16 weeks

I turned 16 weeks pregnant on July 20. Being pregnant the second time around is definitely different for me. I feel like time is just going by so fast...chasing around a 21 month old does that to you I guess:) I have all these feelings about being a mother again - nervousness because of having to take care of 2 children when I am so used to 1, excitment because I cannot wait to have a newborn to adore, and curiousity because I am so excited to see how Ella is as a big sister and to discover the mystery of how I could possibly love 2 children when I feel like I couldn't possibly love Ella any more or share that love with anyone else. I know that it will happen the moment I lay eyes on my baby and I am just thrilled to experience that amount of love! It is interesting going into motherhood for the second time because I already know the pregnancy process and what it is like to be a mother but I know that each and every day I learn more and can't wait to see what little Baby K has in store to teach me:)


The last couple of weeks has been difficult pregnancy-wise with not feeling very well...exhaustion would the best word to describe it. I am not throwing up or having nausea exactly, but feeling miserably tired in the afternoon and evening. I try to rest a little bit when Ella naps the days I am home and it usually helps - it is just unreal to me how being tired can be so overwhelming! I know it could be much worse so I don't want to dwell on it and hopefully soon I will start regaining energy as my second trimester goes on. At this point I have not felt any fluttering or kicking but I am so excited because I know that it is just around the corner! This is not my favorite picture but here is what my 16 week belly looks like!

"Great" Grandparents!

In the last month we have had some fun moments with Ella's "great"-grandparents...

Brad's Grandpa and Grandma Essenburg camp quite often during the summer and we usually go and visit them at the beach when they do. This time we had a picnic supper on the channel and spent a nice evening chatting with them at their camper. Ella just loves them and has them right around her little finger:)
We also had the pleasure to go out on Brad's Grandpa Koning's boat on Lake Mac and have a floating "picnic" supper and enjoy a beautiful evening on the water. Ella loved the boat and had fun playing on it and looking for ducks and other birds on the lake. Grandpa was a great host and it was so relaxing going through the channel and getting a tour of Lake Macatawa.

Friends on the Farm

My dear friend from college, Julie, was in town from California and I was able to spend time with her while she was home. She invited Ella and I to come to her in-laws farm to see the animals. Since Ella is totally into farm animals right now, it was the perfect playdate! It was a great morning catching up and watching our girls play together. Although it never feels like enough time, I felt blessed to have the chance to see her and get to know her girls! Ella and the pigs - she didn't really know what she thought of them at first, but in the end petted them....quickly and walked away.

Eva (Julie's daughter), Liv (Julie's niece) and Ella checking out the chickens

Ella and the cows

Ella and Eva by the chicken coop

Getting a close up look at the chickens

...and petting them!

"Goats!"

I had to include this picture of baby Sofia - what a gorgeous little girl!

Love you Julie and hope to see you again soon!

Weekend in Cadillac

For the last 27 years my family has rented a cottage in Cadillac on Lake Mitchell. Over the years it has changed from all my extended family staying for the week to my parents and my aunt and uncle staying up there with the kids trying really hard to come and visit for as long as they can. I wish I could have stayed there longer this year, but at least I was able to stay up there for a couple of days with Ella. The cottage holds so many special memories for me with my family and especially my cousins. This year was an absolute joy for me because my cousin Angie and her hubby was there with their son Andrew and Ella had a blast playing with him...she called him "the boy". I tried the whole time for her to call him anything resembling Andrew but "the boy" was all we got:) It was a great weekend just hanging out with my family, going out for breakfast, playing in the water, and sitting in the sun...oh yeah, and generally chasing around Ella:) It was a little challenging because Ella and I slept in an open loft above the family room and so Ella was up really late until like 11:00/11:30pm, it was super hot weather with no AC, and I was very exhausted because of the being pregnant, it was all so worth it to be there one more year! Ella and Andrew spent a ton of time in this turtle pool together

What a cheese-ball!

They dumped lots of water on each other!

Little mini-me's of Angie and I:)

Andrew is just so darn adorable - how can you not smile when you see him?

Laughing with Grandpa!

My Dad (and Uncle Rog) fishing

One time Ella went in the lake and I decided not to use a swimming diaper...boy, I never knew how much those diapers could expand...had to get a shot of her bubble butt:)

Uncle Rog, Ella, Grandma and Grandpa enjoying the beautiful day on the dock

Ella chillin' with Grandpa and Grandma

Ella swinging with cousin Carley and Grandma

The family hanging out on the deck - Chris, Ben, Kevin, Sara, Andrew and Angie

Carley and Ella

Ella and Andrew being goofy

Ben, Uncle Rog, Ross and Reed during our corn hole/bean bag tournaments

Chris and Ella tickling each other

Angie, Uncle Rog, Ben, Mom and Dad

Ella enjoying being a water rat one more time before we left

Too cute not to include:)

Andrew, Angie, Ella and Jill

Grandma, Ella and Grandpa

A Visit to the Fountain

One day Ella and I spent the morning walking around downtown Holland because it was so gorgeous out. I took along Ella's swimsuit just in case she showed interest in the fountain...well, of course she couldn't pass up the opportunity to run around and get wet. We quickly changed in the car and off she went. I work in the building right next to the fountain area and it is always so cute seeing all the kids running through the fountains so it was fun seeing Ella do the same!

Up North on the Fourth

We had a really nice weekend up north over the 4th of July- just kicked back and relaxed with the fam. Did a little playing on the beach, a little laying in the sun, a little boating, a little swimming and a little family bonding.

Ella and Grandpa hanging out by the campfire

Brad, Ella, and I on the boat at the fireworks on the lake. When the fireworks started to go off she was absolutely freaked out and acted like she almost wanted to climb right out of the boat but as they went on and we reassured her it was ok, she really thought they were cool and would say "wow" and "boom". After a few minutes went by though she fell dead asleep - go figure:)

Ella with her Aunties - Betsy & Kylee

Great Grandpa Essenburg and Ella taking a dip in the lake

Grandma, Uncle Dick, and Aunt Vicki lounging in the sun

Didn't want to leave the water even for her snack:)

Learning to jump into the water to Daddy

Kylee and Drew tubing

Ella trying to catch frogs on the beach with Grandpa