Santa Claus is Coming to Town!

I heard that having Thanksgiving on November 22 will result in the LONGEST POSSIBLE CHRISTMAS SEASON.   I was loving it!  I secretly always wanted to have my Christmas tree up early, so by having Thanksgiving on the 22, I felt like I was finally getting my way this year.  I put my Christmas decorations up on Thanksgiving Day and our tree to follow the Saturday after.

Kaitlyn was hilarious about the decorating.  She had been running a fever all day, so instead of joining us for turkey, she stayed home with one of us during our Thanksgiving shifts.  Decorating was the highlight of her day.  Kaitlyn fell in love with Santa that night; "Ho-ho."  Everything delighted her but nothing more than some silly Santa suit stockings that she insisted she wear like a real "ho-ho" suit.  When she found the hats, she was in heaven; she had her new costume of the month.  After a week or so of wearing the Santa stocking, I decided an actual Santa costume would be better for her.  Kaitlyn was dressed as Santa the rest of the season... still is. :-/

Our season was filled with a lot of fun times.  For one, we did our second Annual Munn Family Christmas Party at Mom's house in Springville.  It was so great to get together, enjoy a meal, play some games, and see the kids light up when they saw Santa Claus in person.

Another fun and memorable night was doing our yearly Christmas light drive through the nearby cities.  This year we made the activity more fun by adding a scavenger hunt.  Ellie was proud and frustrated she got all but two; note to self - have a Grinch and Charlie Brown yard decoration someday for future scavenger hunters.

We also visited Santa, helped Nana decorate her Christmas tree, decorated sugar cookies, delivered neighbor gifts, David come out to Utah, went to the yearly Burrows Christmas party, and Ellie and I played in Mom's Christmas piano recital.

As for Christmas Eve... We had a wonderful meal with Mom and the LaTurner side, and then met Mom and Dad Munn at the cemetery to light luminaries for Grandma and Grandpa Underwood.  Momma Munn made us some coordinating pj's to wear Christmas Eve. They were comfortable, cute, and warm.

Kaitlyn didn't go to bed until 12:30 a.m.  She was a little excited that "Ho-ho" was coming.  I guess she didn't understand the whole "Santa can't come while you're awake thing."  After helping Santa, we finally made it to bed at 2:00 a.m.

Ellie wasn't allowed to wake us up until 7:30 - seemed fair to us, but then again we thought we would be in bed sooner.  7:33, Ellie woke us up.  She was very cute about it.  "I let you sleep in," she said.  The extra three minutes were really wonderful, haha.  I have to admit though, it was hard sleeping with the wonderful smelling slow cooker breakfast casserole cooking all night. Sometimes I joke that Thumper can smell food because he/she is always active around the smell or presence of food. We both didn't sleep that night.  

After breakfast, Kaitlyn woke up and we dug in our presents.  It was really fun to see the kids open their gifts.  It was fun for me too because I had forgotten many of the gifts I got the girls!  I started shopping in September and so watching them was almost like seeing them for the first time. The girls got so many things on their wish list.  We all were blessed this year.

Later that night, we hosted our first official all out Christmas dinner.  Shayne roasted a tasty turkey, and I made many dishes ahead to be warmed in crock pots.  It wasn't as stressful as I expected either.  Although I am not signing up next year just yet, I think another Christmas dinner may be in our future.

Overall it was a wonderful Christmas.  It was unusual and special also because it was our first time staying home all day.  Normally we do "the rounds" and visit all the families throughout the day. I loved staying home.  It felt right and so so much less stressful.  I hope to make staying home more of a regular thing while the kids are young.

As a side note; can you believe we will have another Munn next Christmas?!

So there you have it - our Christmas 2012 summed up. We look forward to next Christmas and more fun memories! I hope everyone had a blessed Christmas.

HaPpY NeW YeAr 2013!!!!

