Our 20 Week Ultrasound: June 29, 2012

We had our 20-week ultrasound a little early as we had a change in insurance, but that didn't make it any less exciting. We decided to wait to find out the sex of Brendan's little brother or sister until he or she arrives. Though Ryan would have liked to know, he was ok with going along with my wishes to wait. And I couldn't be more excited. I can't wait until he (or she) gets here so we can find out! It makes delivery day that much more exciting. Everything looked great in the ultrasound. The baby is measuring good (a little big but that's nothing to worry about this early) and all of his/her little organs are functioning perfectly. We cannot wait to meet this new little one, and to add him/her to our family. Here are some of our favorite pics from the ultrasound:

This is a profile shot of Brendan's little brother or sister.

Here the image is looking down at the face. You can also see the little hands in this one.

And this one is my favorite. He (or she) is showing off the little foot.

Brendan's 1st Camping & Trout Fishing Trip: June 21-22, 2012

Now that he is a big 4-year-old, we decided that Brendan was finally ready for his 1st family camping and trout-fishing trip. He was so excited! We took him to Bennett Springs Trout Park as it is one of our favorite locations, and we were not disappointed. Brendan was able to pull in his first fish, and he almost hooked and pulled one in on his own (it got away at the last second...little rascal). He helped Daddy set up the tent, slept in his own sleeping bag, and was able to roast hot dogs over the open fire. We only stayed one night, but it went so well that we might even try for two next year! Another family tradition is started.

Brendan and Daddy set up our tent.

Daddy's first catch of the weekend.

Roasting hot dogs.

Brendan waits for the morning horn.

Though hooked by Daddy, this was the first fish that Brendan has ever landed. He was so excited!

Pool Time

This summer, Brendan has been a little fish! Last summer he had swimming lessons and it seems that they're starting to pay off. Though he can't swim on his own, without the help of water-wings, he's been brave enough to venture out on his own in the swimming pool (something he would not have tried prior to the lessons). A friend of Aunt Jess has let us come in on her apartment complex pool, so we spent many a super-hot summer day there. On this day, Aunt Jess brought her camera so we have some cool pictures of what he can do.

Swimming alone on the kick board.

Catching some rays with Mommy.

Climbing out of the pool by himself.

Noodle swimming.

Playing pool basketball.

Jumping in by himself!

Brendan's 4th Birthday Party: June 9, 2012

Our little man is 4!!!! Can you believe it?! This year he was really into Super Heroes, and we decided to make a super hero theme for his birthday party. I did a lot of online searching for ideas to come up with this one. We basically pretended that each of the kids were super heroes being tested to become a part of the Super Hero Academy. They started by making their own capes & picking out a mask.

Brendan makes his cape.

The finished product: the Bionic Birthday Boy, Brendan!

They then proceeded to prove how powerful they were at the "Mighty Muscles" station.

Next the super heroes had to prove they had the balance to walk across the "Lava Pit."

The next task was to show their bravery by crawling into the "Bat Cave" and retrieving the kryptonite (light sticks).

At the "Vaporize a Villian" station, the super heroes had to prove that they had what it takes to take down the scariest of villians. This was the favorite activity, by far, thanks to our villian Uncle Shane.

Next the super heroes-in-training were to use their "Magnificent Minds" to guess the amount of candy in some candy jars. The parents got to join in in this one, to guess the larger jar of candy's contents.

In the final test of our super heroes abilities, they had to "Leap Buildings in a Single Bound."

After completing all the training and tasks, each child was asked to choose a super hero name, and were given a graduation certificate from the Super Hero Academy. They all seemed to have so much fun, especially Brendan. As we were at the park, they were able to play on the playground. We enjoyed pizzas and a wonderful cake from Cousin Brandy. So much fun! And Brendan has not stopped talking about super heroes since.

The big 4-year-old makes a wish.

Our helpers in their awesome Super Hero Academy shirts.

For all the pictures of the party scroll to the bottom of the blog. For the inspiration for most of the ideas, check out the following websites: http://designergirl007.typepad.com/designergirl007/2009/02/superhero-birthday-party.html and http://www.ambrosiagirl.com/blog/dax-and-kais-superhero-party/