She Has a Name

For those of you who know us, you know that it is Beall family tradition to choose a Biblical and a family name when naming your children. We followed that tradition when naming Noah and he was named for Noah in the Bible and for his great-grandfather (my grandfather) Everard Flude Grindley. We wanted him to have a name that was strong and we wanted him to be named after someone he would always have to strive to immulate.

This time around it was no different. I have known for years what I wanted to name our daughter but once we found out she was indeed a girl, we both wanted to make sure that that name was definitely meant to be her's. So we hit the books again and did some research on other family names yet still returned to the "Katie and Dan Favorite."

Our first daughter's name will be:

Ellyotte Pierce Beall

Ellyotte is a derivative of Elijah and her name means "the Lord is my God." Pierce is Dan's middle name and he was named after his beloved great-grandfather Travail Chester Pierce. Pierce was also Dan's paternal grandmother's last name and we wanted to honor her in naming our daughter.

I don't think that we will call her Elly. I am sure that many people will lovingly refer to her as Elly, but it will be my preference to call her Ellyotte.

We are so excited to meet her - to know if she will have red hair and long eyelashes like her big brother or if she will be tall like her daddy.... We are overjoyed to have chosen her name and honored that we have that privilege. Naming another human is a huge responsibility so we wanted to make sure that she has a name she can be proud of throughout her life.

We hope you like it!

6 Months

As soon as I said "I can't believe how fast this pregnancy is going by!" things started changing and slowing down for me. Just in the last few days, I have started to feel and look incredibly pregnant. The "glow" only lasts for so long before it is replaced with bloating and discomfort! I noticed my feet were swelling a little at the end of a really long day this past weekend. Ew! But, she's worth it.

By all accounts, I still feel really good. I am sleeping a bit less because she's moving around so much - especially at night - and because we are having some teething and sleep issues with Noah right now. But I try to "sleep when Noah sleeps" as much as possible. Sometimes that means papers that need to be graded add up extraordinarily and laundry doesn't get done right away, but I am trying to take advantage of any and all down time Noah allows me so I can give this new little one - and myself - some time to rest and grow.

I haven't been craving certain things too much. But what I do crave this pregnancy are: Subway sandwiches, pudding cups, SODA (I don't normally drink it but this time around, I am craving Coke and Dr. Pepper), bananas, corn, Eggos with peanut butter, and chocolate milk. Maybe not the healthiest of cravings, but at least I am being honest! And these last few days, my appetite has increased a lot and my tummy is tightening a bit too. I add that up to mean she's having a growth spurt - and my stomach is starting to look like she is as well.

We will have another doctors appointment next week and by my request, we are going to have an extra ultrasound done. We weren't totally happy with the pictures and (short) length of the last one we had so since we'd been given false diagnoses with Noah's feet last time around, the doctor is allowing us to have an extra ultrasound or two to put our mind at ease.

Her nursery is slowly coming together. We bought her bedding and have started collecting pink items here and there. And Noah loves to go into her room and whisper "Shhhh, shhhh, baby sister's sleeping, shhh." It is precious! He's getting really excited and loves to hug my tummy and kiss it. He's gonna be a great big brother.

I think we will schedule the c-section at our next appointment. I will let you know which date we choose!

21 Weeks

We still haven't 100% decided on Baby Girl's name yet but are in the depths of the decision process. I will let you all know when we figure it out!

My belly is growing by the day. Her heart rate was 143 at the doctor a few days ago and she's doing well. I am too - I feel great and have had a wonderful pregnancy thus far. Over halfway there!

New Addition

We had our ultrasound today and I will start by saying that this baby is a very healthy one! We are joyous: the ultrasound revealed a normal brain, the heart functioning well, straight feet (much different from Noah's 20 week ultrasound, Praise God) and a beautiful skeleton.

We also learned that Baby Beall #2 is a GIRL! I thought for sure it was a boy but Dan's final call going in was that we were having a girl. We are indeed surprised but overjoyed at the same time.

