We continue the movement forward eating healthier food and hoping that Grace continues to do well. In the past 10 days we have only given her Ritalin once. We have learned that the supplements and the diet change have improved her behavior to the same place that the Ritalin had. Does that mean that she is optimally where we want her? No. But she wasn't optimal on the medicine either. We believe that she will continue to improve week by week. She is using her words more, pausing before acting more, concentrating on school work better, etc.
But then today happened. Last night her digestion problems came back. Today...back to the "old" behavior. Either we fed her something we should not have or there was a die off of something that needed to die off or...something. I had been wondering if she really was getting better or if I was imagining it as I wanted her to be better so badly...nope...I wasn't imagining it. Today was bad lol! That means she really IS getting better!
This tells us that her diet and digestion process really is the main culprit behind her behavior so we will forge ahead!! The next two days are big for us with picking up very special friends from the airport one day and the rest of the family shopping/playing while I attend a one day conference the other day. I hope this set-back is just for today...and I have faith that it is:)
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Grace's new journey: week 1
Grace has now been on her new diet and supplements for 10 days. She takes 14 pills a day ranging from B6 to liver and kidney cleanses. She takes 2 different "drinks" 2 times a day each. She is absolutely a trooper about it. She drinks the "green drink" which is celery, spinach, asparagus, etc "juiced" up along with pineapple. She thinks that tastes fine. It is the Kidney Tea that she had a hard time with. I tried to give it to her warm with honey to flavor it but it was tough on her (I drank it too...nasty!). I tried it cold with pineapple juice and it is going great. I just want to add here that a dear friend blessed us with a juicer...it has made all the difference in making her drinks:) Thank you!!
So, how is her ADHD behavior? Well, after only 10 days I am surprised to say...noticeably improved! In fact, we are only giving her the ritalin about 1/2 of the time. Things we are noticing:
1) for the first time in her life she is not having diarrhea/loose stools. This may seem a bit gross but for a kid who apparently has never properly digested her food this is a "real" sign that her food is finally getting digested - and thereby actually used by her body! Yay!!
2) This morning she actually ASKED to play with something rather than just get it out and make a huge mess. For her to actually think far enough into the future to ask permission is big. This is happening several times a day.
3) While she used to get disregulated emotionally when upset about something spiraling into a major "incident," she will now actually use her words and say "that makes me feel left out" and allow herself to be comforted/redirected. She will come to us and ask for hugs and love rather than disregulate. This also means noticeably less bullying behavior. I almost can't believe she is the same kid!
4) She is not as famished as she used to be. She still eats plenty of food and we try to feed her at least 6 times a day. However, sometimes she says she is not hungry or won't eat as much. Again, this seems to mean that her body is finally using the food properly and is satiating her hunger.
5) She is much calmer than usual. She can still get worked up in certain situations, but overall if her energy level used to be a "10" she is averaging around an "8" in most situations.
6) I have found her playing for long periods of time, by herself...without wrecking anything! Her concentration and focus are clearly improved.
We hope to have her off of the ritalin completely within a month. We hope this trend continues and her body heals from the inside out rather than just a band aid approach. While I'm sure she will never be as calm as the other kids, we want to be everything that God has intended her to be. After all, if she were sedate she wouldn't be able to change the world...and we are sure God intends for her to be a world changer lol!
So, how is her ADHD behavior? Well, after only 10 days I am surprised to say...noticeably improved! In fact, we are only giving her the ritalin about 1/2 of the time. Things we are noticing:
1) for the first time in her life she is not having diarrhea/loose stools. This may seem a bit gross but for a kid who apparently has never properly digested her food this is a "real" sign that her food is finally getting digested - and thereby actually used by her body! Yay!!
2) This morning she actually ASKED to play with something rather than just get it out and make a huge mess. For her to actually think far enough into the future to ask permission is big. This is happening several times a day.
