Ok, so Gigi's behavior has been improving but it is a very slow and long process. I know that these things take time, but i can't help but think that there is more that we could be dong to help her.
So here is what we have done over the past year;
- Although we do not stick to it 100% of the time, we have changed her diet to follow along the lines of the ADHD Diet the pediatrician had recommended last year. Like, I said, we don't follow it perfectly and we don't follow it all the time, but we stick to it as much as possible and it's now been a year. She had warned that this would not be the total answer, but I honestly hoped to see a more dramatic difference. the thing we most failed to follow was the dairy. Gigi LOVES milk, cheese and yogurt and I just couldn't bear to take away these things that are in every other way very healthy for kids.
- We have had regular appointments with a behavior therapist. Unfortunately, he really has not suggested anything we had not tried before but he does force us to have accountability. Knowing that we have to go back into his office and report on what we have done and what has worked/not worked makes us try harder I suppose. It's a little sad to me that I need this push, but hey, I am only human. Anyway, he has suggested some breathing techniques to her to try and control her emotions, listening to some calm music with headphones to take her away from surrounding distractions and frustrations, reward charts to visually show her how she is behaving day to day and a visual routine board on what is expected throughout the day.
But, as I said earlier, I keep feeling that there is more we can be doing for her. So, being the internet junkie that I am, I began to surf the web. I came across some forums for parents of ADHD children where they discussed what worked for them. I wrote down a few interesting options and then did some independent research on each.
Namely, I looked into DHA supplements, Vitamin B, some balm for sleep help and an herbal tea for sleep as well.
Well, I went to our local health store and began searching. I spoke with one of the associates in the store about what I was looking for. I never mentioned the specific items I was looking for, only that I was looking for some things to help my ADHD child. She immediately recommended DHA. So, I picked up a bottle of liquid DHA made specifically for children. It is said to help with focus. The associate also recommended another supplement I had not heard of; Behavior Balance - DMG, also in liquid form. This is for improved behavior patterns and social skills and contains Vitamin B which I wanted to get anyway. Together the supplements totaled nearly $50, but I am really hoping to see a difference in our little girl.
I also wanted to pick up a really good multi-vitamin that is free of artificial colors, dyes or sweeteners, but there were so many choices I felt overwhelmed. My dad's wife is a dietitian and nutritionist and she had sent us some chewable vitamins a few years ago that were really good - maybe I will ask her what they were called and stick with those.
So, Gigi is to have a 1/2 teaspoon of each supplement a day. I gave her the first dose today so I will give it a couple weeks before reporting back on how/if it is working.
The other thing I looked into were some things to help with her sleep. She has a very hard time winding down at night, something I have learned is very common among ADHD children. I read about a balm that you rub on the temples that has some aromatherapy qualities to calm and relax. The health food store didn't have any of this though. The other thing I had read about was easy enough to get from the local supermarket; Celestial Seasonings Sleepytime Tea. Tonight was the third night I have given it to Gigi, but already I have noticed a big difference. I hope it continues.
If you want to know more about this tea and our experience so far with it, you should check out my new blog (yes, I have yet ANOTHER blog) at www.busybuzzer.blogspot.com.
Well, I think that is all for now. Hopefully at least some of this will work!
Showing posts with label Raising Baby. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Raising Baby. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Gigi's Five Year Well Check Up
Gigi had her five year old well check up today.
My little peanut is now 26.8 pounds and 37 inches tall!!!! She is so tiny!
Her blood pressure was great at 78/60 and she passed her hearing test with flying colors.
Physically she is doing fantastic. We are still working on the behavior issues, but we are making progress. We are also working on sleeping through the night in her own room. All in good time, I guess.
The good news is, she is very healthy!!
My little peanut is now 26.8 pounds and 37 inches tall!!!! She is so tiny!
Her blood pressure was great at 78/60 and she passed her hearing test with flying colors.
Physically she is doing fantastic. We are still working on the behavior issues, but we are making progress. We are also working on sleeping through the night in her own room. All in good time, I guess.
The good news is, she is very healthy!!
Monday, May 3, 2010
18 Month Check up
Today J had his 18 month well visit with the pediatrician.
He is now 18 pounds, 28.75 inches tall and his head circumference is 17.5 inches. All three measurements are in the fifth percentile on growth charts. He's little but he is steadily growing so doc says he is doing well.
