For the last few months, we have observed as a very diligent robin built a very picture-perfect nest above our gutter on our house. Being the kind and compassionate human beings that we are, we allow Regina (named such by yours truly) to cohabitate with us peacefully and refrain from disturbing her from her work. Once she realized we are in fact not going to come at her home with the business end of a broom, she became more comfortable with us and even stopped flying away in a panic whenever we opened the front door. We realized at some point that she must have been sitting on some eggs that she’d laid, since more often we began to notice her just chillin’ in the nest all day. But I missed the opportunity to see the pretty robin’s-egg-blue we always hear about. (I kept meaning to grab a ladder and instagram all over that.) I know this because today, I looked up to the nest (as I usually do to see if Regina is there and promptly greet her) to find a little beak wide open and reaching to the sky! A real life baby bird waiting for his mama to bring her back a worm. Little buddy was so cute I had to try to capture this moment. And welcome him into the world. That is the picture you see above. He moved his head so slowly and sweetly! [But also in a way that reminded me of an anamatronic figure on the sidelines of a 40-year-old water ride at Disney World.] I’m no ornithologist, but I’m fairly certain he had to have been hatched within the last 24 hours. We also noticed a new sibling on our way out the door tonight! So we are now the proud roommates of a full-blown family of robins. There you have it. The circle of life unfolds right before your very eyes.