Welcome Adina Rose!

I hope the wait for the name was worth it! :) I would recommend keeping the name a secret as there's so much unsolicited advice anyway, its the one thing you can just have between you and daddy.

It's been about a week since we met our precious daughter, and I thought I'd update our readers on how everything is going! There's a lot to report, and after this post I hope to focus more on just baby Adina.

I've decided to discuss the past week according to topic. If you are about to give birth via c-section, please proceed with caution. This a detailed account and is not intended to freak anyone out.

Adina's arrival - why October 25?
The week before last, we had our 38 week appointment on a Tuesday and the doctor wanted us to have an ultrasound the next day to measure growth and position again. My belly wasn't growing the way it probably should have as I never measured more than 34 weeks. We had our ultrasound on Wednesday and it was determined that my amniotic fluid was definitely lower than was ideal, but it wasn't quite an emergency yet. They asked us to come back on Friday for another scan. At this scan it was determined that we were right on the line of needing to move the c-section up. David and I basically convinced the doctor we weren't waiting the weekend to have a potentially emergency c-section on Monday, so we were sent home for an hour and told to go to Shady Grove from there. I had eaten breakfast so I had to fast for 8 hours before they could operate. I was in a labor and delivery room for most of this time feeling hungry, tired, and anxious. At 5:30 exactly the anesthesiologist and my original doctor who happened to be on call came in to talk with us, and 5 minutes later I was headed to the OR.

The C-section...
Here's the deal. C-sections get a lot of good press, and some of that I can understand, but in reality they're hard and scary and recovery is a bitch. Part of this could be because I have an unnatural fear of needles being shoved into my spine. The procedure lasted about 45 minutes - Adina was born at 6:18pm. David was with me for about half of it. He tried to talk to me about some of our favorite trips but I really didn't care and was more concerned with not being able to feel the bottom 2/3 of my body (including my chest - you can't tell if you're breathing or not). You can tell I was out of it as I allowed a picture to be posted on facebook of me while I was still in surgery - ew. It was pretty amazing that during the surgery David took pictures of Adina and showed them to me so I could see her while I was being stitched back up (I was convinced she looked like my grandfather). At the end he brought her over to me and she was wheeled out between my legs into the PACU (post anesthesia recovery unit).  They then moved Adina to my chest for some skin to skin which was amazing. I was shaky and in a surprising amount of pain as they give you petocin to induce contractions after the surgery to make sure the uterus empties itself. The nurse kept asking me to rate my pain and I said 5, but then David pointed out to her that I had white knuckles from gripping the side of the bed. It was probably closer to an 8. After an hour or so in the PACU we went to our room.

Recovery:
The nurses were great about making sure that I started walking and doing appropriate levels of activity while I was in the hospital. I enjoyed an ibuprofen/perocet combo for pain control (never more than one percocet at a time though). Once at home I dialed it back to one percocet a day in addition to 800mg of ibuprofen, but I still needed it after a week. I have a lingering burning on my left side above the incision. I called the doctor and he said I probably strained one of the muscles while it was healing, but he wants to see me be on only ibuprofen from now on. I feel  slightly better today, and I hope that continues as I need to be pretty comfortable before David goes back to work next week. I kept trips up/down the stairs to once a day until today, and I changed my first diaper yesterday (probably the one bonus to not being able to bend over).

The Shady Grove Experience...
...was awesome. All of the nurses were great and I really enjoyed my experience there (as much as one can enjoy abdominal surgery). Everyone says you're going to be so excited to go home...false. I wanted to stay in the hospital another week.

Nursing...
...has been the biggest challenge so far. I won't go into too much detail here, but basically I've been pumping since I've been home and hope to get back to the breastfeeding in the next couple of days. If anyone is intersted in the details I'm happy to share I just don't want to subject people to that level of detail if they're not interested.

David...
...is a hero. Please note: if you thought you had no boundaries between you and your spouse before childbirth, you were wrong. Your comfort zone will be re-defined, and its not sexy. David has been truly amazing juggling everything that I can't do yet (for example, take a shower by myself) as well as being a new father.   