As far as his development, the pediatrician has told us time and again that boys are very different than girls in the way they develop. What may be delayed development in a girl may actually be average for a boy.
That being said, she says his fine motor skills and gross motor skills are actually slightly advanced for an 18 month old boy....which translates to average for an 18 month girl :)
However, even for a boy she feels his speech is delayed. He does try to say things but just can;t seem to get it out. He does extremely well with imitating sounds like the melody of a song etc, but can not actually form many letter sounds.
He can currently say "Mama", "Dada" "nana" (for banana), "u" (for up) and "ba ba" (for bye-bye). He can sign "again", "please", "thank you", "bath" and "cracker".
Anyhow, she did mention speech therapy however she would like to wait until he is two. She thinks that he actually may "catch up" since he does attempt to make the sounds. Plus she does not feel that at this point in time a speech therapist could do much more for him than we already do. We already name everything, point things out, repeat the words slowly and clearly etc. There is no physical reasoning for his speech delay (not "tongue tied" or anything like that) so he may just be a late bloomer. If at his two year check up his speech is still delayed (for a 2 year old boy at that point) then she will make sure we get him speech therapy.
We also brought up some issues.
First is the issue of his sleep habits. J is really great at going down to sleep at night. Every night we have dinner, give him a bath, read him a story and then lay him down in his crib while he is still wide awake. We leave the room and within a few minutes he sound asleep. No fussing, no crying, no whining. Just straight to sleep. Wonderful, right? Only he is up screaming and crying about 3/4 hours later. If I go in to him, I can nurse him and put him back in bed, but then he gets up about 2 hours later again. So I usually just end up taking him back to bed with me.
The pediatrician said that at this point there is no nutritional need for him wanting to nurse at night. It's comfort and habit now. She said it is now basically up to me when I want to wean him, but that when I/we am/are ready that would be the only solution she could think of to get him to stop wanting to nurse at night.
The other issue we have been having is that he can be a bit aggressive at times. He will often, and for no reason, bite, pinch and slap. What's worse is when I tell him "no" he usually looks up and laughs.
Well, I know this may be a point of controversy with some, but I agree with the ped's suggestion for the biting. She suggested that when he bits, to immediately put just a dab of liquid soap across his lips and tell him "no biting!". When he inevitably cries and cringes at the taste of the soap, immediately allow to drink something from his sippy cup. I'm sure some may find this mean or unnecessary but I will be doing this, because his biting really hurts. As for the pinching and slapping (which he doesn ot do nearly as often as the biting) she suggested to place his hands on his lap and tell him"no pinching/slapping" firmly.
Other than that, he is doing great and is a very happy little boy. :)
He is now 18 pounds, 28.75 inches tall and his head circumference is 17.5 inches. All three measurements are in the fifth percentile on growth charts. He's little but he is steadily growing so doc says he is doing well.
As far as his development, the pediatrician has told us time and again that boys are very different than girls in the way they develop. What may be delayed development in a girl may actually be average for a boy.
That being said, she says his fine motor skills and gross motor skills are actually slightly advanced for an 18 month old boy....which translates to average for an 18 month girl :)
However, even for a boy she feels his speech is delayed. He does try to say things but just can;t seem to get it out. He does extremely well with imitating sounds like the melody of a song etc, but can not actually form many letter sounds.
He can currently say "Mama", "Dada" "nana" (for banana), "u" (for up) and "ba ba" (for bye-bye). He can sign "again", "please", "thank you", "bath" and "cracker".
Anyhow, she did mention speech therapy however she would like to wait until he is two. She thinks that he actually may "catch up" since he does attempt to make the sounds. Plus she does not feel that at this point in time a speech therapist could do much more for him than we already do. We already name everything, point things out, repeat the words slowly and clearly etc. There is no physical reasoning for his speech delay (not "tongue tied" or anything like that) so he may just be a late bloomer. If at his two year check up his speech is still delayed (for a 2 year old boy at that point) then she will make sure we get him speech therapy.
We also brought up some issues.
First is the issue of his sleep habits. J is really great at going down to sleep at night. Every night we have dinner, give him a bath, read him a story and then lay him down in his crib while he is still wide awake. We leave the room and within a few minutes he sound asleep. No fussing, no crying, no whining. Just straight to sleep. Wonderful, right? Only he is up screaming and crying about 3/4 hours later. If I go in to him, I can nurse him and put him back in bed, but then he gets up about 2 hours later again. So I usually just end up taking him back to bed with me.