Here's some of what happened in 2012; 

• Found out Uurtsaikh was pregnant.
• Had a frustrating start to the year trying to diagnose why Kaitlyn threw up all the time. 
• Sarah and Jason got married.
• Daisy died :(
• Found out Kaitlyn had a COIN in her esophagus. Removed coin.
• Patrick and Ashley move to Pennsylvania. 
• Found out Ashley was pregnant.
• Evan moves to Texas. 
• Shayne graduated with his bachelors! 
• Found out I was pregnant with our third baby and kept secret to 12 Weeks. 
• Grandpa Underwood died :(
• Kaitlyn started food therapy. 
• Kaitlyn had her esophagus stretched. Success!
• Patrick and Ashley got married. 
• Laura turns 30
• Found out Jessica was pregnant. 
• PASSED my Praxis exam with flying colors in one try! 
• Elodie was born!!!  
• Ellie won the pumpkin decorating contest!
• Survived the Mayan apocalypse. 

Hopes for 2013;

• Patrick and Ashley become parents to baby Noah - January - February!
• Baby coming in March! Boy or Girl???
• Ellie learns to roller blade. 
• My sister Sarah gets married in April!
• Ellie is baptized! BIG PARTY. 
• Plant a pot garden around Mother's Day.
• Bender is born to Tyler and Jessica, making them a family of SIX!
• Baby blessing for Thumper.
• Hatch trip.
• Weight loss all summer!
• 10 YEAR WEDDING ANNIVERSARY! Big party? Or Second Honeymoon? Hmm
• Kaitlyn starts early preschool.
• New puppy!?!? (We'll see.)
• Vacation to Texas for Thanksgiving!!! 
• Conquest to find a permanent home - keep taking steps in the right direction.  HOME OWNERSHIP in 2014.

Thumper's New Names

With some hesitation, I am announcing the names of the next Munn.  I say I hesitate because I already know some may dislike our choices.  We have chosen a couple of names which are less popular but are strong in sentimental value.  While I value the opinions of others, I hope that our name choices will be respected as well.  Also know these are our name choices right now and may be changed if something doesn't "feel right" about them as we go along.

GIRL - Jayla Anne Munn

BOY - Liam Martin Munn

Generally speaking, it seems that a majority of people agree that we should have a boy.  Generally speaking also, it is often implied that if we have another girl that this would be a disappointment or let down of sorts.  YES we do hope for our boy - but we LOVE our girls so much!!  Whatever this little sweetie is - he/she is meant for our family and is already loved more than he/she could possibly know.  We are thrilled to become parents to another girl or boy.  I look forward to the moment we will finally know what our next little one is!

Blue Christmas

"I'll have a blue Christmas without you

I'll be so blue just thinking about you

Decorations of red on a green Christmas tree

Won't be the same, dear, if you're not here with me

And when those blue snowflakes start falling

That's when those blue memories start calling

You'll be doin' all right with your Christmas of white

But I'll have a blue, blue, blue, blue Christmas

You'll be doin' all right with your Christmas of white

But I'll have a blue, blue, blue, blue Christmas."

The lyrics to this song and a couple others have new meaning for me.  Friday December 14,  during my lunch/shopping date with my Mom, we were sitting in a pizza restaurant when I noticed the corner TV blinking the words breaking news.  I looked up and read somewhat what it said but I wasn't fully brought up to speed until I started reading the many many Facebook posts praying for the families of those lost in the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting.  20 innocent young children, not one over the age of seven, were killed.  Six adults were also shot and killed, then the shooter killing himself making 27 people dead from this horrible tragedy. 

As a future teacher and mother of a seven year old, the news was hard to swallow.  We are taught in my classes that when we become teachers, we take on a certain in loco parentis - which trasnlates to "in place of parents" or the unofficial act of teachers stepping in as parent or guardian of their students when at school.  When parents send off their students at the beginning of the the day, they are also silently passing on the torch of trust and guardianship of their son and daughter onto the teacher.  As a parent and a future teacher, I take this role quite seriously. When a parent sends their child to school, they assume they are in a safe environment.... which is another reason the shooting on December 14, 2012 is considered even more devastating.  Not one of those parents sent their child to school that day, expecting them to be buried before Christmas. 

Through the events, I heard of one teacher that's brave act saved her classroom of students.  Her name is Victoria Soto.  She was 27 years old and a first grade teacher.  When the gunfire broke out, she hid her students in her classroom closets and cabinets.  When the shooter entered the room, she told him her students were in the gym just before being repeatedly shot to death.  Not one of her students was harmed. She is my hero.  I hope that one day when I am a teacher, I will have the courage to do the same if ever needed.  Victoria Soto is an example of the dedication teachers should have towards their students.  She displayed true in loco parentis. People like her make me proud to become a teacher. 

