Man, finding “healthy” candy is hard to do!  Today I was searching and searching for soft peppermint candy that doesn’t contain any dye in it….never did find any.  I am going to try getting Jaxon some organic hard peppermint candy to suck on during the day (if his teacher will let him) to see if that will help him with his concentration in school.  I wrote a blog a while back about the benefits of peppermint, I even told his teacher about my findings but it never went any further than that.  Lately, I have noticed that if Jaxon has a little peppermint while doing his homework he has an easier time with his math problems. 

Well, in my search for peppermint I did come across a few interesting websites that I thought I would share with y’all.  

Pure Fun is a company that sells candy that ISN’T full
of all the stuff I am trying to avoid! Finally a site where I can look for candy that doesn’t contain artificial flavors, artificial colors, preservatives, gluten, dairy, casein, etc.! 

Natural Candy Store is a website that also sells a “healthier”option of candy.  You can find gluten free, dye free, Vegan, Kosher, Feingold, and other sorts of diet options here.


P.S. If you know of a company that makes dye-free soft peppermints, please send me the info!!

You can read more about my Focus/concentration blog here.


 

My husband and I have caught a lot of heat for my decision to stay at home with the boys.  When I was finishing school it wasn’t quite so bad because I was still a “student” and not just a “stay at home” mom (or as other see it, a lazy, sit at home and watch TV while the kids play by themselves mom). Ok, so now that you know how I feel about this subject we can move on…

Well, today while I could have been earning an hourly wage (YES, I do wish that I could find the perfect job where I could stay at home with the kids, at least part time, and use my education as well, but for right now I haven’t gotten any opportunities) I sat at the computer determined to find out why Jaxon is struggling with his reading and writing at school.  I knew that there must be a reason and that if I could find the reason I could surely find the solution!  

Well, ladies and gentlemen, I did just that (or at least I am crossing every toe and finger on my body that I did) and now I am waiting for confirmation from his doctor that we can begin testing and come up with   treatment plan.  I’m sure this will involve 1, maybe 2 trips to St. Louis, but if the end results benefits Jaxon than sign me up!  I don’t want to spoil the details just yet, but please stay posted, if this works, I am going to write up a research proposal, plan, and results!  

See, its days like this when I could tell all of the nay-sayers out there who look down at my decisions and tell them where to shove it!  I am making a difference in Jaxon’s present and future and that is worth more than any hourly wage could ever do for my family.

The past few days have been rough days for both Jaxon and myself.  We took an awesome family trip this weekend and came home to a couple of “unsatisfactory” assignments for me to sign in his back pack.  I normally always look through his back pack on Friday afternoon but I was so busy packing and cleaning and getting ready for the trip (and I knew it was a 4-day weekend) that I let it slide until Sunday.  Well, when I saw those assignments my heart sank. I didn’t know what to think, “was he just having a bad week”, “is he regressing”, “what does this mean”.  I decided to sit down and work with him on those same assignments and have him do them over…for me.  It is clear that there is something going on with his auditory processing?  Until I can talk with his teacher at the end of the week I won’t fully understand what is going on, but for me, it’s just another step along this journey….we will make it through this.  

Something that has always helped me to get through these setbacks is a poem I was introduced to along time ago when Jaxon was first diagnosed.  I’d like to share it with you, I’m sure most of you have read it, but if not…may it bring you the same peace it brings me during the darker times. 


                                     WELCOME TO HOLLAND

                                    c1987 by Emily Perl Kingsley. 
                                            All rights reserved

When you're going to have a baby, it's like planning a fabulous vacation trip - to Italy. You buy a bunch of guide books and make your wonderful plans. The Coliseum. The Michelangelo David. The gondolas in Venice. You may learn some handy phrases in Italian. It's all very exciting.

After months of eager anticipation, the day finally arrives. You pack your bags and off you go. Several hours later, the plane lands. The stewardess comes in and says, "Welcome to Holland."

"Holland?!?" you say. "What do you mean Holland?? I signed up for Italy! I'm supposed to be in Italy. All my life I've dreamed of going to Italy."

But there's been a change in the flight plan. They've landed in Holland and there you must stay.

The important thing is that they haven't taken you to a horrible, disgusting, filthy place, full of pestilence, famine and disease. It's just a different place.

So you must go out and buy new guide books. And you must learn a whole new language. And you will meet a whole new group of people you would never have met.

It's just a different place. It's slower-paced than Italy, less flashy than Italy. But after you've been there for a while and you catch your breath, you look around.... and you begin to notice that Holland has windmills....and Holland has tulips. Holland even has  Rembrandts.

