Cade's First Trip to the Zoo!

Okay, so our plans changed but we had such a good time. I wouldn't have had it any other way! Originally, I had taken today as a vacation day so that Doyle and I could go to the movies and spend the day to celebrate our anniversary which is tomorrow. But the daycare called me at work yesterday and said they were having to close in order to disinfect because they had had some sort of staph infection outbreak. So... I was definitely disappointed last night. I went ahead and took the vacation day anyway. Late last night I thought the zoo sounded like an okay alternative. That okay alternative ended up being the perfect day! The Jacksonville Zoo had added a whole section since the last time we had been, which was probably over 3 years ago. Here are some pictures from today!

I loved the pink flamingoes!

Okay, this picture turned out a little scary!

Cade pointed out the elephants and the rhino's!

Doyle and I put our hands in the water to touch the stingray's as they swam by. Cade is still a little too young for that. Maybe in another year!

We also could have fed the giraffe's but again, maybe when Cade is a little older.

Cade did enjoy the surfing the crocodile!

And he loved following the animal tracks! Too cute!

Next we were on to see the monkeys and apes! Some of them weren't posing very nicely so I'll keep those pics to myself!

We had been there for a couple of hours at this point and it was time for lunch!

Cool fish tank huh?

We didn't get any snapshots of Cade on his first carousel ride but Doyle did video it. So I'll have to upload that to the site another time. Needless to say, Cade was just okay with it at first and then towards the end he got scared and had had enough!

Next it was on to the splash ground area! We had no idea this was here! Luckily, they sold "splashers" diapers. Of course we had an extra pair of shorts in Cade's diaper bag so we used those as his swim trunks. I have to admit... it was so hot out, I was SO glad to have been able to get in that water too!

We had a great time cooling off in the water!

It was a long day at the zoo! This was the first time Cade had actually fallen asleep in his stroller! That and the first time he had fallen asleep sitting up!

We sat him back and he slept all the way home. I even took a nap when we got back myself! We really had a great time! Way better than the movies could have ever been! :)