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 by the worst snowstorm in Korea in 20 years. And the last time I visited Korea? The country suffered the biggest snowstorm since the winter that I was born.  The only exception to this rule thus far has been my wedding day, which was bright, sunny, and simply gorgeous.

So with less than a week left until my due date and my overwhelming desire to GET THIS BABY OUT NOW, I can’t help but be a bit superstitious and hope that the baby will decide to make her entrance this week in the midst of all this rain.

I have been feeling increased pressure “down there” (after all, experts say the baby now weighs over 7 lbs and is 20″ long) and have menstrual-like cramps all the time now. I have also been experiencing nosebleeds every day for the past week, and have been feeling pretty nauseous. Since I have my weekly OB appointment tomorrow morning, I will bring up these concerns with her and who knows? Perhaps she will do additional tests in addition to the usual heartbeat and amniotic fluid level checks to see how I am progressing.

But for now I will sit still and try my best to stay patient. And giggle over clever pictures like this:

Via The Daily What.

P.S. — I apologize to those who have submitted guest posts but have yet to hear from me. Please stay patient as I am going through them one by one, in the order I received them, and the process is taking a lot longer than I had originally thought.

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 seems to be doing the opposite — she is now more active than ever and really HURTING me in the process. J places his hands on my belly with amazement at how sprightly and strong our daughter seems to be.

Everyone’s been telling me to get as much sleep as I can before the baby comes. I know they mean well, but hearing this really pisses me off because I haven’t had a decent night’s sleep in weeks. When I am not plagued by insomnia, I am kept awake by my gymnast of a daughter, or getting up to pee. If I haven’t slept more than 10 hours in three days, I will take a Tylenol PM to help me get some rest. However, I do not use it often for fear of becoming dependent on it as well as the fact that taking any sort of medicine during pregnancy comes with risks. J has been having trouble sleeping as well (sympathy pains?) so we feel that nature is definitely readying us for the sleepless nights that will come with a new infant.

I know the baby will come out when she is ready and that I should be happy to have a healthy baby thriving inside of me…

But I am so ready to have this baby now.

I confess that I’ve been trying to help induce labor via the many old wives’ tales that are out there. Walking is out of the question because of my hip pains. I have been eating tons of spicy food, massaging certain pressure points, eating eggplant parmesan, bouncing on the couch (because I do not have an exercise ball), and having sexytime with my husband.

Zip. Zilch. Nada.

At this point, I am even tempted to try castor oil.

The pregnancy boards have been abuzz this week with environmental factors that may induce labor: the super harvest moon (where the first day of autumn coincides with the full moon…for the first time in almost 20 years!) and the large storm that is headed to the northeast. Well the full moon has come and gone (although some people say that the effects can be experienced three days before and after the full moon) and I didn’t feel anything aside from a few extra contractions. All I can hope for is that the pressure changes that will accompany the upcoming storm will hurry things along.

I will hit 39 weeks come Sunday. Baby, please be a good girl and come within the next week!