Working with Melina on Feeding

They have to technically discharge me today for insurance reasons, but they are letting me keep my room for as long as Melina needs to stay in the hospital. How sweet is that! The night nurse, Gail, has really been working with her and got her to take the bottle last night and she did pretty good with sucking and swallowing. Gail has been awesome to work with!

We are working with Melina at every feeding today and hoping she gets this feeding thing down...nursing on each side for 5 minutes and then we cup feed a breastmilk/formula combo and then whatever she doesn't finish we syringe feed her. It's a bit stressful as they only give her a few minutes to feed.

The special care nurse that she has today and I are not clicking either. I thought the pediatrician said that if she got feeding down today that she could room with us toniht and we could possibly go home in the morning, but the nurse said that the doctor said she could maybe room with us tomorrow. She is refusing to call the doctor for clarification as well. I was hoping the kids could come up tonight and visit her in our room as Deidra is the only one to actually get to see her and Josiah and Emma have only seen her through the window.

Melina also had an eccho done today as they found a heart murmer. She has a VSD. She didn't like getting it done, but calmed down once Mommy got to hold her little head.

I went down for an afternoon feeding to find Melina off all of her monitors and in her bassinet at the nurses desk...it made me a bit upset but I didn't say anything...she's not stable enough to be in my room with me but she's stable enough to be off her monitors at the nurses desk so the nurse could socialize? Andy told me to let it go. After that, the pediatrician called and since I was standing there I told her to find out if Melina could room with us...turns out I was right after all and if all of her feedings went well she gets to come room with us tonight. In the meantime, they did let her come to my room for 10 minutes to meet her sisters and her brother.

We continued to work on feedings and they are letting her come room with us! YEAH!

No suck/swallow reflex

Melina is being naughty! My nurse said she heard one of the babies in the nursery crying and offered to go feed her. She thought it was the baby that was born yesterday and was shocked to find that it was my Melina tumblina. She was in there crying and tearing off her leads and her NG tube out of her mouth. She's tired of being in there too!

Baby is doing well, but she can't leave the special care nursery until she begins to be able to bottle feed. Right now she's just not getting the hang of it. We're hoping she picks it up soon!!

I've been very busy with Melina today...got my own little routine going in the hospital...can't wait until we can bring her home to all be together. I miss all my kids and our animals too. I am just ready for all of us to be together again and to see what they think of their new baby sister. Hope she gets this feeding th...ing down soon so we can go home in a few days.

Respirations still high

Melina may get to come room with us tonight or tomorrow morning. If her respirations slow down a bit more they are going to start bottle feeding and they said that I could be the one to feed her.

Got to feed Melina again via her tube and changed her diaper for the first time. Now I am going to sleep, I am so sore tonight!

Update on Mommy and Melina

I am doing well this morning. I got to eat (liquid) breakfast and am getting ready to be wheeled down to see Melina. Baby is still breathing fast, but is otherwise ok.

Melina is off her oxygen and they are feeding her with an oral feeding tube and her breathing slowed down after her first feeding. They are feeding her again at 4 pm and if she tolerates that well, I may get to hold her for the first time.

4 pm...I got to hold my sweet little baby girl...totally made my day!

Melina is doing well. I got to hold her and tube feed her tonight. I am one proud mommy! Her respirations are doing better and the nurse said she may possibly get to come room with us tomorrow.

Respirations are high after birth

8:50 pm Baby is breathing fast. All other stats look fine. She had a chest X-ray to rule out pneneumonia. The test results have not come back yet. Worst case is that she'll be transferred to Dallas. Obviously, we're hoping that it doesn't come to that! Keep those prayers comin'!!

10 pm Baby Melina had to get an IV for antibiotics as a precaution against pneumonia. The xray came back ad some fluid on the lungs. However the doctor thinks it may be just fluid and not pneumonia. They're not ruling out transferring her to Dallas, but that seems less likely cause everything else seems to be fine, except for her fast breathing.

Melina Catherine is here!

Happy Birthday, Melina Catherine!! Born at 4:56 pm.
5 lbs. 12 oz.
18" long.

The amnio is set

Kids are with the sitter now in preparation for the new little princess' arrival. Having my amniosentesis tomorrow.

Amnio is done...

My amnio is done...wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be although I am a tad sore. If baby's lungs are developed she will be born around noon tomorrow. Yeah!

