This morning I had my weekly OB visit and whined to the doctor how miserable I have been feeling lately. While sympathetic, the only advice she could offer was nothing I hadn't heard/read before (move around as much as possible, take Tylenol or a hot bath for the pain, "It could be any day now!"). She gave me a cervical check to see if I am progressing at all, and I was sorely disappointed to learn that I am only 1cm dilated and 40% effaced. "That's it?!?" I wanted to yell. "Then why does it feel like this baby is between my knees???" The doctor then proceeded to strip my membranes in hopes of speeding up the process some. If you do not...

I am now 39 weeks pregnant and pretty miserable. Posts will continue to stay light as I continue to battle end-of-pregnancy symptoms (which include carpal tunnel so my time at the computer is limited). I hear that the west coast is having a heat wave (one friend wrote on Facebook that it's 112 degrees right now in LA) but we are cool and WET here in the northeast. It is supposed to rain for the majority of the week and while the dreary weather has dampened my spirits somewhat, I cannot help but be reminded that whenever something significant happens in my life, it is almost always accompanied by bad weather. Moving days? Rain. Trips? Thunderstorms. Even my own birth was marked...

I may just lose it. This week has been especially difficult on the pregnancy front. The baby has definitely dropped, which means that I can breathe easier (literally, since she's no longer pressing up against my lungs) but my hips feel like they're going to split apart with each step that I take. The "kicked repeatedly in the crotch" stabbing pain is now persistent. My feet and hands are now constantly swollen. Carpal tunnel is making it difficult to type. (And I haven't been able to play the piano in weeks due to my carpal tunnel. ) They say that in the last weeks of pregnancy, the baby's movements will slow down due to the decreased space available in the uterus. My baby...