Paternity Leave

Oh, I'm SO thankful for paternity leave! While it is a great time for David to bond with Emily, it has also been instrumental in keeping mommy sane during this time of recovery and transition! We have been keeping busy these past four weeks. Here are a few things we've been up to that didn't make it to it's own post...

David and grandma took Ethan and Katelyn to the Safari park our first week home, while I stayed home with Emily and rested.

Animal time!

Checking out the elephants while eating a "grandma bar".

The next week they went to the zoo together! Emily and I still stayed behind because it was too much walking for me at the time.

Eager to see some animals!

Checking out the elephants with grandma. We like our elephants!

I have been wanting to check out Java Mama for a long time, and we finally did...

Ethan really enjoyed playing in the house and meeting new friends to play with.

Katelyn had a great time playing with the kitchen on the second floor of the play house.

We were able to join our play group for a play date at Art Soup (thankfully David agreed to join us because that was the only way it was going to happen)...

Painting a VW bug!

Forget the paintbrush, it's even more fun using our hands!

But what is even more fun is washing our hands!

Concentrating hard at writing on the easel.

Ethan thought it was hilarious to erase daddy's writings.

Daddy and our artists!

We also had a visit from Uncle Dan and Aunt Kari...

Poor Uncle Dan was sabotaged because he got to hold Emily right as she was getting hungry.

David did spend some of his time working on projects that had been piling up...

 Safety first!

 Ready to help daddy!

One day David had a great idea to go to Queen Califia's Magical Circle Garden, since he had never been there before...

 The huge centerpiece of the garden with Ethan in the picture for reference.

Snuggling together under the bird.

Ethan and Katelyn had a great time running around the maze entrance. 

 Can you find Ethan?

  

Emily also enjoyed the fresh air!

We went to Sea World a few times, once for David's work party, and another time to enjoy our new season passes...

Definitely cannot pass up an opportunity to drive!

We found this great little garden area which the kids enjoyed exploring for a long time!

Petting the bat rays with daddy!

Ethan joining in the fun!

Block play!

Ethan and I climbed the cargo nets for the first time and he enjoyed running across the bridges.

We visited the Air and Space Museum and the Automotive Museum... I love free Tuesdays at Balboa Park!

Looking at the planes with daddy!

Flying the helicopter!

Cheese!

Cars everywhere!

Daddy and his girls.

Ethan loved checking out all the cars! He enjoyed it so much that he went back in the museum with daddy after our picnic lunch!

An old college friend of ours got married and we had a fun time at her wedding...

I love seeing Ethan all dressed up!

Katelyn picked out her own dress, as she told me "Don't like it" after I put on the dress I had picked out for her. She picked a good one!

The highlight of course was the dancing!

David spent most of his time with Ethan and Katelyn, but did sneak in a few Emily snuggles...

Snuggling with Emily and Katelyn.

This was definitely a cherished time of bonding for all of us!