3) While she used to get disregulated emotionally when upset about something spiraling into a major "incident," she will now actually use her words and say "that makes me feel left out" and allow herself to be comforted/redirected. She will come to us and ask for hugs and love rather than disregulate. This also means noticeably less bullying behavior. I almost can't believe she is the same kid!
4) She is not as famished as she used to be. She still eats plenty of food and we try to feed her at least 6 times a day. However, sometimes she says she is not hungry or won't eat as much. Again, this seems to mean that her body is finally using the food properly and is satiating her hunger.
5) She is much calmer than usual. She can still get worked up in certain situations, but overall if her energy level used to be a "10" she is averaging around an "8" in most situations.
6) I have found her playing for long periods of time, by herself...without wrecking anything! Her concentration and focus are clearly improved.
We hope to have her off of the ritalin completely within a month. We hope this trend continues and her body heals from the inside out rather than just a band aid approach. While I'm sure she will never be as calm as the other kids, we want to be everything that God has intended her to be. After all, if she were sedate she wouldn't be able to change the world...and we are sure God intends for her to be a world changer lol!
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Sudanese meeting:)
Our first formal family picture of all 8 of us:)
The kids:)
We had a very action packed day! We attended a special church service that we do not usually attend. It was very thought provoking...the best kind of church service!!
Then we headed to our capitol city to get family pictures taken. Since it is a 1 1/2 hour drive we don't make this trip often...especially now with all of the kids. We have not had formal family pictures taken since before Grace came to live with us. By the time that Grace was "ours" Superman and Faith had joined the family - so what should the "family" picture look like? Besides...life was so incredibly crazy that first year (has it really stopped???) that dressing up toddlers and driving 1 1/2 hours for formal pictures was totally not in my radar screen lol! Anyway, by the time they were "ours" we talked about getting pictures done but didn't. Then the church directory was getting done so we got a family picture done there...and 2 weeks later we got the call on JJ! God has a sense of humor lol! Anyway, we had fun getting pictures taken and got individual poses of each child too:)
The most significant part of the day was having a meeting with a Sudanese pastor. God ordained a meeting a couple of months ago with a woman who has a ministry to South Sudan with her husband and some members of the Christian Sudanese community. We set up this meeting today to meet him and ask him if he will help us connect the children to the Sudanese culture...yet keep them safe. We have walked a tentative line of knowing the children must be kept safe with us but also wanting them to know their culture. The African American culture is not the same as the Sudanese culture. Their history is not the same. We want them to be able to look in the mirror and be proud of who they are. We want them to look in the mirror and not be afraid. When I asked Superman what he wanted to talk to the pastors about today he answered, "I want them to help me not be afraid when I remember XXXX." This is an important part of their healing.
The pastor was wonderful (the other pastor is currently in South Sudan). He assured us that he would help us keep the kids safe while teaching us about their culture. He recommended a book to help understand the culture. He is also from the same tribe as the children!! We are trusting the God has ordained this meeting and that His will will be done through these connections.
To walk a path not in fear...but to be aware of the danger lurking in the shadows. To know that God is sovereign...but also that evil still permeates this earth.
The kids:)
We had a very action packed day! We attended a special church service that we do not usually attend. It was very thought provoking...the best kind of church service!!
Then we headed to our capitol city to get family pictures taken. Since it is a 1 1/2 hour drive we don't make this trip often...especially now with all of the kids. We have not had formal family pictures taken since before Grace came to live with us. By the time that Grace was "ours" Superman and Faith had joined the family - so what should the "family" picture look like? Besides...life was so incredibly crazy that first year (has it really stopped???) that dressing up toddlers and driving 1 1/2 hours for formal pictures was totally not in my radar screen lol! Anyway, by the time they were "ours" we talked about getting pictures done but didn't. Then the church directory was getting done so we got a family picture done there...and 2 weeks later we got the call on JJ! God has a sense of humor lol! Anyway, we had fun getting pictures taken and got individual poses of each child too:)
The most significant part of the day was having a meeting with a Sudanese pastor. God ordained a meeting a couple of months ago with a woman who has a ministry to South Sudan with her husband and some members of the Christian Sudanese community. We set up this meeting today to meet him and ask him if he will help us connect the children to the Sudanese culture...yet keep them safe. We have walked a tentative line of knowing the children must be kept safe with us but also wanting them to know their culture. The African American culture is not the same as the Sudanese culture. Their history is not the same. We want them to be able to look in the mirror and be proud of who they are. We want them to look in the mirror and not be afraid. When I asked Superman what he wanted to talk to the pastors about today he answered, "I want them to help me not be afraid when I remember XXXX." This is an important part of their healing.