Kicks and nudges

I am enjoying the baby's kicks and nudges. Can't believe that I really may be holding her in my arms tomorrow afternoon. I can't wait to hold her!

34-week check up

I went in and had an ultrasound this morning to check the size of the baby...she finally showed us her face!! So cute! I think she's going to look like Deidra. After that, I had my appt with the doctor. The nurse said my blood pressure was really high so she was going to let the doctor listen. He came in and talked to me and listened and wound up sending me to the hospital to be monitored for an hour. Had a low blood sugar attack while I was being monitored and found out that those were contractions that I had been feeling. At the end of the hour, the doctor came in and said that he feels it would be best if I was admitted. Going to go home and get a bag packed...

Happy 4th birthday, Josiah!

Wishing my baby boy Josiah a happy 4th birthday. His birthday is tomorrow but we are having his little batman party here at the hospital today before the kids go to the sitters today. I feel bad that we can't do more since I'm in the hospital, but he doesn't seem to mind. :-)

C-Section on Monday

Is having the baby via c-section on Monday. I can't wait to hold her in my arms.

Elevated blood sugars

Is beyond frustrated...my blood sugars are way elevated again...they were really good at home. I feel like crap and really wish Andy could stay with me tonight. I guess these steroid shots to mature the bab's lungs are really doing a number on me.

Whine ahead...

We went to bed just before midnight...the dog woke up whining this morning and scratching in her kennel and I asked Andy to go see if she had to go out to go to the bathroom. He let her out and she went and he got her settled back in her kennel and he came back up to bed. I asked him what time it was and he said it was almost 2:30. I tossed and turned trying to get back to bed, but couldn't get comfortable and I was hurting and so I got up for awhile. Around 4:30, I decided to try to get back to sleep only to toss and turn some more...Andy's alarm went off at 5. I fell asleep while he was in the shower and then he kept trying to get me out of bed. I felt sick to my stomach I was so exhausted and I hurt from head-to-toe. Shortly after 6:30, I came downstairs and the kids were all in full force...screaming, giggling, not wanting to listen, throwing fits. I had a short temper tantrum of my own and Andy left for work. I apologized to him afterwards, but I just don't think anyone truly gets how miserable I feel. I wish these littles would learn to listen and follow directions and that they didn't have to be so LOUD in the mornings and that they didn't need all the constant redirection that they do. I took Deidra to school and got a headache from how loud the littles were being and it seemed like the quieter I asked them to be, the louder they'd get just a few seconds later...I finally turned up the praise music and prayed for patience to get through this day. I'm no dummy...I realize that when Melina comes it's all going to get worse for awhile before it gets better, so I guess it's time to just realize that I'm going to be feeling like this for awhile. I just wish I knew how to teach them self-control. I realize having 2 with ADHD, that's hard for them...but it's the ODD (oppositional defiance disorder) that gets to me sometimes...they're not going to listen and are argumentative or that much more determined to do what they want to do. I try to be patience, but on days like today it's hard to be so tired and feeling the way I am and putting up with it all when it's non-stop some days that is very difficult. These are the days that I seem to pray constantly.

Bought Melina's Crib Bedding...

I fell in love with a pink and brown crib set from Babies R Us (the Mia Rose collection). It was a little bit more than what I wanted to spend on crib bedding however. I was ebay hunting over the past couple of days for little girl outfits and pajamas and I decided to see what they had as far as crib sets went. I found this 9 piece set that was also in pink and brown butterflies and I decided that this was just as cute. I got the mobile to match as well. Andy got some money for some computers that he sold today as well, so that worked out pretty well to be able to buy her bedding now. I can't wait till it arrives and I can finish decorating her little area. I need to wait a few more days to order her wall art. Then her little area will be finished.

Giving Melina her eviction notice...

