Monday, March 31, 2014

Cabinet Napping

Scott & I went to parenting class tonight. The beginning was inspiring & informative - I was glad I went. I really didn't want to go tonight, today was just so hard. Nearing the end of this long class (that ran half an hour late tonight) it started getting sad.. never fails. We watched some videos of kids having tantrums and moms using different approaches to handle these behaviors. It was too easy to relate to. And Moms, all moms. The instructor said Swindells is doing a "class" (it's actually a few hours scheduled in the middle of a bigger session) for DADS. She was announcing this because apparently Dad classes are rare. Because most autistic children don't have dads... ??? I don't know.

We did get some new ideas on weakening behaviors, although the class could not come up with a good solution to getting Judah to stop jumping on his siblings (and us). The teacher gave us info after class about what to look for in the people we interview to be Judah's home aid. At the end of class, I had asked the entire class if anyone could help with this. This ultimately stirred up even more good information for us to use in different areas & a couple tips on how to look for the aid. I got an email from my friend's connection inquiring about the job. Some other friends have leads as well that they are going to pursue for us. That's a good start! We are thinking (after class conversations) that a student might be the best person for the job.

The kids spent time with Gramma & Papa while we were in class. When we arrived to pick them up, they were all kinds of happy & could have stayed hours longer. They all had eaten very well. Judah initiated a transition from upstairs to downstairs with Gramma. Taking her hand as well as telling her verbally that he wanted to go down & play trains.

Judah was having some monster hunger today. I should have introduced a new food!!!

Judah had a really good day. I wish I would have gotten them out more today. He was progressing. I caught him looking in the cabinet at his milk. He noticed the row of coconut milk hiding in the corner, touched one of the cartons and said, "What??" hahaaa. Now he knows what's next! First they take away my rice milk.. now my almond milk that I've finally gotten used to! That was a lot of work Mom! (Because things are often my fault, not sure why - maybe that's why the classes are all for moms?)

Willow pretended to take a cabinet nap, closing her eyes & snoring. I gave her a football pillow.



Today just seemed to grow harder and harder. Judah had an accident on the floor. Sebastian hurt his finger falling off of one of his "inventions" after flying down the driveway on it. This invention was the plasma car on top of the wagon - and Sebastian on top of the plasma car. I wasn't there to stop this one. The play room exploded. I don't know what else happened but it felt like the house was eating me up alive.

This picture sums it up. Today I taught Sebastian how to put dishes away. Guess what tomorrow's lesson is.. ;) Unfortunately Gramma snatches him up after school tomorrow!


Here are the curtain creations I mentioned in yesterday's blog.

Sebastian often jumps into photos. He was actually in the middle of explaining one of his invention ideas to me, saw me getting ready to take a photo, hopped into the picture, hopped out & continued his story.

The lace curtains on top covered the windows in our downtown Phoenix home 6 years ago.

Judah had 1 tablespoon (one dose) of the doctor prescribed L-carnitine. He had 2 doses of Docusate Sodium, 2000 i.u. vitamin d, three tablets 125 mg folinic acid with b-12, one probiotic, one fish oil and 1 dose of Miralax. He also took Restless Night Sleep pill again (1 pill). He has taken this in apple sauce every time. I use a good amount of apple sauce to kill the stench of the pill.

B-12 shot was done tonight, .05 mL

Sunday, March 30, 2014

Brush Teeth

The kids spent a big part of today with Daddy at the store. I tried to sway Scott into writing today's blog, but instead I seemed to sway him right out of the room. Scott reported that they were all good at the store.

The kids played all morning. Daddy made waffles. I walked into the living room after my slumber & was greeted by Miss Willow. She opened her mouth wide & pointed inside. I asked her if her mouth hurt. She kept pointing. I asked what was in there and she said, "A waffle!!!" :) She loves waffles. She calls pancakes waffles too.

Willow refers to some of her body parts as "the...". Her foot is "the foot", her eyes are "the eyes", but her teeth are "brush teeth". haha!

I finally found rain boots! I write this in here because this has been a very difficult task!! I've found cool rain boots all over the place online, but the price tag is always ridiculous. Then I remembered that EBay has EVERYTHING, so I gave them a shot. I came across a pair of gorgeous boots for a decent price, but unfortunately they weren't made for rain. I looked up the brand to see how good the deal was on these lovely boots & discovered a site filled with highly discounted awesome shoes! And the point of all of this - I found a pair of rain boots that I actually like for a very reasonable price! The task is complete!!!

In case you are interested, this is the site - http://www.shiekhshoes.com/Gallery.aspx?ManID=153&gclid=COG6_vXFvr0CFcyTfgodP7sAWg

It's unreal the things you forget over time. I had a bag of CURTAINS in the garage, pretty much sitting out in the open, in a CLEAR bag. I stumbled upon those tonight & am able to use 2 sets of them! The forest green lace will go over the light green curtains in the playroom. I'm safety-pinning them to the top. The long royal blue curtains are going to peek out beneath the white grand entrance looking curtains that lead to the balcony. I am sticking a shower rod between the door frame to hang those behind the other pair.  

Scott made this for dinner tonight...
 
Crab is good, but it's like laboring to eat tiny bites.. that doesn't make me happy.

 
I spotted this guy in the crab!


Judah had 1 tablespoon (one dose) of the doctor prescribed L-carnitine. He had 2 doses of Docusate Sodium, 2000 i.u. vitamin d, three tablets 125 mg folinic acid with b-12, one probiotic, one fish oil and 2 doses of Miralax. He also took Restless Night Sleep pill again (1 pill). He pooped once.

Saturday, March 29, 2014

OMSI

This morning was a flurry. We were actually on track getting ready to go to Baja Fresh.. but eventually we fell off the wagon & ended up our usual 30 minutes late to meet Rita & Dave. This morning it wasn't just the scramble of getting dressed, hair brushed, Scott's shower & chaos but an added event of Judah's fingers getting smashed a bit by the bathroom door. He was already upset, screaming & crying because the phone had been taken from him. This is a daily upset. We need to just stop giving him the phone, and obviously work on taking turns. Taking turns is a big obstacle for him. So the screaming & crying went up a notch, and then he started breathing funny.. "Is he hyperventilating? Scott get a bag! I mean it!!" I put the bag over his mouth & held it, he started to come down a bit and it wasn't long before he was okay without the bag. His breathing was still affected some. He continued to be upset & scared. Scott & I were both crying. I was tense for hours after that. I happily handed Judah my phone after this distressing event. Soon after he was completely fine, back to himself again. Now we have a pile of paper bags on-hand (thank you Mom). 
 
 
 
After Baja Fresh, we all headed to OMSI in Portland. This was everyone's first time going there! The kids rode with Gramma & Papa.
 


The glass elevator was a big hit - the kids loved it!
 

This was one of the first activities that Judah did. It was so neat to see him working patiently with the other kids. He figured the machine out quickly and found ways to use it that I hadn't even thought of! We need to work on "excuse me" though. He literally crawled over a woman sitting near this exhibit.

Judah was fascinated & motivated. This is when he thrives - this is a wonderful place for Judah.

The wind tunnel was a favorite for all 3 of the kids. Judah socialized & laughed a lot!


I picked Willow up a million times, so she could put her paper into the wind. She didn't want to leave this!

Amazed!

He read/looked at directions on the exhibits & followed the pictures. He did this quickly. It was extremely impressive (to his Mom anyway!).

She LOVED the wind!!

She stayed at each project for a long time.

Willow can easily hang out with the older kids.

She loves to squeeze into places that fit her just right. The gigantic clock (10 foot?) was to her side, we stood behind it.