The pastor was wonderful (the other pastor is currently in South Sudan). He assured us that he would help us keep the kids safe while teaching us about their culture. He recommended a book to help understand the culture. He is also from the same tribe as the children!! We are trusting the God has ordained this meeting and that His will will be done through these connections.
To walk a path not in fear...but to be aware of the danger lurking in the shadows. To know that God is sovereign...but also that evil still permeates this earth.
Friday, September 23, 2011
Grace's new journey: Part 1
Our one-of-a-kind Grace has always had her own unique way of doing life. We have tried every traditional and non-traditional approach that we have known of to try to help her "feel more comfortable in her own skin." In June, you may recall, we discovered she has many food allergies. Since that time we have puzzled over "food allergies" and what is the cause of them thinking there has to be a fix beyond just eliminating the food. Furthermore, the conference I attended last week talked about the neurochemistry of placing a child on a stimulant and the permanent damage it can cause by pre-teen/teenhood. As we obviously want what is best for Grace, but also want the family to be able to feel safe and comfortable, we have remained open minded to options other than Ritalin.
In chatting with a good friend about this dilemma, she shared an interesting story. Her son has struggled with extreme eczema since birth. He is now 6 and she has tried every traditional and non-traditional approach she has known. In the process she has become quite the expert in food issues, digestion, how food affects eczema, etc. She recently had enlisted the assistance of a Biochemist who ran labs on her son and suggested some specific supplements based on the results of his specific biochemistry.
My husband and I were excited that after 6 weeks her son's eczema had completely cleared up for weeks - for the first time in his life! We wondered if this woman could also help Grace. I completed the 1 hour free phone consultation and we decided to move forward. We figured that even if it didn't work we needed to know that we have not left any stone unturned in our quest to help Grace.
We were dismayed and saddened (even more so than when we got the "allergy" results) to find out what the labs revealed about Grace's body. Grace apparently has significant issues with her kidney's and liver not processing toxins (which explains her frenzied behavior if she is toxic) , she is not digesting any food adequately (which explains her not gaining ANY weight in 18 months and ALWAYS being hungry and having chronic diarrhea), and several other issues such as her losing calcium, her potassium and Vit C being very low (she is always the first to get sick in our home), etc.
This information was consistent with what I learned about at the conference on how early stress and prenatal "stuff" affects the organs functioning, etc. To have this confirmed by someone totally not related to the conference via these labs seemed like confirmation that we are headed in the right direction to getting her some foundational help. However, we are very aware that this falls outside of "traditional" medicine and are moving forward skeptically optimistic.
The Biochemist suggested interventions of dietary changes and supplements. We are learning about food that I have not heard of before. I had to call my friend to ask her what Hominy is - since Grace is supposed to eat that 2 times a week. We have lots and lots of green leafy veggies in our house now - expanding our traditional 5 veggies that we normally eat lol! I learned how to make a "green drink" from spinach, celery, and pineapple juice. Sounds appetizing for a 5 year old, right ?!?!?! She has never liked meat and is now on a vegetarian diet - so she likes that a lot:) I am in the process of figuring out the "must eat every day, must eat 3x a week, etc" menu to make sure she is getting the balance of everything she needs.