At times, I think about how I would feel... I see Danelle's stocking and presents ready to be put under the tree.  Then I realize that for some parents out there now, they are heartbreaking reminders that their child will not know the joy they planned for Christmas morning.  I have thought hard about the mornings when I send Danelle off to school; how would I feel if that were the last time seeing her on earth?  Does she know how much I love her every day that she leaves home?  I can't begin to imagine enough the depth of sorrow and anger that those parents must be feeling at this very moment.  

"Bells will be ringing this sad sad New Years

Oh what a Christmas to have the blues

My baby's gone..."

To the families and friends of all lost, teachers and staff of Sandy Hook Elementary, and many traumatized students of this shooting in Newtown, Connecticut...  "The death of a child is the single most traumatic event in medicine.  To lose a child is to lose a piece of yourself," Dr. Burton Grebin. I wish there was a way I could help you at this time or ease some of the pain you are feeling.  You are in the thoughts and prayers of many, including me and my family.  May you find comfort and peace during this difficult time. 

  

V-bac :-s

All along, I was pretty certain that I wanted to attempt a v-bac (vaginal birth after c-section).   I felt pretty sure about things but something changed the first time I saw our baby on the ultrasound monitor.  For the first time in this pregnancy, this wasn't just an idea or happy thought.  It was REAL.  This baby had a face, nose, arrms, legs, a functioning heart and brain... it was a person, my child.  It was then that I began to worry about the thought of having a v-bac.  If something went wrong, I was certain that I would be ok but I didn't feel that I could responsibly risk my baby's life for my selfish desire to not be cut open again and suffer a long recovery.  Only knowing one person at the time with a successful v-bac, I decided to ask my doctor about it at my 24 week appointment.

Here's something to consider when thinking about v-bac: the odds of a major tear are 1/10,000.  The odds of a minor tear are 1/200, however even with a minor tear you can still go forward with a v-bac safely.  Something about my Dr. Crouch; he has had ZERO fatalities in mother AND baby in all his years of performing them.  In that time, he has only seen two major tears, both in women who were attempting a v-bac after repeat c-sections - but they survived.  He assured me that he will be in the hospital at all times.  There are three signs to a rupture; bleeding, baby's heart rate  and he told me that even with an epidural, I would feel it.  However, he also let  me know that I am in the LOWEST risk bracket for this to happen since I have had a vaginal delivery before, only one c-section, and almost three years of gap between these babies. 

Everything considered, I feel much more at ease about the idea than I had. I have said this many times; I trust my doctor with my life and now our baby's as well.  Overall, I have good feelings about the v-bac, if everything works out and I can still have one by then.  I worry more about going into labor on my own since I can't be induced and haven't had much luck with going into labor on my own in previous pregnancies.  I am hoping for the best and prepared for the worst (meaning c-section). I have my first fluid check on December 31st, New Years Eve.  Fingers crossed that this pregnancy stays as wonderful as it is now. 

*As a general disclaimer; v-bac is not for everyone and I completely understand and respect a mother's decision to have a repeat c-section.  To have a successful v-bac you need to trust your doctor fully, find out the risks, pray, and go with your gut feelings.  If you want many children, v-bac might make sense because repeat c-sections can be risky as well, sometimes more risky than the original v-bac.  If you only want a couple more children, you need to do what makes sense for you.*     

Thanksgiving 2012

November got off to a rugged start.  After a rough month, I was really looking forward to a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner with the family.  If there is one thing I have heard as a Mom though, it's to expect the unexpected and poor Kaitlyn got sick the day before Thanksgiving.  Not wanting to make anyone else sick (especially Elodie who was only six weeks old) we came up with a weird way that Shayne and I could have a holiday and one of us could stay with Kaitlyn at all times. 

First up - The Burrows/LaTurner dinner.  Ellie and I took our hungry bellies over to my Mom's house around 1:30 for our dinner.  Everything tasted amazing but my favorite part was the stuffing this year.  I need to get Mom's recipe because I had probably three helpings!  I also loaded up on the mashed potatoes and gravy, another favorite.  The time went by too fast though because in a moment it was 4:00, we had just had pies, and Ellie and I had to go so Shayne could catch his family dinner.  