I reached 34 weeks today. I'm one week away from the point where I had Deidra. I've been having early labor signs since Thursday afternoon...diarrhea, upset stomach, lower back pain, and contractions coming every 15-20 minutes...however they only last about 20-30 seconds before they end. I kind of freaked out and got scared and I made Andy stay home with me on Friday. I didn't know how fast labor was going to go and I said that if I went into labor on my own, I'd give it a try before opting to have her via c-section. However, if we wind up having to take her early, I said I'd just go ahead and do the c-section. We didn't have her bed up or anything either and I just wanted his help getting set up for her to arrive. I wanted her to hang in there until today though...so tonight I started walking (we walked North Park Mall) and I'm going to start taking evening primrose oil to try and soften my cervix and ready it for labor. I told my parents that today I am formally giving her her eviction notice. My Mom thought that was so funny. My Dad told me that I better chew a piece of gum and swallow the message with it to make sure that she gets the message. I've been miserable for the last few days...my back hurts, my stomach gets so tight with the contractions, I have carpel tunnel in both hands and it makes the bends of my arms down to my wrists and fingers just hurt, my feet and ankles are swollen and now even my legs are bothering me and I'm getting the sciatica pain. I feel extremely blessed to be having her and that God is giving us another precious little one...I am just ready to hold her in my arms and kiss her precious little head and see her beautiful little face and hold her little hands and feet..and pet her little head of hair that they tell me that she has. I am just ready. I'm doing my best to hang in there...but I can't sit for long, I pace the floor, I sit up and rock back and forth, I lay on one side and then flip to the other, repeat the process all over again. I just cannot get comfortable no matter what I do. I go in on Thursday for another ultrasound to check on her size...I'm really hoping that she will be born soon. Granted, I want her to be as healthy as possible....I am just more than ready to meet her. :-)

Finally all set up...

for Melina's arrival. Andy helped me get the cradle out and I washed the bedding and we got it all set up. He also put the crib up for me, but we have yet to purchase the bedding for that yet. I feel relieved that her little area is coming together though and that if she is born soon, that her cradle is all ready for her. Now to finish washing her clothes and so forth. I went up to Wal-mart today too and got her an outfit to wear for her newborn pics and a couple other newborn outfits.

Josiah's testing...

We went for Josiah's cognitive testing today. We find out the diagnosis in May for sure, but the psychologist said that she thinks it could be a couple different things.
I asked her if she could tell me what they were and she said she's really looking at Reactive Attachment Disorder, ADHD or bi-polar, and he seems to have a high IQ which means discipline is tricky. She can't tell us for sure until she has a chance to go over all the paperwork that we turned in and she looks at the results of all the testing that they did on him today. She said he definitely puzzles her as she isn't sure how much is pure defiance and how much is pure impulsiveness. She thinks we are great parents and when I asked her if she wanted us back next week to finish behavior therapy, she told me she really didn't think that we needed it. She said that we're doing most of what they teach anyway. She said that once we met with her again to go over the results of what they found, she'd let me be the one to say whether I felt I just needed their support or not, but she felt that we are doing a wonderful job.

Purchased the Crib and the Car Seat

We had a garage sale and with the profits we went and bought Melina's crib and her car seat. Now to just be patient and wait for her arrival!

Attachment Disorder

One of the things that they are going to be evaluating Josiah for is Reactive Attachment Disorder. I was always told that all foster children have attachment disorder to some degree. The way that Emily has always gravitated to Andy and if she has a question and I answer her, she will immediately ignore me and ask Andy the same question over again...it doesn't mean anything to her unless the answer comes out of his mouth. She is slowly coming around to me...I don't force her to say I love you or to give hugs/kisses...but she finally started to come around and do those things back to me about 6 months ago. She still doesn't hold a lot of value to what I say when answering her questions and she will still ignore me and go to Andy. But, I've accepted that is part of her attachment issues and since she couldn't trust her birthmom, she brings those same trust issues towards me. The way Tracie would cry and scream anytime I left the room and can still be whiny at times when she has to wait a little bit for her needs to be met and she would rather scream and cry over things...I think that's her attachment issues. She still prefers me to do things for her over Andy, but she is slowly coming around. But, she whines and screams far more for me than she does for anyone else. I have to keep reminding her to use her words...it's a battle around here to get her to stop her whining, crying, and screaming anytime something doesn't go immediately her way...she's come a long way and I'm very proud of her with her progress, but she still has a lot farther to go. Josiah...I always thought it was ADHD or bi-polar that we were dealing with...I thought we got to him early enough (he came to us at 13 months old)...now I've had a couple people bring up the possibility of him having RAD to me and I've been looking more into it. I really think this may be what we're dealing with in addition to some other things....I guess what I'm scared about right now is the fact that if we are truly dealing with and need to get into attachment therapy, from things that I have read is that Mom should be the primary caregiver and nobody else should be allowed to feed, bathe, clothe, play with the child until they start to learn to trust. I keep wondering how this is all going to be possible given the fact that we have Baby Melina arriving very soon. I guess I need to quit worrying about it and keep handing my worries over to God. I get overwhelmed just thinking about it all...but I have to keep telling msyelf that we don't know any definites right now and that I just need to patiently wait until the testing happens next week and then wait until the following week to go see what they have found to be going on.

Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD)
There are several different sub-types of Reactive Attachment Disorders. The ambivalent sub-type can be described as an "in-your-face" child. This is the child who is angry, oppositional, and who can be violent. The anxious sub-type is clingy, anxious, shows separation anxieties, among other symptoms. The avoidant sub-type is often overlooked. This child is very compliant, agreeable, and superficially engaging. This child often has a lack of depth to his emotions and functions as an "as-if" child; meaning that he tries to do and say what you want, but is not genuine, authentic, or real in emotional engagement. Finally, there is the disorganized subtype, this child often presents with bizarre symptoms.

The words 'attachment' and 'bonding' are now used interchangeably. Children with Reactive Attachment Disorder exhibit many of the following symptoms:

IN INFANTS:

Weak Crying Response.
Rage.
Constant Whining.
Sensitivity to Touch/Cuddling.
Poor Sucking Response.
Poor Eye Contact.
No Reciprocal Smile Response.
Indifference to Others.


IN CHILDREN:

Lack of Conscience Development.
Superficially Charming.
Lack of Eye Contact (except when lying).
Inability to give and Receive Affection.
Extreme Control Issues.
Destructive to Self, Others, Animals and Property.
No Impulse Control.
Unusual Eating Patterns (hoarding, gorging, or refusal to eat).
Unsuccessful Peer Relationships.
Incessant Chatter in Order to Control.
Very Demanding.
Unusual speech patterns, mumbling, robotic speech, talking very softly except when raging.

Associated Features

Learning Delays and Disorders.
Depressed I.Q. scores.

Differential Diagnosis:

Some disorders have similar symptoms. The clinician, therefore, in his diagnostic attempt, has to differentiate against the following disorders which need to be ruled out to establish a precise diagnosis.

ADD.
Anti-Social Personality Disorder.
Conduct Disorder.
Oppositional Defiant Disorder.
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome.
Developmental Disorder of Receptive Language.
Socio-Emotional Problems.
Mental Retardation.
Schizophrenia.
Rett's syndrome.

Cause:

From conception through approximately the third year of life the child needs to bond in order to develop physical, psychological and emotional health. This early attachment is the foundation for the child's ability to feel empathy, compassion, trust and love.

Children with attachment issues and those with Reactive Attachment Disorder have experienced a break in this bonding cycle. This break can be the result of:

Genetic Predisposition.
Maternal Ambivalence Toward the Pregnancy.
Traumatic Prenatal Experience.
In-Utero Exposure to Alcohol and/or Drugs.
Birth Trauma.
Neglect.
Abuse.
Abandonment.
Separation from Birth Parents.
Inconsistent or Inadequate Day Care.
Divorce.
Multiple Moves and/or Placements.
Institutionalization (e.g. children adopted from orphanages).
Undiagnosed or Untreated painful illness (e.g. untreated ear infections).
Medical Conditions which Prohibit Adequate Touch (e.g. child who is in an incubator or body cast).

Treatment:

Traditional 'talk' or 'play' therapies do not work with these children because such therapies depend upon the child's ability to develop a trusting relationship with the therapist. Children with Reactive Attachment Disorder are unable to form any genuine relationships.

Therefore parenting must be very structured and very nurturing. Natural consequences, not lectures work best. If the child does not want to eat and you've put a meal in front of them which they will not eat, If the child complains and begins to ruin the mealtime, remove them from the table. The key is to not let such a child make everyone feel like she does. Such children are very good at externalizing their feelings and getting everyone else to feel as miserable as the child does.

Counseling and Psychotherapy [ See Therapy Section ]:

Many therapeutic methods are employed: re-parenting, role-playing, therapist-supervised parent holdings, modeling of behaviors, behavioral shaping, cognitive restructuring, Gestalt Therapy, family therapy and general psychotherapy.

Effective therapy requires a team approach which must always include the child's parents.

These children of mine...