The Biochemist is very skeptical about "food allergies" and suggests that once her body is able to digest/break down food properly that she will probably not have any negative reactions to food anymore. In fact, we have already reintroduced tomatoes with no adverse effects. The things that her body reacted to in the food allergy test were directly related to the things the Biochemist found were not working right in her body. We are still to keep her off of dairy (although she tolerates raw milk great!) until she is doing better though.
All in all, if nothing gets better with her behavior, we have introduced more healthy food into the house and I will grow my culinary skills:) Hominy, cooking with millet and a variety of grains other than just grinding whole wheat, making green drinks and home made almond milk will diversify our family:) At the moment I am trying to figure out how to get her to eat Asparagus 2x a week. And, if Grace could finally feel comfortable in her own skin...well...my husband and I are trying to wrap our minds around what that could look like...just imagine!!!!
Oh, and if anyone has a Juicer, or knows of someone who wants to sell a juicer, or knows of where to get one reasonably priced - we need one!
In chatting with a good friend about this dilemma, she shared an interesting story. Her son has struggled with extreme eczema since birth. He is now 6 and she has tried every traditional and non-traditional approach she has known. In the process she has become quite the expert in food issues, digestion, how food affects eczema, etc. She recently had enlisted the assistance of a Biochemist who ran labs on her son and suggested some specific supplements based on the results of his specific biochemistry.
My husband and I were excited that after 6 weeks her son's eczema had completely cleared up for weeks - for the first time in his life! We wondered if this woman could also help Grace. I completed the 1 hour free phone consultation and we decided to move forward. We figured that even if it didn't work we needed to know that we have not left any stone unturned in our quest to help Grace.
We were dismayed and saddened (even more so than when we got the "allergy" results) to find out what the labs revealed about Grace's body. Grace apparently has significant issues with her kidney's and liver not processing toxins (which explains her frenzied behavior if she is toxic) , she is not digesting any food adequately (which explains her not gaining ANY weight in 18 months and ALWAYS being hungry and having chronic diarrhea), and several other issues such as her losing calcium, her potassium and Vit C being very low (she is always the first to get sick in our home), etc.
This information was consistent with what I learned about at the conference on how early stress and prenatal "stuff" affects the organs functioning, etc. To have this confirmed by someone totally not related to the conference via these labs seemed like confirmation that we are headed in the right direction to getting her some foundational help. However, we are very aware that this falls outside of "traditional" medicine and are moving forward skeptically optimistic.
The Biochemist suggested interventions of dietary changes and supplements. We are learning about food that I have not heard of before. I had to call my friend to ask her what Hominy is - since Grace is supposed to eat that 2 times a week. We have lots and lots of green leafy veggies in our house now - expanding our traditional 5 veggies that we normally eat lol! I learned how to make a "green drink" from spinach, celery, and pineapple juice. Sounds appetizing for a 5 year old, right ?!?!?! She has never liked meat and is now on a vegetarian diet - so she likes that a lot:) I am in the process of figuring out the "must eat every day, must eat 3x a week, etc" menu to make sure she is getting the balance of everything she needs.
The Biochemist is very skeptical about "food allergies" and suggests that once her body is able to digest/break down food properly that she will probably not have any negative reactions to food anymore. In fact, we have already reintroduced tomatoes with no adverse effects. The things that her body reacted to in the food allergy test were directly related to the things the Biochemist found were not working right in her body. We are still to keep her off of dairy (although she tolerates raw milk great!) until she is doing better though.
All in all, if nothing gets better with her behavior, we have introduced more healthy food into the house and I will grow my culinary skills:) Hominy, cooking with millet and a variety of grains other than just grinding whole wheat, making green drinks and home made almond milk will diversify our family:) At the moment I am trying to figure out how to get her to eat Asparagus 2x a week. And, if Grace could finally feel comfortable in her own skin...well...my husband and I are trying to wrap our minds around what that could look like...just imagine!!!!
