February 4, 1920 - June 15, 2016

Those dates symbolize a long and beautiful life that my grandpa lived.
1920 - 2016 ** 96 years! I can only imagine all of the changes that my grandpa got to see in his lifetime!
Last Wednesday was definitely a hard day for my family because we had to say goodbye to a man that had built a legacy! Look at this family...

This photo was taken YEARS ago! I don't know the exact date, but I'm the little girl in the polka dot shorts, so I can only guess that I'm in lower elementary school. I am the youngest of my cousins and now most of my cousins are married and have 1 to 5 kids. So this picture was really just the start of our huge family!

Peter Anthony (Tony) Weller, 96, a resident of Holland, died Wednesday, June 15, 2016 at home. He was born February 4, 1920 at home in Holland, to Peter and Huberdina Weller.
After graduating from Holland High School, his love of airplanes led him to earn a bachelor's degree in aeronautical engineering at the University of Michigan. While in college, he met Evelyn Mulder, also from Holland, and they were married on November 27, 1943. His career took him to Bay City, Syracuse, NY, Detroit, Dover, NH, and Rockford, IL, working in aeronautics, air conditioning, automotives, and tool and die. An even more significant aspect of his life was his commitment to Jesus Christ which began early in his marriage, mainly through watching Evelyn's life of faith. He was very involved in music and youth work in the local church wherever they lived. As a member of Beechwood Church for the past 26 years, he was active in sharing his faith with others.
He was a loving husband and father to the 5 children with whom God blessed him and enjoyed community activities, especially after retirement. He was very involved in HASP (Hope Academy of Senior Professionals), Evergreen Tulip Time Luncheon Show, SCORE, tutoring in schools and most recently, presenting his own musical programs in various retirement and nursing homes, as well as hosting recitals by young musicians at his home.
He was preceded in death by his wife of 69 years, Evelyn Weller; 2 brothers, John of Jenison, and Peter Jr. of Ft. Collins, CO; and a grandson, David Martin of Syracuse, NY. He is survived by children, Susan and Norm Kapp of Carol Stream, IL, Nancy and John Black of Wheaton, IL, John and Diane Weller of Tulsa, OK, Frederick and Jan Weller of Plymouth, and Sally and Bob Martin of Shrewsbury, MA; as well as 13 grandchildren; and 13 great grandchildren. He is also survived by one brother, Hubert (Herb) and Ann Weller of Holland; a sister-in-law, Jennie Weller of Colorado; 5 nephews and nieces, and several cousins.
Visitation will be at Langeland Sterenberg Funeral Home, 315 E. 16th St., Holland, MI on Monday, June 20, 2016 from 5-8 p.m. A memorial service is being planned for late July at the Beechwood Church. Memorial gifts may be directed to: Resthaven, Hospice of Holland, Beechwood Church Mission Fund, "Dr. John Mulder" Memorial Scholarship Fund at Hope College, "The Weller Family Scholarship Fund" at Wheaton College in Illinois, or "Tony and Evelyn Weller Community Fund" at Community Foundation of Holland/Zeeland. 

I loved the words my cousin Nancy wrote the day he passed away: I can imagine my grandfather singing How Great Thou Art as he entered into glory this morning - with the full strength of his beautiful tenor voice and renewed use of his lungs. A month ago, I had the privilege of sitting with him and talking through what we anticipated was coming - it's a moment I'll cherish always - he was looking at it as yet another move, like he & my grandmother had done so much in their married life - just another move. He wasn't attached to this world though he fought the good fight for 96 years and left a tremendous legacy - a family who loves him dearly, a legacy of faith, of love for one another, of hope and determination (sometimes referred to as stubbornness) - he was afterall 100% Dutch and we love him, delightful quirks and all! 

The last couple months my grandpa's health had taken a turn for the worse and we were really hoping to see him at the end of July for our annual family reunion. Thankfully, everyone in my family is still planning to attend the family reunion and at that time we will get to celebrate my grandpa's life. I am so glad that I had 28 years with him even though we have always lived states away. He is someone that loved the Lord above all else and he had a selfless love for my grandmother, which has always been a great example to me and my whole family. We love you grandpa and miss you dearly!

June 15th was also a tough day because one of my best friends would have been celebrating her 29th birthday. Emily, I miss you dearly and think of you often! I miss hearing your loud laugh and getting caught up on OSU sports lingo so I can sound impressive when Trevor talks to me about sports! LOVE YOU!

All About the Third Trimester

3^rd TRIMESTER OVERVIEW!

You can read about the 1st Trimester here

You can read about the 2nd Trimester here

April 14^th – June 15th Since 37 weeks is technically "full term", I decided to go ahead and do the 3^rd trimester post over week 28-37. I’ll post about the last couple weeks later. 