I love how I can’t even answer the door without all the kids trying to get out the door or interrupt the conversation. Tru-Green came to the door and asked if we had ever considered lawn service and he said that looking at our front yard he thought it needed aeration. We had talked about doing that, but that's as far as it got. My little ones just would not quit trying to get out the front door and yelling out stuff to try to get attention on them. It didn't matter what I said or did they just kept it up. The guy finally got tired of being interrupted and left. I’m just embarrassed at how they act. Josiah kept saying “I just want to say hi and trying to push his way around me.” Emma kept crawling thorugh my legs to stick her head out the front door and make screech noises. And Deidra even had to go stand on the front porch. Tracie tried to get around me once, but quit once I redirected her back inside. I just don’t understand why in the heck they have to think everyone is here for them ALL of the time. Deidra normally doesn't act like that either, but I think she finally figured that if they were going to continue to do it, she ought to see what all of the fuss was about and get outside too...

And when I tried talking to them about how they don't need to be interrupting adult conversations and that some things don't always involve them, Josiah got mad and tried to flip the rocking chair over and then picked up Deidra's boots and flung them across the room. He got sent to his room. Nevermind that before the guy came to the door, I had just been cuddling and rocking them one-by-one and was just finishing up with the last little...so it's not like they are being starved for attention.

Actually talking to Andy about it, he brought up a good point. It's all the months/years of conditioning that they get from being in foster care with all the caseworkers and therapists coming over to see them and dote on them. That makes sense, but it's time they start learning that not everything is all about them.

Home Visit with the Behavioral Therapists

The Behavioral therapists came out for 2 hours yesterday to meet with us about Josiah. We talked about his developments, past history before he came to us, since we've had him...all of that. We talked about what he had been getting therapy for, what our concerns were, and their observations that they've seen as well. We talked about his typical day, what his strengths were, and a lot of stuff that we had been working with him on. They gave us a huge packet of information that we need to fill out and they gave us a form for his teacher at Mother's Day Out to fill out as well. They also are going to get his medical records and look at his occupational therapy notes as well as talk to the psychiatrist. The psychologist told me that she had several things that have gone up on her radar, and some of those are concerns of mine as well. Andy said that he thought whatever I read lately, I thought described him. They laughed, but said I was on the right track as several of the things can overlap and co-exist together. I'm really hoping that some of my thinkings aren't right, but from something the psychologist said, I'm thinking that she's thinking it too. I don't want to say what that is right now. I'm going to see what his testing next week says...he goes in for 3 hours next Tuesday to do all of the cognitive testing and then the following week we go back in to get the results. She said they don't diagnose lightly, but they have several concerns. So, I'm trying to wait patiently to see what happens. I'm not out to get him labeled for the sake of labels...I just want to know what we are truly dealing with so that we can help him the best way that we can and get him on the path to healing. My Dad told me yesterday..."I know what you're dealing with...a 3-year-old boy." I just about hung up on him. This is why I don't talk about what we go through with him as I can't handle hearing that. He doesn't listen, he thinks that he can do whatever he wants, he's agressive, he jumps all over, is constantly into everything that he's not supposed to be, he requires constant supervision, you tell him not to do something...he's going to do it. He can verbalize what the right choice is, but he can not follow through with that choice...we put him in time out or tell him to physically make him stop doing something and that will set him off into a rage that will last anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours, he tears his bed apart, scrapes up his bedroom walls, he's got his windowsill all torn up, he kept breaking his blinds until we just had to take those down as we didn't want him getting hurt, he tears his hangers down in his closet, he is loud and is constantly jumping and climbing all over everything and everyone. He has no fear of anything and you can tell him things until you're blue in the face...it doesn't matter to him. He's cute, funny, and very smart and seriously that is his saving graces. I worry about him...it scares me to death to think that if we can't get him to start making good choices that he's going to have some serious troubles for the rest of his life. He's going to be 4 in a few days...I see the other kids his age starting to calm down. I have to wrestle him to the ground some days as the minute he knows that I'm going to stop him from doing something, he will run from me or he will start kicking and flailing at me. This is not your normal typical 3-year old. My Mom will not watch him because he scares her...I was horribly embarrassed that the person who watched the littles while I was in the hospital had him and he wound up breaking a bunch of her pictures and candles and stuff because he wouldn't calm down. I know his sensory integration disorder is part of it, but it doesn't seem to matter how much sensory stuff we try to do...he's getting worse. I told the therapist yesterday that there were signs when he was little, but I didn't see them...granted hindsight is 20/20. I'm really starting to see the effects of neglect and non-parenting. I thought we got him in time...but I'm starting to see that it all matters way earlier than that. I just want to know how to help him and to help him get better. I did get some other information off of my sensory boards too for a couple other things that I e-mailed some therapists on to see about today. I'm hoping that I will get a reply. My Dad keeps telling me to wait for him to grow out of it...the older he gets the worse it gets and from the reading that I've done over the past little while on some things that I think we may be dealing with it says that it's not something that gets better and will only get worse without treatment. So, I don't think that's the answer. I think what we're trying to do for him is the starting point. We're going to have a lot of hard work and prayers ahead...