Adina...
...is beautiful and perfect and amazing. The best way to describe being a new mom is that I've only known her about a week but I would do anything to protect her. The first week at home has been hard but everytime we look at her we forget. She has the cutest facial expressions and we could stare at her all day! It's like having a present that you can open again and again as we continue to be fascinated by her.
She was born at 6lb 2oz, and lost almost 11% of her weight. My nursing issues didn't help, and once we figured that out with the help of our pediatrician we were able to gain half of that back in two days. We have our two week appointment next week and I'll be excited to see what she weighs then.

Lana...
...has adjusted wonderfully. She doesn't care about the baby at all, which is great. Sometimes she looks at us like, "why did you bring that home?" but she doesn't try and get close. She still makes a point to sit with me and cautiously observes our new addition. I'm hoping one day Adina and Lana will be great friends. :)

Thank you...
...to all of my friends and family who have supported me over the past week. Whether advice, or food, or just checking in, I sincerely appreciate all of it. Most importantly, thank you to my mom, who stayed with us the past week. She worked so hard helping us adjust to being back at home. Between the learning curve and my recovery (especially in a townhouse!) I'm not sure we could have done it without her.

Thanks for reading, and stay tuned!

 

5...4...3...2...1...It's go time!

So...fluid levels have dropped again and here we find ourselves at Shady Grove Hospital in a labor and delivery room. Our c-section time is set for 5:30pm, so hopefully we will meet BGF (baby girl Freiman) soon thereafter. We've been waiting here since about noon. Because we did not know the baby would come today, Anna was not fasting this morning. We have to wait until it has been 8 hours since she ate before they can do the procedure.

We are ready to meet her! We will post pictures when we are out of the recovery room.

:) David

Baby Freiman at 37 Weeks - Week of October 17

Baby Girl Freiman is resembling a variety of melons these days (this is winter melon week). I have reached the point of no return with the third trimester discomforts, which makes me more excited than ever to meet my daughter! I run out of breath quickly, have constantly sore hips and lower back, and sleeping is more like a series of small naps (I know, I know, preparation!). And don't forget the wart and the restless legs! I'm still working, and everyday I consider that an accomplishment. I also remind myself daily about how overall I've had a really amazing pregnancy and I just need to get through a little bit longer!

The 37 week doctor's appointment was largely uneventful, except for the always exciting heartbeat. I learned I lost a pound and was measuring smaller than the previous week...both of which are normal for this far along. She has dropped, which accounts for the smaller belly measurement. You can't really tell by looking, but I can tell by breathing (easier) and walking (harder).

Highlights of the week:
*Big shout out to the David Freiman Chauffeur Service, which has been awesome. I get very intense Braxton Hicks contractions which make me nervous when driving, because I can't move positions to relieve the discomfort. David has been taking me to and from work most days, as well as to knitting class and on other errands (we got our pre-baby hair cuts together last week...so it's starting to get a bit cheesy). 
*Car seat bases are in both cars, and hospital bag is 95% done. We're as ready as we're going to be!
*Celebrating with friends their pregnancies and birthdays and weddings - it's been fun!

What I've learned:
*I can't say enough about my friends who have had babies recently and given me honest and detailed advice. I'm looking forward to paying it forward soon!
*If you blend protein shakes with vanilla frozen yogurt they taste like Frosties

Here we are at week 37:

 

I get by with a little help from my friends...

Needless to say, my friends have been so supportive and amazing during this pregnancy! You listen, challenge, and give great advice...but you also keep me entertained.

If you need a laugh or distraction, here are some favorites from the last couple of weeks:

Articles:

http://suburbanturmoil.com/warped-childhood-restoration-hardware-style/2012/12/03/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kelly-maclean/surviving-whole-foods_b_3895583.html

http://www.sadanduseless.com/2013/09/texts-from-my-cat/

Video:

http://www.pawbonito.com/compilation-of-cats-stealing-dogs-bed/

Kitty and Puppy Cam from the San Francisco SPCA:

http://sfspca.org/adoptions/cats/kittycam
http://sfspca.org/adoptions/dogs/puppycam

Thanks to my contributors :) Keep them coming!