Baby Size: 28 – Eggplant, 29 – Acron Squash, 30 – Zucchini, 31 – Asparagus, 32 – Squash, 33 – Celery, 34 – Butternut Squash, 35 – Pineapple, 36 – Papaya, 37 – Romaine Lettuce. It went from 14.8 inches and 2.5 pounds to 18.9 inches and 6.5 pounds. 

My Symptoms:

Week 28 and 29 - There have definitely been a couple changes that I can totally tell I am in the 3^rd trimester. I have shortness of breath, especially when I am trying to sing an up-tempo song. Climbing stairs is another task that just takes my breath away, but I refuse to take the elevator at work! I have also noticed that when I sit for a long period of time, when I get up, it is almost hard to walk for a moment because there seems to be so much pressure on my pelvic bone. It is really uncomfortable for a couple minutes, but then everything kind of evens out and I feel fine.        

Week 30 and 31 – Same as before, but now add a little heartburn. I really have not experienced heartburn before and I can say that it is really no fun!

Week 32 and 33 – Same symptoms as the last few weeks, shortness of breath when singing, but now it’s basically all the time, not just during an up-tempo song! Heartburn is getting worse. I’m trying to eat smaller meals but more frequent, and it seems to help a little. The baby seems really low, so I feel like I am walking a little different, which is causing my back to hurt a little more than usual. I also notice some swelling in my hands and feet. If I’m outside for any length of time it is hard to get my rings off.

Week 34 – Along with all of the other symptoms, I have also noticed that it is getting more and more uncomfortable to sleep. I can’t pinpoint exactly what it is, but every time I move, I wake up.

Week 35 – I have officially given up wearing my wedding ring in fear I won’t be able to get it off. I started having some cramps, kind of like a period and I was told those are contractions. I always thought they would be more painful, but I know this is just the beginning.

Week 36 and 37 – The cramps are getting a little worse. One night they woke me up because they was so uncomfortable, but for the most part, they haven’t been bad. I am also really hot! It’s miserable to be outside because it’s hot and humid. Sometimes the top of my ribs, below my bra strap feels numb. If I move positions it usually goes away, but it’s an odd feeling.

Weight:

At the beginning of my 2^nd trimester, I was up 2 and ½ pounds from my starting point.

At the beginning of my 3^rd trimester, I was up 17 pounds from my starting point.

Week 28 – up 20 pounds from original

Week 30 – up 19 pounds from original. I was a little nervous when my first glucose test came back not normal and possibly gestational diabetes, so I must have cut out the sweets for a few days which led to a little weight loss. Thankfully my second glucose test came back perfect.

Week 31 – up 23 pounds from original. That number looked a little scary! We had teacher appreciation week this week and there was a plethora of sweets available all week, so I probably went a little overboard. I will definitely be cutting back sweets for awhile!

Week 32 – up 21 pounds from original

Week 33 – up 25 pounds from original

Week 34 – up 27 pounds from original

Week 35 – up 30 pounds from original

Week 36 – up 29 pounds from original. I was in a fitbit challenge this week with my brother and future sister-in-law and I literally walked more steps in a week than I ever have, so I’m assuming the weight loss was from that.

Week 37 - up 29 pounds from original

Gender: BOY!!! - We just couldn't wait! During week 31, May 9th, we were scheduled to get an ultrasound. We hadn't had one since week 20, so it had been almost 12 weeks. I really thought we would leave the doctor with some sweet pictures of its face, but s/he was being stubborn and wouldn't show us anything. So we left with no pictures. When we were waiting on the doctor we just started talking about the gender and maybe wanting to know, but we kept saying no! Prior to the doctors appointment when we were in the car we were kind of joking about finding out the gender, but it was all fun and games. At one point while waiting on the doctor we had just talked about it too much and there was no turning back! I was also a little sad when we didn't get any pictures of it's face, so I was instantly back excited when we officially decided to ask the doctor what the gender was. We asked our doctor if she knew what we were having and she said no. No one had written it down since we didn't want to know. We had to go back in the ultrasound room and get another ultrasound so we could find out the gender! And it was a BOY! We also got some neat pictures of HIS sweet face! I left so excited! I just knew it was a boy. Before we were even pregnant, I prayed that we would have a boy first, because I knew that's what Trevor really wanted, and goodness, he answers even silly prayers like that!

Maternity Clothes:

Week 28 through 32 - Maternity clothes all the way. Most of my shirts fit fine, they just look a little shorter, maternity pants are the only things that work right now. I am definitely feeling bigger and bigger each day.     

Week 33 - At this point, some of the maternity clothes are even uncomfortable. I prefer dresses as they don't put any pressure on my stomach. Most of my shorts/pants are pretty comfortable, but if I sit for any length of time, especially when eating, it starts to hurt my stomach. Tops are getting a little more challenging, as I just feel large at this point.  

