Trip to the Zoo with the cutest little monkeys!

For Irelyn's first adventure to the Zoo we made it a girls trip! Me, my mom, and my sister in law Julie packed up all the kids (well all the little kids) and went up a week ago.  I was a little disappointed when I looked online and it said they had started the renovation for the African Sahara exhibit and that the train would be closed, but was excited to see the new Rocky Shores exhibit.

Irelyn didn't get much of a nap before we got there, so I was worried that she would be a grump. Thankfully she wasn't too grumpy, just a little bit of a mama's girl, but that is nothing new! 

It took her a little while to get into it, but after a bit she loved looking for the animals. I would point them out to her and you could see her little eyes panning the area until she caught sight of them.

In all of my er...29 2/3 years I must say this trip to the Zoo was probably my favorite for a few reasons. I think I enjoyed it so much more having my own little one to share it with, and it was not busy at all. I felt like we actually got to look at the animals without having to whiz through so the people behind you could get to the front. We spent a good amount of time at each exhibit getting to know all the animals! 

 The elephants had me in awe. I know they use their trunks like an arm, but I have never seen them be as precise as they were that day in sweeping up their food into a little pile with their trunk and then scooping it into their mouths. Animals are so amazing to watch!

The new Rocky Shores exhibit did not disappoint! The polar bear was putting on a show in the water, and on the land. We got to sit here and watch Rizzo for quite awhile. She kept swimming right next to us.

  

It was so much fun to see the seal and sea lions swimming around in the underwater observation areas.

  

My little monkey checking out the little monkeys

 

 

It took both of them to fill the arm span of an orangutang.

 

 

 Irelyn didn't really cooperate with the comparison photos :) 

 

We were so thankful for Grandma Carol taking us all to the Zoo!

 We got to see the new, week old, baby giraffe.

 

Then we made the trek up the back hill and by the top of it, she was zonked! 

She was so tired she would not even wake up for the Carousel! If you look to the right of the boy you will see, even while sitting on the animal, she wouldn't wake up!

 

By the end of the ride she had decided to perk up so we snapped this pic really quick. After hitting the small animal building, and the gift shop for her own Rizzo to take home, she was out like a light again. We definitely wore her out!

It was so much fun to take Irelyn to the Zoo with her cousins, and I can't wait until she is a little older and will appreciate it more! Hopefully I can talk her Daddy into going up during Zoo lights this year!