Baby Freiman at Week 36 - week of October 10th

     
Better late than never on this week's blog post! It does actually feel like I'm carrying around a honeydew. It was an eventful week in the life of Baby Girl Freiman as we had our last sonogram and saw she is definitely still breech (and she is measuring 5lb 10oz - 2 more pounds!- and 28th percentile for weight). My c-section is scheduled for 39 weeks, otherwise known as Thursday, October 31. She could certainly come before that but it's nice to have a date to plan around anyway! In the event she flips, the c-section will be cancelled and we'll try for a vaginal delivery. For Halloween I'll be dressed as an almost-mom having her first surgery!

People keep asking me how I feel about having a c-section, or they seem disappointed. I've had a lot of time to wrap my head around it, and I think I've done a nice job of limiting my expectations around the whole process. While I know the recovery will be challenging, I'm fine with whatever will result in a healthy baby sooner than later! In the meantime I am keeping up with the stretching and protein shakes. Symptoms that are still going strong are my sweet tooth, swelling hands/foot, wart, and lack of sleep.

Highlights of the week:
The weeks are kind of running together now, but recent highlights have been:
*Early birthday dinner in Georgetown with David - it was so delicious and fun
*My mom came this weekend and I loved having her here to help us get things ready and just spend time together. She'll be back in two weeks!
*My co-workers threw me a shower and it was awesome! They were super generous and I really believe we officially have everything we will ever need.

What I've learned:
*I'm tired of working, effective now. My last day of work will be October 25. It can't get here fast enough.
*After this weekend I've had a noticeable drop-off in energy and general comfort levels, and I am super scatter-brained. Example: today I forgot I did something at work resulting in unecessary confusion for co-workers,  "lost" my cell phone, got out of the shower with conditioner still in, and left my computer at home -all before noon. It's pretty frustrating actually so forgive me if I'm a little cranky. :)

I unfortunately don't have any pictures this week. Maybe I'll feel more photogenic in week 37!
 

Baby Freiman at 35 Weeks - Week of October 3

Finally- a fruit that makes sense! Between the emotions and hormones I think I'm about to go (coco)nuts. :)

As far as symptoms this week, I feel 35 weeks pregnant. And, I get to discuss it all of the time since every other person I see in public asks me when I'm due, or tells me when I'm going to deliver, or analyzes how big or small I look for someone this far along. Fortunately not many people have felt the need to touch!

I have kept up my yoga practice at home which has really helped my hip pain. Unfortunately there's nothing to be done about the wart that's slowly conquering my foot other than band-aids and limping. So, I'm just generally moving a little slower these days.

Highlights of the week:
*Continued baby prep! I'm definitely feeling better after this past weekend. We also finished our baby class which was helpful but now we get our Sunday nights back!
*We said good-bye to Millard Mazda this weekend, and are now the proud owners of Samson Subaru. 

What I've learned:
*We took our car seat to the inspection provided by the county, and it was very helpful. They not only help with installation, but also how the car seat functions in general (including practicing with a baby doll). A thirty minutes well-spent!
*I spent the majority of last week training and starting the pass-off of duties at work, and this has helped me to feel more prepared and crazy all at once!
*I miss running. A lot. David suggested he might go for a run this week and I may have flipped out...insert hormones here!

A couple of pics from this week:

Anna and big sis, Lana:

Millard's farewell picture:

Baby Freiman at Week 34 - Week of September 26th

So much to do...so little time (at least that's what it feels like)!

Between work and baby prep, my brain is going a mile a minute. My personal "due date" for preparation is Columbus Day - October 14. The next two weekends will be crucial! My mom is coming up the Columbus Day weekend which will be great. 

Symptoms this week are the same, just intensified. We did buy a little vibrating massager which has been lovely for my hip and back pain. We had our 34-week appointment this week, which was interesting. Between my two previous appointments, I had only gained three pounds (insert protein shakes here). At this appointment I had gained nine pounds since my last visit! I'm not sure how accurate it really is, but I was excited that baby is putting on some weight. Her heartbeat is still in the 130s, and my belly is measuring at 32 weeks which is okay since there was growth since last time. 

What I've learned:
I had a lot of random questions for the doctor this week: What are our options if she doesn't flip by next week? Usually they would try to manipulate her from the outside (external version) but my placenta is in the front which makes this less favorable...so if she's still breech next week we schedule a c-section for week 39.
Can you have an epidural if you have scoliosis? yes 
Why is my right side swelling more than my left? my uterus could be tilted, putting more pressure on that side (normal, of course)
We also visited our pediatrician group this week and really liked what we saw/heard, so we can check that off of the list!