Week 34 - When I’m home I’m just in whatever is comfortable and when we go out, I have just been wearing the same outfits because everything is just a little uncomfortable at this point. I try to come up with something creative for church, so I don’t wear the same things each week, but that is getting a bit challenging.

Week 35 through 37 - When I wear jeans, I’m SUPER HOT and the band eventually hurts my stomach. When I wear shorts, the band eventually hurts my stomach. When I wear a dress, I feel like there is no support and my legs are a little larger, so my legs rub together and it’s not exactly comfortable when it’s really hot outside. But, we are making it work! I like wearing Trevor’s under shirts; they are soft, large and a thin fabric so I don’t get too hot.

Movement:

Week 28 through 33 – Constantly! :) I can see it moving almost all day, not sure of any specific body parts though. And I can feel him/her moving all the time!

Week 34 through 37 – Constantly! :) This might be my favorite part about being pregnant. It's just a really neat feeling that I think I will miss once Baby M makes his appearance into this world. I can’t pick out body parts yet, but it is weird when he is mostly on one side. Your stomach looks all deformed. It is crazy! Hiccups are probably the most annoying part. I feel exhausted for the little guy!

Sleep:

Week 28 through 30 - Sleeping okay. A little restless, but nothing too major. I am missing sleeping on my stomach, I am almost always on my left side and it is causing some cramps in my neck. So for now it’s hard to turn my head very far to the left during the day. I also have to pee at least once during the night. It's either around midnight, which is fine, or it's about an hour before my alarm goes off, which always makes the morning a little brutal! 

Week 31 and 32 - Sleep is becoming a little more difficult. It's hard to roll over and I always wake up when I'm trying to roll over. I am also going pee about 2 times a night which makes it hard to get in a deep sleep.  

Week 33 - Sleep is okay. I get up a couple nights to pee and I find myself on my back several times during the night. I usually wake up because it's hard to breath and have to roll over. I also had terrible heartburn on the 24^th, so it was hard to fall asleep because I was hurting. I used our big euro pillow to somewhat prop myself up for most of the night, but it was a rough night's sleep.

Week 34 and 35 – Same as last week, but I’m thankful that when I do have to get up, I can get back to sleep pretty quickly.

Week 36 and 37 – Usually getting up 2 to 3 times a night now. Again, it’s pretty easy to fall back asleep, but I don’t think I’m getting the deep sleep I need because I have been craving some naps during the day.

Cravings: ICE! I seriously just eat ice all day long. We have made our fair share of trips to the snow cone stands around BA and Tulsa!

Week 32 - my dad brought home Mackinac Island Fudge ice cream from Michigan, so I have definitely been having some of that in the evenings! I’m really trying to stay away from sweets, but I only get this ice cream maybe once every year or two, so I’m going to indulge myself!  

Week 33 - I really wanted Pei Wei for about 2 weeks, but after I got my fix, I was good.

Week 34 and 36 – I wanted Firehouse Subs which is a little bizarre because I have not wanted a sandwich during this whole pregnancy because that is all I ate for lunch before I got pregnant.

Work Outs:  

I am determined to walk this baby out right now!

Week 28 through 33 – These weeks I was still in school, I was leading at church 2 services and background vocals 4 services and leading Switch on Wednesday. I was just trying to keep my head above water to be honest. I was pretty determined to get my 10,000 steps each day, but when I didn’t achieve that, I didn’t really care because I was just so tired! I was just so busy; my mind was always running a million miles a minute. We also had quite a bit of rain, so it was hard to even take the pups on a walk.

Week 34 – Summer has begun! I usually take the pups on a walk on a daily basis, which has been a little tricky because of all the rain, but we manage to get at least a small walk in every day. Determined to get my 10,000 steps in.

Week 35 - I have been in a fitbit challenge with Trevor, my brother and future sister in law, so I have been getting my daily quota of steps every day. I have been waking up about 7 and taking Winston on a walk behind our house and then taking Whiskey on a walk in our neighborhood, so I usually try and rack up my steps in the morning and then get gradual steps throughout the day. I usually feel better when I’m up and walking. Sitting makes it hard to breath and just isn’t comfortable after a while.

Week 36 and 37 – Same as week 35, however it’s getting hotter and hotter outside, so I am now waking up around 6 to take the pups on a walk. My feet and back are hurting more and more, but I usually feel better when I’m walking than when I’m sitting. We have been in a fitbit challenge, so I am determined to exceed my daily quota!

Best Pregnancy Moment:

Week 28 - This is really the first week that several people at church approached me and said they could finally tell I was pregnant. At this point, I'm glad people realize I'm pregnant and not just gaining weight!    