Oh, and if anyone has a Juicer, or knows of someone who wants to sell a juicer, or knows of where to get one reasonably priced - we need one!
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Texas Trip: family fun!
We enjoyed our trip to Texas! The kids got to do fun things every day and my husband so was wonderful with keeping them moving and playing while I sat in class day day every day:) They attended the zoo, a museum, Lego Land, a long horn steer stampede, the Botanical Gardens, a Mustang Makeover horse event, and plenty of swimming:)
Food: We had a big breakfast provided by the hotel every morning. It was a great start to the day! Supper was provided 3 nights - we really liked the Texan tacos:) I ate like a queen at the conference. The top restaurant in Fort Worth catered the food. We had all kinds of unique food like Tamales, delicious hot chocolate bread pudding served in a corn husk, cheddar grits with jalapenos, and then basic delicious food like grilled chicken and pork chops. Of course everything had plenty of peppers and spice to made it very tasty!
Sleep: Not much for anyone...moving on:)
The conference was amazing! I will be posted on what I learned in various posts. There was so much information I need to integrate it in my own brain and try to articulate it here in smaller chunks:) I have begun implementing it already here at home with good results so far:) Kids who come from hard places process and learn and react so incredibly different than kids without early trauma. I will admit that I did not always understand that and have some trepidation about sharing what I have learned with others who will dismiss this information...to the detriment of the children...
I am so passionate about adoption and about parenting. I am brain storming and praying about how God wants me to share this information with others and be a more active part of Orphan Ministry.
For some reason my pictures of the trip are not uploading so they will be on facebook if anyone wants to see them;)
Food: We had a big breakfast provided by the hotel every morning. It was a great start to the day! Supper was provided 3 nights - we really liked the Texan tacos:) I ate like a queen at the conference. The top restaurant in Fort Worth catered the food. We had all kinds of unique food like Tamales, delicious hot chocolate bread pudding served in a corn husk, cheddar grits with jalapenos, and then basic delicious food like grilled chicken and pork chops. Of course everything had plenty of peppers and spice to made it very tasty!
Sleep: Not much for anyone...moving on:)
The conference was amazing! I will be posted on what I learned in various posts. There was so much information I need to integrate it in my own brain and try to articulate it here in smaller chunks:) I have begun implementing it already here at home with good results so far:) Kids who come from hard places process and learn and react so incredibly different than kids without early trauma. I will admit that I did not always understand that and have some trepidation about sharing what I have learned with others who will dismiss this information...to the detriment of the children...
I am so passionate about adoption and about parenting. I am brain storming and praying about how God wants me to share this information with others and be a more active part of Orphan Ministry.
For some reason my pictures of the trip are not uploading so they will be on facebook if anyone wants to see them;)
Monday, September 5, 2011
JJ Update
JJ on his 1st birthday playing with his $50 present we got for $10 for being at the right place at the right time!!!!
JJ loves to play with his big sister (and drag out all of my bowls) lol!
I thought this was such a cute birthday picture of him!!
It has been an interesting couple of months with JJ. He has been fever free for almost a month now. We started liquid Vitamin C around that time (continuing the daily Claritin) and are pleased that this is the longest since May that he has been fever free while not on an antibiotic.
Eating...JJ just does not have a big appetite. He may drink 4-5 oz once in awhile, but usually he will drink a couple of oz and then want to play. He is highly distractable at this age (of course!!) so noise and activity gets him off task. That means that we spend a lot of time "reminding" him that he needs to finish the bottle or the meal. At his 12 month checkup he was almost 25% under the growth chart. The physician gave us 3 months to get his weight up or we will need to do blood work, etc to see what might be going on. When he gets sick he loses his appetite completely and loses a lb in a week - making the battle longer. His mom and full bio sister are also tiny so I suspect genetics are a lot to play in it.