The pediatrician said that at this point there is no nutritional need for him wanting to nurse at night. It's comfort and habit now. She said it is now basically up to me when I want to wean him, but that when I/we am/are ready that would be the only solution she could think of to get him to stop wanting to nurse at night.
The other issue we have been having is that he can be a bit aggressive at times. He will often, and for no reason, bite, pinch and slap. What's worse is when I tell him "no" he usually looks up and laughs.
Well, I know this may be a point of controversy with some, but I agree with the ped's suggestion for the biting. She suggested that when he bits, to immediately put just a dab of liquid soap across his lips and tell him "no biting!". When he inevitably cries and cringes at the taste of the soap, immediately allow to drink something from his sippy cup. I'm sure some may find this mean or unnecessary but I will be doing this, because his biting really hurts. As for the pinching and slapping (which he doesn ot do nearly as often as the biting) she suggested to place his hands on his lap and tell him"no pinching/slapping" firmly.
Other than that, he is doing great and is a very happy little boy. :)
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
You Say Hello, He Waves Goodbye!
My little man has learned to wave!! It is just the cutest sight to see! He did it for the first time about two days ago and has been getting better at it every day.
I will try to get a video clip of it up here. The best part is that he gets very proud of himslef when he waves.
SO cute!
I will try to get a video clip of it up here. The best part is that he gets very proud of himslef when he waves.
SO cute!
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Self Feeding
Ever wonder how a 9 month old feeds himself??
It certainly is messy...
And he often gets impatient with the spoon. Obviously this is a much quicker way to get the food into his mouth!
It certainly is messy...
And he often gets impatient with the spoon. Obviously this is a much quicker way to get the food into his mouth!
Friday, July 31, 2009
Nine Months!!
J is nine months old now. He had his well visit today with the pediatrician.
The good news is, no shots today!! Yay!!
The bad news is..well, there was no bad news..YAY!!
J is doing wonderfully..developing very well in all aspects - physically, mentally and emotionally.
He is now 15 pounds, 9 ounces and 25" long. This is still in only the 5-10%, but it's great for him!!
Everything checked out well and we have no concerns about anything. That's a good visit!
The good news is, no shots today!! Yay!!
The bad news is..well, there was no bad news..YAY!!
J is doing wonderfully..developing very well in all aspects - physically, mentally and emotionally.
He is now 15 pounds, 9 ounces and 25" long. This is still in only the 5-10%, but it's great for him!!
Everything checked out well and we have no concerns about anything. That's a good visit!
Monday, July 27, 2009
Our Other Little Artist
Little man loves coloring these days!! Gigi is always coloring, so now brother just joins in the fun. He grabs a crayon and gets right to it. Of course, they are only little scribbles, but it's so cute! He often looks as though he is really concentrating on some masterpiece!
Sleeping Update
Well, it's been quite an experience the last few night's, but I am pleased with the results.
The last two night's J has slept in his crib from about 7:40pm straight though until 6am!! I can't believe how quickly he adjusted to sleeping on his own! I am so proud...and so glad I didn't cave!
Now, just to clarify, when I say he slept through - that does not mean he never woke at all all night. Just that I didn't run into him every time he began to whimper like I normally do. Instead. when I heard him begin to stir, I set the timer for 5 minutes. If he was still crying when the timer went off, I planned on going in and just rubbing his back for a minute. Fortunately, he was able to soothe himself and settle back to sleep in less than a minute each time!
Now if he would only wake up happy everything would be perfect! The last two mornings, despite getting a good night's sleep, he has woken up screaming his head off. It would be great if I could walk inyo hisroom in the morning and just see his happy, smiling face. Oh well, for now I am grateful he is actually sleeing!
So, Saturday night was the first night that I never went back into hs room after putting him in bed. Last night was the second time. Let's hope this keeps up!
The last two night's J has slept in his crib from about 7:40pm straight though until 6am!! I can't believe how quickly he adjusted to sleeping on his own! I am so proud...and so glad I didn't cave!
Now, just to clarify, when I say he slept through - that does not mean he never woke at all all night. Just that I didn't run into him every time he began to whimper like I normally do. Instead. when I heard him begin to stir, I set the timer for 5 minutes. If he was still crying when the timer went off, I planned on going in and just rubbing his back for a minute. Fortunately, he was able to soothe himself and settle back to sleep in less than a minute each time!
