Want Kids? Me, not so much

I always thought as soon as I got married, I would want to start a family.  When I walk down the aisle, I'll be 32 for goodness sakes, so shouldn't I be ready?  Well.... I'm not. 

Mike's brother, Jason, his sister-in-law Cara, and their son Carter are all visiting us right now.  Do you know what extreme togetherness is?  5 people and 2 dogs in a 660-square foot apartment.  (Take a drink! Confused?  See Sunday's blog entry).  As you can tell from the pic, the doggies love having a 21-month old around.  It means a continuous stream of dropped goodies on the floor.

Here is what I've learned about kiddos that makes me realize just how tough being a parent is.

*  Chicago is not kid-friendly.  Stairs?  A plenty.  Ramps?  Not so much.

*  Busy Chicagoans look at people with strollers like they have H1N1, and they hope their death glares will encourage parents to use birth control next time

*  Kids get up way too early.  Did you know the sun isn't up at 6 a.m.?  I had no idea!

*  In order to go on a trip with a child means planning and packing six months in advance.  They may be small in size, but they are large on stuff!

*  Carrying a 25-pound toddler will make your arms shake, go numb, and then feel like they'll completely fall off.

*  Kids are a lot of work.  Period.  It's hard to sit down and catch up on Dancing With the Stars when a toddler wants to play trucks.

To Mike--rest assured, I think our only children for quite awhile will have 4 legs and occasionally require a cone around their necks.