Seb | 3rd birthday at the Cincinnati Zoo

Sebastian's 3rd birthday couldn't have been more wonderful. We started the day with homemade waffles on Mamaw and Pawpaw's screened in porch, and then gathered our things to head out to the zoo.

Once Cody and I decided that we would be spending the summer in Ohio, we knew we wanted to include a trip to the zoo in our plans. Sebastian had never been, but we knew that he was at an age that he would really appreciate seeing the animals in person. So what better day to make a trip than on Sebastian's birthday?

Lucky duck Bruno got to experience the zoo at just 11 months, but the wonder of it wasn't lost on him. This little mister crawled with the goats like it was the most natural thing in the world. I didn't look around, but I'm sure there were a number of adults looking on with horrified expressions as we let our baby crawl where goats had been, but he didn't pick up anything a little soap and water couldn't fix.

In addition to the petting zoo, we saw the elephants, giraffes, and gorillas, upon Sebastian's request, and then a number of exhibits between those places. The highlight for him, of course, was riding the train with Daddy and Pawpaw.

As we left, Sebastian said with a contented sigh, "That was fun."

It sure was, my dear. 

I can't sufficiently describe how this little one lights up our lives. His natural inquisitiveness and focus come straight from his Daddy, and I like to say that the only sign that he's mine is his complete love for chocolate. But there's a whole lot of him that's just him, and as the details and intricacies that our purely Seb come to the surface, we are incapable of anything but wonder. As the days and years pass, those labor pains I endured 3 years ago now seem so inconsequential in comparison with the gift that they enabled me to receive in the form of this precious boy.