Yay for Peter; Yay for Ammon

Friday, December 21, 2007

Yay for Peter; Yay for Ammon

This past week, both boys have excited me with things they have done.

Peter has done two things. First, he has actually crawled. He is a champion scooter (just like his brother was) and has been completely mobile since he was 6 months old. But he hasn't crawled at all. Now he has crawled, which is so fun! But - mostly he still just scoots. The other thing I have been able to do this week was get him to eat! He has not been super interested in baby food or real food either. He is very picky about what he'll eat and a lot of the time he'll spit things out. He doesn't like vegetables at all - again I am talking about both baby food and real food. He can't eat banannas because they cause gas. He hates tart flavors and even something as basic as applesauce really seems to be pushing it for him. So, I finally found some foods that are oats and things blended with real mild fruits like strawberries. Those flavors seem to be just plain and sweet enough that he will eat them. So over the past four days we went from not eating even one stage one jar of baby food to eating an entire stage two jar, to two jars and now to three jars in one day! I love it! I feel so much better knowing that he is getting some real food in that little tummy of his. It already seems to be translating into better naps and sleep. Having a full tummy really makes life better!

What Ammon did was so impressive to me. We have worked a lot with him on how to calm down when he gets overwhelmed with his emotions such as anger, disapointment, frustration and sadness. Usually I can kneel down next to him and have him take a deep breath. We repeat the deep breath together until he is calm. Sometimes it will even make him laugh. Once he is calm, we can talk about what to do. Generally at this point he can be quite rational and come up with a good solution to his problem. Well, the other day he was upstairs watching TV while I was downstairs nursing Peter and putting Peter down for a nap. We were the only ones home and the dog started barking to come in. The moniter was on and was where Ammon could hear it, so I told Ammon (over and over and over again) to let Shadow in. Finally Peter got to sleep, but Ammon never let Shadow in. So I went upstairs and told Ammon he was in trouble for not letting Shadow in. I never make him turn off the TV mid-show, but because he was in trouble, I turned it off. He immediately freaked out BUT before I could respond, he caught HIMSELF and took a deep breath. He came over to where I was standing and calmly apologized and said he would not do it again. I was so absolutely flabbergasted by him catching his own tantrum before it really took off that I immediately accepted his apology and let him turn his show back on. It was awesome!

2 comments:

AnonymousDecember 22, 2007 at 9:48 PM
What impressive little boys I have. I am so proud to their daddy. Thanks to Jenny for teaching Ammon how to take care of his emotions.
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Two Restless RetireesDecember 24, 2007 at 9:55 AM
Both the feats are very cool. As I was reading I kept thinking that maybe Ammon was going to tell Shadow to take a deep breath! Maybe that is next!
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Family Proclamation

The First Presidency and Council of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

We, the First Presidency and the Council of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, solemnly proclaim that marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God and that the family is central to the Creator's plan for the eternal destiny of His children.All human beings—male and female—are created in the image of God. Each is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents, and, as such, each has a divine nature and destiny. Gender is an essential characteristic of individual premortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose.In the premortal realm, spirit sons and daughters knew and worshiped God as their Eternal Father and accepted His plan by which His children could obtain a physical body and gain earthly experience to progress toward perfection and ultimately realize his or her divine destiny as an heir of eternal life. The divine plan of happiness enables family relationships to be perpetuated beyond the grave. Sacred ordinances and covenants available in holy temples make it possible for individuals to return to the presence of God and for families to be united eternally.The first commandment that God gave to Adam and Eve pertained to their potential for parenthood as husband and wife. We declare that God's commandment for His children to multiply and replenish the earth remains in force. We further declare that God has commanded that the sacred powers of procreation are to be employed only between man and woman, lawfully wedded as husband and wife.We declare the means by which mortal life is created to be divinely appointed. We affirm the sanctity of life and of its importance in God's eternal plan.Husband and wife have a solemn responsibility to love and care for each other and for their children. "Children are an heritage of the Lord" (Psalms 127:3). Parents have a sacred duty to rear their children in love and righteousness, to provide for their physical and spiritual needs, to teach them to love and serve one another, to observe the commandments of God and to be law-abiding citizens wherever they live. Husbands and wives—mothers and fathers—will be held accountable before God for the discharge of these obligations.The family is ordained of God. Marriage between man and woman is essential to His eternal plan. Children are entitled to birth within the bonds of matrimony, and to be reared by a father and a mother who honor marital vows with complete fidelity. Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities. By divine design, fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for their families. Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children. In these sacred responsibilities, fathers and mothers are obligated to help one another as equal partners. Disability, death, or other circumstances may necessitate individual adaptation. Extended families should lend support when needed.We warn that individuals who violate covenants of chastity, who abuse spouse or offspring, or who fail to fulfill family responsibilities will one day stand accountable before God. Further, we warn that the disintegration of the family will bring upon individuals, communities, and nations the calamities foretold by ancient and modern prophets.We call upon responsible citizens and officers of government everywhere to promote those measures designed to maintain and strengthen the family as the fundamental unit of society.

This proclamation was read by President Gordon B. Hinckley as part of his message at the General Relief Society Meeting held September 23, 1995, in Salt Lake City, Utah.