The Goat says Baaaaaa

 This post is a compilation of my recent journal entries from youngest to oldest. Wallace now says the word “orange” it is his first big word. He also makes the sounds of different barnyard animals like the goat, cow, horse, dog and turkey. He loves to show off. I now only have 4 weeks left of my pregnancy!

Wallace and I met Nicole and Tari at the River Bend Park on Tuesday 2/26. Wallace got to ride on a big kid's razor scooter and he had a great time digging around in the sand box with a stick. He had a Frisbee with him and he would run up to the disc golf baskets and toss in his Frisbee and clap. Nicole and I would cheer for him and I could tell he thought he was pretty cool.

Wallace and Tari

Saturday the 23rd was my baby shower. We had a great time! I saw lots of friends and family and we got a boatload of clothes for Hellena. I haven't had a chance to go through them all yet at home. We need to go to Chico and buy a new barrel for Hellena; she already has enough to fill one up.

Heny and Tom

After we got home from the party our turkey Tom was missing. We looked high and low for him. After a few hours we were sure he was gone for good. In the evening I went outside and there he was dancing around the turkey hut. Dylan ran outside and herded him into the pen. I have never been so relived to see a turkey!

I got a maternity sciatica support belt. It is amazing how much better I am able to get around. I am not in as much pain at night and I'm generally more comfortable.

Our silkeys have begun to lay eggs! Also, our turkeys are mating; our Tom is actually mating chickens as well. He even comes and dances around me. Spring is coming soon. I don't think we will have chicks for Easter but soon after we will. Our turkey hen, "Heny" likes me a lot. She runs to me when I go outside and she preens for me and turns blue when I talk to her. Turkeys turn blue when they are worked up for any reason. I think she is my favorite bird we have.

 On Feb. 19 it snowed, two days before it was in the 70's. I am simply floored by this wacky weather! In the morning there were still piles of snow on the ground. It looked like a winter wonderland all the next day. Ever since it has felt like February again, cold and windy.

On 2/17 Sunday night we all went over to our closest neighbors house for dinner. It was a very fun time. Wallace made a mess with his spaghetti dinner and then he ate part of a fake flour arrangement. He ate a bunch of tiny styrofoam balls out of the center of the flowers. The next day I was changing his diaper and just after I wiped his tush he farted out a styrofoam ball. I am still laughing about that!

 Saturday 2-16 we went to the Chico mall. Dylan got new glasses and Wallace and I played on the indoor playground. He had a blast climbing and sliding on all the toys. They looked like hard ceramic structures but when I touched them they were firm foam covered in high gloss vinyl.

We went into the motherhood maternity store and I found a perfect shirt to wear to the baby shower. It was on a good sale and I will be able to wear it through the summer after the baby comes.

Wallace's clavicle is healing nicely. It has a lump that may not smooth out but according to the orthopedist that is normal. He said that Wallace has made a calcium band-aid over the fracture. Wallace sees the Dr. again in three weeks and his bone should be healed by then. We still give him Tylenol before bed, first thing in the morning and as needed during the day. The Dr. told me that his bone would have healed the same weather or not we brought him in.

Jack, Wallace and I went out to lunch on Valentines Day. It was a nice surprise and we had a lot of fun talking and hanging out together. He works a lot so it has been hard to find time when we are both free to spend together. We have a bird to butcher and I want him to come to the farm for dinner soon.

Dylan has been learning to do fence work. Our landlord has had a crew of people mending and building the fences out here the past few weeks and he has them teaching Dylan as he works with them. He is enjoying the work and he is thankful for the new skill. Dylan worked all day on Valentines Day. When I was in Chico with Jack I picked up pizzas to bake at home. When I got home we made the pizzas and had a family date night. We all had ice cream for dessert, and then watched an episode of Dual Survival, our favorite show.

Wallace normally has a little slice of pickle for desert if he eats enough dinner. He loves it! The promise of pickle dessert encourages him to eat almost anything.

Nicole gave us two roosters to eat, Dylan dressed out one of them and I am going to make rooster soup. I plucked some if the feathers off of the bird and I watched and I kind of helped Dylan clean the bird. I want to learn how to butcher and dress birds and rabbits. I don't plan on using the skill much after I'm confident in it; I have Dylan for that.

It has been unseasonably warm the past week or so. It was 72 degrees on Valentines Day. It is nice to have the warm weather but it feels really hot to us. Wallace got all scratched up playing in a tee shirt. It gives me a little taste of the ouches that are sure to come this spring.

We have been trading our birds lately. We traded Mr. Big Fluff, our white rooster, for 4 mature hens. Three of them are Americanas, blue egg layers. One is a Bardrock hen. She will lay big brown eggs and her babies when she is crossed with an Easter Egger will lay green eggs. The Bardrock hen has taken up with the turkeys and will not come out of their pen.

We went back to the Jess Jones vineyard and traded our Blue Andalugen hen for an Americana hen. The Blue bird was flighty and Willow the dog chased her all the time. Also, she lays medium white eggs, nothing special. Lori at the vineyard loves blue birds and she was happy to make the trade. I was happy to trade for an Easter Egger, and also to see if the dog had it out for just that bird or if she is just a chicken chaser. Sadly, the dog is just a chicken chaser, but at least we got a good hen in trade.

We saw our Midwife this past week. She said that my pregnancy seems to be going along perfectly and she will be happy to catch the baby in water. I have gained about 25 pounds and I have 6 weeks to go. I don't look like I have put on much weight though, which I guess is a good thing. I have developed the "mask of pregnancy." I know it will go away soon after delivery but it makes me feel very self-conscious. It feels like a dirty trick that on top of carting a human around in my belly I also have a pigment moustache. I am really looking forward to delivery. Giving birth to Wallace was the most spiritual experience of my life and I am eager to repeat it. God is in the room when a baby is born!

After the midwife we went to my Mama's for dinner and the next day we drove to Rio Vista to see my Dad. It was great to see everyone even if it was only for a few hours.