Now if he would only wake up happy everything would be perfect! The last two mornings, despite getting a good night's sleep, he has woken up screaming his head off. It would be great if I could walk inyo hisroom in the morning and just see his happy, smiling face. Oh well, for now I am grateful he is actually sleeing!
So, Saturday night was the first night that I never went back into hs room after putting him in bed. Last night was the second time. Let's hope this keeps up!
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Good Morning??
Despite all the progress my little man has made sleeping on his own, as I mentioned before, he does not wake up in a good mood. Once he is up, he literally gets up and begins to wail.
Instead of a happy, smiling baby this is what I see when I enter his room:
Poor little guy!!
It probably doesn't help that he sometimes falls asleep literally hanging on and with a pout on his face!
Oh well, at least he is sleeping!
Instead of a happy, smiling baby this is what I see when I enter his room:
Poor little guy!!
It probably doesn't help that he sometimes falls asleep literally hanging on and with a pout on his face!
Oh well, at least he is sleeping!
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Learning to Sleep, Night 2
We ate dinner much later than usual tonight, so our routine was pushed back. Still, I wanted to stick with our routine even though it was later in the day. I didn't want all of last night's work to be for nothing.
So we did the norm. Bedtime for the kiddos is usually 7:30pm, tonight I placed J in his crib at exactly 8:30pm.
At 8:37pm, he was quiet and sleeping!!
SEVEN MINUTES!! Can you believe it?? I can't.
Oh PLEASE let this be a good sign!!!!
So we did the norm. Bedtime for the kiddos is usually 7:30pm, tonight I placed J in his crib at exactly 8:30pm.
At 8:37pm, he was quiet and sleeping!!
SEVEN MINUTES!! Can you believe it?? I can't.
Oh PLEASE let this be a good sign!!!!
Oh What a Night!
Well, last night was quite exhausting!
I had to deal with getting BOTh of my kids to stay asleep! Although Gigi readily goes to sleep in her own bed, EVERY night she sneaks into our room and our bed. If her baby brother needs to learn to sleep by himslef all night long, she needs to do the same.
So, after J finally fell asleep at 8:35pm, he continued to sleep until 10:39pm. When he woke, I went into his room hugged (of course he was standing again), laid him down and rubbed his back a little and then left. By 10:42pm he was alseep again.
He woke for the second time at 12:34am and, again, returned to sleep fairly quickly at 12:40am.
I thought things were going great...until...he woke at 1:20am. He did not go back to sleep again until 2:30am - nearly an hour. During this hour, I ended up picking him up and nursing him - he really ate too, not just used me for comfort - then went back to the increased intervals for checking on him. I was so happy when that hour waas up and he was back asleep!!
From then, 2:30am, he slept through until 5:28am. At that point I was so exhausted that I picked him up and took him back to my bed. I just couldn't deal with it anymore!
Well, in between all of J's wakings - the times when he was actually sleeping - I could not sleep becasue Gigi kept waking!! She would wake it seemed seconds after J gave in to sleep. She would get up and cry that she wanted to sleep with me. By the time I would get her calmed down and back sleeping in her bed, I had about 10-15 minutes to rest my eyes before J was up again.
Oh what a night! As you can imagine, I'm pretty beat today!
Oh, and lucky me, I get to do all again tonight! Can't wait...ughh :(
I had to deal with getting BOTh of my kids to stay asleep! Although Gigi readily goes to sleep in her own bed, EVERY night she sneaks into our room and our bed. If her baby brother needs to learn to sleep by himslef all night long, she needs to do the same.
So, after J finally fell asleep at 8:35pm, he continued to sleep until 10:39pm. When he woke, I went into his room hugged (of course he was standing again), laid him down and rubbed his back a little and then left. By 10:42pm he was alseep again.
He woke for the second time at 12:34am and, again, returned to sleep fairly quickly at 12:40am.
I thought things were going great...until...he woke at 1:20am. He did not go back to sleep again until 2:30am - nearly an hour. During this hour, I ended up picking him up and nursing him - he really ate too, not just used me for comfort - then went back to the increased intervals for checking on him. I was so happy when that hour waas up and he was back asleep!!
From then, 2:30am, he slept through until 5:28am. At that point I was so exhausted that I picked him up and took him back to my bed. I just couldn't deal with it anymore!
