Enlightening :)

So I have began reading again, yes me! ha ha!  I think I enjoy reading alot more when it's regarding a situation that I need help with.  Lately I have been struggling with keeping my 3 yr old from not hitting my 1 yr old.  It's gotten worse recently.  Our 1 yr old will just be silently sitting on the floor and our 3 yr old will kick him in the face, run him over, smack him..etc.  And it's been SO frustrating b/c obviously we tell him not to and get SO mad at him..but it just happens over and over again.  I can't leave them in the same room together.  And the hardest part is once you have blown up, you then regret how badly you reacted and there come GUILT.  So..I went to Joyce and explained my sorrows and she recommended a book- it's called "Positive Timeout" by Jane Nelsen.  Some big highlights for me in this book:

-

- A child who feels better, does better
- You should never put a child in time out that is under the "age of reason" which is 2 1/2

- A misbehaving child is a discouraged child

- We must help our children feel they are significant and empowered and then there wouldn't be a need for them to misbehave

-Children misbehave when they feel insignificant

-Punitive time outs will only solve the problem at that moment, but will not have far reaching effects.  It also can be humiliating for the child. And only increases the misbehavior later on.

-when parents take the easy way out-going for short range solutions rather than long range teaching- they rob children the opportunity to learn the skills the children need to prosper in life. 

- Positive timeouts need to be done in order for longterm goals to be met, therefore the behavior will improve

- When your child has misbehaved it is best to approach them with a hug and kiss and to place them in their "Feel Good" place.  Which should consist of soft pillows, blankets, books, music..whatever.  And describe to them "you must not be feeling good about yourself right now, so you are to stay here untill you feel better and come out when you are feeling better." When they come out you are to ask "what" and "how" qts about the situation and to end it with a hug and kiss. Some may argue that this book is saying- you are rewarding the child for misbehaving by letting them have a "positive" time out, but that is not the case. It helps them to develop life skills as well as to self- soothe. 

-Getting upset, yelling, threatening will only satisfy the issue at that moment and in turn you are humilitating the child and they are continuing to feel insignificant. Where did the idea come that in order for our children to do better, we need to make them feel worse?
-Positive timeout also helps us as adults to take time out to regroup.  When we become so upset our "reptillian" brain is working and works the idea of fight or flight.  Instead if we regroup and collect our thoughts (while our child is having positive time out) a different part of our brain helps us to think more logically.

- Lots of time we become upset at our kids- when what they are doing in our minds is "misbehaving" but really it can be a developmentally need to explore, etc.

-Instead of always telling our children what they Can't do, tell them what they Can do. 

-when children trust the adults in their lives, they have less desire to misbehave

love this quote- "Discipline that teaches children helps them learn for the future. Punishment makes children pay for the past"

I just loved it.  And completley agree with it's points.  And will put this advice to work, and hope the physical harm to 1yr old, Bradyn may come to an end :)

Loves!

Guess who is 1!

Our little spunky baby is One!!! He is such a joy!  He had his check up today.  He's right on track with everything!  We can't wait for him to begin walking.  Peyton walked at 18 months, i got a feeling it will be much earlier with Bradyn.  

Here are his Stats:

WEIGHT- 20 LBS 8 ounces ~ 36 %

LENGTH-30.25 IN ~ 66 %

HEAD- 18.25 IN ~ 58 %
he's always been in the 90 % for length..seems he's dropped..

loves!

Family Pictures

Here are our Family Pictures!!!! Gotta say, we are one HOT family!!!! :)   The Pics were worth every little bit of stress and worry :)  LOVE LOVE THEM!!!

Enjoy!!!!

I don't even know how to describe it.....

So Yesterday night we took Family Pictures up in Park City with Kara Simmons :)  It went very well.  We are excited to see pics.  And when I say excited- you know, i mean THRILLED! But...this story has to do with that day.  

So earlier on that day I felt a little light headed and nauseaous..felt like I was coming down with something.  Throughout the day I had felt stressed about pictures.  Wondering if the boys were going to be okay.  making sure they had a good nap..If they were going to turn out...you know me, I have to have the PERFECT pictures lol.  And of course not only did Peyton's stitches happen the week prior and also 2 days before pics Peyton winds up with a rash on his chin.  So I was already a little frazzled.  So we begin our trek up to Park City and it begins pouring rain.  Then again, stress levels rose.  BUT right as we began pictures it totally stopped raining and the perfect looking sky popped out.  The boys were quite difficult to maintain happy...we had brought balloons as a prop for pics..they all popped but one.  So anyways, the session is over and we get in our car to leave  and got down to Salt Lake to drop off my sister and just as we did my entire body began shaking uncontrollably and my lips began chattering and I just began freezing.  I had no idea what was happening to me..but I was aware of what was going on.  Steve said I was incoherent and very out of it.  He debated taking me into some place, but did not. I just could not get warm- b/c the heat was on it caused the kids to freak out b/c they were getting sooo hot.  

So we get home and I get out of the car to get Bradyn and couldn't even lift him, that's how weak I was.  I literally crawled up the stairs (3 flights) and turned my bath tub on full hot and got in it.  Steve said it was scalding water..and i just lied in it for 2 hours.  He then covered me up with 5 blankets and fed me a gogurt.  My teeth were still chattering.  I couldn't talk or move.  He took my temp and it was 104.  

Now on to the best part- he came over to my side of the bed.  And as the oil dropped on my head, gave me a blessing and within 10 min of the  blessing he took my temp...it dropped a lot.  10 min later took it again..it had dropped.  All of a sudden I felt my body go very warm and I began to sweat a lot..like drops of sweat were falling off my face.  I seriously felt like it was THE END that I literally was going to die...I kept thinking to myself...."was this the last time I got to see my boys..." "but I'm suppose to go up to Logan this weekend with friends...." And all of a sudden my fever broke, I literally could feel what it was like..I then fell asleep and woke up this morning as if I was ready to run a marathon  .  Perfectly 100% normal.  

Now, there have been MANY times on my mission where I witnessed true healing of sickness, but never before had something like this ever happened to me.  There was an instance on my mission when one of my legs had a bad pain that lingered forever and upon being given a blessing I stood up and never felt it again..

I honestly don't even know how to describe it...but I was healed...

What I have learned is that: Brooke gets stressed very easily these days..and I literally think my body was on overload and I just couldn't take it anymore.  On my wedding day, I felt the same sort of nausea and light headed ness...I just can't get myself SO stressed!  I have taken stress management classes in college..i wish I had notes I could look back on.  I just need to relax and not get so stressed.  Hence why the "planner" Brooke has been on vaca mode for a little bit of time.  

Only question I have is- did this attack have anything to do with my heart??

Loves