Fun Times!

We are having such a good summer in Alabama. In the past couple of weeks, we have gone to the condo in Panama City Beach with my sweet friend, Amy and her babies and had a BLAST! The kids are all the same age and it was a truly memorable time.

Kelly's fiance Adam came to see us for a couple of days and they got a lot of wedding planning business taken care of - including their engagement portraits. They are so perfect for one another and we can't wait for them to be united in marriage in 2 months. (www.kellyandadamwedding.com)

I am steadily getting more and more fit each day by working my tail off at CrossFit. I LOVE it but HATE it all at the same time. It is intense but effective. Love waking up and starting my day with that workout downtown Montgomery.

We have spent a ton of time at the pool here at the Waters. Noah and Ellyotte have become such swimmers and little fish. It is so fun to watch them swim together.

Ellyotte turned TWO on 21 July! I have a blog entry about this past year with her that I will do at some point this weekend.

And Noah... Noah asked Jesus into his heart to live forever the other night before bedtime. I am such a proud mama. The only thing missing is Danny -  we miss him while he's in Japan so very much. But, he'll be back for the wedding in 2 months and we can't wait to see him and start our new life in Asia!

I am teaching still - next term is in about a week. And this next weekend, let the bachelorette festivities begin! Kelly and I are taking 10 of our best girlfriends/bridesmaids to NEW ORLEANS! We are staying in a fabulous hotel on Canal Street and will be there Thursday - Sunday. Red Dress Run is Saturday - we have our COSTUMES READY!!!!! Whooo hooo!

The Highest Honor

Genesis 6
7 So the LORD said, "I will wipe mankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth--men and animals, and creatures that move along the ground, and birds of the air--for I am grieved that I have made them." 8 But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD. 9 This is the account of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God.

We knew when we named our Noah that we wanted him to have a Biblical name and a family name. That was the tradition of the Beall side of the family and we wanted to continue it.

We chose the name Noah after the Bible character we all learned about from an early age. He was righteous, blameless among men. And Noah's middle name was after my grandfather who was born in Bray, County Wicklow, Ireland in 1898. We absolutely couldn't think of two more incredible and God fearing men than Noah (Bible) and my Papa Eddie.

When Noah was born - after 41.5 weeks of pregnancy and 36 hours of painful, induced labor that resulted in an emergency C-section (I had a high fever and Noah's heart rate had dropped significantly - a very scary situation) - we knew our baby was special.

I learned at 20 weeks that Noah had a clubbed foot, thus we had to go into Tripler Army Medical Center in Honolulu, Hawaii for monthly ultrasounds of his foot. We SAW that his foot was deformed. Then at 34 weeks, we SAW that Noah had not one, but two clubbed feet. We met with the pediatric orthapedic specialist and had a follow up set up with him once Noah was born. Through the advances of modern medicine, we SAW our boy's deformity. Because of the visual, we were afforded the opportunity to pray for our boy. We prayed day after day, moment after moment that Noah's feet be "righted."

We had an ultrasound at 36 weeks to confirm the deformity and we actually saw Noah's hair floating in the ultrasound. Our tech (who we loved very much; she helped us through some difficult times) said: "That boy looks like he's on fire!" Low and behold, when he entered this world finally, his head was emblazoned with the most incredible red hair.

Thus, we knew from Noah's entrance into this world - and given the strongest of names - we had a "winner" on our hands.

Fast forward three plus years. Noah is in school in Bossier City, Louisiana 2011 and has been since we moved here in 2009. He loves his class, and we do too. As his mom, I can't imagine a better place to have my kid going day after day. One of Noah's precious little class mates is named Bella Paquette. Her mom and dad are Air Force like us. Noah loved Bella very much - he talked about her daily. Bella went to be with Jesus at the end of September (see my previous posts). She was too sick to remain here on earth with us. Bella's mommy is 5 months plus pregnant with her little boy. Bella was able to know that she would have a little brother before she passed away.

I have been in touch with Janelle, her mommy since Bella went to heaven. While we were visiting Aunt Annie and Uncle Todd in Ohio, Noah ran out to their yard to let his balloon go so Bella could play with it in heaven. He talks to her daily, as well as prays for her and her mommy and daddy.

I got an email from her mommy just 2 days ago letting me know some astounding news: per Bella's request, they are naming her little brother (to be born in March 2012) Noah. Her mommy wanted me to know that Bella loved her friend Noah enough that she wanted her little brother to be named after him. I wept when I read that email. It is one thing to live your whole life and then have a building or a baby named after you. It is an entirely different thing altogether to be only THREE and have a child named after you.

To say that I am a proud mama is an understatement.

Such and Such

Lately, I've been inspired to write so many blog entries. But, entirely too tired to write even one.

Dan's been out of town with work and Noah had Spring Break from Mother's Day Out last week. I've got a maxxed out class this term and I just can't find the time, energy or desire to get off of my too-busy bum and write OR grade. Grrr.

But, I am finding some time to take some precious pictures in our house. These kids may be a handful but they are delicious; don't you think so, too?!