But everyone you know is busy coming and going from Italy... and they're all bragging about what a wonderful time they had there. And for the rest of your life, you will say "Yes, that's where I was supposed to go. That's what I had planned."

And the pain of that will never, ever, ever, ever go away... because the loss of that dream is a very very significant loss.

But... if you spend your life mourning the fact that you didn't get to Italy, you may never be free to enjoy the very special, the very lovely things ... about Holland.

I feel like I have so much information going through my mind right now and I don't know where or how to begin processing it, is this possibly how my little guy feels every single day at school?

In anyone out there has had success in dealing with APD, please send me some suggestions, I am a mother who believes in the advice of other mothers.

Before Brent and I had kids we could go away for th  weekend with a medium sized duffle bag and call it good!  Today, I delayed packing for our trip to Orlando for as long as possible, these days I dread getting everything ready.  It is hard to believe that we can bring about half as much as we could a year ago, but still, the list is ridiculous…

3 Pairs of pants for Jaxon
3 Shirts for Jaxon
3 Pairs of undies for Jaxon
3 pair of socks for Jaxon
1 Swimming suit for Jaxon
1 Pair of Pj’s for Jaxon
1 Pair of relaxing pants for Jaxon
1 Pair of sandals for Jaxon
3 Pairs of pants for Carter
3 Shirts for Carter
3 Pairs of undies for Carter
3 pair of socks for Carter
1 Swimming suit for Carter
1 Pair of Pj’s for Carter
1 Pair of relaxing pants for Carter
1 Pair of sandals for Carter
2 pull ups for Carter (I’m not having an accident in a hotel bed)
 Wipes
1 Lovie
1 Ginger
Sunscreen
Bug Spray (seriously…its January here)
Snacks for the hotel
Snacks for the car
Juice boxes for the hotel
Water bottles for the car
Small bag for the theme parks with...
                 1 Pair of undies for Jaxon
                 1 Pair of undies for Carter
                 1 Sweatshirt for Jaxon
                 1 Sweatshirt for Carter
                 Band-Aids
                 Advil
                 Zofran (for me)
                 Spoon and fork for Carter
                 Ziplocs
                 Sippy cup
                 Water bottle
                 Rain Ponchos
                 Extra socks for each boy
2 Pairs of Jeans for me
3 Shirts for me
3 Sets of undergarments for me
1 Pair of pj’s for me
1 Pair of relaxing clothes for me
1 Pair of sandals for me
1 Hat for me
1 Sweatshirt for me
My Pillow
1 Box of Kleenex
Benadryl
Unisom (safe in pregnancy)
Blow Dryer
Flat iron
Shower bag with essentials
Sunglasses
2 Pairs of Jeans for Brent
3 Shirts for Brent
3 Sets of undergarments for Brent
1 Pair of pj’s for Brent
1 Pair of relaxing clothes for Brent
1 Pair of sandals for Brent
1 Hat for Brent
1 Sweatshirt for Brent
1 Box of Kleenex
Shower bag with essentials for Brent
Sunglasses for Brent
2 Kindles for the boys in the car
IPad for me in the hotel
Google cromebook for DH in the hotel
Stroller
Tickets to Disney
Tickets to SeaWorld
Gift card to T-Rex
Gift card to Disney store
Copy of Carter’s birth certificate and email to get him a discounted SeaWorld ticket.
Charger to cell phone
Charger to Kindles
Jaxon’s DS and charger
Camera and charger

And now by the time I am done packing all of this I am already thinking about the dreaded day when I have to turn around and un-pack (and wash) it all!  Doesn’t it just make you want to stay home!  Signing off for the weekend, I will have lots to blog about when we get home on Monday!  On the agenda…

SeaWorld
T-Rex
Disney World
                 Chef Mickey’s (Our absolute favorite breakfast...booked reservations 6 months ago)
                 Be Our Guest (First time dining here!)
Marriott Fairfield Inn (woo hoo for a free rewards night)

Every day when I write, my children are on my mind.  Whether I am telling a funny story about them, ranting about how difficult they can be, or bragging about something amazing they have done, they are on my mind and in my heart.  

Today my post is dedicated to my son Jaxon; I can’t even find the words to describe how much he means to me!  Jaxon hasn’t had an “easy life” as most  children “should”.  He has struggled, fought, and beat nearly every obstacle put in front of him.  It amazes me how strong this little boy with the BIGGEST heart is.  Today I tell you this story because I feel like it might just remind a few of you that although life hands you lemons, if you work hard enough you can turn them into lemonade (or margaritas if you wish).  

