Pictures, pictures, pictures!

Got some new pictures tonight and I had to share. :)

S/he is 9 weeks old:

Look what we made!

After about 5 trips total to Home Depot to get the exact amount we needed of just the right kind of PVC and connectors, we made some perches. We put four suction cups on the back - and those things aren't going anywhere! The kids and I wrapped them up in colorful vetrap...and they're done! We also made a table perch, so the bird can join us at the table. I have to say, I am quite proud of how they came out. :)

Had a little scare!

So, I totally freaked out a little bit...

I hadn't heard from the breeder for a while, so I emailed her last week and never got a response. I decided to call. All it did was ring, no answer and no machine. I sent a friendly, but obviously panicked, email begging for contact. It bounced back. Up to that point, I had questioned if I was overreacting. But when that happned, I felt justified and started worrying...

But then, some friends online suggested I call back. I did and she answered the phone. I was very relieved to hear her voice! Turns out she was helping her husband with his business over the weekend, her machine didn't pick up because she is on dial up and was on the computer, and apparently aol was having some issues - so the email coming back was on my end. Everything is fine - phew! I felt bad when she was explaining, but she was so sweet about it! Encouraged me to call any time to check in, and she totally nderstood how hard it is to make such an important purchace sight unseen.

She said the baby is doing well - he was sleeping when we talked. He eats well, likes to play and is growing like a weed. :)

I sent in the payment to have the baby dna sexed and should get the results in about two weeks. Hopefully, they come before we leave for Florida! So, what do you think...is it a boy, or a girl?!?

Well, that was my excitement for the afternoon! Hopefully next time I update I will have some new pictures! I can't wait to see how the baby has changed. :)

Waiting, waiting, waiting...

I had been thinking the baby was a girl since it hatched, but I'm not feeling as sure anymore. So I started thinking about boys names and decided on a different name that I like even more than the original one I thought I'd use. As soon as I saw it, I immediately thought "Yes! That's IT!". It follows all of the silly name rules I have, plus there are little personal connections - I love when that happens!

It's Zaki, pronounced "zak-ee". It's African for "lion's prowess".

- he's an "African" Grey ;0
- I'm a Leo :)
- its two syllables, like I wanted
- it has hard consonants so it should be easy for him to say
- Z is one of my preferred letters
- I can think of a ton of nicknames right off the top of my head
- it sounds strong, but its super cute at the same time! :)

Yesterday I went to Home Depot and got some rope to make a climbing net. The kids and I tried to knot it together, but it didn't go well. I have no idea what I'm doing! I need someone to show me, I can't do it from reading directions. Plus, I found out it may be treated with chemicals or something, even though it says its not.

I'm waiting for some updated pictures. I can't wait to see how much s/he has grown over the past couple weeks!

Stories and backtracking...

The other day, my son saw the newest pics of our Baby Grey Bird, and he said to me "Oh, mom! Our baby is a girl!" And I said, "You think so?" He goes, "No, Mom...I can feel it!" Funny, I am thinking the same thing. :) This is the same boy who, upon finding out why birds regurgitate on their humans, said "Aw, Mom...I hope our bird throws up on me!" - with the biggest, most hopeful smile on his face! LOL

Got this from the breeder today:
So far your baby is not shy at all, LOVES to eat and is very insistent about eating right now when he is hungry, and very much enjoys snuggling with his toy you sent. Oh and one morning your baby cracked me up, I have a small toy that is bright beads with a wire through it shaped in a boing (round and round) with a bell on the bottom. One morning as I was fixing formula heard ring ring ring ring and went in and your baby was vigorously shaking that bell up and down back and forth like he was saying, "Come on, come on, I'm hungry!". I think he'll really enjoy toys.

We got a cage in September, back when I was still planning on getting a Blue Crown Conure. It was a great deal I found on Craigslist and couldn't pass it up and I'm so glad I got it, because that's one of the things that contributed to me entertaining the idea of getting a Grey, my dream bird.




I am SO ready for her to be here!!

Happy 2008!

I have a couple things to update about, I feel like its been a while since I've written here. The holidays have kept me busy, then I decided to do some major decluttering of my house, so I spent the last two weeks or so going through every single room - clearing out, donating and throwing things away. I'm almost finished...

First off, I have to say how exciting it is to be getting comments on this blog. :) Honestly, I wasn't sure anyone would even read it! Thank you!

On New Years Day, our local craft store had a sale on everything in the store so my daughter and I went and got some supplies for bird toys. It was fun, and we're looking forward to making some cool stuff. We received a bird toy magazine in the mail and kept it to get ideas from, once we have all the supplies we need.



A few of those toys were actually from the Bird Show we went to in November, but that's what we have so far! :)

I got an email from the breeder the other day, letting us know a picture of him is on their website! It's the one of him opening his Christmas presents - how sweet! I told her we are honored to be published. LOL

And now, just tonight, I got a wonderful surprise in my mail box. :) Note the "big bird" feathers! Here she is, amongst a bunch of Quaker babies:





The first thing I thought of when I saw these pictures, was the game on Sesame Street - "Which one of these things does not belong here? Which one of things are not the same?" LOL The last one cracks me up! Like he's hiding, not wanting to be seen with a bunch of Green Birds or something.

