Syndrome. It took them about 30 minutes to get the neck measurements for the test because our baby wouldn't move! It's heart was beating perfectly but it was simply being stubborn. I must have coughed a hundred times and moved a million different ways....but the baby just wouldn't budge. The doctor told me that our baby is very stubborn so we better get ready. Ha...I was kind of expecting a stubborn baby though...I mean Keith and I are BOTH very stubborn.

After talking about the risks, the doctor told me what the gender of the baby was...with an 80% certainty. He said they won't know 100% until a few more weeks...however he said that 80% is a pretty good guess. I haven't asked Keith if he cares if I share what the doctor said....so sorry but y'all have to wait until he says it's okay to share.

My nausea is getting less and less frequent so that's nice. However, I have been having horrible headaches so please pray that those go away soon.

Much love to all!

Fun with baby clothes

I found the cutest shirts the other day....I tried to include everyone but it was difficult :)

Try to find where you fit in.... :) (some are easier to tell than others)