Ode to my 2 year old

Every child develops at a different rate and speed, and I just wanted to take this opportunity to record what my two year old can do! It'll be nice to reference this years to come (I also have printed this and put it in my written journal).
1. Stats: 36.5" tall and 32 pounds
2. Logan has had 2 'official' hair cuts and many trims. He doesn't have thick hair but certain areas grow in thicker. And it's curly/wavy in a hard to make cute kind of way (being i'm not style inclinded when it comes to hair) so for now we keep it short as it thickens up. He's blond with a hint of strawberry in there! And he has my fair skin (poor fellow!)
3. He has dozens and dozens of words. In fact I couldn't even begin to list them anymore. He repeats after me and puts 3 or 4 words together and his pronunciation is pretty good in my opinion! As of this week his longest phrase is 'rock by baby in treetop'
4. Logan can count! ..not necessarily in order mind you lol but he can count to 9. I will say 1, he will say 2, then I will 3, then he will say 4, then I will say 5 and he will say 9 or something lol.. I love it! It's so much fun. Even since I wrote this I have noticed that he has 1, 2, 3 more or less figured out.
5. Logan can recognize colors but can't necessarily always identify them yet. ex: he will call the yellow ball blue. thankfully he lets us correct him and doesn't get upset with us about it! hehe. It's his newest thing this week it seems to recognize colors. During Diego just this morning Diego asked 'is this turtle blue?' Logan replied no, then Diego asked 'is he red?' and Logan says no, and then Diego said 'is this turtle green?' and Logan said yes! I was very impressed :)
6. Tantrums: he has few full on tantrums but he definetly has many 'moments' lol. It all depends what you define as a tantrum. A tantrum to me is a full on freak out - kicking and screaming and the works. Moments are 'i'm not getting my way so i'm gonna be mad for the next minute or two' but gets over it pretty quickly.
7. Logan naps for 2 hours every day from 12 - 2:00, sometimes an extra 30-45 minutes tacked in there, rarely less.
8. Logan is sensative :) not in a completely wussy way (tho he has his moments lol) but he's just genuinely a sensative child.
9. Eating habits: Logan is up and down. When his habits are less than kosher (per my opinion) then I get some energy work done for him and he gets back on track. He doesn't eat much meat at this point and he is picky with his veggies but will eat them - same with fruit. Of course like any kid he loves crackers and fruit snacks and 'junk' like that.
10. Schedule is important for Logan and me. I don't mess with it and will keep it that way as long as humanly possible. Thankfully I don't have any obligations that force me to have to change things.
11. Logan still has up to 3 bottles a day of milk - we usually transition either morning and/or night with a sippy cup (as it's just as he watches tv). Nap time bottle will be the last I change (meaning until he stops napping on his own free will he will get his naptime bottle) only because I feel confident that if I ween it from him it will also ween his nap which I'm not willing to do.
12. "I love you mommy" <--love hearing him say that phrase!
13. "sorry mommy" <---or sorry to whomever he has 'wronged' - another phrase I love to hear. He also says excuse me, thank you, please and bless you
14.. He likes TV but knows that the tv stays off during the day and doesn't push for it. He gets to watch up to an hour in the morning and up to an hour before bed and that is it.
15. Logan loves babies! He will VERY gently hold them and stroke them and talk to them.
16. Logan has good balance. From birth he has always been the cautious type - didn't do anything he wasn't comfortable doing and didn't do anything until he was defintely sure he could conquer it on the first or second try. He still is like that.
17. Logan knows 4 songs plus the actions (okay not the words completely yet, but he can do the actions): Wheels on the Bus, Popcorn Popping, Once There Was a Snowman, & the Fish Song ("swish swish went the little blue fish one day..") We sing these daily lol.. often multiple times.
18. Favourite TV show: Dora the Explorer & Diego (but also likes Franklin and Max&Ruby)
19. Favourite Movie: Astroboy
20. Lastly at this point Logan is just all around a happy and calm boy. People tell me (whether it's polite or not) that when they watch him for me he is very good and always welcome back to their homes :) I like to think it's partially our good parenting skills but really a huge part of that is his personality and demeanor are just fairly laid back!