Week 29 - Celebrating Trevor's birthday. We just had a cookout with his family and then hung out with neighbors and grilled some steaks for dinner.

Week 30 - Nothing too big happened this week. We got to tour the hospital this week and we went to a newborn 101 class. Neither were very informative, but we did get a little bit of good information.

Week 31 - Seeing the ultrasound and finding out the gender!!!!

Week 32 - Telling our parents the gender! J

Week 33 - This has been an exciting week!! I just had the best time ever at the baby shower that Cassie, Andrea, Katy and Nichole threw for me. About 20-22 people came and it was just so much fun getting to celebrate Baby M. My friends are seriously so generous. We got so much stuff that we truly needed! After the shower we decided to get serious about the nursery. Since we know the gender, it has been so much fun! Each night Trevor has been hanging shelves/pictures/etc. I have been slowly getting stuff put away and everything is really coming together. I can't wait to see the finished project.

Week 34 - Just getting the nursery set up. Trevor and I both have been getting crafty this week. Trevor has been hanging shelves and building the crib mobile, I have been getting everything organized, picking out curtains and painting the dresser. It has been so much fun watching everything come together! Baby M, we are READY FOR YOU!!! My sister-in-law also took maternity photos of me and Trevor this past weekend. I absolutely LOVE how they turned out!

Week 35 - I think the nursery is DONE! Hallelujah! I absolutely LOVE it!! I love being in his room, and I think the pups do too. Sometimes we just go and sit in there and embrace it! We also had an ultrasound this week and it’s so cool to be able to see him in 4D! I don’t exactly know who is going to look like, but I’m just obsessed with that sweet face! His foot was up by his face in every picture we got, SO SWEET!

Week 36 - On June 10^th I walked more steps than I have ever taken since owning my fitbit…I know that’s not that exciting, but I think it’s pretty cool that I took 22,000 steps in one day being 36 weeks pregnant. Trevor’s work also threw us a baby shower and they were so sweet! We had the biggest cake I have ever seen and I was just overwhelmed by their generosity. It’s so cool how many people have helped us prepare for this little baby. So exciting!

Thoughts: Whoa, we are getting close! I am so excited to meet him and I am so excited for this new journey that Trevor and I will be on. I am ready to show this sweet baby off and just be a mom. I cannot believe how fast this pregnancy has gone! Baby Morris will be here before we know it! We are so excited to meet him!

Summertime!

"What have you been up to today?" is a question I get often, whether from Trevor or friends or family and the answer is, I have no idea! The day goes fast, I'm not sitting and doing nothing, actually I'm really busy, but I have no idea where the day goes! Here is what I've come up with.

I've done LOTS of sewing. I absolutely LOVE sewing, but I rarely have much time for it during the school year. 

Burp rags for a friend.

More burp rags for a friend 

Burp rags and cute bandana bibs for a friend.

Insulated casserole dish carrying case for a friend from Trevor's work 

A curtain for Baby M's room

I had to make some bandana bibs for Baby M!

And I love that cute dog fabric so much that I had to make this for Baby M as well! 

I told you...I have been busy sewing! Trevor thinks I need to open a shop on etsy or something. It might be something I consider after baby is born. I need a name though...any suggestions??

We have been going on LOTS AND LOTS of walks. It has slowly gotten really hot, so we have to wake up early and go right away. If Trevor is home, he usually goes with us and we take one long walk. If Trevor is at work, then I will take Winston on a walk and then take Whiskey on a walk. It's hard to have both dogs at the same time. Just a little chaotic. We have also been in a fitbit challenge with my brother and sister-in-law, so we have been determined to WIN! Last Friday I went about 22,000 steps to try and beat Trevor, but he outdid me with 30,000 in a day! I think for the week I had the highest I've ever had with 85,000 steps just from Monday to Friday! I'm hoping to walk this baby out!

I am slowly getting larger and larger...it's been kind of nice not having to worry about that perfect summer body because we all know that's not happening this year! HA! 

33 weeks 5 days

34 weeks

34 weeks 4 days

36 weeks

We only have a couple more weeks left!

We have been working on the nursery!...here are a couple sneak peeks.

Book Shelves

Shelves

We had to bake some branches in order to make our mobile...but I'll wait to show pictures of that later. It's not quite ready yet. My future sister-in-law is making me some knitted sheep to hang from our mobile. I can't wait to see them myself! 

I painted this old dresser from Trevor's great grandmother's house. Fits perfect in the closet.

Look at all the clothes this spoiled little boy already has!!! Thanks to my sister-in-law he is going to be stylish!

I've had a few baby showers to go to...one being the 4th couple that is pregnant in our life group! I can't wait for these babies to grow up together!

And we have had our fair share of ice cream!

We love Andy's!!!

And last, but not least, I have been swooning over these sweet pictures!

I cannot wait to meet him!