Highlights of the week:
Being one week closer is the best part! 
Also, we had our maternity photo shoot this weekend. My good friend Mimi's little brother, Brook, took her engagement photos a few months ago and I was so impressed I asked him to be our photographer. We posted a sample on facebook and google+ but we took over 200 photos that I'll probably put on shutterfly after they've been edited so we can order some. We had so much fun taking the pictures; Great Falls is one of my favorite places and Mimi was a huge help as the "creative consultant." :)

Week 34 pics:

At UMD for a job fair, here is my bump with Testudo:

Here is an "action shot" from our maternity shoot this weekend:

Baby Freiman at week 33 - week of September 19

Apparently, this week Baby Girl Freiman is the size of a durian (?!?!). 

People keep telling me my pregnancy is going by so fast. I know I'll look back and think so too, but some of the symptoms and anticipation are making it seem pretty slow these days. :) On the other hand, she'll be here in around 6 weeks and when I think about everything left to do I either 1) start making lists or 2) cry. Yay hormones!

Most of the symptoms this week are not necessarily new. I've been battling restless legs and extremely chapped lips for a few weeks now, and I've also been waking up with hip pain for a couple of weeks as well. I'm up to pee every 1.5 hours anyway so it works out!

New to this week is my cankle (yes, just one). I think its due to the wart not being treated, but regardless I have one swollen foot/ankle. 

Highlights of the week:
*Whenever I get stressed I just think how close I am to meeting her. I think that will be a highlight from here on out! *Also, I didn't have to fast during Yom Kippur.

What I've learned:
*Starbucks can make the Pumpkin Spice Latte in half-caff. This is great news.
*If you're in the market for protein shakes, go with Boost over Ensure. It has 2x the protein.
*Baby class continues to be a wealth of information. I'm glad I'm informed, but try to think about labor and delivery as little as possible.
*The gestational ages of various animals are fascinating. When talking to Lana about how long she would gestate kittens, I did some research and found this chart:

Mammal	Gestation period (days)
Alpaca	335-366[5][6]
American Bison	217
Baboon	187
Bear (black)	220 [7]
Bear (grizzly)	215
Bear (polar)	241
Beaver	122
Camel (Bactrian)	360-420
Cat (domestic)	58–67, Average 64
Chimpanzee	230–250
Chinchilla	105–115 [8]
Chipmunk	31
Cow	279–292
Deer (white-tailed)	201
Dog (domestic)	58–65, Average 61
Donkey	365
Elephant (African)	645
Elephant (Asian)	616
Elk (Wapiti)	240–250
European mink	38-76 [8]
Ferret (domestic)	41-42 [8]
Fox (red)	52
Gerbil	22-26 [8]
Giraffe	420–450
Goat (domestic)	145–155
Gorilla	255-260
Guinea pig	56-74 [8]
Hamster	16-23
Hippopotamus	225–250
Horse	330–342
Human	266
Kangaroo	42
Leopard	92–95
Lion	108
Llama	330
Mink	40–75
Monkey (rhesus)	164
Moose	240–250
Mouse (domestic white)	19
Mouse (meadow)	21
Muskrat	28–30
Opossum (Virginia)	12–13
Otter	60-86
Pig (domestic)	112–115
Porcupine	112
Puma	90
Rabbit (domestic)	28–35, Average 31-32 [8]
Raccoon	63
Rat	21-23 [9]
Rhinoceros (black)	450
Sea lion (California)	350
Seal	330
Sheep (domestic)	144–151
Squirrel (gray)	30–40
Tiger	105–113
Whale (sperm)	480–590
Wolf	60–68
Wombat	26–28
Zebra (Grant's)	361-390

Here are the pics for this week - thanks to my good friend Laura for the guest appearance! (Warning: the shirt I'm wearing makes my bump appear larger than it really is):

David and I at our friends', Jen and Adam, wedding this weekend:

Baby Freiman at Week 32 - week of September 12th

Week 32 was a big deal!

