The Zoo

While we were in Louisiana last week, our baby turned a year old! So…
…we went on down to the Audubon Zoo. (and they all asked for you.) For those of you who aren’t from Louisiana: it’s a song. Once you hear it, you’ll be singing it for days! Don’t worry eventually you’ll stop. But don’t you know right when you do, in walks your husband singing it. And so you start up again. And a few days pass and you are in the clear. And then you write a blog post about it and it’s in your head again. And that’s when you can’t wait until your husband gets home so you can go ahead and give in and perform a duet for your unamused toddlerbaby.  #fairwarning 
Back to the heart of this exciting blog post about a one year old’s very first zoo visit. Here’s my takeaway from the day: cute!
He enjoyed pointing at the animals and delivering his very best whisper roar to each of them. I’m still so proud.

Lookit! My boys in sleeveless red and white strips. #america #adorable


Oh this is a good’un. Jared holding August’s hand as he proudly and confidently marches along. Dads are good for things like making us proud, making us confident, and hand holding, of course.
This bird was funny and beautiful and deserves her picture to be on the internet. Just doing my part, ya know.

You know how people always talk about “through the eyes of a child" and "if only I could know what he is thinking" and all that? Well, totally.

A mama and baby orangutan! It was pretty neat to look into that mama’s eyes and feel a bit of camaraderie. Mothers…..Unite!
 
The giraffes. My spirit animal. Most of the pictures Jared took of me near the giraffes are embarrassing. I kind of get all crazy-eyed when seeing giraffes. Even Gus looks like he is asking Jared what in the heavens might have possibly happened to his mother. Giraffes, Gus, giraffes happened.
But seriously, aren’t they amazing?!
Bear paw. Brave boy.
At one point, I told Jared to stop taking pictures of animals because no one wants to look through picture after picture of zoo animals. So he so sweetly obliged and I have picture after picture of my August with his big cheeks and puckered lips and his tongue sticking out, looking at the animals. I am equally pleased as pie about these pictures of Gus and also wishing I had a few more pictures of the monkeys and the elephant butts and that one sweet little black bear who I believe was staring right into my baby’s soul. Gus’s spirit animal? Just maybe.

Here are some pictures of food because you don’t just go to Louisiana and not take pictures of the food you eat. You know, so that way when you get back you can kick yourself for ever taking these pictures in the first place. What I would do for a beignet covered in gumbo dipped in a snoball wrapped in poboy bread with crawfish head juice on the side?. My stomach is confused.




My sisters and I all share the same favorite flavor of snoball. Ice cream stuffed wedding cake snoball with condensed milk. But then again, it’s probably your favorite, too. Because it. is. the. best.

And there ya have it folks. A one year old’s birthday. A first zoo trip. Some pictures of food. And probably the absolute wordiest thing you regret you ever read.
But I’ll share with you something to make you feel like your time was not a waste:
Look at those lips and that cheek and those sweet legs all bruised up from crawling. Oh, sha!