Josie is 25 weeks pregnant with Baby Balka, due July 25th! She and Kelton announced the gender and name last month. In case you missed it, it's a girl, and her name will be Willow Kristy Balka. The photo below was taken in Charleston, South Carolina. Josie and Kelton took a long weekend "babymoon" trip this past weekend.
Photo courtesy of Josie and Kelton Balka
Josie Bates Balka, 25 weeks pregnant
April 2019
Photo courtesy of Josie and Kelton Balka
Josie's due date is two days before, my son's 12th birthday.
ReplyDeleteShe’s due three days before my son’s 12th birthday 😊
DeleteAnd...????
DeleteTwo days before my sons 19th birthday 🎂
DeleteSo pretty! I love Charleston! And I love her dress! Congratulations! ☺️
ReplyDeleteShe looks happy and healthy! I hope the rest of her pregnancy goes well.
ReplyDeleteLooking good lil mama! Can't wait to feel Willow "kick" me in just 5 weeks! Love y'all :)
ReplyDeleteSo pretty! She is tiny. I bet she will have a beautiful baby.
ReplyDeleteCongrats, my son's birthday is July 27th
ReplyDeleteMaybe Josie will have Willow on July 27th Lawson'S birthday.
ReplyDeleteA good girl name for Kelton and Josie's next girl would be Kelsie
ReplyDelete10:43PM: Kelsie is a clever combination!!!! I know they have the name picked out already, but that is a cool name!
DeleteKelton has a cousin named Kelsey, so maybe not.
DeleteWillow and Kelsie don’t really go together. I wonder if they’ll do all outdoorsy names?
DeleteKelsie Kelton? Not sure I agree with that combo but I do like Kelsie on its own.
DeleteIt would be Kelsie Balka. Kelton is his first name.
DeleteKathy @ 8:53AM: Their last name is Balka, so it would be Kelsie Balka, not Kelsie Kelton
DeleteKathy, their last name is Balka, so Kelsie Balka.
DeleteKathy- it will be Kelsie Balka, not Kelsie Kelton 🙈
DeleteKelton isn’t the last name, if that’s what you thought...
Delete@8:53 AM. Kelton is his first name. Their last name is Balka. So it would be Kelsie Balka not Kelsie Kelton.
DeleteLooking RADIANT Josie
ReplyDeleteShe is tiny! I'm 11 weeks pregnant and look as big as she does.
ReplyDeleteI think it's a terrible shame that she is pregnant so young. She had no time to be young and carefree! Once you are a parent, you always have someone to be responsible for. It is healthy to have a period of freedom from responsibility in your life. That's what the teenage years are for.
ReplyDeleteThe idea of having a separation between childhood and adulthood (the teenage years) is a concept that was invented in the 50’s. Before that you became an adult once you were old enough to work or after you finished your education. It’s all subjective.
DeleteWhat is good for one person is not necessarily good for another. If God has called her to be a young wife and mother during this season then who are you to say different?
Plus...spoiler alert...it doesn’t matter how old you are, having a kid is hard. They may have less life experience but they have more energy than an older mother- says this really sleepy older mom.
1:34- I became a mom at 42. I found that I actually had more energy, strange as it may seem.
Delete4:41, saying that it’s a shame is taking it really far. They are obviously very happy, comments like your’s are unnecessary. Also you do realize that until a few decades ago getting married and having babies young was the norm? Waiting until you’re in your late twenties to early thirties to have your first baby is a newer thing, and is not necessarily better for you. Having children younger is easier on your body and you have much more energy.
DeleteThe "teenage years" are alive and well in all great literature of the early 1900s. In general, young people were encouraged to delay marriage and childbirth--largely because early marriage often ended in unhappiness. Young men were encouraged to wait till they'd become financially stable--which often wasn't until their 30s. Young women went to school, worked, helped out at home or traveled. Where did you get the idea that the teenage years were invented in the 50s? A brief review of literature shows the contrary.
DeleteIn any event, 19 is very young to become a mother, and I wish Josie had had the time to grow up a little.
It was Josie's CHOICE to get married young. She had her mind set on a fall 2018 wedding before Kelton had proposed. She had known Kelton for a long time and was already working. Even if they'd waited to get married, she wouldn't be living a typical late teens/early 20s life since she's already finished school.
DeleteWell said 1:34
DeleteChildhood is that time of freedom from responsibility and being young and carefree.
Josie was married shortly after turning 19 and will turn 20 very soon after becoming a mommy.
We aren't referencing a young or mid teen.
Only a couple generations ago it was common for 18 yr olds to marry right after high school.
Josie is a mature young lady who will do just fine.
