do you mind a little whining?

Overall, I'm actually very grateful for how this pregnancy is going. I haven't gained a ton of weight, I haven't had to worry about a full time job in the latter half of this pregnancy, God has provided for us when we weren't sure how things were going to work, and most impressive to me - I'm not on bed rest. The pregnancy has been thoroughly uneventful, and for that I'm incredibly grateful. Let's just get that out of the way from the gate.

But there are just one or two things that I haven't whined about, and I feel the need to let loose. Firstly, it's hot. I've never loved North Carolina summers, but this particular summer makes me want to cuss. It's been in the high 90s lately, even up to 100 degrees with a heat index of around 110 degrees. Did you know that when you're pregnant your body gains about ten degrees of temperature? So if it feels like 110 degrees to most people, it feels like it's 120 degrees to a pregnant person. I'm sweating just thinking about it.

So I really have two options. The first one is to stay inside/where it's cool the majority of the time and that has been my strategy. It's not been a terrible strategy and has served me well through most of the pregnancy, but the monotonous days of staying inside are getting to both Jude and I. While I'm mostly content to work inside on laundry, dishes, organizing, etc., there are only so many days in a row that Jude can handle being cooped up.

The other option is to suck it up and go outside for the fifteen minutes Jude and I can handle the heat. I end up drenched in sweat and what I call "heat-cranky," meaning I'm cranky because I'm so uncomfortably hot.

So there you have it. I was actually planning on whining about how difficult it's getting to move - to squat, sit indian style, get out of the bed, etc. As I'm writing this though, I'm feeling a little convicted.

I mean...I have air conditioning, and we can afford to keep it at a comfortable temperature for me. I have the ability to drink plenty of clean water, and dehydration isn't something that even crosses my mind. We have a home for me to feel cooped up in - a home filled with things that many across the world can't even imagine. I have a husband who demands that I get off my feet when he gets home and takes Jude outside for a minute - drenching himself in sweat - because I can't. I have a bed to struggle getting out of, and a sweet, rambunctious toddler to complain about chasing after.

And on a larger scale, we have a sanitary hospital nearby to deliver our baby. Infant mortality isn't something about which we worry. Heck, we have a car to take us to that hospital, which makes us among the richest 10% in the world.

I'm just imagining a pregnant woman in Africa - or heck, in the American projects - reading this post about me feeling cooped up in my air conditioned house with its never ending supply of clean water and luxuries like a comfy bed, cable, internet, and a shower.

I guess instead of whining about how rough I have it, I need to focus on the many, many, many blessings I daily take for granted. I don't know - suddenly the heat doesn't seem so bad.