First I'll start with symptoms/cravings new to this week...
Cravings - Lifesavers! We had to go a to a few different places to find the original hard candies...and they're awesome. I'm still eating a lot of cereal and smoothies and breakfast is still definitely my biggest meal (although as of this week I'm seeing a slight increase in lunch size as well...). As far as symptoms, breathing is still hard, especially after I eat. My feet are also pretty sore, mostly due to my wart still residing on my right foot. I bought shoes yesterday that are a size 6.5 to account for swelling (that is huge)! Lastly, I'm still dealing with restless legs, mostly at night. It is not uncommon to see me doing lunges around the neighborhood at 9:30pm. 

We had our 32 week appointment this week, which included a sonogram to measure growth. She is breech, hanging out with her head underneath my ribs (not surprising) and she is sitting on my cervix. The doctor also told us she is 3lbs 9oz, which is in the 12th percentile for weight. She told me to eat more protein during each meal, and suggested I try protein shakes since I'm not a big meat eater.  I will get another sonogram at 36 weeks to check her position and growth again. If she doesn't flip I might get to pick her birthday...

Hightlight of the week - DEFINITELY my baby shower!! I have the most generous, classy, and amazing friends and family. It was wonderful to have everyone together. Huge thank you to shower hostesses Susie and Teri for making it such a fun and adorable event! Baby Girl Freiman is one lucky lady, and I can't wait for her to meet everyone to say thank you in person. David and I are truly thankful. (Pics are still being organized...stay tuned.)

What I've learned - David and I started attending our childbirth class at the hospital last week and I'm really glad we signed up. We're learning a lot of about the labor process and different breathing and relaxation techniques. I'm a big fan so far of the birthing ball, general discussion around preparing a birth plan, and learning what the experience will realistically look like at our hospital.

The bump at Week 32:

First post of the New Year - Baby Freiman at weeks 30 & 31

 

L'shanah tovah (Happy New Year)!

This post is another double feature, and I'm excited to be writing it with a Ravens game on in the background! :)

It's been a very productive couple of weeks at Casa de Freiman. We spent most of last weekend continuing to reorganize and purge the house. The boxes and bags of things we threw away were impressive.

We had our 30 week appointment last week, and for the first time since my pregnancy confirmation appointment in February saw "my doctor." Her heartbeat and growth were normal, and next week we go back for our last regularly scheduled sonogram- crazy!

I can say with certainty that the third trimester will be my hardest one. I was very lucky with my first and second trimesters, with minimal discomfort or symptoms. Now, I have trouble breathing basically all day, my wart makes walking painful almost all of the time, and sleeping sucks.  Swelling hands and feet are official, so I'm wearing my wedding ring as part of a necklace now.  As a friend told me today when I told her I'm at 31 weeks, "...it's all downhill from here."

What I've learned:
* Her milestones these days are awesome - for example, now all 5 of her senses are working, and she will triple in weight before she is born (assuming we make it to a full 40 weeks)
* We went on our hospital tour last weekend and it was a really good overview of what to expect! We continue our education with childbirth classes which start this weekend...

Highlights of the week:
* Seeing the house come together
* Holidays! Labor Day earlier in the week and then spending Rosh Hashanah with family
* Feeling and seeing her move. I'm more familiar with her patterns now, and she's definitely nocturnal!

Here are some recent photos:

Week 30 Bumps:

 

 

Week 31 Bump with Brenna:

 

 

 

 



 

In the Homestretch - 3rd Trimester Interview with David Freiman

Here are some updated thoughts from the father of my child as we head into the final trimester!

Anna: How has pregnancy affected you the most?
David: Cleaning the litter box

Anna: You've been to a lot of doctor's appointments. What have you learned?
David: Every pregnancy may be different, but every discomfort seems to be normal

Anna: What is your favorite part of preparations for Baby Girl Freiman?
David: Buying the push present (this was unsolicited!)

Anna: What advice would you give to other expecting dads?
David: Learn how to make smoothies

Anna: What's one thing you can't wait to do with your daughter?
David: Watch football!...and then enroll her in karate class to keep the boys away

Anna: What is the most surprising part of pregnancy?
David: It's a marathon, not a sprint. From the outside you don't realize you have to take it one day at a time.

Anna: What's been annoying so far?
David: People always telling me to sleep and eat while I can.