It would've been great if she'd had a chance to date/get to know other young men. Kelton was the first man she ever knew. She'll be a different person ten years from now. Marrying/giving birth so young is usually not a good idea.
DeleteIf Willow follows in her mother's path, Josie will be a grandmother at 39. And a great-grandmother in her 50's.
DeleteIt's NOT a terrible shame. I wish I were Josie! To have a good Christian college boy fall in love with me when I was 15 was my dream. I didn't even know boys like Kelton existed, no not in my inner city public school. No boys wanted to date me because I was a shy innocent girl and they wanted "more".
DeleteI ended up doing bad things, from boy to boy desperate for love. All I got was heartbreak and regret. There's your "terrible shame" I wish with all my heart that I could have been raised by Mr and Mrs Bates and had 18 loving siblings to encourage me. I want my purity back. I want to be 19 again, happily married and having a baby.
Now tell me again how Josie's life is so terrible???
I see the original posters point. My sister had her daughter very young. She didnt get the traditional high school/college, young lady experience. She said she was too young, even though she loves her daughter. The pros of having babies young is its the best time as far as biologically. You're the most fertile, you can bounce back. You would be considered an old maid at 20 years in the early 1900s. My mom had my brother at 42, now its popular. 17 years ago it wasnt so much. I enjoyed 7 years of dating,engagement. 3 more years after I was married to have my son and then other one 3 years later. Im glad I waited, but thats me. Still, if I had been younger maybe I would have recovered faster. Congrats to the couple. My heart goes out to Michael. She is such a sweetheart. I pray she gets her hearts desire to have a baby, either by adoption or another way. Live you're life the way that makes you happy. I love have the couple honored Kelton's mom by the middle name choice.
Delete@10:20- I'm so sorry you had such unfortunate experiences as a teenager and were so desperate for love. I am a senior citizen and woud like to say that you should not compare yourself to others, especially a family on a reality TV show. I'm sure they have their problems, too. Don't waste time beating yourself up over your past.
DeleteOur failures in life help us learn. It's a part of the process. As far as "purity", it's what's in your heart that counts. Also, it's important to understand that if you are not happy with yourself, it's going to be very hard to be happy with husband and children. They cannot define you as a person. It's also placing an unfair burden on a man to expect that he will be the solution to your lack of self-esteem or unhappiness. BTW, contrary to your experiences, there are good people out there. I know, because I married one, but I had to wait until I was 30. This was after I got an education and learned how to take care of myself. Things do have a way of working themselves out if we're patient.
Thank you for your testimony 10:20 I hope young girls learn from it. I too didn't know the Bates lifestyle existed and have just a few friends who were homeschooled. I think we're both not from the south lol
DeleteIdk how old you are now but I pray your life is better now. They say on the show they wait for the one God has planned for them but it does seem they have a leg up by knowing like minded families from their homeschool program and church and bible college. You can't go back but there are good men out there. I hope you meet one real soon.
3:55 I hear you with the leg up comment. They have a tight knit pool of same denomination men which makes it quite easy to meet a man your father will approve of.
DeleteThey are all quite insulated and sheltered.
10:20 it seems you would have thrived in a situation like that.
Blessings!
I find it strange that people are saying the Bates have a “leg up” on good men because of their pool of friends. Their pool of friends has been a choice in their lifestyle. They made it important to attend homeschool conventions, camps and visit other likeminded churches. It is something we have purposed as well, by surrounding yourself with good Christian families, it gives many opportunities to meet others of like faith and get to know them as families, which eventually will likely result in some marital matches.
DeleteI think what people mean is that the kids have a leg up on meeting good men due to their parents choosing for the family to attend such events and surround themselves with like minded families.
DeleteThe kids reap the benefits of what their parents sow.
If you don't grow up in a Bates type family you don't have this advantage.
I agree, 10:20 you would have thrived! I pray your life is good! You are as much a daughter of The King as anyone.
I agree, so young...
DeleteEllie, are Katie or Trace seeing anyone special?
ReplyDeleteLooking lovely
ReplyDeleteI really love maternity dresses, they are so classy and feminine.
ReplyDeleteLooking beautiful, Josie!
ReplyDeleteHappy RESURRECTION Day!!!! We thank God for healing Alysaa from surgery. And Restoring her heart function back to normal beat.IN Jesus NAME.AMEN
ReplyDeleteHappy RESURRECTION Day!!!! We thank God for healing Alysaa from surgery. And Restoring her heart function back to normal beat.IN Jesus NAME.AMEN
ReplyDeleteWillow is a great name!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations!! Josie and Kelton! Your gonna make great parents. Ya'll are such a cute couple. Beautiful mama Josie.��
ReplyDeleteNot a fan of the name Willow.
ReplyDelete