 
Rita, Dave & Sebastian saw a lot of OMSI, the rest of us made it through half of it (but a very busy half!).  Judah's meltdowns in public are getting worse. He knew we were going to leave soon, so the meltdown rolled in. He was on the ground numerous times, banged his head lightly on the sidewalk some, I couldn't pick him up. I walked with him some in the direction he wanted to go, but when we had to turn back he was just as upset again. It took Scott & I (and much patience) to get him going in the right direction. Eventually he walked calmly to the parking lot - a long walk. He took off running to get to the train tracks as soon as he spotted them, running past the car. Soon after he was again refusing to leave, kicking & screaming in Daddy's arms. His meltdowns at home are usually over the same problems - but aren't getting better by any means, probably worse. He pottied at OMSI - that was good!
 
Scott & I went to IKEA and shopped for hours after this. The rest of them went to Gramma & Papa's for the evening.

Judah had 1 tablespoon (one dose) of the doctor prescribed L-carnitine. He had 2 doses of Docusate Sodium, 2000 i.u. vitamin d, three tablets 125 mg folinic acid with b-12, one probiotic, one fish oil and one dose of Miralax. No poops.
 


Friday, March 28, 2014

One Of The Older Kids

IKEA!!!
I'm trying to create a "shopping list" of sorts on their site. HOLY COW. I did not realize the bulk of AMAZING they carried. Which really wouldn't matter if it weren't for the abundant volume of low price tags adorning the amazing. Why haven't we been shopping there all along?? If they have HALF of what I've picked out on my list, the drive to Portland would be completely worth it... every day. ;)

I just spent an hour on their website, my eyes hurt.

There were some really spectacular Judah moments today. I walked by the playroom & saw him kneeling down at the train table, playing with the trains. I said, "Judah, we need to...." and then I stopped, because he had immediately looked up, right at me & was listening. I was overwhelmed with bewilderment, hope & elation! This never, ever happens. I'm getting teary-eyed just typing this.

I took them to McDonald's to play this evening. I was supposed to do this yesterday (Scott did it for me), so I owed them a trip. Judah ran in circles of happiness around the restaurant. There were some looks from seated customers of... "Where are his parents?" Once in the play area the boys screamed into the play structure & very naturally slipped right into the environment that the other kids had created. Judah's laughter enveloped the entire room. Later he spit out his water on the floor quite a bit. He spit a big puddle next to a girl playing on one of the video screens. She yelled, "Eeeeww!! Gross!!!" As we were getting ready to leave, he walked by her again and sprayed a river of cold water from his mouth.. directly on her.

Sebastian made friends easily & quickly at McDonald's. All of a sudden he was one of the "older kids", comfortably chatting with other kids, understanding the games & staying within his age group. He didn't watch over his siblings, follow Judah around or try to partake in the games the other kids were playing, while coming back to check in with me over & over. Now he was one of the older kids.

Judah looks different. I took a picture of him while we were at McDonald's. That was huge confirmation. He looks older than Sebastian all of a sudden. The naturopathic doctor said Judah had gained 4 pounds in one month. He is definitely getting a bit heavy. I can see that lately.

Willow snuck off into the play structure at McDonald's a few times. I'm not sure how she got in there - Sebastian may have been the culprit. But she enjoyed her short moments playing in the big kid area, until I realized she was gone - which sometimes took longer than it should have because I was so focused on Judah. I shelter him too much. Lately there is an even bigger need for me to stop doing that. He has always been able to do so many things, but now he is understanding more. I need to let him go, in a sense. He won't be able to grow as high if I keep getting in the way.

I made it clear to Sebastian that if they ran away when we got outside, we would not be coming back to that McDonald's. Apparently they had done this yesterday. Sebastian was minding his P's and Q's as we headed out the door.





This evening Judah wanted to play on my phone. I told him quite a few times (because he usually doesn't understand the "first, then" concept) that we would potty first and play on the phone next. He wasn't happy, but not having his usual tantrum either! I can't remember if I carried him or if he went on his own to the bathroom, but once there he went potty. Afterwards I rewarded him immediately by handing him my phone & giving him hugs. He had understood the "first, then"! This is such an amazing (and beneficial to all) first!!!

This morning Sebastian started building a fort. He was getting discouraged, so I started helping.. then he started doing other things.. and before I knew it I had covered the entire living room in sheets, connected by clothes pins. It was a huge fort! And nobody even played in it! Someone got out the play-doh and they all made their way around the fort to frolic in the 2 small canisters of mixed play-doh on the table.. for like an hour!!

We made streamers today - I found some metal circle thingies in the tool box & let the kids pick out ribbon from my growing stash. I tied long ribbons onto their metal circles & Willow flew them around the room, while Sebastian decided it was a good time to vacuum the couch for 20 minutes straight using the small attachments on the vacuum cleaner. Judah had no interest in making streamers - he was still enjoying his phone prize. Willow & I both tried to push him into the world of ribbon streamers, but he just shooed us away. Willow & Bastian's streamers are now bedroom decorations. I hope we don't need those metal circles thingies for anything...

Judah & Willow took a bath tonight, after soaking in the rain outside of McDonald's and Judah sweating buckets in the play area. It was so interesting to see Judah paying attention to Willow's behavior and actions while they were bathing. I tried a bath hat on Judah, but he wouldn't leave it on, instead he wore it as a bath necklace. I was able to get it on Willow correctly, it made her look like a flower. Judah looked at her in awe. They both smiled as they watched the waterfall streaming down in front of Willow's face. When I put the hat on Judah again, he let me do it the right way - she had just taught him, he had just learned from her.

We gave Judah his sleep med at dinner (right before bed). Man. He was reading a Chuggington book after that, lifting up the flaps in slow motion. The kids & I laid in my bed for a little while before bed. Judah laid down, rolled over on his side and said, "nite". Then he made snoring sounds, haha. But he never got up. Usually he is jumping/flying around the bed! Tonight he didn't say a word.

Judah's track building is getting more creative. The past week or so he has gotten down the motor skill part of putting track pieces together. Not just with our track, I've seen him doing this with all kinds of different track! Now he is beginning to step into the creative process of track building. Sebastian is paying attention.

Rain today, all day.

Willow was so funny on the changing table today. She pooped a lot today. Every time I changed her she would do things like point down at the poop in her diaper and say, "Look Mommy! Poo poo! Poopy! Look Mommy, Poopy!!" She is hilarious. Last night she was in the kitchen and gave Judah a surprise push from behind. I looked over to see a very sly grin on her face. She was pushing him today too - but unfortunately it wasn't in such a cute way.

Scott worked from home today. He was in the back bedroom, we barely saw him all day.

If anyone has ideas on gluten-free freezer meals I could make, please send them my way! Gluten, casein, egg free would be amazing!!

Last night after sleep med - Judah woke once around 11 & was put down easily, once at 1am because he was soaked, woke up again later & was easily put down, he woke again at 6 and may have easily gone back down but Scott was so tired he just slept with him.

Judah had 1 tablespoon (one dose) of the doctor prescribed L-carnitine. He had a little over 1 dose of Docusate Sodium, 2000 i.u. vitamin d, three tablets 125 mg folinic acid with b-12, one probiotic, one fish oil and 2 doses of Miralax. He also took Restless Night Sleep pill again (1 pill). The sleep medicine stinks!! It's being hidden well in his food though, he finishes it!

 B-12 shot done.

The Princess & The Frog, Miraculous!

I swear it took 5 1/2 hours to get shoes & socks on, potty, another dirty diaper??, she didn't mean to spill that.. but that spill, totally intentional, get off of the table!.. you can't reach them through the TV!! Pixie stop biting!

Some days that pretty much sums it up.