Dan is in a definite state of shock; you should've seen his face when the doctor first told us. When we walked out, he told me how happy he was but that his next thoughts were of boyfriends and a wedding! I guess that is every father's first line of thought. And my sweet friend Janel told me to get ready for the drama! I know from experience (me and Kelly) that we were never short on drama in my house growing up. So now this Beall house is preparing for some of our own as we get ready for this sweet baby girl.

Now, the next big question is: "Will she have red hair?!"

Baby Bump

Here I am in my 18th week of pregnancy - showing much more than I did at 18 weeks with Noah, but thankfully feeling just as good!

This baby is growing and growing! And with every little kick and movement, my heart falls more in love with this new life. I started feeling "him" a lot earlier than I did Noah; I am supposing it is because I know now what a moving baby feels like. And "he's" active!

I am carrying really high - a lot higher than I did with Noah. Still avoiding maternity clothing at all costs. They are NOT comfortable to me! But overall, I feel exactly the same as when I was pregnant with Noah, thus, I again think that this baby may also be a boy.

Danny comes home briefly next week after 8 weeks of training and will be home long enough for us to have our ultrasound. It is scheduled for Monday, 1 March 2010 at 9:30 am! We can't wait. Seeing your little guy (or girl) for the first time on that blurry screen is indescribeable. I cannot wait to see that sweet face and watch "him" do all the moving and punching I regularly feel at this point. Plus, we can't wait to know for certain if Noah's having a brother or sister! It will be then that we will begin transitioning our 2 year old to his new room and his new big boy bed. That should be fun (sarcasm intended!).

We just returned from our FABULOUS week in Breckenridge, Colorado and I could NOT wait to be back with my redhead. My heart ached for 6 days solid. It was tough! But it was a wonderful trip. I have lots to say about that trip and lots of pictures to post. However, I have 50+ papers to grade right now so that will have to wait till sometime this weekend!

No, No, Hitting, and Total Aversions

Wow, what a hard thing it is to do to be in the beginning stages of a pregnancy and dealing with a TODDLER! I had heard that the toddler years - or the "terrible twos" - were nothing to laugh at, but come on!!! And add to that the fact that I have felt like a donkey kicked me in the face due to a nasty sinus infection and you have one hot mess of a Katie.

I haven't heard the word 'No' so much in the past 10 years as I have in the past few weeks in my house. I ask him for a hug first thing in the morning, I get a "NO, mommy," Dan asks him if he wants to watch t.v. with him and he gets a loud "NO, daddy." We can't get it right!

And the hitting?! Where did Noah learn that?! He thinks NOTHING of pulling his little arm back and slamming it into our faces - yes, faces - when he's mad about something. I cannot agree with Dobson's theory more: I have a "strong willed child." And he's violently strong willed.

It is so tough to figure out how to discipline him appropriately. We hate reacting to his hitting by spanking him but that is honestly the ONLY thing (coupled with a straight up crib time out) that will work. When his daddy spanks him on his bottom, it hurts his feelings so bad that he just whimpers (heartbreaking). But what else can we do?! We tell him "no hitting," we put him in time out, we spank when necessary, we pray.... what did you all do when you went through this phase? This is NOT okay at all.

It has been especially hard for me to parent lately because after recovering from an upper respiratory infection, travelling to Alabama for 2 weekends in a row, only to then develop the worst possible sinus infection - all while dealing with a different pregnancy than the one I had with Noah. There have been days that I wake up only to count how many hours till Noah's naptime and then bedtime! I feel so bad about that because my little boy has been seeing me at my weakest. But, a sweet husband who has allowed me to sleep tons and antibiotics are getting me back on my feet ASAP and just in time for the Bealls to visit for Christmas. Whoo hoo!

This baby hasn't made me downright sick yet (although I have had a few "episodes") but 'he' has given me exhaustion and aversions that I never experienced with Noah. If I go too long without eating in the early - late afternoon, I can forget it: I never catch up with the nausea. So I am constantly forcing myself to eat. And textures and consistancies are giving me fits this time around. I usually eat salad constantly and I cannot bring myself to eat salads at all. In fact, most anything I try to eat makes me nausceous. It is so foreign to me to be turned off by foods, but it is happening every single day.

