Zoo Trip

My mom's current work schedule allows her to have every other Friday off.  So this Friday we spontaneously decided to go to the zoo! We packed up the two kiddos and left to enjoy the sunshine and 50 degree weather.

Lion tamer Faye.

Sam got hungry a bit into our adventure, so he and I sat on these bleachers by the elephants while Mom and Faye continued to explore.  I rather enjoyed my tranquil half hour of watching the elephants.  They, too, were eating.  I was amazed to watch them pile up bits of hay that had fallen, and then dusting off the hay before they ate it. 

It looks like Mom and Faye found some fun play areas while Sam and I were busy.

Happily fed and unaware of the excitement he can't participate in.

Faye had been riding on the polar bears when she asked for Baby Brother to come sit with her.  (Yay!  Love hearing her mentioning Sam.)  

 

The seals and sea lions are always fun to watch.

 

Faye giving Grandma a princess pose next to the bear size chart.

 

I love this picture of Faye.  Partly because it captures so much of her personality, but also because there are numerous pictures of me and my siblings on this very wall from every zoo trip we've ever had.  I'm so glad they kept this wall between all the renovating of the grounds.

Faye did so well with walking/running all about the zoo.  She didn't become tired until we were making the downhill walk back to the gate.  She adores my mom, the two are thick as thieves.  So, naturally, when Faye became tired, she insisted on Grandma carrying her.

Thanks, Mom, for such a fun outing at the zoo! 

Sibs

 My mom wanted to take all the grandkids, all three of them, to get their picture taken.  So we planned matching outfits and took the kiddos to Foto Fly.  

When did she become so grown up?

The photographer, who was a natural at getting kids to laugh, had Faye almost falling over with giggles.  It was so fun to see real smiles in the photos. 

 And we learned some great tricks for taking pictures with a newborn.  A beanbag seems to be a good investment, as is a tall step stool.  Sam definitely pulled out some of his signature crusties for the photographer, but I think they're adorable.

This picture melts my heart.  But, it also is very exciting for me!  Faye has had zero interest in holding Sam.  I was curious to see how she would handle pictures where they would have to be touching, but she did great!  She's not big enough to hold his head up without help, but she didn't complain once about giving it a try.

Heart breaker.  So excited to watch this charmer grow up.

Thanks, Mom, for the pictures and for a fun trip!

Warming Up

We were apprehensive when bringing Sammy home about Faye's reaction to a baby in the house. Most of this stems from how she behaved when I was watching Vivian; Faye had been upset and seemed to  dislike having Viv around. She was also 18 month younger at that point. The other cause for concern was the communication block- we couldn't fully explain to Faye that she was going to be a big sister, or even what a sister was.

When we got home from the hospital, Faye was more interested in Grandma's camera than the fact a baby was in the room. This attitude continued. She has acknowledged 'Baby Brother' in her prayers, or when he cries, but has other wise been indifferent toward the little guy.

Slowly she's starting to warm up to Sam. I have difficulty containing my joy Every time she interacts with him.

"Come on, Baby Brother!" "So fast, Baby Brother"

Sam gave us his first smile while on a shopping trip. Grandma showed Faye how to tickle Sam to get more smiles. She's quite good at getting smiles out of him.

Now she is starting to show her interest in mothering by mimicking. For instance, with this pump part.

And now with taking care of her baby doll.

This really has been the best case scenario for us. I'm so glad our Faye is warming up to being a big sister, and I can hardly wait to watch these two become friends.