Summer Activities

So my post is a tad lengthy. Partly due to the fact that I have written several posts lately, saved them as drafts, and then by the time I get back to them again, it has been a couple of weeks and I practically need to start over. But it's also partly due to me just naturally making long posts. So I TRIED to keep text short with more pictures this time. I don't know that I really succeeded... but eh. That's the way it is! :)

We're making new friends here in St. Louis. Koen gets very excited to get together with others, but often informs us shortly before meeting up with them, that he will be shy. And he definitely is! Koen will not say a word and will look down at the ground for a good while. He may try to look up occasionally without actually moving his head, but if he has a blanket, he will hide underneath for invisible protection.

We went bike riding with some friends a while back and the water was too tempting to pass up. We don't normally let Koen parade around in nothing more than a diaper... but our water play was more of a spur of the moment plan and we didn't have other clothing or swimwear available.

We've been entertaining ourselves by visiting the zoo and Grant's Farm regularly. Seeing fun animals for free doesn't get old. We saw the small animals and elephant shows at Grant's Farm for the first time and we loved them. The elephant especially loved showing off for us and we especially enjoyed it too. :)

Our first time riding the train at the zoo.

A new sea lion exhibit was recently opened at the zoo, which included a see-through, underwater tunnel. It was pretty cool, and both times we've seen it, the sea lions haven't been too shy to give us a show.

 This isn't from the tunnel, but from another area that lets us watch them under water.

We also got to visit the Magic House, a children's museum, some time ago. Jon and Koen worked on their first car together.

We are so excited to meet our coming babe and to watch Koen's interaction with them. I think (not sure due to bad memory) this baby is moving quite a bit more than Koen did. The rib jabs and funny big rolls aren't uncommon. This week I have begun to feel my breathing feeling more restricted because of how the baby is. When I bend over to put shoes on, my belly now feels pretty squashed sometimes. Koen informed me the other day that he was going to be gentle and soft with Baby Williams. I am so excited to watch him love on this little baby! I am now 25 weeks along and Baby is supposedly around 13 1/2 inches long already. We should be meeting our new addition in about 15 weeks!!!

This is at 24 weeks. Please excuse my pulled back, just out of the shower hair.

Jon has been super busy at work lately and will continue to be so for a while longer. He's loving it though and feels he has a great job. He's recently started his second semester of classes for his masters. Jon is working super hard right now doing so many things all at once. I have no doubt that time will be flying by for him but hope that it doesn't get overwhelming for him either. He's such a hard worker!

Koen is making us laugh more and more with the phrases of ours that he's starting to use. Earlier, he said to me, "Come on slow poke." He sometimes calls Jon and I 'baby' and says, "Thanks Baby" or "Here you go Baby". We can't help but laugh and then try to remind him that only Mom and Dad call each other 'baby', and that he should call us Mom or Dad.
Some of Koen's favorite games right now are wrestling with us on our bed, hiding under his blankets with us, and pretending to be the tickle monster as he walks around with his blanket over him and his arms sticking out. He LOVES to tickle! Jon recently taught Koen how to be a zombie, and Koen also loves to chase us as a zombie. It's funny to watch. :)
Koen is also very much afraid of bugs. A year ago or so, Koen didn't have any issue with bugs until we came across one on a window in a restaurant we were in and he FREAKED out unlike we had ever seen before. And now, he continues to be extremely nervous around them and scared. A fly buzzing around will make him cry if he is not rescued quickly enough.

We are keeping ourselves very busy this summer. All of our activity is helping us wear out Koen during the days as you can see in this picture where he fell asleep before finishing dinner. This has happened a couple times lately.

We hope you are all doing well and staying cool this summer!