I have a VERY strong-willed 3-year old...

This little boy is extremely strong-willed. He has acted SO ugly today. He doesn't think he has to listen, will throw a huge fit if I tell him he can't do what he wants, and then he ignores me and does it anyway. If I put him in time out or take something from him, the rage flows on. I'm really hoping that we can find out what is going on with him over the next couple of weeks. We have a 2-hour home visit tomorrow with all of our behavioral therapists and then next Tuesday, we bring him in for all of his cognitive testing. Please, Lord, give me some answers and let's start getting him better. This little boy thinks that he runs this house and if we fight him on anything he's just going to do it anyway. That's his mindset anyway. Tracie and Emma are trying to get away with some of his behaviors now as well and I really want a put a stop to it all as much as we can. I just don't know what to do with him anymore...I've never met such a strong-willed toddler...I love him to pieces, but he just doesn't give up...

Why do I buy them toys again?

The Easter Bunny brought goodies in their baskets yesterday...sidewalk chalk, stuffed animals for the girls, a car for Josiah, board books, bubbles, sand molds, and a little candy for each of them. Josiah didn't even have his car for 15 minutes before he had it busted and it had to be thrown out. Today, Tracie can't stop bending all the board books and she's got 2 out of 4 of them all bent up. It just really bugs me lately that we can't buy them stuff before they have it all torn up and wrecked. UGH...I just needed to vent.

Testing Josiah...

Josiah has been a true handful lately. I love this little boy to death and he's as adorable as ever...that's his saving grace. ;-) Anyway, all kidding aside, the behavioral therapists have said that they feel that we're missing a link of the puzzle and he has them stumped as well. The medicine that he's on isn't helping...he's still majorly hyper, loud, agressive, and destructive, and goes into rages when he doesn't want to have to do something or we put him in time out for certain things. He doesn't think that he has to listen and he's getting very argumentative. It may not sound like much to read what he's like, but he's really been trying us lately and trying to manage him some days is really difficult. I was so relieved to see that the behavioral therapists were seeing the same things that I was and that I wasn't just being told "well, he's 3 and he's a boy...boys are loud and play different than girls." I have 2 brothers that are 12 and 14 years younger than me and one of them was hyper and later diagnosed with ADHD. Josiah tops my brother at that age and I just feel that something isn't right. We're going to do a 2-hour home visit next week for them to observe him in his normal elements and then the following week I'm going to bring him up for his cognitive assessments with various therapists. I'm hoping that we can finally start to get some answers. I've been reading about so many things lately and the symptoms overlap on so many things, it makes me wonder how they can diagnose these kids with a certain diagnose. He's been diagnosed with ADHD and ODD already, but the stimulant medications haven't been helping...they're wondering if he doesn't have a mood disorder (possible bi-polar...although it's too early for him to firmly diagnose him with that. Then again, they think with the Risperdal that he takes, we shouldn't be seeing him fall into these rages that he's so prone too. A friend talked to me about him maybe having RAD and I've been reading a lot about that. I'm thinking it's a real possibility. Andy's not convinced as all the symptoms don't point to him, but the majority of them too. I also found a website that said that a lot of co-dx's go with RAD..some being ADHD, bi-polar, and sensory integration disorder (which Josiah also has pretty badly), and PTSD. I know I have to be patient and see what the testing says...I just want to be able to help him now and the best way that we can. In the meantime, I'll keep persisting with his diet changes and just know that I am trying to heal his gut in the meantime.

Going Gluten-Free and various other things...

We're on day 10 of going gluten-free amongst a few other things...no corn, dairy, peanuts, and soy. I'm not really seeing any behavior changes in Josiah at all, but I know it hasn't been a long enough time. The only thing that I've really seen in the kids is that their stools are more firm...not so mushy or liquidy. Sorry if that sounds gross or is tmi. But, that's all I've noticed so far. Yet, I know that I need to do it for a longer time as it can take longer for some things to rid the body. I'm also thinking about putting them on some fish oil and some probiotics to see if that helps to make a difference in their moods/attention spans as well.