Well, in between all of J's wakings - the times when he was actually sleeping - I could not sleep becasue Gigi kept waking!! She would wake it seemed seconds after J gave in to sleep. She would get up and cry that she wanted to sleep with me. By the time I would get her calmed down and back sleeping in her bed, I had about 10-15 minutes to rest my eyes before J was up again.
Oh what a night! As you can imagine, I'm pretty beat today!
Oh, and lucky me, I get to do all again tonight! Can't wait...ughh :(
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Finally Asleep...For Now
Well, it's now 8:35pm. J finally gave in and drifted off to sleep.
Let's see how long it lasts! :)
Let's see how long it lasts! :)
Learning to Sleep, Part 2
Both kids go through the same night time routine; dinner, bath, cuddle time and coloring, brush teeth, hugs and kisses, story, lights out. Difference is, after J's story, he usually falls asleep on my lap while nursing.
J is over 8 months now, we've tried once before to get him to sleep on his own with no great success. Well, we are trying again tonight.
We did our usual night time routine, except this time, after J had two stories read to him, I cuddled him a little more while rocking him. When he began to get drowsy, I placed him in his crib and left the room. That was at 7:40 pm.
I did the norm, one minute, check on him, 2 minutes - check on him, etc.
Well, it is now almost 8:30pm and he is still crying. I currently have about 2 minutes left on the timer before I need to go in again.
It really breaks my heart. Everytime I go in and put my arms around him (he is standing up in the crib) he immediately stops crying completely and closes his eyes and falls asleep. The second I release him and walk away he lets out an ear piercing cry.
My poor baby, don't worry it's probably harder on me than it is on you!
J is over 8 months now, we've tried once before to get him to sleep on his own with no great success. Well, we are trying again tonight.
We did our usual night time routine, except this time, after J had two stories read to him, I cuddled him a little more while rocking him. When he began to get drowsy, I placed him in his crib and left the room. That was at 7:40 pm.
I did the norm, one minute, check on him, 2 minutes - check on him, etc.
Well, it is now almost 8:30pm and he is still crying. I currently have about 2 minutes left on the timer before I need to go in again.
It really breaks my heart. Everytime I go in and put my arms around him (he is standing up in the crib) he immediately stops crying completely and closes his eyes and falls asleep. The second I release him and walk away he lets out an ear piercing cry.
My poor baby, don't worry it's probably harder on me than it is on you!
Saturday, June 27, 2009
What to do??
Since Gigi was just a toddler I have been playing around with the option of homeschooling her full time once she reached preschool and kindergarten age. I never once doubted my ability to teach her. In fact, I was always fairly confident that I could do a better job teaching her at home than the public schools could. This confidence was mainly due to the horror stories I have heard about our school system here (for example - the things that they expect a Kindergartner to know at the end of the year, my child already knew at the age of 2.) mixed with the fact that I know my child's learning style better than a teacher that has never met her, plus public school teachers have the challenge of dealing with 20+ students at once - all whom are probably on different levels.
I'm not trying to say anything negative about the teachers of the public school system - only about the system itself. Unfortunately the teachers are bound to the rules and "expectations" of the system leaving little to no time for individual needs of the students.
With homeschooling you can tailor everything to the needs and passion of your child. So, if Gigi is on a kindergarten level with math, but only a preschool level with reading - that's ok.
In most states, preschool is not thought of as the start of the school years. It's not a requirement, nor is it even offered - unless you want to pay a hefty price for a private prek. Basically, preschool is usually an overpriced, glorified daycare.
However, where we live preschool is offered to all 4 year olds, free of charge. It is a half day program that runs 3 hours aday, 5 days a week - following the public school schedule. It's called VPK - Voluntery Pre Kindergarten.
As her fourth birthday approached, we began discussing school. We came to the decision that Gigi would attend the local Montessori school that offered VPK, if she was accepted, and then I would homeschool for kindergarten and then have the public schools evaluate her for the 1st grade. We figured entering public school might be ok at first grade because we were told that there were things in place to help students as far as placement based on their individual abilities. However, there are no such programs or exceptions on the kindergarten level.
Well, since learning of Gigi's ADHD diagnosis, I have been having mixed feelings about everything. I feel this great tugging on my heart that tells me my child needs ME, not a school. On the other hand, I am afraid that if I don't get her into a school setting she will be ill prepared for school later. Without the ADHD diagnosis I had no reservations about keeping her home - now I am full of doubt.