I love my little boy and would never change a thing about him! He's perfectly fit into our little family and I look forward to a lifetime ahead with him.

Happy Birthday Logan!!

Results

I have to tell you, this has been a WONDERFUL week! I have embraced (and so has Michael) the "I will never be angry again" change of life, and wow has it made a difference in my life! I will just say that it has in a very short week brought me, Michael and Logan closer together and has made me feel marvelous in general! Even my pregnancy which has been such a struggle has seemed 'easier' to handle and deal with. What a powerful emotion anger (and thus linked emotions like frusteration for example) is and when it is tamed and you are aware of your reaction to situations and people, etc how much you can really change your life.

Anyways, I look forward to the weeks and months and years to come of never being angry again! :) Wish us luck!

Kyla

PS. This week is a good week here in the Bly home - Logan turns 2 on Wednesday and we're having a HUGE party on Friday, which i'm hoping the weather will cooperate because otherwise my house is going to be one jam packed place...keep your fingers crossed for us! There will be blogs to come on Logan's bday and other stuff during the week.

Responding to Challenges in Marriage - Anger issues

So I have been reading the Marriage and Family Relations manual put out by the church and I have really been enjoying it. There is a particular challenge (that has really presented itself this pregnancy) of being very edgy and for me, very angry feeling all the time - which has been pushing Michael away when really I need him to be closer...then I started reading chapter 4 of the manual and I wanted to share the talk/material in the chapter. At the end I will write a little bit about the challenge I hav taken on from this article. 

Satan Stirs Up Anger in Families

“I have a family here on earth. They are so good to me.” This is the hope of every child, expressed in the words of one of our hymns (“Families Can Be Together Forever,”).We learn in the proclamation on the family that “the family is central to the Creator’s plan” and that “husband and wife have a solemn responsibility to love and care for each other” and a “sacred duty to rear their children in love and righteousness” (“The Family: A Proclamation to the World,”)

The family is also Satan’s primary target. He is waging war on the family. One of his schemes is the subtle and cunning way he has of sneaking behind enemy lines and entering our very homes and lives. He damages and often destroys families within the walls of their own homes. His strategy is to stir up anger between family members. Satan is “the father of contention, and he stirreth up the hearts of men to contend with anger, one with another”

(3 Nephi 11:29; italics added). The verb stir sounds like a recipe for disaster: Put tempers on medium heat, stir in a few choice words, and bring to a boil; continue stirring until thick; cool off; let feelings chill for several days; serve cold; lots of leftovers.

We Can Choose Not to Become Angry

A cunning part of his strategy is to dissociate anger from agency, making us believe that we are victims of an emotion that we cannot control. We hear, “I lost my temper.” Losing one’s temper is an interesting choice of words that has become a widely used idiom. To “lose something” implies “not meaning to,” “accidental,” “involuntary,” “not responsible”— careless perhaps but “not responsible.” “He made me mad.” This is another phrase we hear, also implying lack of control or agency. This is a myth that must be debunked. No one makes us mad. Others don’t make us angry. There is no force involved. Becoming angry is a conscious choice, a decision; therefore, we can make the choice not to become angry. We choose! To those who say, “But I can’t help myself,” author William Wilbanks responds, “Nonsense.” “Aggression, . . . suppressing the anger, talking about it, screaming and yelling,” are all learned strategies in dealing with anger. “We choose the one that has proved effective for us in the past. Ever notice how seldom we lose control when frustrated by our boss, but how often we do when annoyed by friends or family?” (“The New Obscenity,” Reader’s Digest, Dec. 1988, 24; italics added).

In his sophomore year Wilbanks tried out for the high school basketball team and made it. On the first day of practice his coach had him play one-on-one while the team observed. When he missed an easy shot, he became angry and stomped and whined. The coach walked over to him and said, “You pull a stunt like that again and you’ll never play for my team.” For the next three years he never lost control again. Years later, as he reflected back on this incident, he realized that the coach had taught him a life-changing principle that day: anger can be controlled (see “The New Obscenity,” 24).