Jaxon and I have always shared a very special bond; before he showed signs of autism he was a normal developing child who had the heart twice the size of his chest.  Everyone talked about how sweet, outgoing, and loving he was.  Jaxon was always smiling and laughing and taking the world on one day at a time. Since my husband is military he wasn’t always home so that offered even more one on one time for Jaxon and I (I was also a stay at home mom/student).  Jaxon lost a part of that sensitivity as his autism developed but over time, it has come back!

Fast forward to last night; with every pregnancy I have days of horrible allergies that bring on horrible bloody noses.  I am used to them, I deal with them.  Well, last night (at bedtime) Jaxon walked into my room and saw me sitting there with blood pouring from my nose.  He caught a glimpse of my husband running in with an ice pack and immediately got on the bed next to me.  Brent asked Jaxon to hold the ice on my head while he got some more tissues.  Jaxon was amazing, I could tell that he was scared of the blood, but he sat there and held the ice and rubbed my back telling me “it will be ok mom, just let it all come out, don’t try to blow your nose, just sit back”.  I had tears in my eyes, not because of the bloody nose but because at that moment, I realized, that my little boy actually understood what was happening and how to fix it.  I have always feared that Jaxon will never be able to show compassion (sympathy, but not compassion) to others and understand how to react in specific situations.  It was in that moment that I also realized we still share a very strong bond which we began establishing the first time I held him in my arms.   

So, if you are a mother of a young child with autism, I say this to you…don’t give up, fight for (and sometimes with) your child; recover  happens, it is possible, but you are the only one who can make it happen. 

 A shopping day at Whole Foods yesterday meant new treats for breakfast and lunch today!  Jaxon loves having a donut, yogurt, and fresh fruit (grapes, strawberries, apple, orange) every morning for breakfast, it’s his “thing” and he prefers that I don’t change it up too often.  Yesterday I saw this new brand of gluten free donuts so I decided he should try them out, after all, eating the same (3 types) of donuts Monday through Friday has to get a little old, even for a child who thrives on routine.  Anyway, the donuts were a hit; they were sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar, but not caked with it.  You could easily add a little homemade glaze if you wanted to. Thank you Katz for your gluten free donuts!


 

Lunch today was quick and simple; Jaxon told me specifically what he wanted.  I picked up another product yesterday, Qbel whole grain crispy wafers (*these are not gluten free but Jaxon tested well for them at his doctors appointment), I will be interested to see what he has to say about them.  Along with the wafer (which will serve as his“treat” in his lunch) he got a ham and cheese roll up, a handful of grapes, organic lemonade, and some Santa Cruz applesauce (2 for $6 at Whole Foods right now).  I love when he picks out a few healthy items for his lunch; this way I know he will eat it all and have a great afternoon at school!

What did everyone else pack today?

Last month my husband and I (along with the kids of course) began our Christmas vacation by driving from Florida (Tampa) to St. Louis (to see our family doctor) and then continued on to Colorado.  Oh, an  we made the drive back to Florida 17 days later.  Of course when we decided we would make this terribly long drive I had no idea that I would be doing it just under 3 months pregnant and suffering from morning (noon, and night) sickness, but regardless, we made the plans and had to follow through. 

So, you might ask yourself, how does a child on the spectrum deal with a 4 day, 1850 mile road trip…better than I thought, but still rougher than I’d like.  Any child would have a hard time sitting in the car for that long of a time but adding a special diet  and special needs to the combination and you have one mom who really wanted to make the last leg of our trip strapped to the roof of the car.  

Packing…this was the most important part of the trip, I knew that I needed to plan for everything and anything.  Jaxon is a pretty responsible child despite being on the spectrum, I can give him instructions and he will almost always follow them to a T.   I made a small list of the most important things for Jaxon to have at his disposal in the car…

1.    Snacks
2.   Ginger (his stuffed gingerbread man)
3.    Blanket (we always bring the weighted blanket when traveling far)
4.    Drinks (mostly water, but 1 or 2 organic lemonade juice pouches)
5.    Kleenex 
6.    Wipes
7.    Nintendo DS and games
8.    Ipad
9.    Movies
10.  Books from school (he brought home a ziplock of books to read)
11.  Coloring books and crayons
12.  Medicine and supplements (this was for me to have on hand to be able to give him)
13.  Headphones
14.  Sunglasses

Ok, now if this is the short list, I would hate to see what my long list would look like.  Just remember, Jaxon was on a gluten free diet so his snacks had to include enoug  nutrition to cover large amounts of time when we were unable to stop for a decent meal.  