On 9/9 we had a 4 week weight - he has gained 1 lb! He also grew 2 inches...WOW! We suspected he was getting taller since he hits his head on the table when he tried to walk under it now:)
But, aside from those things, JJ is the most adorable, precious, amazing, charming, silly, funny, sweet, curious, smart;) , , , , My vocabulary cannot even begin to think of the appropriate adjectives to describe who he is and how much we totally delight in him. He is such a gift from God and he always makes me smile. I could not possibly be more in love with him than I am.
JJ loves to play with his big sister (and drag out all of my bowls) lol!
I thought this was such a cute birthday picture of him!!
It has been an interesting couple of months with JJ. He has been fever free for almost a month now. We started liquid Vitamin C around that time (continuing the daily Claritin) and are pleased that this is the longest since May that he has been fever free while not on an antibiotic.
Eating...JJ just does not have a big appetite. He may drink 4-5 oz once in awhile, but usually he will drink a couple of oz and then want to play. He is highly distractable at this age (of course!!) so noise and activity gets him off task. That means that we spend a lot of time "reminding" him that he needs to finish the bottle or the meal. At his 12 month checkup he was almost 25% under the growth chart. The physician gave us 3 months to get his weight up or we will need to do blood work, etc to see what might be going on. When he gets sick he loses his appetite completely and loses a lb in a week - making the battle longer. His mom and full bio sister are also tiny so I suspect genetics are a lot to play in it.
On 9/9 we had a 4 week weight - he has gained 1 lb! He also grew 2 inches...WOW! We suspected he was getting taller since he hits his head on the table when he tried to walk under it now:)
But, aside from those things, JJ is the most adorable, precious, amazing, charming, silly, funny, sweet, curious, smart;) , , , , My vocabulary cannot even begin to think of the appropriate adjectives to describe who he is and how much we totally delight in him. He is such a gift from God and he always makes me smile. I could not possibly be more in love with him than I am.
Friday, September 2, 2011
State Fair!
State Fair highlights!!!! Superman and Faith entered a cinnamon roll eating contest...Superman WON!!!!!!!!!!!!!! He was so excited and won some neat prizes:) He has always liked to eat fast and we usually have to slow him down...it came in handy today lol!
I just hope Miss Grace continues to like being in the FRONT seat of the police car lol!
We enjoyed the Jeremy Camp concert. JJ and I stood in the back and he walked around charming all of the people walking by:)
Buddy enjoyed the John Deere booth the best...boys and their toys!!
We enjoyed our time at the State Fair yesterday and getting to know some new friends better whom Beautiful will play Basketball with this year on a home school team. There were only two downsides...
1) We had not put tennis shoes on the kids since May - yep - they have grown! Faith was so uncomfortable 1/2 way through the day:( We need to buy new shoes lol!
2) The kids loved the "walking tree" last year. This year were "walking vines." The girls have talked about it for weeks and all day yesterday they asked and asked where they were. Beautiful saw them as she was walking around with her friends but despite our best efforts the rest of us couldn't find them.
Oh...and...Buddy got a PURPLE on his shoulder mount white tail deer mount:)
Good family memories:)
I just hope Miss Grace continues to like being in the FRONT seat of the police car lol!
We enjoyed the Jeremy Camp concert. JJ and I stood in the back and he walked around charming all of the people walking by:)
Buddy enjoyed the John Deere booth the best...boys and their toys!!
We enjoyed our time at the State Fair yesterday and getting to know some new friends better whom Beautiful will play Basketball with this year on a home school team. There were only two downsides...
1) We had not put tennis shoes on the kids since May - yep - they have grown! Faith was so uncomfortable 1/2 way through the day:( We need to buy new shoes lol!
2) The kids loved the "walking tree" last year. This year were "walking vines." The girls have talked about it for weeks and all day yesterday they asked and asked where they were. Beautiful saw them as she was walking around with her friends but despite our best efforts the rest of us couldn't find them.
Oh...and...Buddy got a PURPLE on his shoulder mount white tail deer mount:)
Good family memories:)
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