WASHINGTON (CBSDC) — The National Zoo’s newest addition is popping up and saying ‘hi.’

The newborn panda cub delighted Panda Cam viewers Thursday morning as it squealed while its mother, Mei Xiang, picked it up and began grooming it.

Zookeepers say the cub’s activity and vocalizations are positive signs that it is healthy.

Meanwhile, like any mother, Mei Xiang is sleeping for brief periods in between grooming and nursing sessions.

The zoo is working diligently to keep disturbances around the panda den to a minimum.

Zoologists are actively studying the cub’s interactions with its mother in hopes of better understanding the panda’s reproductive physiology.