Pregnancy at 8 months... uncomfortable! Some symptoms I'm experiencing: back pain, leg cramps, heartburn, overall achiness, shoulder pain, overall feeling of bigness.

What I miss:
-being able to lie on your stomach
-sleeping without being propped up with pillows
-my waistline
-Asahi beer and sushi
-eating spicy food, or any food at that, without fear of heartburn
-control of my bladder
-my favorite pair of jeans

I'm having trouble walking at a normal pace now. My bladder may be full so I can't walk fast less I disturb it, or I'm having a Braxton-Hicks contraction that tightens my whole belly area so I can't stride along at a normal pace, or I get shortness of breath so I need to take careful steps.

Today I forced myself to go to school. I couldn't let down my students. It was Book Report Day. How could I call in sick? So I suffered through the day with a stuffy/runny nose, a constant headache, and a nasty cough. In addition, every time I coughed, I experienced the loss of bladder control that people say happens to pregnant women. So, there you go. Coughing is a curse in my life. I wonder if I could receiver inner healing for this. Like I said before, my mom coughed throughout labor and delivery of me, and postpartum. So maybe there's a connection.

Anyways, I'm going on maternity leave soon. I'm so excited to get some rest, but I'm so sad to leave my class. They're a special bunch. Ask Jibin, my little brother. He knows. He taught my kids the value of creating a budget. He threw out words like "income" and "expense" to a bunch of 8-year-olds, and they seemed to get it. The concept of money - having plenty of it and spending it - is something that the kids in my school understand. Today, the word "mortgage" came up during one of my student's book reports. She seemed to know what that meant. I STILL DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS! ha.

Anyways, I hope I feel better. I would like to breathe properly sometime soon. And I would like to regain control of my bladder. Thanks!

It was my birthday today! I turned 28. When I was born, my mother was alone in the hospital, without proper blankets to keep her warm, and without proper medication to shield her from the pain. I think she was also sick, too. Coughed a lot. That's why my mom says that I have such a nasty cough whenever I get sick. Because she too was sick and coughing when I was born. When I was finally born, and my dad found out over the phone that it was a girl, he rejoiced. In fact, I think he partied it up a little. While my mom was still in the hospital. This may seem like a sad story, but I like it because in the end, everyone was healthy, and I just like that someone rejoiced when I entered into the world. Without even knowing me, my dad loved me. I think subconsciously, it enabled me to go through life with strength and confidence.

We're thinking of naming our child Abigail. In Hebrew it means "father rejoices" or "father's joy". I like it because I know what it was like for my father to rejoice over me. And I know that Abby will definitely be her father's joy. Plus, I'm sure it can have a spiritual meaning, where our Father in heaven rejoices over His children. So yeah, I'm really diggin the name. I'm 98% sure our daughter's name is Abby. The search for a Korean name continues, though.