Rooners.com

Happy St. Nick’s Day. 

We had my daughters two month check-up last week. She weighed 14.6 pounds, which I was told is in the 99th percentile. She’s a big girl!

For those who might stumble upon this at some point, an update:

I had a beautiful baby girl in May!  She weighed 8.7 pounds and was 21 inches long.  The labor was hard.  I pushed for three hours and was just exhausted.  The days following the delivery were just as hard.  My daughter had a difficult time nursing and was very frustrated with it.  The lactation specialist told me it needed to be a happy place for her and it truely was not so she’s a formula baby now.  We had to experiment with that.
It seems a lot of things are trail and error, like formula, pacifiers, bottles, diapers, how to calm her down…
The formula we ended up using was soy.  She is such a happy baby now with her occasionally fussy times, not like it used to be on the other formulas.   She likes Dr. Browns bottles, NUK pacifiers and huggies diapers.  She’s showing more and more of her personality as she grows up.  She’s almost in 3-6 month clothes.

I’m not looking forward to going back to work in August but at least I will have the whole summer with her.

It’s been a long while again.  I’m almost in my last month of teaching.  I will say that it has been a pleasure.  It has definitely been hard work.  I’ve had talks with my students about what they want to be when they grow up and I get the response from them that teaching is easy.  In no way is this easy, which I never expected it to be.  I have enjoyed the students, challenging though they are.  One of the highlights of my year has been teaching the 2nd graders about the sacraments of reconciliation and Holy Communion.  I can’t be sure what knowledge these students will leave with but I do know that I taught them about the Catholic faith and hopefully they’ll be better people because of it.

I am also almost in my last month of pregnancy.  I am huge and can’t imagine getting any bigger.  I am sooo excited to bring this little one into the world and ask all those who read this to keep us in your prayers.  Who knows when this little one will arrive but it will be sometime in May (hopefully not into June).

I know, it has been awhile.  I’ve been keeping busy teaching second graders.  This group is a great challenge.  I have many children who are above a second grade level and many students who are well below a second grade level.  This makes it difficult to teach any subject because I need to challenge those above average students and also scale down the lessons for those students who are well below.  I need to read everything to at least two of my students who seem to get the most attention from me.  It’s unfortunate but when there’s only one of me, I’m not sure what to do to balance it out.  I do enjoying teaching most subjects in particular religion.  I get the most responses from my students during these lessons and it sparks great discussions.  I also enjoy religion because it’s the subject that really permiates to how second graders should act.  For example, first reconciliation is tomorrow so when students are fighting, which often occurs among seven year olds, we can talk about forgiveness and so on.  (Please keep them in your prayers on this special day!) 

On a personal note, my husband and I went to have an ultrasound this morning.  We wanted to find out the gender of our child but because the baby was overly active this particular morning, the tech. couldn’t get a good look.  Therefore, we will be surprised like everyone else!  Please keep us all in your prayers.  The baby is due to arrive around May 28th!

Well, I survived the first two weeks of school.  The second graders are fun and ask interesting questions.  During my first Religion lesson, one of the young men in the class asked us if we knew the devil was (and he paused at this point because he couldn’t remember what they are called) an angel (one of those with the things sticking out of his back, is what he said).  I love teaching religion.  Pacing however has been a challenge for me with all subjects.  I never realized how much little material can be taught in a 30 minute period.  In other words I planned for way too much. 

 Anyway, I’m working really hard on classroom management and hope to focus more on the nitty-gritty from now on.

For Aunt Nancy, hopefully the start of many updates on teaching,

I finally finished school and now have the opportunity to do what I’ve always wanted to do: teach in a Catholic School.  Ever since I was in grade school, I’ve wanted to do something to give back to God for all He has done and given me(which will never be enough but we can try, can’t we?).  I thought that teaching others about His Word and Love would be the perfect thing for me to do.  I thought about serving Him in other ways, for instance joining the Church as a sister but knew that wasn’t my calling. I was suppose to be a wife and hopefully, in accordance with His will, be a mother someday.  (I came across a book the other day that was titled, “I thought I was having a baby but had an Angel instead.” It’s never easy.)  I am thankful to be able to finally spread some of that Good News. I pray however that these are not the only children I will teach along my way.  I am proud to be the God Mother of two beautiful young children who are so blessed to have parents and family like those they have.  I, will as long as I live, teach them about Jesus and their faith.  I can’t help but think though that I would like to teach my own children someday.  I ask any one that reads this to just pray for those who for any reason can’t have children and for those who are trying.  We always need to pray for those who are with child, for mom and baby to be healthy, but let’s not forget those who can’t even get there. 

 I start teaching on Tuesday.  It’s going to be a crazy year for me.  I will have some challenges but I know I’ll take them with the uttmost care.  It’s going to be a lot of work but rewarding in every way.

I’m finally finished with school! 

Isn’t it interesting to think that this really could have happened and to think it could happen again? 

A massive crater in Antarctica may have been caused by a meteor that wiped out more than 90 percent of the species on Earth 250 million years ago, an American geologist said Wednesday.

The 300-mile-wide crater lies hidden more than a mile beneath a sheet of ice and was discovered by scientists using satellite data, Ohio State University geologist Ralph von Frese said.

Von Frese said the satellite data suggests the crater could date back about 250 million years to the time of the Permian-Triassic extinction, when almost all animal life on Earth died out, paving the way for dinosaurs to rise to prominence.

I think pretty much all of the people that read my blog also read Judd’s blog but I just want to reiterate something. 

Please keep Benedict in your prayers.  Our 3 week old nephew and God-son is in the hospital fitting off an infection and meningitis.  There have been a lot of up’s and down’s in his recovery so it’s very stressful for him, his parents and all those that love him. 

 Lord and Father, almighty and eternal God,
by your blessing you give us strength and support
in our frailty:
turn with kindness toward this your servant Benedict
Free him from all illness and restore him to health,
so that in the sure knowledge of your goodness
he will gratefully bless your holy name.