Don't Mess With 'Mama Bear'

When it comes to being a parent - Ulysses resident Jennifer Hittle, like most moms, is a "mama bear" when she needs to be. Her son, Preston, attested to that recently when he gave a sermon at Community Baptist Church.

"No one wants to be on the other end of the phone when mom doesn't get her way," Preston said in his sermon, referring to an instance when Jennifer was doing what mom's do best - protecting her child.

"His comment referred to when I was trying to get him back in to see a surgeon for the second time and get his palate looked at to see what was going on with it," explained Jennifer. "They told us it would be fine. We went back and forth with different ear doctors - his hearing problems had nothing to do with ear infections."

The family did not agree with how things were being looked at by the medical team, but the medical professionals weren't listening.

"I can be a little bossy," Jennifer said with a laugh. "I wasn't going to settle. Our prayer for many years was for God to use him like He did with Aaron (in the Bible). God answered our prayers 100 percent."

Preston was born with a soft cleft palate.

"(It) caused him to not be able to speak and not get all of the nutrients he needed," Jennifer said. "At the same time his palate was developing it affected his hearing for quite awhile."

Preston had to undergo 16 surgeries by the time he was 13.

'He had 12 surgeries for his ears, two for his palate and two others for other injuries," Jennifer said. "His first surgery was when he was six weeks old on his ears. His second cleft surgery was when he was 4-years-old. He finally stopped having to have ear surgeries when he was 13. We had a speech pathologist in our house a lot. He has mild hearing loss now."

Preston, who is currently a junior at Ulysses High School, is the middle child for Jennifer and her husband, Scott. The couple has two daughters, Lexi, who is a freshman at Washburn University;  and Britnee, a freshman at Ulysses High School.

"Lexi has enough credits to be a junior," Jennifer said. "She will graduate in December 2026."

Jennifer and her husband, Scott, have been married for the past 20 years. They missed a dream of his by one year.

"(Scott) told me he wanted to have three kids by the time he was 30 years old," Jennifer said. "We had three by the time he was 31."

Being a mom is something Jennifer said, "I have always wanted to be."

"I was an only child," she added. "So, I wanted more than one."

The three kids are close in more ways than one.

"Britnee and Preston are 15 months apart and Lexi and Preston are 15 months apart," Jennifer said. "I wouldn't have had it any other way. When they were younger they all played together and they are still close today."

Britnee and and Preston were "best friends".

Britnee had speech issues for awhile as well, I think, because she used Preston as her role model - they are best friends," Jennifer said. "Lexi was the big sis - the protector and translator for Preston."

Jennifer laughs as she points out the translations may not have always been "correct".

While juggling being a mom to three, Jennifer has also worked outside of the home. Currently she is the head wrestling coach for the Ulysses High School Wrestling team.

She did stay home for two years after he was born. At the time, the couple were living in Pratt, Kan. They moved to Ulysses when Scott was offered a position with Pioneer Electric.

For the move, Jennifer proved again how strong and resilient "moms" have to be.

"Scott had to report to his job at Pioneer right away," Jennifer said. "I was still in Pratt trying to get things ready to move. There was an ice storm going on at the time - we had an 80-year-old neighbor who helped out. He was awesome."

The move process was taking place when Preston was just a baby.

How has it been being a mom?

"It is fun, chaos, there is frustration - and all at the same time," Jennifer said. "It's not always easy, but it's fun and challenging. They are my everything. We have been blessed with hard working, kind kids. We have some really amazing children. They are respectful. They listen. They do mess up sometimes, but we all can fall short once in awhile."

Jennifer said with a chuckle, "You learn how to deal with them when their father's personality comes out."

When asked what the hardest thing was about being a mom, Jennifer said "failing".

"Failing or feeling like a failure," she added. "I have messed up and some how I have the kids that I have. (Children) don't come with a play book, but I've tried the best I can."

And the best thing about being a mom?

"Is them," she said. "The joy they bring me every day one way or another. The bond. Seeing them succeed and them growing and finding their way -seeing them happy."

Jennifer and Scott recently learned some news about Lexi.

"We just found out she was named marketing manager for student media an named an ambassador - she was also accepted as a peer educator," Jennifer said proudly. "She will be giving tours at Washburn. She was also asked to be a leader for Christian Challenge."

What does her husband, think of her "mom skills".

"She is amazing," Scott said. "She does anything and everything for the kids. If we can't figure out something she always has someone's number she can call to help them out. And, when mom says it's time to clean house - they get to it. They take after her on a lot of things."

Advice to other moms?

"First and foremost pray," Jennifer said. "Remember to breath and remember that you know your child better than anybody else."