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Monday, July 18, 2016

Learning Emotions

Emotions

This week (week 7) has overall been a good week!

Amelia is this constant ball of learning and growing.
It's amazing to me that a baby could learn so much. Many people think they don't know a lot, but man watching this little one up close, it becomes hard to think that she is not learning and growing every second of every day.

When she was littler (she 7 weeks how littler can she get?) she would cry like every other baby does.
It's a bit frustrating as a new parent to hear your baby cry for a few reasons...
1. You want to help your child.
2. You may not know what your child needs. (Example: bum changed, to be fed, burped, sleep, or they may even just have gas which is no laughing matter.)
3. Baby cries are heartbreaking. If you don't think so it's just proof you don't have a heart.

As Amelia has grown, her cries have too. She has been able to differentiate between the things that make her uncomfortable.

She went from the same type of cry for everything to two different cries.
Numeral uno-I'm hungry, I'm tired.
Numeral dos- "I'm uncomfortable" as I have labeled it. This means I need a bum change, I'm bored, or I'm slightly tired, but not enough to make a big stink about it yet.

Learning the difference between these two has made our baby trouble shoot much easier!

She has learned so many things!
She can blow little bubbles, smile when we smile, coo, hold her head up, stand with assistance for short amounts of time, and do a kicky wiggly dance.
That's a lot to perfect in 7 weeks.


Now that brings us to this week.
The week of emotions.

I first noticed it while giving her a bath. It was obvious, a wail, a very very sad wail. A sound that was instantly heart shattering. It was the sound of sadness.
My baby felt sadness.
I thought maybe it wasn't that, then it happened again the other day when B was changing her bum.
Now I can't deny it, my baby knows what sadness is.

But with that being said she has also had an increase of joy. 
This week she has started to purposefully smile back at us.
Man, I never knew how happy a little persons smile could make me.


The first time she did that was also in the bath. ( I'm starting to think that bath time is source of inspiration in learning and growth for this little one) 

I could see the light in her eyes increase. Then her mouth began to move in a funny way.
It opened up and the lips began to do a movement similar to the wave.
Then it just popped up on her face.

I yelled for B to come, apparently in such an urgent way that he hung up with his mother and came running.
He was relieved to find that it was just for a smile.

Now every day we seem to have a happy hour. A time of the day where a smile is easily found in her face, and ours.

We put away all destractions at this time. We snuggle up with each other and just enjoy the company. 

It's these moments that I live for, trust I love with my whole heart.

This growth of emotions just makes it even more clear that there is opposition in all things.

I was so sad to recognize that my baby feels sadness, but I am very happy she feels joy. 

If they come together then I guess I'm grateful for sadness because it helps her understand joy.

These ideas of sadness and joy are written very clearly in the scriptures from the 2nd book of Nephi in the book of Mormon which reads...

22 And now, behold, if Adam had not transgressed he would not have fallen, but he would have remained in the garden of Eden. And all things which were created must have remained in the same state in which they were after they were created; and they must have remained forever, and had no end.

23 And they would have had no children; wherefore they would have remained in a state of innocence, having no joy, for they knew no misery; doing no good, for they knew no sin.

24 But behold, all things have been done in the wisdom of him who knoweth all things.

25 Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy.

26 And the Messiah cometh in the fulness of time, that he may redeem the children of men from the fall. And because that they are redeemed from the fall they have become free forever, knowing good from evil; to act for themselves and not to be acted upon, save it be by the punishment of the law at the great and last day, according to the commandments which God hath given.



One of my favorite parts is that men are that they might have joy.

We were each created to experience happiness. Heavenly father wants us to be happy, but this also comes with being sad so we can understand the difference.

It's amazing how clear things can become as a parent with hindsight.

Well cheers to being sad so we can be happy, and cheers finding joy in this amazing experience we call life!



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