Judah progress continued to shine even more today. I can't think of one time today where I felt that he wasn't hearing me, captured in his own world. There was one time when he was very upset. I asked him to pick up his shirt in that moment, very stupid of me. He continued to cry & I asked him to get his shirt a few more times.. he finally went over in the direction I was pointing and put the potty chair back together. He didn't understand what I was asking him to do. After reading "The Reason I Jump", I can see that he could have been emotional because he wasn't understanding. That was likely added on top of the original issue - being upset over having to get himself dressed. Praise, praise, praise.. even when the accomplishment seems very small, still praise. When he was struggling to get his shirt on & giving up quickly, I didn't help him like he wanted me to, I just praised him - and that was enough, his confidence eventually came through. However, when we are in a rush I totally mess this up. No more rushing!!

I touched Willow's face & tummy with my cold hands tonight and said, "cold". I do this to the kids a lot - they think it's funny. She felt my hand on her face and said, "ice!" hahaha

Judah ran across the street today as we were getting out of the van. There was a kid walking home from school on the opposite side of the street. He ran straight for her! There was no hesitation & he did not seem to be aware that he was in a very dangerous situation. He ran, looking only straight ahead. Kids walking by sometimes excites him, but not always. Sometimes he will come up to them and act friendly, but only when they are on our side of the street. If they are on the opposite side of the street he might yell "hi!" & get excited. But this time he just took off! I ran like lightning to get to him! I dropped everything & pushed Sebastian out of my way (sorry about that Bash).

Scott took the kids to McDonald's tonight, while I stayed here & get some things done outside. He said the boys went crazy in the play area - climbing, sliding, running & playing with other kids. Willow stayed within Daddy distance. Apparently there were a ton of kids there.

Judah's energy was sky-rocketing this afternoon, his attention span was scattered. All of the kids played together in the living room this morning for quite a while. Sebastian & Judah each got in a tent & jumped around the house (Judah's idea). That was really funny. It was pure craziness this morning! But then I put on the Princess & the Frog.. and SILENCE. So weird.

Judah had a big poop today & got his b-12 shot last night (not sure if I mentioned that). Beautiful day for him - I can tell he is listening & hearing me. He's been a new kid today. I am so in awe of the surprises he brings. It's really an amazing experience to have him in your life.

Judah had 1 tablespoon (one dose) of the doctor prescribed L-carnitine. He had 2 doses of Docusate Sodium, 2000 i.u. vitamin d, three tablets 125 mg folinic acid with b-12 & one probiotic. We forgot the fish oil & Miralax, ugh!

***** Judah took his first sleeping supplement this evening right before bed. I mixed it with apple sauce. It is called "A Restful Night Sleep". He woke up a few hours after bed and was easily put back to sleep. I should have taken him to the potty. He woke again at 1am (crying & upset) & soaked.

Thursday, March 27, 2014

Potty In The Morning!!

Judah led me to the bathroom, hand-in-hand, this morning. Before that I had said, "let's go potty", which may not have been necessary at all! The first thing he did was open the cabinet under the sink. He retrieved  a fresh diaper & set it on the counter. Immediately after, he went potty completely independently! He took his pants & diaper off & then tried to separate his full diaper from his pants. I attempted to help him, but he wouldn't allow it. Pretty soon after, he requested my help & I pulled the wet diaper out of his pants. He grabbed it, holding it carefully & carried it to the trashcan! After disposing of the old diaper, he got the new diaper and put it on, while somewhat leaning back on me for balance. I just watched. He wanted to put his wet pants on & wasn't happy when I left to get new ones. I handed him clean pants & he sat on the floor & carefully put them on, making sure each foot went into a different pant leg. It was pretty amazing.

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Oregon City

Today started with a play date at Creative Studios, where the kids all had open access to painting, playing trains, sculpting, feeling & creating! Willow liked the Cheerio easel - where the kids glued Cheerios on with a q-tip. She liked the painting easel as well - she didn't want to stop painting! Sebastian made planes out of clothespins, painted a card & did some decorating with plastic beads. Judah made a card, painted a paper plate, played trains & mingled with the kids & adults.




Papa picked up Judah from the play date. Willow & Bash went with Gramma to have lunch & play at the Bounce House. Dave, Scott, Judah & I drove to Oregon City for Judah's appointment with the naturopathic doctor. We talked with him for an hour and a half. He gave us good tips, tons of information & new methods & supplements to try (some for sleep!!). The next supplement that we will try (in 10 days I think?) is one that acts on the speech part of the brain. He was looking forward to hearing how that was going - but we hadn't started it yet.

I gave Sebastian my old thesaurus the other day. I was going to donate it, because why not use the computer?? But then I realized that Sebastian would enjoy it. Kids know the real value of a book in hand over technology. Today he was using it. He loves the indented tabs with letters on them along the side. He practiced alternate words for "robust" this evening. Thesaurus's are so great.

More rain & wind today.

Judah had a phenomenal day. He was so aware of his surroundings & communicating verbally & non-verbally very well! For me, experiencing my little boy today was just incredible. He came home & played with his siblings, imitating Sebastian like never before.. really seeming to have fun in a more relaxed way, not running to feel the crash with Sebastian, but crashing to laugh & have fun. They both enjoyed one another's company so much. Willow joined in some too. Judah imitated my actions too - he was trying to pull one of the wood pieces off of a broken chair. I put my foot on the chair & pulled really hard. He did the same, having much difficulty keeping his balance with his leg in the air, haha. He thought it was hysterical! He transitioned easily when I told him we were going inside.

Lots of "train track" in the van. Then he looked me in the eye & said, "track, track, track". He was so relaxed & focused today. The only sensory stimulation I saw was mostly at home (crashing into the couch), but turned more into playing with his brother fairly quickly.

Scott made the kids smoothies - strawberry, banana, orange juice, honey & a bunch of spinach. He forgot the beet. That was an idea the doctor gave us today - and the only food item on the list from our visit today that Scott could find at the store. We need to get canned coconut & blackstrap molasses. Judah needs more protein, iron & cholesterol. His iron is very low & cholesterol is low. The doctor saw a drop of blood in his ear, near the eardrum and a tiny bit of something (I forget) that he thinks will move it's way out on it's own.

If anyone knows a good recipe/technique to making bone broth shoot us an email! :)

Judah got a prescription for nose drops - we'll pick that up tomorrow. His nose has been bleeding - doc said he saw infection.

He emphasized talking to Judah as much as possible - that can be extremely helpful for his progress.

He agreed with Judah's pediatrician's recommendations of massage & essential oils.

I got in as many big questions as I could. I completely forgot to have him look at the bumps on Judah's belly. We'll be seeing Judah's pediatrician on the 31st. Willow had a rash on her face tonight that spread over parts of her entire body. The bumps began to look like hives. They went away though! The nurse said to treat symptomatically & that sometimes this can happen intermittently when kids have colds & runny noses (she has both). But we also need to look at what she ate today, what she wore (detergent wise), etc. It looked like an allergic reaction, but who knows. We're just hoping it doesn't come back again. We did buy Benadryl though, just in case. She didn't seem uncomfortable tonight though.

Dave watched Judah & took notes during our doctor visit. Right now the only change in treatment is the increased number of B-12 shots (every 2 days) and starting supplements that could help with sleep. Also we will add black strap molasses (when we get some) to his almond milk & canned coconut & protein to his smoothies. Later he will start Oxymag, Creon, Bethanecal & B-6 - starting each 10 days apart. He advised us to check out mendability.com as well & to have him drink coconut milk too.

Judah had no bowel movements today. This would be enema night, but Scott & I both didn't feel right about doing that as Judah was in the car/out & about most of the day. He didn't have a fair shot at pooping. He didn't get his Miralax until right before bed.

Judah had 1 tablespoon (one dose) of the doctor prescribed L-carnitine. He had 2 doses of Docusate Sodium, 2000 i.u. vitamin d, three tablets 125 mg folinic acid with b-12, one probiotic, fish oil & 1 dose of Miralax. No bowel movements today.

B-12 shot done.
 