Anna: What is Lana's favorite part of pregnancy?
David: The pregnancy pillow...she thinks its for her

Anna: Here's the million dollar question - when will she be born?
David: November 10th

Baby Freiman at 29 Weeks - Week of August 22

These produce comparisons are starting to crack me up...apparently she's an acorn squash this week.

The biggest changes this week have really been around things I can't do anymore, such as clean bathtubs or shave my legs. Pregnancy continues to be a humbling experience!

Also, my belly is pretty itchy these days and most of my pregnancy pants that are not the full belly coverage, or were an XS and I put in the dryer, no longer fit.

Her movements are pronounced now, and I can feel a head (or a butt?) at several points throughout the day.

Highlights of the week:
*Being with friends in Virginia Beach last weekend - my last trip as a preggo
*I finished knitting my first baby hat and was able to give it to my new friend Brooklyn

What I've learned:
*Dancing "Gangnam Style" at a wedding while 28 weeks pregnant is not a good idea
*Pregnancy yoga has been awesome - it's good mental and physical preparation for labor, while also being good for stress relief. It's definitely one of my favorite parts of the week.

Week 29 bump photo:

Bump at the beach:

Friday night special - the Freiman ladies:

 

Bump and Monuments!

Here are a couple of shots from our visit to the monuments.

Lady Freimans and Washington Monument:

Lady Freimans at FDR Memorial:

Baby Freiman at 28 weeks - week of August 15

Hello Eggplant Week!

It's been a fairly eventful week in the pregnancy department. We had our 28 week checkup on Wednesday, where the doctor found her very loud heartbeat right away - still in the 130s. I found out I'm a tad on the anemic side, so I have started to take an iron supplement. On Tuesday and Wednesday I had to make trips to an infusion center to have blood work done, and then a shot, for RhoGam. This is only applicable for women whose blood Rh factor is negative and the partner is positive (20% of population). I would explain more scientific details about why this is important, but quite frankly all I know is that if we do decide to have future children and I didn't have this done, my body would reject my future fetus because of antibodies exposed during this childbirth.

What I've learned:
*I'm starting to wrap my head around the fact that even though my due date is November 7th, I need to have everything done two weeks before then (at least)...so its back to the weekly to-do lists.
*Apparently there's confusion at my hospital around my social security number and the fact that its under two different names (Rosengarten and Freiman) in the system. The infusion center made this seem very complicated. I need to figure out a way to ensure this is figured out before I go into labor.
*I watched the CNN documentary, Girl Rising, last weekend. It's about the state of female education and social status in various developing countries and it was so interesting and terrifying at the same time. It made me reflect on the reality that having a girl is a privilege and I can't take raising her here in the US for granted.

Highlights of the week:
*Hearing her heartbeat will always make this list :)
*I had family in from Chicago last weekend and was able to spend Saturday afternoon touring DC with them...I think Baby Girl Freiman loved the FDR monument as much as I do.
*We went to the fair! It's definitely one of my favorite events of the year. Just so everyone knows, lawn mower racing doesn't hold a candle to the demolition derby.

Here we are at Week 28:

 

End of 2nd Trimester special - two weeks in one! (weeks 26 & 27)

It was a busy couple of weeks - so here's a double feature! :)

She was a head of lettuce last week, and this week she's grown to the size of a rutabaga (has anyone ever even seen one of these before?). I can't believe I'm already in my third trimester. At work I've officially started planning for when I go out on leave - making it seem really soon!

Highlights of the last two weeks:
*Seeing friends from CA and TN and MD all in one week!
*Baby Girl Freiman's first baby shower and visiting Memphis last weekend (last flight while pregnant!)
*Another ultrasound on 8/6 - she measured 2lbs 2oz and is definitely a girl!
*The nursery has been painted - there is much work to do but it's a good start :)
*As of tonight my good friend Lorna is in labor - thinking about her and baby Brooklyn!

What I've learned:
*I now know what baby hiccups feel like
*Another side of pregnancy is low blood pressure - I learned this the hard way after collapsing at work on Monday
*I do not have gestational diabetes, and the glucose test wasn't as bad as I heard it might be

Week 26 bump photo:

Breakfast with Aneesha!

 

Shower hostesses and my mom's longtime friends, the "Delta girls"



Parents to be!

Week 27 bump photo: