Anything

I love working in child welfare. It has made a home in my heart. The other day I had a real big hang up with my passion...so without giving any details it is like the same story that I see time after time: parents are not willing to make the changes needed to keep their child/children, so the child/children are removed from their care. If there is more then one child the chances that the children will stay together is very small.

When I saw our little peanut the other day I had this feeling take over me that I would do anything for this child. Most importantly I will love and guide this child through his/her life because as a parent that is my responsibility. So dealing with parents who put their own needs above their children's well being now sits with me very differently. I am not saying that I ever thought that the actions of the parents I deal with were ok, but I now have a different perspective.

Peanut

So even though I was told by a stick several weeks ago that Baby Hamann was on the way, it is still hard to really believe that it is real. Today Reid and I went to the first appointment with my doctor. It is so weird to go to the doctor for something good, I mean usually it is because I am sick. Well I guess I am sick, but it is a welcomed sick feeling. The doctor did the ultrasound and there he/she was...a little peanut tucked into a black peanut shell. It was a beautiful sight.

Champions!

It is going to be a great year! Our child will enter a world where the NFL Champs are the Green Bay Packers! Yep, it's going to be a great year :)

I do have to believe that along with the Packer's talented players it was also my official game day gear of Packer socks, vintage Packer t-shirt, and ratty old Packer sweatshirt that aided in a win. This same attire was worn for all of the post-season games.

Puff Cheetos

Now I have not been hungry for much of anything lately. I feel like it is one of the many funny things about pregnancy...you get to gain weight, but food makes you sick. So for the last two months nothing has sounded good, until tonight. I call Reid and it must have been fate because he was at a gas station filling up. In my sweetest voice I asked my darling husband to buy me Cheetos, puff style. I don't like the puffs. I really don't eat Cheetos, but if I do they have to be the crunchy ones. But tonight it was puffs. I felt as though if I did not get these much desired puffs that the world as we know it would cease to exist. Rest assured that I got the puffs, you may now sleep well and safe tonight.

Positive

The first "two lines" that I see I really don't believe, so another test is in order. The second set of "two lines" are a little more believable, but not totally convincing. Now the third test does not have lines, but instead has words and the test reads "pregnant".

CASA

CASA is not just spanish for "home", it is also the name for the amazing organization that I now get the priviledge to work for. CASA stands for Court Appointed Special Advocate. At the basic level we are the voice for children of abuse and neglect cases in court. Our responsibility is to ensure that no child falls threw the cracks of what we can honestly say is a very flawed system.

My internship in college was with East-Central CASA in Brookings, SD. The cool experience I was exposed to was getting to work not only with several counties and their courts, but also the Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe. CASA was my first exposure to child welfare and it helped mold the passion that I still hold in my heart for abused and neglected children.

When I started working at the YMCA preschool/daycare I knew that I was missing something in my life...my child welfare fix. I contacted Becky from Kendall County CASA and told her about my child welfare background and before I was sworn in I had a case. I love being a CASA. It has been 2 1/2 years of volunteering my time and heart to those who really need it...children.

Then the opportunity came up for me to work as a case manager for CASA. I feel as though all of my expericences have helped shape me into the person I need to be to be successful in this position. When I was at the preschool I liked going to work, enjoyed my co-workers, adored my preschoolers, but at the end of the day it was a job. Now I get to go to a place that pays me for using the gifts God has given me, a place where my passion is what I live everyday. I am so incredibly blessed.

"I looked around at all the children suffering in the world. I saw the abuse, neglect, and pain.

I looked up to heaven and asked Why?

Why don't you do something to help these children? "

Then a reply came back. "I did do something, I created you."

Paying Attention

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery...

It is true that children are always paying attention to what the adults around them are saying and doing, but even as a preschool teacher I forget how much my students are watching. The other night I was at my friend's house and her daughter is in my 3-4 year old classroom. While I was visiting with my friend, her daughter asked us to play "school" with her. She was the teacher and my friend and I were the students. Everything thing she did from circle time to trying to get her students to "quiet down" was modeled after things I say and actions that I make. It actually brought tears to my eyes. On one hand I didn't realize how bossy I really do sound, but on the other hand it helped me remember what a responsibility we have as adults to lead our children. They want to be shown how to act. The question is, are we up to allowing them to follow our example?