Tuesday, March 25, 2014

Thinking Outside Of The Box

Tomorrow is our Oregon City appointment with Dr. Greene. Tonight we need to finish getting everything ready for that.

Judah seemed out of it at dinner tonight. Scott perceived him as being sad. He said he noticed him looking at Sebastian's food & water quite a bit. Scott brought him a cup of water, but Judah didn't touch it. After dinner I attempted some of the Star Program work with Judah. Boy was he not interested in that! He was too wound up, even running away after only the third task. I tried doing "hands down" and "sit down" with him (since he kept standing up). I got no real correct results with either. He would yell, "me!", after I said, "look at me". He would yell, "down!" after I said, "hands down" (the same happened with sit down). I am guessing after doing these more & more with us that he will show success. He isn't used to doing this with us, he is likely confused about what we are doing and why we are doing it. He'll catch on. Then we can truly compare these skills from the perspectives of school & home.

I was worried Judah's speech therapy may not be very productive today as he hadn't been talking a lot today. But he did great! The owner (the certified speech therapist) was in the room with him during his session. That's a first. We may be switching to speech twice a week instead of OT and speech.

Willow did some crazy arm dancing on her chair at dinner tonight. At one point she abruptly stopped for a few seconds & then did her arm moves in slow motion. This was accompanied by some "shhhh shhh... doo doo doo" noises. Sebastian, Daddy & I were laughing pretty hard. She loved making us laugh.

I had some good one-on-one time with Sebastian today, playing trains. Every once in a while he would look up at me & just smile. He was very happy. Willow was a bit distraught that she wasn't allowed to jump in & wreck trains & cause chaos. I told her she could help me make lunch.. and that made HER happy! She actually sat down to eat her lunch before I had even asked her to! That's a first.

I made dinner tonight.. some kind of bread crumb coated chicken with Parmesan cheese & a few spices. It was alright. Sebastian ate it, so in that aspect it was a big success. We gave Willow ketchup with hers. She used her finger to eat the ketchup straight, as she always does, sigh.

We played outside for a short while. It was a crazy windy day! Our trash cans blew away as if they were paper! When I backed the van out this afternoon I didn't realize that the red recycle bin was directly behind the van.. totally hit it.

Judah's case worker came over & brought us some things to help out with Judah's daily living. She was surprised we hadn't hired someone to work in the house yet. Any takers??

Willow has a rash on her bottom that just won't go away, sometimes it itches too. We're going to get her to the doc soon for that.

As we were leaving therapy, Willow didn't want to walk away from the big balloons. Judah said, "Baby!!" and reached towards her (the same thing he did yesterday). He called her baby a couple times during the day too. It's so cute when he does that.

Judah wore underwear for a long time today, no accidents. He was much more compliant about going to the bathroom when he was in his underwear. When in his diaper, he did not want to go to the bathroom. He hardly peed at all today (except while in his diaper) & no bowel movements. A woman at class last night suggested putting him on the toilet when he is getting ready to poop in his diaper, but leave the diaper on. She said it worked for a friend. Never would have thought of that! Life is about being creative & seeing the world in different ways. I'm suddenly noticing all of these small things we could do differently that would make things a bit easier in certain areas (for everyone). I'm acting on as many of them as I have time for. The diaper on the potty though, that's really thinking outside of the box. For parents of autistic children, this skill can be helpful!

Judah was angry that I wouldn't get his milk from the kitchen until he got in the van. This motivated him to say "milk!" with the "m" sound as opposed to the "nilk" he always says. I had been telling him "mommy" and then "milk" yesterday - he can obviously do the "m" sound but wasn't doing it with milk (this happens with other words too).

Is it healthy for a kid to poop at the same time every day? Sebastian does this. He may poop at other times during the day too, but pooping before lunch has become a consciously necessary daily event.

Judah had 1 tablespoon (one dose) of the doctor prescribed L-carnitine. He had 2 doses of Docusate Sodium, 2000 i.u. vitamin d, three tablets 125 mg folinic acid with b-12, one probiotic, fish oil & no Miralax (forgot!!). No bowel movements today.

 

Monday, March 24, 2014

Baby

Meemaw & Granddad left today. The kids miss them already, we all do. Scott told me their flight was delayed. We're hoping they made it home safely & within the same day! :)

Scott's still limping around on his leg. He's going to work - thank goodness he doesn't have to walk much there!

The kids & I were heading out of the house to get in the van this afternoon. Judah kept saying, "Beebee! Beebee!" He took my hand & brought me to the play room, where Willow was just hanging out. He didn't want her to be forgotten. He often freaks out when it looks like Willow may be getting left behind. He never says, "baby" though. He usually says, "Wait!!" and pulls me back to get her. I catch him calling her "baby" every once in a while, but never in that situation. Maybe he sees her as a baby still, or maybe that's just his name for her. Either way, very, very sweet.

I got up before Sebastian this morning. He was very upset. It took quite a while for him to calm down. Every time I tried to talk to him, he would stop & look at me with big eyes, as if he were expecting me to say something that would fix everything. He was probably hoping I would offer to turn back time, or something equivalent to that. He would explode into tears every time I finished talking. When I told him that he needed to go to his room to calm down, it stopped.. well on & off, but got much better. There are certain situations that trigger meltdowns for him. We tiptoe around them.. let him be the first to go in the house, to tell a story, to turn a light off.

In class tonight we talked about how a routine or ritual can become a problem, which is basically when it interferes with your life. For Scott, all of this talk kept bringing Sebastian to mind. When he told me that it made me think.. Crap, we need to do something about that.

The asd class tonight was informative, we got some more good resources & ideas. At one point Scott gave an example of Judah not wanting to go to the store. This issue popped up all over the place in the next 30 minutes of class. After a while I thought to myself, "Why are we still talking about this?!?" But the class was sad.. it always makes me sad.. it's like stepping onto a different plane, where we can all relate to one another's stories, opinions, ideas & irritations. It's a place that others might find intriguing, frightening, weird or intolerable. But it's our life. These sessions go on past the scheduled class time, every time. Being with people who live in the same tiny world is hard to walk away from sometimes.

Gramma notes from this evening:

 First Picnic of the Season!

The kids arrived at Gramma and Papa's ready to play! It was a beautiful 70 degree day. Sebastian climbed to the top of the tree and is so careful. Papa stood below, coaching and ready to help but Sebastian is very agile. Time to look for bigger trees in Woodmansee Park!

Bikes, scooters, balls, bows and arrows were major forms of engagement on the patio. Also, Sebastian found his way into his "fort" under the rhododendrum bushes in the front yard. A nice little hideaway. Willow tried to visit.

Judah played toll keeper with Sebastian. He would sit on Papa's lap and each time Sebastian rolled through he put out his legs, saying, "ding, ding," and made Sebastian pay him a $5 toll fee! Great fun. Willow rode Sebastian's scooter as well as her own smaller ride-on. She also kicked the ball to Papa and Gramma a lot. Very agile! Later, Judah took my hand and led me upstairs to find a "movie." He wanted to watch a little "Bob."


When we went upstairs, Willow told me to "sit in the chair" and 'we read." She got a book for her and one for me. I crossed my legs and started to read, sneaking a peek at her. She was turning page after page, legs crossed, pretending to read. So cute!

We had a first picnic of the season! It was warm enough to sit outside so we had supper on the back deck. Everyone loved that, although Willow was pretty outspoken about "I want play outside." HA!  Everyone seemed to have fun and the time went quickly. We managed to get everyone a bath after supper and have pajamas on before Scott and Molly returned.

Judah had 1 tablespoon (one dose) of the doctor prescribed L-carnitine. He had 2 doses of Docusate Sodium, 2000 i.u. vitamin d, three tablets 125 mg folinic acid with b-12, one probiotic, fish oil & 1 dose of Miralax. He had 3 bowel movements.

Sunday, March 23, 2014

Please Give Me A Bite Of Waffle.

Poor Meemaw & Granddad ended up watching the kids for hours today! They are going to sleep good tonight. Even the kids fell asleep quickly!!

Scott & I did the weekend grocery shopping. I was swept away into curtain land, just another captured victim. Curtains are such a permanent fixture in your home. How often do people buy new curtains? I'm guessing not often. Such tough decisions! Textured or smooth? Sheer or money saving thermal? Two panels or one? Tie-backs or no tie-backs? Luckily I was set on most of the colors, so I could immediately eliminate all of the other colors. But then that pretty off-white lace set starts calling out my name.. and the royal blue valance tells me it wants to come home.. Curtain land is a trap! Don't go there!!

I also found ribbon for 25 cents, another trap.

I took a break to eat at Subway while we were there. When I left, I did not grab my shopping cart, parked neatly beside me. It happened to be carrying a prescription (that I had waited on for half an hour) and the only pair of sunglasses I have left. Instead, I opted to walk out of Subway and pick up a new cart, parked neatly beside the entrance. I didn't even realize I had done this until we were getting ready to leave in the car, after our very long shopping trip. Scott stood in line at customer service while I questioned employees. No dice. Inquiring at Subway did not occur to us. When we got home I called to see if my items had been found - luckily the lady who answered had spoken with the Subway guy earlier. He had tried to hand my things to her & she had told him she would be right back to get them. Scott drove all the way back to the store and picked them up.

Susan & Alvin spoiled us with La Hacienda Real take-out this evening. They leave tomorrow, but will stop by for a short while in the morning.

Willow sat on my lap this morning as I was eating my pancakes & said, "Please give me a bite of waffle." She said this every time she wanted a bite. She said this a lot. Judah told Scott, "I want my shoes." when he wanted to go outside. He also said, "go outside" to let Scott & Granddad know what he wanted to do. This evening he tried to have a conversation with me, talking away while looking me right in the eye. He never does this! He seemed very confident in his huge attempt to chat with me. I was crouched down at his level, just agreeing with whatever he was saying, wishing so badly I knew what he was saying. I could have just agreed to buying him 10 new cars, who knows. But whatever I agreed to I will happily do!  It was awesome. I hope this continues!!

Judah had 1 tablespoon (one dose) of the doctor prescribed L-carnitine. He had 2 doses of Docusate Sodium, 2000 i.u. vitamin d, three tablets 125 mg folinic acid with b-12, one probiotic, fish oil & 2 doses of Miralax. No bowel movements.

Saturday, March 22, 2014

Judah Is Building Train Track!

Today a car crash happened right in front of Sebastian & I! We were sitting in the van, waiting at a stop sign, when the lady in front of us pulled forward to make a left turn, crossing 2 lanes of oncoming traffic. Sebastian heard the scream & the crash, but didn't actually see the crash. It wasn't too bad. Someone waved her out & as she crossed the 2nd lane a van came flying down the road, crashing into the front corner of her car. There was a baby/toddler in the backseat. Everyone seemed okay. It really shakes you up after seeing something like that. Weird thing was that another wreck had just happened maybe 6 car lengths away from that one, a semi was blocking the entire road, facing the houses instead of the road. Cops & paramedics were literally within a short walking distance of the crash in front of us.

Meemaw joined for Judah's music therapy today. He did well, filling in some words of songs & books. He really likes the shaker eggs. He is fascinated with eggs. Yesterday he was very focused on trying to pull the egg carton off of the top shelf in the fridge. He wanted to help me crack eggs, smiling as he watched me. It's just such a horrible choice for him to have as an obsession. I wish he understood how sick & miserable those things had just made him! Eggs sent you to the ER!!!

Scott is sick, fever, tired, headache, swollen leg.. just not feeling well at all. Willow also had a fever again today. She was not her usual self, very quiet, sometimes tired & clingy. She told me "feel bad" and patted her tummy, like she did yesterday.

Judah did a lot of train track building today. When Sebastian & I got back from Wal-Mart, Sebastian ran into the play room and yelled, "Molly, look what Judah built!!" Sebastian gave him so much praise & offered to help him build more. Judah was saying, "train track" a lot during all of this. They moved their track to the "ice floor" (wood floor) and built a cool track there.

Meemaw cleaned our kitchen - she is incredible! I feel like we owe her a vacation to the Bahamas. Thank you so much for that Susan. Meemaw & Granddad came over for movie night & also spent time with the kids during the day at the house. Sebastian & Granddad finished their puzzle.

Judah had 1 teaspoon of the doctor prescribed L-carnitine. He is supposed to get a tablespoon of it every day, but Scott was feverish & couldn't remember what he had given him until now. He had 2 doses of Docusate Sodium, 2000 i.u. vitamin d, three tablets 125 mg folinic acid with b-12, one probiotic, fish oil & 1 Miralax. The b-12 shot is tonight.

Friday, March 21, 2014

Star Program Training

Sebastian went out to lunch & to see the new Muppets movie with Meemaw & Granddad today. He told me that the movie was great! Judah, Willow & I played outside, ran some errands & hung out at home playing trains. I gave Judah the choice of playing outside or doing a craft. He chose craft, but after our errands they both jumped out of the van & went outside to play. We never got around to the craft, unfortunately. This was the one I had planned on doing with them - http://polkapics.org/2013/01/20/ribbon-and-shower-curtain-ring-streamer-for-dance-and-music-exploration/

We'll save that for another day.

Judah said many sentences today! He was REALLY thriving. When Meemaw & Granddad left this evening (they came over twice), he ran by them, heading to the play room, & said "Bye bye!!" as he passed them. It was so funny. He wanted me to crawl into the play pen (we have one side cut out, covered by a cloth entryway) with him this evening. He loved that. He made sure my legs & feet were completely inside the playpen - it was cozy. He was saying things to me, crashing me & snuggling up to me. My shirt kept falling off of my shoulder. Every time he saw this happen he put it back on my shoulder, haha. Sebastian made his way in not long after.

Judah had no bowel movements today, but did have some stomach pain for a short while.

Willow patted her tummy & told me, "feel bad" late this afternoon. She had a high temp this evening, & began acting tired & unhappy. We gave her ibuprofen & put her to bed.

Scott went to work today. He woke up feeling better, finally!!! He went to the doctor this afternoon, got different antibiotics & was told that if his leg gets worse to go to the ER.

I had waited all day long to do something artsy yesterday, so I stayed up late & worked on the Papa project a bit & then did a wall decoration using a small trellis I had purchased from a lady for $4. In her photo the trellis looked to be about 5 feet tall, so that was what I was expecting. When I got there she kept pointing to her garage telling me, "The trellis is right there." But I couldn't see it. Check out the pic below.



The autism specialist from Judah's school & his school speech therapist both stopped by this morning to train Scott & I on the Star Program, which they use at Judah's school. Meemaw & Granddad came over to watch the kids. The kids were awesome, not running in to interrupt at all! Scott and I had watched the incredibly long Star Program video last night, thank goodness. It totally prepared us for the rush of information these ladies brought with them. They were here for 2 hours, we were told it would be more like 1. That always happens - our IFSPs go on for hours & nobody realizes it until someone gets a text from a family member asking where the heck they are.

The training was great. The autism specialist really thinks deeply about each step & stage (which leads to hours of training, haha). I used the "Judah, look at me" tonight. You know what? It worked. It worked for things that are usually an explosion of struggle. He suddenly had the attitude of, "I know what you are saying, and I know that you know I know.. I might as well oblige." Some things were much harder, like waiting on the chicken nuggets to cool in the freezer. This is always a hard one. I finally remembered to use his sand timer. Scott & Willow sat on the floor with Judah & I in the kitchen. Scott & I gave Judah lots of encouragement & praise. Judah was very proud of himself for waiting & he got his reinforcer (the nuggets).