Not doubt in myslef to actually teach her - but doubt that she will adapt later. Before I had no fear of her adjusting easily into the public school first grade after being homeschooled for prek and kindergarten. Now I am worried that without being in a school setting she will have trouble come first grade.
The problem is, I still feel that I could do a better job at meeting her needs and teaching her based on her individual abilities - I'm just worried that she will have problems adjusting later on - especially when compared with kids that will have gone through VPK and kindergarten in the school system.
I'm really not sure what to do at this point - however she IS now accepted and being held a spot for the Montessori school for VPK which begins August 25.
So, I have some time still to think and pray about it.
I'm not trying to say anything negative about the teachers of the public school system - only about the system itself. Unfortunately the teachers are bound to the rules and "expectations" of the system leaving little to no time for individual needs of the students.
With homeschooling you can tailor everything to the needs and passion of your child. So, if Gigi is on a kindergarten level with math, but only a preschool level with reading - that's ok.
In most states, preschool is not thought of as the start of the school years. It's not a requirement, nor is it even offered - unless you want to pay a hefty price for a private prek. Basically, preschool is usually an overpriced, glorified daycare.
However, where we live preschool is offered to all 4 year olds, free of charge. It is a half day program that runs 3 hours aday, 5 days a week - following the public school schedule. It's called VPK - Voluntery Pre Kindergarten.
As her fourth birthday approached, we began discussing school. We came to the decision that Gigi would attend the local Montessori school that offered VPK, if she was accepted, and then I would homeschool for kindergarten and then have the public schools evaluate her for the 1st grade. We figured entering public school might be ok at first grade because we were told that there were things in place to help students as far as placement based on their individual abilities. However, there are no such programs or exceptions on the kindergarten level.
Well, since learning of Gigi's ADHD diagnosis, I have been having mixed feelings about everything. I feel this great tugging on my heart that tells me my child needs ME, not a school. On the other hand, I am afraid that if I don't get her into a school setting she will be ill prepared for school later. Without the ADHD diagnosis I had no reservations about keeping her home - now I am full of doubt.
Not doubt in myslef to actually teach her - but doubt that she will adapt later. Before I had no fear of her adjusting easily into the public school first grade after being homeschooled for prek and kindergarten. Now I am worried that without being in a school setting she will have trouble come first grade.
The problem is, I still feel that I could do a better job at meeting her needs and teaching her based on her individual abilities - I'm just worried that she will have problems adjusting later on - especially when compared with kids that will have gone through VPK and kindergarten in the school system.
I'm really not sure what to do at this point - however she IS now accepted and being held a spot for the Montessori school for VPK which begins August 25.
So, I have some time still to think and pray about it.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Learning to Sleep
Well, we think it may be time to begin teaching J to sleep on his own.
We figured we would do it just as we did with Gigi;
We put her in her crib and left, let her cry it out for one minute,went back in to check on her, left, let her cry it out for two minutes, left...and repeated until she was left alone for 5 minutes straight. Then we would check on her every 5 minutes until she fell asleep. Every five minutes we would go back into her room, rub her bed, whisper soft "Shhh" noises and then leave, never staying more than 30 seconds to one minute each time.
It was rough, but Gigi ended up falling asleep after 45 minutes and actually stayed asleep for the entire night!! We were so pleased!
It was a really transition for us. She obviously did not want to give in, she held on for as long as she could, but in the end, sleep won! She was 8 months old.
So, we were hoping for similar results with J, but ... no such luck.
We used the same method, but it took J nearly two hours to give in to sleep. And unfortunately, he stayed asleep for about 45 minutes.
Something tells me he's just not ready.
We figured we would do it just as we did with Gigi;
We put her in her crib and left, let her cry it out for one minute,went back in to check on her, left, let her cry it out for two minutes, left...and repeated until she was left alone for 5 minutes straight. Then we would check on her every 5 minutes until she fell asleep. Every five minutes we would go back into her room, rub her bed, whisper soft "Shhh" noises and then leave, never staying more than 30 seconds to one minute each time.
It was rough, but Gigi ended up falling asleep after 45 minutes and actually stayed asleep for the entire night!! We were so pleased!
It was a really transition for us. She obviously did not want to give in, she held on for as long as she could, but in the end, sleep won! She was 8 months old.
So, we were hoping for similar results with J, but ... no such luck.
We used the same method, but it took J nearly two hours to give in to sleep. And unfortunately, he stayed asleep for about 45 minutes.
