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: