It's been one of those weeks...

So, it's been a sort of tough week with Brent. As a baby/child, he has always been an early riser, and unfortunately has the genes from Jared, that when he wakes up in the early mornings, there is no way he is going back to sleep. We have tried everything you can think of to keep him in his room until 6pm. Clocks, locks, treats, verbal praise, late bedtime, nap, no nap, repetition on what he needs to do...etc. It doesn't seem to help. So that is annoyance number one. I still don't know how to solve this one.
The next thing that Jared and I are having a problem with, is his discipline. He is a red type personality, and he keeps on getting into trouble. We pick our battles, trust me, but the biggest problem is the listening. I freak out in my head when I have a hard day with him, thinking that I will not be able to handle him when he is a teenager. Jared thinks he will grow out of it, but personalities don't change. Anyways, the whole reason why I'm writing this is to remember how I'm feeling right now. After breaking down to Jared, and us both feeling like we didn't know what to do, Jared said, "Pray to Heavenly Father for inspiration to know what to do. You are his mother, Heavenly Father sent us Brent because he knew we could raise him, and that you can be a good mother to him." I immediately knew what he was saying was true. The day after our conversation, I set my mind out to be calm when disciplining Brent, and to not get worked up all the time with him. I also made it a goal, that I was going to praise him constantly for all the good things he was doing. I also made sure to emphasize several times a day to "make good choices". The day went remarkably smooth, Brent felt good about himself for all the good he was doing, and I was able to keep my cool when he would be naughty. I know this problem of mine seems so minor in comparison to all the big problems out there, but I really felt that Heavenly Father heard the worries of my heart. I also know that I was able to remain calm...(which is pretty rare) because I had faith that Heavenly Father would inspire me to do and say the right things to Brent. We are on day number 2 with the new changes, and Brent's behavior and demeanour hasn't really changed, but I can tell he is thinking through things a little better when he is making a choice. I also feel better as a mother, because I'm not yelling, freaking out, or showing that I'm annoyed on the outside to Brent. It's a lot of work to discipline, and follow through with time outs, explaining what is right and wrong, but it seems to be working. I just want Brent to be the best he can be, and I guess the reason why I freak out when he is a wreck is because I feel responsible for how he is acting.
The bottom line is, I'm grateful for Jared and his wisdom and righteousness. I'm grateful that he has a testimony of prayer, and through that he is able to help me get through a trial in my life. I'm grateful for my faith in Heavenly Father, he is ALWAYS there for me...why do I forget this? Hopefully when I'm having another rough week, I can look back on this post and be reminded of the power of prayer, and the companionship of the Holy Ghost.