Mother’s Day at CSNW is always bittersweet (see J.B.’s fantastic blog post on this topic here). In addition to honoring motherhood, we celebrate Jody’s birthday on this holiday in tribute to the nine babies she had during her time in laboratories. Unfortunately, Jody (like most lab chimp moms) wasn’t allowed to raise her babies; they were taken from her immediately after birth and put into research themselves. Had Jody been a wild chimpanzee, she would have been inseparable from her children for their first five years of life. While we can’t make up for what Jody has endured in her past, we can and do celebrate her today.

Since Jody is all about comfort, her birthday parties usually include mountains of fluffy blankets and fresh straw to nest with.

Jody also loves to eat flowers, so Debbie and volunteer caregiver Stephanie brought lilacs from their gardens.

Jody spent about twenty minutes lying on her back in this nest and holding these lilacs over her head, plucking flowers with her lips like they were grapes.

The rest of the CSNW mamas enjoyed the day, too. Annie loved the lilacs.

Missy’s day was all about adventure, as most of her days are.

Foxie spent the day with her Dora the Explorer and troll dolls.

And Negra enjoyed some quiet solitude.

Happy Mother’s Day to all moms, and happy 38th birthday to the best Jody we know.