The things I can't get enough of are Perrier, pickles, peanut butter, fruit and occasionally Taco Bell. And I have to nap at least once a day... which is hard to do now that my little boy is sleeping 13 hours at night straight and only napping about an hour - hour and a half. But I cannot complain: he does sleep at night allowing me to go to bed way early!

Dan's about to take off for 2 months to some training. He will leave right after the New Year. And my Term 3 course with Troy University starts the first of the year too so that will be a great way - along with Noah - to stay busy once he's gone. I will miss him terribly but anything is better than 15 months to Afghanistan. Praise God!

We have so much to be thankful for this Christmas season. Thank you for allowing me the chance to 'vent' about disciplining Noah and being sick with Baby Beall #2. We are overjoyed at the blessings that 2009 brought us; God has given us so much to be abundantly thankful for and 2010 will bring another incredible blessing in our 2nd born.

When I think about the road we were facing with Dan going away for 15 months and how he had to have immediate surgery that thus kept him from deploying, I cannot believe the way that God stepped in and answered our prayers. To think that he could be fighting a war so far away - something he hasn't been trained to do - brings me such humility because he was spared. And to think of the heartbreak that so many of our loved ones have faced this past year, it brings me to my knees with a thankful heart. God is good, all the time. Even when we don't understand His ways, we have to know that He loves us and wants only the best for us.

Santa Claus is Comin' to Town!

We went back to Alabama this past weekend, except this time it was to celebrate Christmas a bit early with my family. And this time, Dan was able to come with us. It was still sobering to be back home when just a week earlier, Noah and I had to unexpectedly head home to say goodbye to Chris. But it was joyous, nonetheless.

We had a wonderful time with my family. We laughed, opened Noah's gifts, ate (well, everyone else did... I am struggling a bit with this baby!) and relaxed while the rain fell. On Saturday, my dad took me and Dan out to buy a new laptop which was my 30th birthday present from my folks. We met up with my mom and Noah at East Chase in Montgomery and Noah got to have his first visit with Santa!

Thankfully, there was no line whatsoever so we had the place to ourselves for a bit. I tried to sit Noah in Santa's lap and he wouldn't have it. So it took my parents, Dan, the photographer and the elves to get Noah to relax and actually smile! He waited till after about 12 shots were taken to smile.... but we finally got one with him smiling. I certainly didn't want to be in the photo but one of us had to while the other parent tried to get him to crack a smile for the shot. He was typical Noah: as soon as he got down from Santa's lap, he wanted back up and Santa was all he talked about for the rest of the day!

Dan and I finally had a date night... it seems like ages ago since we last went to the movies. But we went to see "The Blind Side" and loved. There is nothing as refreshing as seeing a movie that is uplifting and happy. We had a great time.

This weekend we have Dan's work Christmas party and it should be a lot of fun. Then a week from today, we have the rest of the Beall clan coming to Louisiana for Christmas! We are really looking forward to seeing them and being all together: Brad (Poppy), Carol (Grammy) and Uncle Todd and Aunt Annie will be with us for the week. We can't wait!

I am hanging in there with Baby Beall #2. It is hard to believe I am expecting.... again. But, we are rejoicing in each day of this pregnancy. I have an off-base OB that I will see in the next week or so and am looking forward to hearing the little guy's heartbeat and possibly having an ultrasound.

I felt absoutely fabulous till about a week ago. Then I got an upper respiratory infection that did me in and I am still recovering from that. Unfortunately, I think it has turned into a sinus infection that I hope clears up soon. Pregnancy wise, I am absolutely wiped out most days! I don't remember this exhaustion when I was carrying Noah.

And although I am not constantly nausceous, I do struggle with night time sickness. It hits me about 4 pm and if I don't stay diligent about eating frequently (which I don't want to do because my stomach hurts) then I lose control of the nausea and get pretty sick. So that is a cycle I am soon hoping will pass. I never got sick with Noah (until later in the pregnancy when indigestion became my enemy!) so this is a new thing.

The other thing that is much different about this pregnancy is that I am already starting to show! WOW, you really pop out earlier with Baby #2 than with Baby #1. I guess it is because your body already knows what to do?! It is wild to me. And I think it is another boy... I just KNEW Noah was going to be a boy; no doubt in my mind. That is how I am feeling about this one too. We shall see!