Everyone is very excited about the bird coming home and we talk about it all the time! If we are eating something, we talk about if its safe or not for the bird; we talk about respecting her space and reading her body language. A big topic recently was who was going to go to pick her up at the airport. We discuss what her perspective might be, coming to a new house with new people/sights/sounds, and how we'd want to be treated if we were in a similar situation. We even talk about what movies might be appropriate for her to watch! LOL

Merry Christmas, Baby Grey Bird! :)

Just got some holiday pictures of our Baby Grey! Look at all those feathers coming in...he looks so soft and squishy! I can't wait to hold him! :)

These were taken today, at four weeks old...

Small update...

I got in touch with the breeder yesterday, she is such a sweet person. I'm sure she's taking great care of our Baby Grey Bird. :) I called at feeding time and actually got to hear him cheeping over the phone!

She said he is growing like a weed and loves to eat - just like his momma and big sister. :) He is rooming in with a baby cockatiel and when they get all excited and hungry, they cheep and flap around together. Sometimes he gets impatient and tries to chomp on the cockatiel's wing while waiting for food! Silly birdie! She also told me he knows what he wants, and he wants it now! (So he'll fit in our family very well! LOL)

She said she took pics a few days ago, just hasn't got them on the computer yet - but she will take some more and send them so we can see how much our little one has grown. I can't wait!

Before we hung up, I got the address to send a Christmas gift from the kids, and plan to package it up and get it out tomorrow, hopefully it gets there before Christmas! We decided on a little stuffed animal for him to snuggle with, a shredding toy and a small foot toy. I hope he likes it! I'm not quite sure what size he is now and hope he's not intimidated, or upset, by anything.

The lady at the pet store we bought the stuff from asked what kind of bird we have and I told her none yet, but we're getting ready for a Baby Grey - she said she has two Greys, and 23 birds total! Plus 11 dogs and scorpions, etc. Gulp!

He's really starting to chunk up a bit, isn't he? :)

Baby Grey Bird

This is what the kids have taken to calling the baby bird. :) I think it fell into place because on a Mickey Mouse Clubhouse episode, Goofy finds a bird and names it Baby Red Bird.

We got a Wii for Christmas, and one of the things you can do is create Mii's (which are little characters you design by choosing body type, height, hair coloring and style, eyes, noses, etc.). We wound up making a bunch of them in the likeness of everyone in the family...including the animals! The cat turned out the best, but Baby Grey Bird is pretty cute, too. :)

The kids want to send the bird something for Christmas, so I'm searching online right now for a gift. I'm thinking something like a little lovey doll, so he can bring it home with him to help ease the transition. But I know the breeder has some of her own that she puts in with "only" birds, and don't want to step on any toes. I am going to give her a call later on to see what she thinks about that...and hopefully, maybe get a quick update on what his little personality might be like. :)

I'd also like to know when we can find out the sex...

First Photo Shoot...

My baby Grey was pulled to start handfeeding this morning, at about 2 weeks old. I think it is the sweetest thing I've ever seen! Look in the second picture, how the little "elbow" is draped over its "knee"...so cute!

Originally, I thought I wanted this bird to be a boy - I'd finally get to use a name I've always loved and have wanted to use forever (my husband nixed it for all our boys! LOL).

But for the last few days, whenever I think of the bird, the name Emma comes to mind. I don't know where it came from, either. Needless to say, my "perfect" name isn't sounding nearly as "perfect" anymore.

Even though Emma is not a name I would normally choose, I am totally loving it because I already associate it with my baby Grey. Now we just gotta find out if its a boy or a girl...

Our egg is now a hatchling!

I just got an email from the breeder and our baby Grey hatched last week! So far, all is well and she said s/he looks pretty big. The first time she heard the baby was on the 28th, but going by the size of the baby she thinks it hatched on the 26th.

She plans to pull the baby to start handfeeding at the end of this week, and once she does that she will be able to get some pictures! To hold me over, she sent a picture of one of the babies from the last clutch, who just went home to her new human family. Baby Tia, on the right.

Over the past 5 months I've spent countless hours researching parrots - African Greys, in particular. I took so many notes, I could write my own book! ;-)

After much deliberation, I finally decided to go ahead and get my dream bird! On Wed 11/21, after weeks of searching, I found a breeder with one TAG egg available - due to hatch on or before December 1st. Out of three eggs in the clutch, its the only fertile egg. This was a surprise clutch, the parents just had two baby girls about 8 weeks ago. The breeder plans on pulling their box after this baby hatches, to give them a break.

I'm hoping its a boy, because I have a name already picked out and I'd prefer to avoid the whole issue of egg laying in the future. Although, it really doesn't matter and I'm sure I'll be just as happy with a girl.

The baby should be ready to come home by the end of February, which is perfect timing for me - we'll be coming home from Disney World to a new baby TAG! :o)