Something tells me he's just not ready.
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Update on Gigi
So, we have been in contact with Gigi's pediatrician for the last couple weeks. She has been reviewing Gigi's file and she has had consultations with a couple of child psychologists to discuss Gigi's behavior issues.
Well, Gigi now has a confirmed diagnosis of ADHD. She actually scored very high for this, so unfortunately it is not a mild case.
As far as the "gifted" aspect that the pediatrician suspected was part of the "problem", she still believes that Gigi is gifted, but unfortunately they can not do any testing to confirm this on paper for another 2 years. In the meantime, we were asked to address her issues as though we KNOW she is gifted - mostly because you need to approach discipline differently with gifted children and the pediatrician is fairly certain that this is the case with Gigi.
Good news is, it has been determined that Gigi does NOT have ODD (oppositional defiance disorder) which the pediatrician initially thought might be a factor. She said that after further research and discussions with the child psychologists, they determined this was NOT something Gigi has.
Yea, she does have meltdowns. tantrums, frequently tells us "no", throws things when she doesn't get her way, will even swat at us when we try to hold her etc. However, children with ODD are not simply defiant - they are downright MEAN. They are cruel and abusive toward people and animals and they are deliberately destructive. This is NOT the case with Gigi, she is really a sweetie. ODD is EXTREME behavior and unfortunately for parents who have children with a confirmed diagnosis, it is very difficult to treat. Apparently there is a HUGE difference between children who don't want to do what they are told, talk back to their parents, slam doors, scream, throw things, get angry etc and a child with ODD.
I'm VERY glad that Gigi does not have ODD.
Well, now we know what we are dealing with - ADHD and most likely gifted.
Now we need to develop a plan to combat this and arm our child to learn to successfully handle it on her own.
Well, Gigi now has a confirmed diagnosis of ADHD. She actually scored very high for this, so unfortunately it is not a mild case.
As far as the "gifted" aspect that the pediatrician suspected was part of the "problem", she still believes that Gigi is gifted, but unfortunately they can not do any testing to confirm this on paper for another 2 years. In the meantime, we were asked to address her issues as though we KNOW she is gifted - mostly because you need to approach discipline differently with gifted children and the pediatrician is fairly certain that this is the case with Gigi.
Good news is, it has been determined that Gigi does NOT have ODD (oppositional defiance disorder) which the pediatrician initially thought might be a factor. She said that after further research and discussions with the child psychologists, they determined this was NOT something Gigi has.
Yea, she does have meltdowns. tantrums, frequently tells us "no", throws things when she doesn't get her way, will even swat at us when we try to hold her etc. However, children with ODD are not simply defiant - they are downright MEAN. They are cruel and abusive toward people and animals and they are deliberately destructive. This is NOT the case with Gigi, she is really a sweetie. ODD is EXTREME behavior and unfortunately for parents who have children with a confirmed diagnosis, it is very difficult to treat. Apparently there is a HUGE difference between children who don't want to do what they are told, talk back to their parents, slam doors, scream, throw things, get angry etc and a child with ODD.
I'm VERY glad that Gigi does not have ODD.
Well, now we know what we are dealing with - ADHD and most likely gifted.
Now we need to develop a plan to combat this and arm our child to learn to successfully handle it on her own.
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Alone with Mima
While hubby, my mother in law and I accompanied Gigi to her first dance recital, we thought it would be best for everyone if J stayed out of the theater.
Since my mom had already seen the performance the day before, which had been a full dress rehearsal, she volunteered to watch J for the day.
It was the first time I had ever left him! :(
When we picked him up, mom reported back to me everything they had done together while we were gone.
They played games like peek-a-boo.
He ate some food
and his toes, of course!
And even took a couple of naps.
I don't think he mind being away from mama as much as mama minded being away from him! :)
Since my mom had already seen the performance the day before, which had been a full dress rehearsal, she volunteered to watch J for the day.
It was the first time I had ever left him! :(
When we picked him up, mom reported back to me everything they had done together while we were gone.
They played games like peek-a-boo.
He ate some food
and his toes, of course!
And even took a couple of naps.
I don't think he mind being away from mama as much as mama minded being away from him! :)
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Yummy Biscuit!
Today I gave J his first taste of a biter biscuit. It was messy, to say the least, but he thoroughly enjoyed it, I believe!
He even figured out a way to take it "to go"!