Willow didn't want a nap today. She stood in the hallway, with her arms crossed in front of her chest & a scowl on her face & said loudly, "I don't need a nap!!!" As if to tell me, "Come on Mom! I'm TWO now!!!"

Judah directed me to join him a few times today. We got in some one-on-one play time. He did have some alone train time in the play room today, but the rest of the day he was very interactive & very happy. I walked by the table at lunch time and he was looking right at me, staring, with a big smile on his face. I don't see things like that from him, just out of the blue, ever. That was really cool.

Sebastian & Granddad started a Star Trek puzzle this evening. Apparently they picked the harder of the 2 puzzles, which will definitely be a challenge!! Sebastian is used to floor puzzles, haha.

Judah had L-carnitine, 2 doses of Docusate Sodium, 2000 i.u. vitamin d, three tablets 125 mg folinic acid with b-12, one probiotic, & fish oil. I forgot the Miralax.

Thursday, March 20, 2014

Granddad & Meemaw Have Arrived!

Granddad & Meemaw arrived! It is so nice to see them. The kids were jumping with joy! Pixie too!! ;) Apparently they got up at 2:30 in the morning to prepare for their flight, jeez!! They came bearing gifts, which included Crayola Color Wonder books - one for each kid. Willow & Sebastian both enjoy coloring a lot. Sebastian fell right back into his on again/off again passion for coloring. He's definitely on again. He's still chalking up the driveway & entryway with his art too. The Color Wonder books use special markers - those were very intriguing to him.

So we spent a lot of time visiting with Meemaw & Granddad today - played outside some. Meemaw remarked on how tall Sebastian has gotten (it's crazy!!). They were amazed with Willow's language & Judah's progress as well.

Aunt Nancy sent me an interesting article on MSG & autism today, link below.
 
Judah took 2 baths today & wanted another one this evening! He had a big poop this afternoon. He had L-carnitine, 2 doses of Docusate Sodium, 2000 i.u. vitamin d, three tablets 125 mg folinic acid with b-12, one probiotic, fish oil & 1 dose of Miralax.

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Laryngitis?

Today I have no voice, literally. It's so hard disciplining your children when you have no voice. They say, "Don't.. what??", over & over. It's very confusing to them & pretty much pointless as far as discipline goes. Tonight I told Scott to talk for me. He wasn't incredibly comfortable holding all of the parental power at first, but that changed pretty quickly.

We had a nice, long drive through & around Dallas today. A woman from Dallas offered us a free CD player (doc recommended playing sounds of nature while Judah sleeps). We were going to be in Dallas anyway so I thought I would just drop by. I think I missed one turn which directed the GPS to make me go in a gigantic circle to make it back to that point again. I'm talking miles & miles & even highway time. We could have driven to Portland and back in the amount of time I was completely lost & completely dependent on a GPS. Thank goodness for our car DVD players.

Sebastian is very much into chalk art the past 2 days. Our driveway & sidewalk leading to the porch are a gigantic work of art! You can't miss it when you drive by our house.

Judah had an incredible poop today. I think the playroom carpet may be officially ruined. I went through a lot of Resolve & scrubbed so hard I was out of breath. I left the room a few times to do other things, and every time I came back Judah was on his hands & knees scrubbing the floor. I think he was embarrassed. Playroom, kitchen, hallway, bathroom.. it was a good stretch of liquid poop. Willow just stood & stared as I cleaned, she had very little words. Although she did find Sebastian & try to tell him what she had just seen by saying, "Sebastian! Yuck! Yucky!" and pointing to the playroom. Sebastian was well aware of the yuck as he was on the potty having his own personal yuck while I helped Judah clean up in the shower. Lots of Resolve, lots of room spray, 2 burning candles & open windows.

I think it's very much time to get Judah pooping on the potty again! He had little pain today & it came quick - I think potty for this would be appropriate now.

I think I may have laryngitis. I looked it up & it sounds like what I have.

Scott went to the doctor, got a shot of antibiotics (he said it was a full vial) and medication. His leg hurts worse & he still feels like crap, some chills.

Today was the first day of Spring Break for the boys. Willow slept through the entire night & even woke up late this morning! It was bizarre & beautiful. Judah, however, was in bed with us all night. Daddy usually ends up sleeping with him in his room, but Daddy wasn't about to get out of bed last night (or the night before). So Judah's been doing some snoozing with us.

Time for the B-12 shot.

Judah had L-carnitine, 2 doses of Docusate Sodium, 2000 i.u. vitamin d, three tablets 125 mg folinic acid with b-12, one probiotic, fish oil & 1 dose of Miralax. He also had a very memorable (visually & mentally) bowel movement. Poor thing.
 

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Tractor Tippin'!

Speech therapy was cancelled today.

Angie wrote & said our insurance will cover a portion of Judah's music therapy! Finally, people are starting to see that music therapy is extremely helpful - one of the most helpful therapies in my opinion. Music works a part of your brain that supposedly gives more promise to speech than the speech area hard at work in your brain. She takes him down many different roads - he has opportunity to learn speech & so much more with her.

Took Judah to the doctor - She wants us to see an allergist (which our insurance WON'T cover). She said basically what the ER doc said - that there could be something else in that tiny cursed sausage Judah could be allergic to. She said we will need to get a separate prescription for an epi-pen at school. If an anaphylactic episode occurs, you have 4 minutes to get help. We definitely want one at school too. She thought he probably wasn't at huge risk for that since there weren't breathing issues present (that we could see - remember he can't talk). At the ER his lungs were clear & his throat was not swollen - so we do feel somewhat assured. But she said that you never know what is going to happen & that allergic reactions seem to get worse every time. ?!?!?!?!!!

She is also going to set us up with a counselor to consult with about the sleeping issues. She wants him on Miralax until his bowel movements are consistently daily - from there she wants to keep him on it for months, doesn't want to risk lots of medical issues that could fall back into play.

She taught me a morning massage to do that is for allergies. It was a 3 minute tutorial from a woman who talks at 100mph to a woman with little sleep last night & a consistently bad memory on a daily basis. So yeah,  I don't remember how to do any of it. I will look it up. The massage we are going to be taught soon, Qigong, is the one we will do at night. Both only take 15 minutes or less to do.

Onion is good for a cold, FYI. She always throws in tid-bits like that during our appointments.

Scott has another skin infection - has been really sick for the past 2 days, fever, exhaustion, aches. He was in bed almost all day today. He doesn't seem to be getting better at all. Hopefully he can get into a doctor tomorrow.

Willow continues to be a spit-fire, copying Sebastian when he is acting up - tonight they were all marching around chanting something about "baby butt" right before bed. She is outspoken, changes her mind from second to second (depending on what will be easiest for you & going the opposite route). And she's becoming a bit of a dare devil on her scooter & other toys. Today she was hopping into the little red car as it zoomed down the driveway. Her feet were hanging out the doorway as she said, "Wheeee!!" all the way down the hill. Somehow she avoided the crash into the house every single time. The first time she did it I wasn't looking, but Gramma was, she gasped and ran towards her, haha. She demanded to push Sebastian in the car (who is much too tall for it). She would by no means allow him to push her.

Judah's toy tractor (from Cars) came today! I won that on eBay for him. The minute I handed it to him the tantrum over chicken nuggets that he was coming down from suddenly dissipated & he was on the floor studying every detail of his new tractor. I gave it to him for doing so well with keeping a dry diaper today & doing the potty routine well at home & school. He held & played with his new tractor the rest of the day. He was upset that he couldn't take it in the bath with him. I talked with him about it, telling him the tractor would get hurt in the bath & that the tractor would be sad. Eventually he set it down on the stool facing him (I had told him the tractor wanted to watch him take a bath), and then he got in! Eventually I could see that he was yearning to get it back, staring at it. He got out at one point - I gave him the choice of tractor or bath. He chose tractor, I drained the tub, he got upset & was over it in less than 5 minutes.