The Lord’s Teachings

In the Joseph Smith Translation of Ephesians 4:26, Paul asks the question, “Can ye be angry, and not sin?” The Lord is very clear on this issue: “He that hath the spirit of contention is not of me, but is of the devil, who is the father of contention, and he stirreth up the hearts of men to contend with anger, one with another.

“Behold, this is not my doctrine, to stir up the hearts of men with anger, one against another; but this is my doctrine, that such things should be done away” (3 Nephi 11:29–30).

This doctrine or command from the Lord presupposes agency and is an appeal to the conscious mind to make a decision. The Lord expects us to make the choice not to become angry. Nor can becoming angry be justified. In Matthew 5, verse 22, the Lord says, “But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment” (italics added). How interesting that the phrase “without a cause” is not found in the inspired Joseph Smith Translation (see Matthew 5:24), nor in the 3 Nephi 12:22 version. When the Lord eliminates the phrase “without a cause,” He leaves us without an excuse. “But this is my doctrine, that such things should be done away” (3 Nephi 11:30). We can “do away” with anger, for He has so taught and commanded us.

Anger Is Yielding to Satan’s Influence

Anger is a yielding to Satan’s influence by surrendering our self-control. It is the thought-sin that leads to hostile feelings or behavior. It is the detonator of road rage on the freeway, flare-ups in the sports arena, and domestic violence in homes. Unchecked, anger can quickly trigger an explosion of cruel words and other forms of emotional abuse that can scar a tender heart. It is “that which cometh out of the mouth,” the Savior said; “this defileth a man” (Matthew 15:11).

David O. McKay said, “Let husband and wife never\ speak in loud tones to each other, ‘Unless the house is on fire’” (Stepping Stones to an Abundant Life, comp. Llewelyn R. McKay [1971], 294).

Physical abuse is anger gone berserk and is never  justified and always unrighteous. Anger is an uncivil attempt to make another feel guilty or a cruel way of trying to correct them. It is often mislabeled as discipline but is almost always counterproductive. Therefore the scriptural warnings: “Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them,” and “Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged” (Colossians 3:19, 21).

“I Will Never Become Angry Again”

Choice and accountability are inseparable principles. Because anger is a choice, there is a strong warning in the proclamation “that individuals . . . who abuse spouse or offspring . . . will one day stand accountable before God.” Understanding the connection between agency and anger is the first step in eliminating anger from our lives. We can choose not to become angry. And we can make that choice today, right now: “I will never become angry again.” Ponder this resolution. The 121st section of the Doctrine and Covenants is one of our best sources to learn correct leadership principles. Perhaps the most important application of section 121 is to spouses and parents. We are to lead our families by persuasion, by long-suffering, by gentleness, kindness, and meekness, and by love unfeigned (see D&C 121:41–42).

We can choose not to be become angry is the challenge I have taken on! I am constantly reminding myelf of that very statement every day - multiple times a day and I ask anyone to remind me of it also if I forget. "I will never become angry again" - what a beautiful thought and goal I think! Last comment i'll make is that knowing that avoiding anger is a -commandment- really helps me, and for my life personally getting a control over this emotion will no doubt trickle through and correct many 'areas' in my life that need some love and attention. :) Wish me luck!

I want a do-over

I feel really ripped off this Mother Day. Financially speaking I told Michael that I didn't want any gifts (even though I requested -and recieved- a hanging flower basket that was like $10) because I have used alot of our finances to continue my education (Bowen), but I don't think that exempts me from being -treated- extra nice on Mother's Day?

Long story that I'm not going to blog about but Michael and I had a foul start to our day and it resulted in tears (me of course lol) and a bad mood for everyone all day long. So that being said, I WANT A DO-OVER! :) Otherwise here's to hoping next year is better!