And just for fun, here are some pics of Gigi eating a biter biscuit at just about the same age. Well, about a month or so older. Close enough.
Look at all that hair she had!!
My poor bald boy! :)
He even figured out a way to take it "to go"!
And just for fun, here are some pics of Gigi eating a biter biscuit at just about the same age. Well, about a month or so older. Close enough.
Look at all that hair she had!!
My poor bald boy! :)
Thursday, June 4, 2009
From Standing to Cruising
Little man has now begun to slowly cruise across furniture. He only does it on the coffee table and the couch though. He can cruise along the entire length of the couch and around the entire table and has even mastered switching from table to ouch and back again!
I can believe all the progress he is making in such a short period of time!
I can believe all the progress he is making in such a short period of time!
Monday, June 1, 2009
ADHD Diet
So, our pediatrician recommended that we try this ADHD diet for Gigi at her four year well visit. She did warn that it would be difficult and that it doesn't always make a difference in all children and that even if we saw some improvement, it would not be enough to combat this completely.
That being said, this is what the "diet" instructs;
So, the pediatrician warnd us it woul be difficult - especially considering Gigi is only allowed to drink milk, juice or water and now two of those options are gone. The pediatrician also said not to make ourselves crazy over it, but try as best we can to follow this.
Well, I am glad that we only have to strictly follow for two weeks, because I am running out of ideas for meals!
For breakfast it's eggs with whole wheat toast or plain oatmeal or cream of wheat.
For lunch it's tuna on whole wheat or peanut butter with banana on whole wheat, which Gigi has really been enjoying.
There's Flaxseed sprinkled on top
For dinner - honestly, dinner hasn't changed much; Brown rice, stamed veggies and grilled chicken or whole wheat pasta with homemade meat sauce.
This really should be the way we all eat ALL the time. It's really not that bad, except she really misses her milk. She like the organice brown rice milk, but that stuff is expensive!! Hopefully when we add the dairy back in it won't affect her.
We will just have to wait and see!
That being said, this is what the "diet" instructs;
What NOT to eat for two weeks:
No dairy products - especially cow's milk. Drink lots of water. Instead try almond milk or rice milk.
No yellow foods - especially corn or squash.
No junk foods - if it comes in a cellophane wrapper, don't eat it.
No fruit juices.
Cut sugar intake by 90% or more.
Cut chocolate by 90% or more.
NO nutrasweet, none period.
No processed meat and NO MSG.
Cut fried food by 90% or more.
Avoid food colorings whenever possible.
No yellow foods - especially corn or squash.
No junk foods - if it comes in a cellophane wrapper, don't eat it.
No fruit juices.
Cut sugar intake by 90% or more.
Cut chocolate by 90% or more.
NO nutrasweet, none period.
No processed meat and NO MSG.
Cut fried food by 90% or more.
Avoid food colorings whenever possible.
In addition, avoid:
Breads and pastas made from processed white flour
Processed white rice
Potatoes
Desserts, ice cream, candy, cookies, doughnuts etc.
Powedered or refined sugar
Soda, sports drinks, tea, coffee
Fast Foods
Artificial colors, flavors, preservatives
Artificial sweeteners (aspartame, saccharin, sucralose)
Processed white rice
Potatoes
Desserts, ice cream, candy, cookies, doughnuts etc.
Powedered or refined sugar
Soda, sports drinks, tea, coffee
Fast Foods
Artificial colors, flavors, preservatives
Artificial sweeteners (aspartame, saccharin, sucralose)
So, the pediatrician warnd us it woul be difficult - especially considering Gigi is only allowed to drink milk, juice or water and now two of those options are gone. The pediatrician also said not to make ourselves crazy over it, but try as best we can to follow this.
Well, I am glad that we only have to strictly follow for two weeks, because I am running out of ideas for meals!
For breakfast it's eggs with whole wheat toast or plain oatmeal or cream of wheat.
For lunch it's tuna on whole wheat or peanut butter with banana on whole wheat, which Gigi has really been enjoying.
There's Flaxseed sprinkled on top
For dinner - honestly, dinner hasn't changed much; Brown rice, stamed veggies and grilled chicken or whole wheat pasta with homemade meat sauce.
This really should be the way we all eat ALL the time. It's really not that bad, except she really misses her milk. She like the organice brown rice milk, but that stuff is expensive!! Hopefully when we add the dairy back in it won't affect her.
We will just have to wait and see!
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