4:15 - Shayne and Ellie headed out for the Munn family dinner at Sarah's house.  I don't know much about how this dinner went, but Shayne said he had a great time.  I heard some pretty great comments about the turkey as well; Jason has been mastering his "smoking" skills and they smoked the turkey.  I tried some of the leftovers and I have to admit, even cold it was one of the most flavorful turkeys I had probably ever tasted.  The smokey taste gave the turkey something extra. It made for an amazing turkey sandwich for me. 

While everyone was gone, I did get a little depressed though.  It seemed sad to me to look across the table and see half of our family missing, chairs empty that were once full.  It was the first Thanksgiving Shayne and I had spent apart... EVER. I hadn't even gotten around to taking pictures before it was time to leave.  Although we miss our family and hate being apart during the holidays, they were there in our hearts and we look forward to the day that we can all be together for the holidays again. 

       

Reflections of an Aspiring Teacher

               William Ward said, “The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires.”  This statement sums up a lot of the reason I want to be a teacher. I want to inspire students to a higher way of thinking.  I want to inspire them to challenge themselves to do hard things.  I want to inspire self- confidence and courage to ask for help. 

                When growing up, it never occurred to me that I would one day aspire to be a teacher; a ballet dancer, singer, or actress on Broadway - maybe - but never a teacher.  Honestly, when I was in school I couldn’t wait to get out and never go back.  I didn’t have miserable experiences in school, but other my interests and hobbies were always first on my mind.

                My senior year of high school, I was accepted to the College of Eastern Utah with a full-ride scholarship in Theater.  The only expense I had were books and my living accommodations, so naturally I took the opportunity and spent my first two year of college taking generals and acting classes.  In the evenings I was always wrapped up in a play – stopping only to work weekends.  Upon graduation however, I took a hard look at my life and realized although I loved theater very much, I didn’t see myself going much further than community theater.

                It wasn’t until my daughter started preschool that I questioned if I was capable of doing what this teacher was.  I considered opening my own preschool over the next two years.  When my daughter matured to Kindergarten and we entered a public school setting, the spark was lit and I knew that I was meant go further and be an Elementary Educator.   It was at this time that I enrolled at University of Phoenix.

                What I didn’t realize is how well my years in theater had prepared me for teaching.  Teaching is much like being on stage every day.  Theater gave me the self confidence to conduct myself in front of a group.  It helped me learn to be expressive and aspire for understanding through my language.  It taught me valuable listening skills, ways to motivate, and most importantly HUMOR.  I also learned that to perform well, you need to prepare well.  Not to mention, how to captivate an audience. Everything combined, I feel confident in my choice to become an educator.

                I feel that one of the best ways for me to stay current in education is to stay on top of the new and developing technologies available to enhance my teaching.  As I use and become familiar with new technology, I can incorporate them within my teaching.  Another way to stay current is to get to know other teachers; discover techniques that are working for them, exchange ideas, and continually find new ways to improve my teaching.  This can also be done with seminars, education groups, or assemblies just for teachers.   Teachers are life-long learners. 

The best way for me to maintain my passion for teaching is to have a genuine interest in the progression of each student.  As I become involved with the students and get to know them on a personal level, I can successfully help each student rise to their potential.  Another idea is to become engaged with teachers who share my passion for teaching.  Together we can motivate, educate, share success stories, and build each other up when we are feeling discouraged.

                I hope to walk in the classroom every day with a smile, sense of humor, and open mind that anything can happen.  I want to provide a fun and safe learning environment that encourages higher levels of learning and challenges students to face difficulties and find opportunities for deeper understanding. I will encourage my students to be independent thinkers who feel safe asking questions and having discussions.  I will strive for each student to feel valued and important to the class, recognizing their strengths and weaknesses are not the same and this is wonderful!  I will be healthy role model for my students and conduct myself with high moral values. I will constantly be looking for ways to improve my teaching and become a life-long learner.  Most of all, I want each student to know that I am invested in their success and believe in them on a personal level.  This is my philosophy.