God's Humor

Through pregnancy, I'm seeing a new side to God's sense of humor, and how he has created each of us to find humor in the details, like he does.

In the same way that the 20 week mark hit, and I was instantly relieved from my all-day sickness, as the 30 week mark approaches, I'm experiencing pain again. I had a magical 10 weeks of the "2nd trimester bliss" everyone talks about, where you feel great, you aren't swelling yet, you're excited and eager for the baby, your bump is just the right size, clothes fit and feel good, morning sickness has disappeared, and you're "glowing!"

But now, right at 30 weeks, my Rheumatoid Arthritis has decided to make an appearance for the 3rd trimester after being virtually non-existent for the last 7 months! Each morning this week I woke up with a new joint causing me lingering, annoying pain - knee, hip, ankle, and today it is my jaw (yes! RA does not discriminate, and you have little joints in your jaw!) I'm hopeful  the joint pain will come and go throughout these last weeks. I'm also experiencing the dreaded carpel tunnel that pregnant women complain about, so I've been sleeping with some stylish wrist braces that have really been helping so my wrists and hands don't hurt during the day. And, I'll spare you the details of a few other fun pregnancy symptoms that have decided to show up in the 3rd trimester.

I keep thinking that by the time she gets here, I'll be so ready to not be pregnant anymore, and that shows me God's humor in all this. You better believe I will give it all I've got to get us through labor as quick as possible! I live knowing that He won't put me through anything I can't handle, but sometimes I question His faith in what my body is capable of - especially when I'm feeling like a 27-year-old stuck in an "arthritis-like-an-80-year-old" body.