We've had a major blessing occur this week for us: I had my monthly hemotologist appointment today (my regular follow-up since the pulmonary embolism that nearly ended my life last July) and my weekly blood tests done right before the appointment. The great news is that I AM OFF OF COUMADIN (the daily massive amount of blood thinner I was having to take)!!! We are elated.

I will go back to Dr. V next month and again each month till the one year mark (27 July). But, in the meantime, I don't have to take "rat poison" anymore and I am so thankful.

He has referred us to a high risk OB because of the "uterine window" I have (ruptured/scarred/too thin uterus condition - google it; I had to...) from my c-sections and because of my risk of clotting in pregnancy. We want a final opinion before deciding to have any more children. I have been told many times by my doctors that there should be no more Beall Babies but before we take a drastic step, we want that final say-so.

No date set for that appointment yet but as soon as we know more, I will of course let you, my friends, know. We are just thankful that I am still around to even have the discussion of whether to pursue more children! And if Noah and Ellyotte are the only two blessings we are to have, then so be it: we are satisfied beyond measure.

More on the home front: Noah and Ellyotte cannot get enough of each other and while I've been overwhelmed with trying to entertain both of them while keeping E on a sleep schedule and myself sane, I've managed to remember how precious and fleeting our lives on this earth really are. So, I take that extra minute to nuzzle Noah's neck or to tickle my baby girl to hear her laugh or to kiss my husband one last time.

Life never gets too busy for love. Dare we forget that.

Ready for SUMMER! Grillin' with Daddy

Transfixed on "talking pictures." (movies!)

Little Katie?

"Hey, you, dog. I am talking to you."

"Yeah, so? That's popsicle on my face." Pool time in Louisiana! Watching cartoons together "I love you, Ellyotte." Mmmmm, feet. With painted toes. Don't judge: she was watching a movie and eating a cookie so I could get ready for a date!

Nap Time

Let me just toot my own horn here because I realize that I might be one of the luckier chicks I know: my toddler and my newborn nap together! It is the most special time of my day.

We all load up in our bed and all three of us (well, sometimes I just lay there watching them) sleep and it is beautiful. I am making memories with these two little ones that I will cherish for the rest of my life.

Everyday at noon, Noah says "I'm tired." And I tell him that it is nap time. His response is always the same: "In Mama's bed?" Then I respond, "OF COURSE!" He then says "Yay!" Our routine never varies on the days that he's home from Mother's Day Out.

Ellyotte is catching on beautifully: she takes 3-4 naps in the day still and I coordinate the 2nd one to be when Noah takes his. What a blessing nap time is turning out to be - in so many ways.

Roller Coaster

Maybe the exhaustion of the past 2 months is just catching up with me finally, or maybe I am just hormonal, or maybe I am just thankful... Maybe it is all of the above? Whatever it is, I am a roller coaster of emotions right now.

I think my kids are both going through massive growth spurts right now. Noah's sleeping 13-14 hours at night and Ellyotte is waking up constantly (after sleeping 8 hours earlier this week...) and refuses to go into a deep sleep. It is leaving me wasted tired.

However, this time around, I am not stressed or negative or put out by her wakefulness. With Noah, I was constantly tired and complaining. But after surviving the blood clot, I have come to realize that each moment with my babies matters - even the late night, constant feedings. I delight in this baby girl God's given us and I might crawl out of bed, but you will not hear me complain. Praise Him for that strength and joy this time around. I wish I had had it with Noah.

Yet, I am still emotional - and probably a lot of that has to do with the exhaustion. This morning, Noah and I started our day by watching some old videos of him when he was a baby. I was overcome with sadness at how FAST time has gone since he was learning to roll over, stand, walk, talk. Even in a year, it is remarkable how much he has changed. We watched "talking pictures" (what he called the videos!) for about an hour and I just got more and more melancholy. It is unfair how fast life changes. And yet, I am overjoyed by the new life in our house and the stage of growth Noah is in right now.

Tonight was my first time trying to get both kids to bed alone! Dan had to volunteer out in Shreveport leaving me at the end of a long day with both of them hanging on me all day. I couldn't figure out how to bathe Elly, dress her, feed her all while bathing Noah, doing our bedtime routine that he will not allow to be changed in the slightest! Whew... two kids is SO much more challenging than one! If those mommies-of-one realized how much easier it is with one, they might put off having a second one for a bit longer (I might have been one of those mommies!).

It was quite a stressful first time for me - but I have a great sleeper in my firstborn and he was out for the count as soon as he laid down. I then had to spend the next 2 hours getting my secondborn to sleep! I had forgotten how incredibly unpredictable newborns can be in EVERY single thing that they do - including bedtimes. But, I was successful and am now officially going to bed an hour after Ellyotte :)

I have to remind myself constantly that things should be a lot different for our family - had Satan had his way on 27 July, I wouldn't be here to be tired, happy, hungry, in love, a mommy.... Complain? I will not - I might be super sleepy but the elation of being a mommy to these babies (sleeping or not) counters any negativity that creeps into my spirit.

"This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live." - Deuteronomy 30:19

Beautiful Babies

Again, more picures. But they are so beautiful and we are capturing so many precious moments on our camera that I just have to share!