Why It's Better In Your Twenties

I have just decided that all those people who get married young and have babies right off know what they're doing.  I've said that I'm too old to be having kids.  I'm just too old.  I'm in my thirties now.  My greatest concern during this pregnancy has been my weight gain.  I don't know how I gained so much weight when I had morning sickness.  Now that I feel better I can drink a smoothie every morning like I use to.  Granted I am much more tired so I don't jog like I did before pregnancy, but I still try to be somewhat healthy.  I can't stop gaining weight!  I mean, lots of weight!  I am 3 pounds shy of my total weight gain I had with Megan, and I still have 20 weeks left to go!  Now my goal is to gain no more than 1 pound a week.  I'd be happy with 1 pound a week.  My doctor is not concerned, but probably because it's all I talk about at my visits.  I told Mark that I'm going to be a bulimic pregnant woman (I was kidding - I hate puking, could never do it.)  I don't have a picture of my size, I haven't taken any this time around.  But this is basically what I look like...or feel I look like:

CAUTION: Picture of my bare belly:

Yeah, I was 9 months pregnant with Kendra at that time.  Oh blessed twenties.

Baby Chicks

A few weeks ago we bought 3 day old baby chicks.  We bought two plymouth barred rocks, two rhode island reds, and one americana.  I wanted chickens that would be good in all weather, good egg layers, and friendly so the girls could play with and carry them.

 Now they are three weeks old and have their feathers.  Mark is almost done with the chicken coop.  He really wanted to build one himself, and to sell me on the idea he said it would be cheaper.  No, it wasn't.  But he's had a good time...I think. 

Wildlife West Nature Park

On Saturday we went out to Edgewood to the Wildlife West Nature Park.  Every Saturday in the summer they have a chuckwagon dinner.  The admission includes the park, dinner, hayrides, and a birds of prey show.  We wanted to do this all summer but had to wait until I felt up to it.  Kendra loves the peregrine falcon, it's her favorite bird, so we couldn't wait to see the show.

The girls posing with the peregrine falcon.  The guy is actually an expert on peregrine falcons and helped rescue them from extinction.

 This bird flew down from his perch and scared Kendra.

 This bird kept pecking at Megan.

Great Horned Owl. 

We were only able to see the birds of prey and the show.  By the time dinner rolled around we were all starving.  There were close to 300 people there and it just so happened, with the way they split us to line up for dinner, that we were one of the last.  I wasn't so thrilled about that and neither were the girls.  So we didn't end up eating until about 8:00 pm.  We did get to meet two Vietnam Veterans in line so that was cool.  After dinner we left early because it was so late.  On our way out someone asked if we were able to see the park, we answered no.  She then gave us free passes to come back!  Worth the trip right there.