I can’t believe I’ve never posted a link to my Great Panda Adventure. That’s what I call the trip I took to Tai Shan on his first birthday!

I took my stuffed panda that I received when I ‘adopted’ Tai through the National Zoo and was on my way. I hope you enjoy looking at the photos as much as I had on the trip. Just a warning, I love cheesy roadside attractions!

You can see the full set here.

Well, it looks like our hopes of a little panda baby brother or sister for Tai Shan are gone. But, as the old saying goes: When one door closes another one opens. Though Mei Xiang’s pregnancy watch is over, Lun Lun’s has just begun!

The Atlanta Zoo is now on 24 hour pregnancy watch in hopes of a little sibling for Mei Lan. Everyone cross your fingers and follow the progress here.

I am glad to announce that Mei Xiang turned ten years old on Tuesday. Happy Birthday Mei Xiang. Lets hope and pray she has another little baby panda to cuddle soon. Below is a chart of her hormone profile and at this page you can watch and track her progress.

Today is my panda baby’s birthday. Or rather, Tai Shan’s third birthday. He’s the panda that made me fall completely head over heels in love with pandas. I even drove from Colorado to Washington DC to see him on his first birthday. Yes, I’m that crazy.

So, it’s a bit bittersweet to see him celebrating his third birthday already. He’s grown so fast!

You can wish him a happy birthday on the National Zoo’s Website. Below are a few of my favorite photos of Tai from the National Zoo Wallpaper collection. To see all of the wallpapers and download your own, donate! It’d be the best birthday present little Tai Shan could ever ask for. (Besides a healthy little brother or sister!)

From an AP article:

WASHINGTON (AP) – The National Zoo says panda mother Mei Xiang (may-SHONG) is showing a spike in hormone levels, a sign that she might be pregnant again.

But there’s no reliable pregnancy test for pandas, and this could be a false alarm.

Mei Xiang was artificially inseminated in March with semen from Tian Tian (tee-YEN tee-YEN), the zoo’s male giant panda. Test results Thursday indicate Mei Xiang will either give birth or come to the end of a false pregnancy in mid- to late-July.

Oh how I hope this is true. The entire reason I fell completely in love with pandas was because of the Panda Cam at the National Zoo. I drove across the country, alone, to see Tai Shan on his first birthday. And before you think I’m completely insane, I did actually go to see the sites in DC and have a lovely vacation as well, not just to celebrate a panda’s 1st birthday. (Or at least that’s what I tell people. )

How exciting! I hope Tai Shan gets a new little brother or sister! Eeeep!