Judah did tractor tippin' (from Cars) all the live long day today.

Sebastian continued to be loud as I put them to bed tonight. I took away morning TV & gave him 10 minutes of matching socks & 10 minutes of cleaning the van tomorrow. None of this helped. Finally I had to send him out of the room to lay with his Daddy - boy was that upsetting to him! But I followed through, and I bet he will do much better tomorrow with allowing the other kids to go to sleep & being quiet.

That's pretty much it. This morning was insane. I had to close myself up in Willow's bedroom to make a phone call. They all seemed to be unhappy, screaming, pushing, climbing on me.. Man I love bedtime.

Judah had L-carnitine, 2 doses of Docusate Sodium, 2000 i.u. vitamin d, three tablets 125 mg folinic acid with b-12, one probiotic, fish oil & 2 doses of Miralax. He had a ginormous poop that required me putting him into the tub.
 

Monday, March 17, 2014

Happy Birthday Papa!

Scott & I started a class today on parenting special needs children. I came home inspired, feeling more empowered as a parent. As the class progressed I saw different ideas for all of our kids that could help with their growth.

Of course we did introductions at the beginning of class, which for this particular class is crucial. Every autistic child is different - we all know this. But sometimes parents deal with challenges that are in some ways very similar to other parent's challenges (even though their kids are entirely different), and that's how you connect in this particular population. The connections are hugely important, they keep you going. Just being there for 30 minutes was a strong reminder to me how imperative parental & caregiver connections are in the world of special needs. Because as parents, we too have special needs.. this is one of them.

It felt like we were in a room of people that we had known for some time, but yet this was our first time meeting them. Scott & I were both completely comfortable talking to others after class, during class and asking questions when we had them. People who can relate. We found people who can relate. We found people that know without asking that we aren't looking for an escape from our lives. Like them, we are looking for a way to make the most of our lives & our children's lives - just like everyone else in this world. Our challenges just happen to be quite different from others.. a lot of things don't flow in our favor.

One woman told a story about working with a kid who was a "flapper". At times he would flap his wings (arms) hard & high because it felt good to him. It felt completely natural to him. As he got older his wings got lower, until they only flapped at his thighs. He probably felt forced into this drastic & unnatural (to him) change, because his flying was interfering with his life too much. Today he's a lawyer.

Happy Birthday to Dave! The kids had a special party with Papa & Gramma tonight. We weren't able to stop by, unfortunately. Scott is pretty sick right now, high temp, headache, chills, etc. Since I can't drive in the dark he had to drive us home from class & we couldn't stop at the party. Dave enjoyed all of the "made with love" gifts from the kids. We are still working on the big project.. it could be a 2015 gift Dave. ;)

Sebastian said a leprechaun came & poured glitter & green all over their classroom last night! He was getting compliments on his green leprechaun t-shirt after school.

Judah was particularly quiet again today. He's wanted to watch videos, TV, etc. I have to work hard to pull him away from that and to find numerous things that will hold his interest. During class we talked about "first, then". Scott & I are completely aware & capable of methods like this that can help Judah, but we don't do them often enough. I believe these skills would be especially helpful right now. There is definitely work to be done.

The kids all wore green today. Sebastian & Willow each colored a balloon (with marker) for Papa. Willow left for the party with pink marker on her face and brand new green shirt. Judah wanted to use rocks as eyes on his balloon & I drew the smile. Their balloons were taped to the birthday card along with a candle on the inside with Sebastian's cake drawing below it. It read in Sebastian's handwriting, "Make a wish!"

I'm off to do some crafting before bed. I'm still thoroughly addicted to Pinterest. I can't look at an inanimate object without thinking of something else it could be & figuring out how to create that. Pinterest makes it impossible to throw anything away!!

Judah had L-carnitine, 2 doses of Docusate Sodium, 2000 i.u. vitamin d, three tablets 125 mg folinic acid with b-12, one probiotic, fish oil & 1 dose of Miralax. No pooping today that I am aware of. He wore underwear much of the day - no accidents. I wish his mood was more chipper. We have an ER follow-up doctor appointment in the morning that I now have to reschedule since Scott is ill. I want to get him in soon, he's just not himself.


 

Sunday, March 16, 2014

Me Day

My sweet husband gave me another day of "me time" by taking the kids to the park, out for ice cream and to do the weekly grocery shopping. He reports that everyone had fun. Sebastian reports that a lot of kids told him that his scooter was cool. Apparently this happened last time too. Willow rode her scooter for a bit but Daddy ended up carrying it most of the time. I don't know why he didn't' just hop on! ;)

Judah was not feeling well when they got home. He was hardly talking. He ate but didn't have a huge interest in it. Pooped twice after they got home, seemed to be in some pain before the first bowel movement. It didn't come quickly, took 45 mins or so. He was walking around in pain on & off, even laying on the floor (I think he just didn't feel well). Willow imitated him, holding her stomach and bending over, looking up at me for attention.

Sebastian has spent a world of time in time-out lately. Two minutes after we tell him to stop doing something he does it again. He does numerous things throughout the day that he has repeatedly been told not to. It's hugely frustrating, especially for Scott. I've just stopped doing time-out. I give him jobs instead. Lately I have him match socks. We have an entire laundry basket full! He does not like this job at all. Today I had him vacuum as well. FYI, giving a kid a book to read in time-out can be a great plan. Sebastian has a hard time not talking or playing while in time-out, books have helped a lot.

Willow was verbally demanding about quite a few things tonight. She is a fighter! She was in the middle of everything tonight, at all times, and always interacting & making statements.

I did some work at home while they were gone. The curtains I bought look awful - will be sending them back & buying new curtains at the store (instead of online) next time. Someone online has curtains that may work for our bedroom for just $10. We recently bought a bedroom set for Willow from her - I just put up those curtains today, they are so cute!!! I'm anxious to check out the $10 curtains. The Spiderman curtains for the boy's room will hopefully work - still waiting on them to arrive.

I fixed the train organizer I made for the kids last night, after Willow ripped off one of the pictures this morning. I worked on the cubbies I'm making for the kids. The plan is to have them put their things in their cubby during afternoon clean up time & put these things away in their room before bedtime. I will also use their cubbies as a spot to put their things when they are asleep. I worked on other stuff today as well - ideas are always fluttering through my mind!

Sebastian & I worked on the Papa project more this evening, while halfway watching a video on the Star Program (they use this at Judah's school). I tried talking to him about Judah, never branding Judah with his diagnosis (autism), but instead explaining some ways that Judah is different & how the future may look differently for him. Daddy came out & talked. I was hoping the video would also give Sebastian an idea of Judah's world. He talked about it with me for a while, but pretty quickly wanted to talk about something else, anything else, trying to divert me back to the project, etc. But I know he was listening & I know a question or two will pop up at random times in the future - they always do.

Judah had L-carnitine & 1 dose of Docusate Sodium (didn't finish the last one). He had 2000 i.u. vitamin d, three tablets 125 mg folinic acid with b-12, one probiotic, & 2 Miralax. We missed the fish oil this evening. He pooped twice.
 

Milk Allergies

FYI - The powder that they use to make smoothies at Baskin Robins contains milk. Same goes for McDonald's smoothies. I've been told by McDonald's employees that their smoothies are milk-free once they take out the yogurt, which they will do upon request.

Judah had a Baskin Robins smoothie today. The employee swore up & down that Judah's smoothie would contain no milk if she took out the ice cream, which she did. Scott watched her make it. One of the first things she did was pour a powder mix into the blender. Judah drank it. Judah comes home tired, does not seem to feel well & is barely talking. I told Scott to call them & ask them to read the ingredients on the powder - sure enough, milk. Can we sue all of these uneducated, uninformative companies that hand out what could be poison to certain individuals? And let us not forget that these at-risk individuals have put their trust & money into these companies.

