Jace Michael

Since pregnancy every thing about Jace has been a challenge. A challenging pregnancy, delivery, baby, and little boy. When he was a small infant I sometimes wondered if he really even wanted to come to earth. From the minute he was born it seemed as if he hated it. He cried, he cried, and he cried some more. In fact I don't think he stopped for the first 12 months of his life. Okay, not really but he cried a lot. Between the crying and the spit up I don't know what he hated more. Food or Life? It didn't matter to me I loved him with every fiber of my being. I would often hold him for hours at a time while all he did was cry. I'm pretty sure in that couple of hours he had probably soaked my shirt, pants, and or shoes with spit up. There were times when it would finally get to me, and I would have to lay him down knowing there wasn't anything else I could do.
Lucky for me he was the cutest baby alive. I know I'm biased, but where ever we would go people would tell me so. We would get stopped several, several times no matter where we were. People would say "look at those lashes". Or "look at those big blue eyes". They both are to die for. Jace got older and the cuteness remained. However my patients did not. You see what had worked for the oldest was not working for the younger. Me and Jace would battle. I call it a battle of will. Who's was stronger the world may never know. I was at my wits end. Everything with Jace had turned into a battle. I mean everything. I would spend my day in what seemed like WWIII. No matter the out come I always felt defeated. I needed an intervention. I picked up a book called scream free parenting. (I would recommend it even if you are not a screamer.) You see as hard as it is to admit. I had even at times resorted to raising my voice. Which I am most certain had the opposite effect I wanted it to, and left me feeling like a horrible mother. I didn't get through the whole thing. It became due back at the library before I could finish. I did however learn a very valuable lesson. One that had made my testimony grow. So I wanted to share it. The author talked about giving are children choices. He elaborated, but I will just sum it up quickly. Are children need choices. After reading it I thought about how we are given agency, and the war in Heaven. After exercising the principles taught in the book I had a new understanding for my little defiant boy. He wasn't defiant he just wanted to have a choice. I now try to ask him to do things instead of just telling him. It's about 50/50 weather he will just do it right away. So I often pose it to him like this. "You have a choice. You can pick up your toys and we will play and be happy when your done. Or you can choose not to pick up your toys and have a time out in your room." He will put his tiny little index finger on his lips. Tap a few times as if contemplating his options really hard. Then say "I will be happy". Which is followed up by him obeying. When I lay the options out for him he choses the right one 9 out of 10 times. When he doesn't I make sure I follow through. So you see what seemed like defiance had actually turned into a fight for his agency. Instead of being the mean little boy I thought he was being. He was just continuing on what his Savior had started. I would like to believe my strong willed little boy served his savior in the front lines;). See I told you he was cute.He is about 10 months in this picture.
Here he is helping his Daddy mow the lawn. Bare foot I might add. Arn't we great parents? Jace loves when he feels helpful.