Two weeks of fun with Dad

Shawn sent me this photo taken this morning at the Ballard Locks. It's his last day off work today and he took Max out for a special morning. Max got the kids Grand Slam breakfast at the Hi-Life (Pancakes, eggs, bacon and OJ!) and then they went to run around at the Locks, one of Max's favorite outings. They are on the bus on the way home now so I'm attempting to crank out a quick blog entry before they get here and before Alice wakes up. It's been really great having Shawn home for the past 2 weeks and we are going to miss him very much!
He has taken Max out almost every morning for some special Max and Daddy time at parks and the zoo, and it's given me really valuable time to recuperate at home and bond with sweet little Alice.
The photo above was taken on her third day. She's 2 weeks old today and already noticeably more chubby and longer. It's amazing how fast newborns grow. I'm taking some quiet time this morning for myself. I've had a cup of coffee and baked up a batch of chocolate chip muffins, and done some reflecting on my parenting skills, both my weak and strong points. I'm going to try and breathe deep these next few weeks while I adjust to mothering 2 kids on my own during the day and hope that I can find the patience I need when Max is in a challenging mood. He is a sweet little boy, he's just 2, which includes a lot of hugs, and a lot of testing limits (throwing toys, screaming in the house, and jumping on the bed --all on the "No" list in our house). We are thrilled that he has been so sweet to his new sister. He loves to hold her, and give hugs and kisses. She is a very mellow baby, a good sleeper and eater, a better sleeper than Max, thankfully :). More pictures coming soon.