Check out the milk lists below. The link directly below takes you to the page containing this info & more.

http://www.godairyfree.org/dairy-free-grocery-shopping-guide/dairy-ingredient-list-2

Dairy Ingredient List from Go Dairy Free: The Guide and Cookbook for Milk Allergies, Lactose Intolerance, and Casein-Free Living.


The potential for extremely sensitive milk allergies and intolerances seems to be increasing in frequency and the globalization of our food supply can create some unexpected ingredient issues.

Definitely Dairy Ingredients

  • Acidophilus Milk
  • Ammonium Caseinate
  • Butter
  • Butter Fat
  • Butter Oil
  • Butter Solids
  • Buttermilk
  • Buttermilk Powder
  • Calcium Caseinate
  • Casein
  • Caseinate (in general)
  • Cheese (All animal-based)
  • Condensed Milk
  • Cottage Cheese
  • Cream
  • Curds
  • Custard
  • Delactosed Whey
  • Demineralized Whey
  • Dry Milk Powder
  • Dry Milk Solids
  • Evaporated Milk
  • Ghee (see p109)
  • Goat Milk
  • Half & Half
  • Hydrolyzed Casein
  • Hydrolyzed Milk Protein
  • Iron Caseinate
  • Lactalbumin
  • Lactoferrin
  • Lactoglobulin
  • Lactose
  • Lactulose
  • Low-Fat Milk
  • Magnesium Caseinate
  • Malted Milk
  • Milk
  • Milk Derivative
  • Milk Fat
  • Milk Powder
  • Milk Protein
  • Milk Solids
  • Natural Butter Flavor
  • Nonfat Milk
  • Nougat
  • Paneer
  • Potassium Caseinate
  • Pudding
  • Recaldent
  • Rennet Casein
  • Skim Milk
  • Sodium Caseinate
  • Sour Cream
  • Sour Milk Solids
  • Sweetened Condensed Milk
  • Sweet Whey
  • Whey
  • Whey Powder
  • Whey Protein Concentrate
  • Whey Protein Hydrolysate
  • Whipped Cream
  • Whipped Topping
  • Whole Milk
  • Yogurt
  • Zinc Caseinate

Potentially Dairy Ingredients

  • Artificial or Natural Flavors/Flavoring – These are vague ingredients, which may be derived from a dairy source. A few of particular concern are butter, coconut cream, and egg flavors.
  • Fat Replacers – Brands such as Dairy-Lo® and Simplesse® are made with milk protein.
  • Galactose – This is often a lactose byproduct, but it can also be derived from sugar beets and other gums.
  • High Protein or Protein – Ingredients noted with no further details may be derived from milk proteins (casein or whey). This is particularly true in “High Energy” foods.
  • Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein – The processing phase may use casein, but only trace amounts would likely remain.
  • Lactic Acid Starter Culture – These cultures may be prepared by using milk as an initial growth medium.
  • Lactobacillus – This term is noted often as a probiotic. It is in fact bacteria, not a food byproduct, and is named as such for its ability to convert lactose and other simple sugars to lactic acid. Though often utilized in milk products to create lactic acid, on its own, this ingredient is not always a concern. However, in some cases it may have been cultured or produced on dairy, and thus have the potential to contain trace amounts.
  • Margarine - Milk proteins are in most brands, though not all.
  • Prebiotics – A newcomer on the digestive health scene, these are indigestible carbohydrates. They are quite different from probiotics, which are living microorganisms. Prebiotics, such as galacto-oligosaccharides, lactosucrose, lactulose and lactitol may be derived from milk-based foods.

Rarely Dairy Ingredients

  • Calcium or Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate – Stearoyl lactylates are derived from the combination of lactic acid (See any potential concerns with lactic acid below) and stearic acid. They are generally considered non-dairy and safe for the lactose intolerant and milk allergic (again, see below). However, the stearic acid may be animal derived, which could be a concern for vegans.
  • Calcium, Sodium, or Potassium Lactate – Lactates are salts derived from the neutralization of lactic acid, and are rarely a dairy concern. For example, it was noted that the lactate found in one brand of orange juice was made from sugar cane.
  • Caramel Color – Anything with caramel in its title may sound like a dairy red flag, but caramel color is typically derived from corn syrup and occasionally from potatoes, wheat, or other carbohydrate sources. While lactose is a permitted carbohydrate in the production of caramel color, it is rarely, if ever used.
  • Lactic Acid – Lactic acid is created via the fermentation of sugars, and can be found in many dairy-free and/or vegan foods. Most commercially used lactic acid is fermented from carbohydrates, such as cornstarch, potatoes or molasses, and thus dairy-free. Though lactic acid can be fermented from lactose, its use is generally (I said generally; where concerned, always check with the manufacturer) restricted to dairy products, such as ice cream and cream cheese.

Surprisingly Dairy-Free Ingredients

  • Calcium Propionate
  • Calcium Carbonate
  • Calcium Citrate
  • Calcium Phosphate
  • Cocoa Butter
  • Cocoa Powder
  • Coconut Butter
  • Coconut Cream
  • Cream of Coconut
  • Cream of Tartar
  • Creamed Honey
  • Fruit Butter (Apple, Pumpkin, etc)
  • Glucono Delta-Lactone
  • Lecithin Oleoresin
  • Malted Barley or other Grain-Based Malts
  • Malt Liquor
  • Malt Vinegar
  • Milk Thistle
  • Nut Butters (Peanut, Almond, etc.)
  • Shea Butter

THE CULPRIT!

Contacted Costco, spoke with a lady in administration who informed me that the sausage patties on the floor yesterday were Tyson 100% natural Sausage Patties. Called again to double check that those were the ONLY sausages on the floor (not literally, gross!). This time I spoke with a supervisor on the floor. He claimed there was no way of knowing what the sample was. I said, "So Costco does not keep a record of the samples they hand out?"- obviously there was no way that could be true. Then he mentioned the company in charge of the samples (CDS - corporate distribution center?). I asked him for their number. The lady there said the sausages they handed out yesterday were Morning Star Veggie Sausages by Kellogg's. Then she mentioned garden burger for some reason, which is another item they make. I looked up the ingredients on these demonic Morning Star sausages. The SECOND ingredient listed was EGG WHITES (which is specifically what the doctor told us Judah was allergic to).

Ingredients -
Textured Vegetable Protein (Wheat Gluten, Soy Protein Concentrate, Soy Protein Isolate, Water for Hydration), Egg Whites, Corn Oil, Sodium Caseinate, Modified Tapioca Starch, Contains Two Percent or Less of Lactose, Soybean Oil, Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein (Wheat Gluten, Corn Gluten, Soy Protein), Autolyzed Yeast Extract, Spices, Natural and Artificial Flavors, Sodium Phosphates (Tripolyphosphate, Tetrapyrophosphate, Hexametaphosphate, Monophosphate), Salt, Disodium Inosinate, Caramel Color, Cellulose Gum, Whey Powder, Modified Corn Starch, Maltodextrin, Potassium Chloride, Dextrose, Onion Powder, Disodium Guanylate, Vitamins and Minerals (Niacinamide, Iron [Ferrous Sulfate], Thiamin Mononitrate [Vitamin B1], Pyridoxine Hydrochloride [Vitamin B6], Riboflavin (Vitamin B2], Vitamin B12), Succinic Acid, Ascorbic Acid, Lactic Acid, Brewers Yeast, Torula Yeast, Soy Lecithin.
 
 
 
I also ran across this lovely tid-bit of information while I was digging online for a list of ingredients.
 
http://cornucopia.org/hexane-guides/hexane_guide_meat_alternatives.html - Morning Star may be  using ingredients extracted from hexane.
 
A terrifying explanation of hexane -