"Referred Pain"

Wikipedia def: "Referred pain  is a term used to describe the phenomenon of pain perceived at a site adjacent to or at a distance from the site of an injury's origin. One of the best examples of this is during ... heart attack where pain is often felt in the neck, shoulders, and back rather than in the chest, the site of the injury"


Why am I giving you this information? Well I share it because in my last post I explained how my sciatic pain is linked to my kidney. I typically feel confident when people/practitioners explain certain things to me, but it really depends on the person, and the lady that had worked on me I didn't have a connection with her (meaning she's a nice lady but we just didn't 'click' if that makes sense?) - anyways, just last night I was studying in my Anatomy and Physiology text and came across this "referred pain" concept and it was just clarification to me that she has the knowledge and it is correct knowledge.


In my text book it also has a diagram that is color coated that explains different connections around the body (like the heart/shoulder connection in a heart attack) and the kidney organ absolutely is linked to the region of the hip. So now it has been medically confirmed to me (even I need that confirmation at times) that my right kidney function is linked to my left sciatic/hip. :)


Anyways, just was intrigued by that info and thought i'd share!

TFH Balance results

Yesterday Logan and I went to see a lady about getting some body work done on us (my biggest concern is Logan as he is behaving and eating badly and I do NOT believe in 'phases') - anyways, long story short she worked mostly on me lol which was definetly not my intention. I have very poor functioning kidneys as the main concern and nothing she could do would get them to respond, it's all coming up nutritional which is being blocked by a few things.

So Logan and I are now on a specific Acidophilus and a homeopathic drop to help clear up our yeast (To much info but i'll let you konw that i've been suffering from a yeast infection since beginning of October) - and Logan has yeast too - not an infection but it's showing up in him. Anyways, the first step will be to clear this up (hopefully what she has given me specifically works cuz i'm really getting sick of it) and then we can go deeper into Logan as far as what may or may not be causing his 'lashing out' i'll call it.

That being said I am on a strict diet change right now which is hard during this pregnancy (a partial reason why my YI has not cleared on it's own) - I have a list of dos and donts food, and I have a particular sweet tooth right now but I am going to do everything in my power to not listen to it and get my will power back up and running! I also have to cut out certain 'good' foods as well that I will be sad to see go (tomato products including ketchup, potatoes, cantaloupe, beef and pork for example) but I have a lovely long list to choose from still which includes rice cakes and popcorn so I will survive! At this point it's just 2 weeks of my life because that's when i'll go back and see her. I figure I have to do everything in my power to get this cleared before I can say it didn't work.

Wish me luck!

Shoulda taken a picture..

So I won't name names as I don't want to embarass my friend, but Logan had a buddy over today and we had quite an interesting...experience! Just yesterday we had a different friend over and we were talking about how 'childproof' our homes are but specifically mentioned that we as parents -think- our homes are childproof until we have other children over and what's when you learn of things that you didn't even know was an issue because your own child just doesn't get into it, etc.

Anyways, I have a dresser in the basement of the house and it contains all of my craft supplies and misc things. So me and my friend were chatting upstairs and the kids had made their way downstairs - not much time later we noticed the time and went down to collect her kids so they could be on their way (as nap time was creeping up on us) and the kids had found my finger paint bottles...well, I am telling you all right now that finger paints and my ball pit don't mix lol. Anyways thankfully no harm done - Logan managed not to have an ounce of paint on him and I found him sitting in my room getting into things he shouldn't be in there lol so he was off the hook as far as the paint goes (though we will never know which kid put the bottle into the pit lol) - so the paint/mess was contained (thankfully) to the ball pit and a few splatters here and there but frankly, it's finger paint so no harm done - just some messy kids!

So it took me about an hour (as I had to get up and down alot due to my legs falling asleep sitting next to the tub lol) but I got all the balls washed and everything is back to normal! Frankly I'm not upset at all as truly there was no harm done to anyone and things happen. I feel bad more for my friend as she seemed pretty embarassed but all is forgiven and we -really- don't know the goings-on of how it all took place in the first place.

We survived our 'first big mess' :) Now we can check that off list and move on to something else hehe