Empty Nest Syndrome

Here I am, just about out of picture room (then I have to pay for space on Picasa) with a bunch of cute kid pictures (or at least I think) waiting to be posted, and what am I doing? Showcasing a couple of baby swallows who made a HUGE mess on my front porch. Where are my priorities? :)

As you may remember, if you have read on here at all, we found a baby swallow in our flowerpot at the beginning of the month. We cared for it for just a few hours until my Superman hubby came home to put the scrawny little baby back in its nest. I guess we bonded in those few hours... I really thought it was going to die. But it didn't...at least not on our care. And I guess I could be wrong, but I am pretty sure it was one of the two swallows we followed the next month...

Here is Baby Bird we discovered. We watered him frequently and watched it get weaker and weaker...I had no chewed up worms for it to swallow!For a few days, we saw nothing in the nest. The good news is that there was nothing on the ground either. :) Then one day, we saw not one but TWO heads peek over the nest down at us.

They were probably calling for momma who was never far from sight. She would fly back and forth in front of our house, getting closer and closer each time. That is how we knew it was time to US go back in the house. I worried a time or two about getting pecked though I certainly couldn't reach those babies if I had wanted to!Such scrawny little birds!
Hmmm, apparently worms and such are full of calories. I think this picture was taken just two days after the one above. How did they grow so quickly?

They looked more like little hawks to me than swallows.
Getting ready to fly the coop!
Growing, growing...

Gone.
I knew this day was coming. I knew it was time for them to fly away. But I will admit, I was still a little sad the first time I saw the empty nest. It is a lot like life to me as a mom. You watch them grow those feathers. You nurture and love on them. Then one day they are just gone. And you are happy they have grown and spread their own wings, but you wonder, where did the time go?

And you are just a little sad that it is gone...
Farewell to our feathered friends. We hope we meet again! (Just stay off my porch OR learn how to clean up after yourself!)

More later,

Reba