ZOO DAY

Today was another beautiful day and we felt we had to take advantage of the spring-like weather (it only lasts for such a short time around here), so we went to the Jackson Zoo for the first time. We expected to spend just a couple hours there, but ended up staying for four because James was in such a good mood - wide awake and interested in everything. It was a great way to spend the day and enjoy our little family of three before it gets too hot and/or my belly gets too large for me to want to do such things.

First stop was the petting zoo. I stayed back with the stroller and took photos, but Jay says James was most wide-eyed at the chickens (which clucked and cock-a-doodle-doo'd in a frenzy around him) and liked "petting" the pigs. From my view, it looked like he was trying to pick out pieces of the pig's hair to show me (like he does to the cats at home):

Then we went to the prairie dog town, where Jay and James pretended to be part of the gang:

Across from the new tiger exhibit, while watching the peacocks perform (there was even an albino who put on quite a show):

Don't mind the finger in James' mouth. We found out yesterday that both of his top molars have started to break through (we can see and feel the corners sticking out), but his bottom gums are bothering him something fierce. And yes, we were sure to wash his hands VERY well after the petting zoo.

Finally, here are James and I at my favorite exhibit: the Diana Guenon monkeys. They were gorgeous, and I've never seen them at any other zoo. They were also the most active of the day (if you don't count the tiny tamarins, which were too hard for James to watch bounding through their tree-filled habitat), so James was fascinated with watching them run and swing and climb the fences, and catch moths through the wire after swatting at the grass just outside their cage:

And by the way, that's my new sling. I bought it more for Cora, but it worked like a charm today at the zoo when James wanted some snuggle time. He rode around in the hip-carry position for quite a while, then climbed up onto my belly to cuddle in the front-carry position. He would have fallen asleep too, had it not been for those awesome guenons!