I am pleased to report that we made it home and back without any major melt downs or issues.  The last day of our trip to Colorado was one day too long but he pushed through, luckily we only had to drive 5 hours that day. On our way back to Florida from home (Colorado) we traveled 1800 miles in TWO days instead of FOUR and that was very hard, but he was so happy to be home the second night and not have to get in the car the next day (so was I).  I actually thought Jaxon would nap in the car from time to time during the trip but he never did.  

We announced this week that we are adding to the family…due with a new baby in July.  Of course everyone’s first question, “When do you find out what you are having?” but honestly, this time we aren’t anxious to find out.  We have two boys (two amazingly wonderful boys) so yes; my first instinct is to want a little girl this time (our last time).  I have searched and looked and read about all the different old wives tales on how to tell the sex of your baby, and I even have that “gut” feeling that this one really is a little girl, but you can’t ever really be sure. 

Of course it would be nice, and ever so convenient to know one way or the other, but I am not ready to give up on the idea that I might have a little girl to spoil and have “mommy/daughter” days with.  Sure, I would be able to finally get rid of all those little boy clothes I have been hanging onto for 7 years if I knew for sure that it was a girl, and yes, I could shop now a little at a time.  But when it really comes down to it, all the baby needs is a couple of outfits to come home in (yes, our boys had to be changed right before leaving the hospital in their “going home” outfits) and maybe a cute blanket, but other than that it will sleep in the bassinet for a while, sit in whatever car seat we buy, and use unisex diapers.  I figure that I can do all the shopping I want once the baby is here.  

So, for now, we are going to wait it out and be surprised on delivery day.  
What about you, did you find out or wait for the surprise?

A few weeks ago we drove from Florida to Missouri to see the doctor who used to be “Jaxon’s doctor” but is now our “family doctor” for checkups.  I have been having crazy morning sickness…all day and night, Carter was acting like a maniac (I suspected yeast), Jaxon was actually doing rather well, and Brent was having digestion problems.  Anyway, we made our appointments and drove 16 hours to Chesterfield, MO.  
 
I really wasn't nervous about these appointments like I had been at various times in the past.  I knew that Jaxon was doing well and that there probably wasn’t much she needed or could do to improve the minor things that we were dealing with.  For example, he is still having a hard time writing sentences from memory, having a little bit of a hard time with some of the math concepts they have working on this year, but over all…he is reading, writing, and doing the majority of the required math….I was really pleased with this!

The day went very smooth, a programmed bottle for me (to offset my high progesterone level), vitamins and folate for me, some liquid nystatin and a Candida bottle for Carter (did I not say that I suspected yeast?), a whole lot of things for Brent…oregano, digestive enzyme, programmed bottle to digest fats, multivitamin, and a couple other things (he was the last member of the family to start a “program” so it will take him a little longer to balance out).  And then it was Jaxon’s turn…

About a month ago we tried Jaxon on Focalin XR, it is used for ADHD and is supposed to help children focus and concentrate at school.  Since those were the two areas we were having the most difficult time with I decided to try it out.  WOW, what a difference it made, he was (and still is) doing amazing on it.  Anyway, back to his appointment…the doctor tested EVERYTHING under the sun, digestion = fine, pathways = fine, minerals = fine, vitamins = fine, toxins = none, colors, chemicals, dyes = none!  Could this be possible…has my child’s body learned how to eliminate, process, and manage on its own??  It would appear so…we left the office with the smallest protocol we have ever had, 1 prescription and ZERO supplements.  I was very nervous about this, it was like I had just healed from a broken leg and she took my crutch away.  

It has been almost a month since our appointment and I am happy to report that Jaxon is doing very well (off of his 4 year protocol) and still taking 1 Focalin XR per day PERIOD.  I remember that I was told a few years ago by a doctor at the military clinic that my child would most likely be considered “inaccurately diagnosed with ASD” and be re-diagnosed with ADHD, but I never put much thought into that.  I do not believe for a minute that my child was “inaccurately diagnosed”, he was very much under the umbrella of the Autism Spectrum, had all the signs, symptoms, and behaviors.  However, I believe that by doing all the work we (and the doctor) did, his body has been healed and he is now at a point in which his body can finally do what it is supposed to.  I do not believe we “took the autism away” I just believe that we are in a state of recovery and have to wait and see how long his body will continue to follow this path.  I know that there is still some damage (memory, learning, etc.) but for the most part, Jaxon has overcome something that I never imagined he would.  We celebrated all season long and will continue to celebrate and hope that many many more children will find a way to recover as well.