Brody's daily cocktails

Brody sure does love his drinks. Lately he hasn't loved it as much due to the fact that his lame and mean Mommy (me) keeps mixing up cocktails which includes his sugar free juice or non-dairy milk and some of the following (which he needs to have all in one day):

Liquid multivitamin 7.5 ml (so strong that a few drops in every drink)

Vitamin D (4-5 drops)

HTP (break open the capsules) 4 capsules

Cod Fish Liver Oil (1 teaspoon)

Probiotic (1 capsules a day 25 billion CFU's)

DMG (1 pill crushed a day)

These are part of Brody's daily supplements and vitamins that help his body to improve in his brain and digestion. Doctors are finally catching up to what many parents already know - children with autism have physical symptoms that are related to the mental disorder. The Southwest Autism Research and Resource Center have had more conferences about the relation.

Brody has a sensory issue with food so a multivitamin is perfect cause he doesn't get enough nutrition. Vitamin D helps his immune system which has always been poor which for the first 3 years meant constant ear infections and lots of colds. Cod Fish Liver Oil helps his body absorb the nutrients he gets from food. The probiotic helps put the good bacteria in his body because his 13 doses of antibiotics in a year and a half that is old pediatrician prescribed killed off all the bacteria in his body thus resulting in a yeast build up in his gut. The DMG is to get his body ready for B-12 shots that he will get sometime within the next 6 months to a year. The HTP might sound strange to some who might be familiar with it - especially 4 pills a day. But HTP regulates a persons serotonin levels which affect appetite, mood and sleeping patters among other things. Brody has issues with all of those things. Children with autism have problems with seretonin.

Brody has had most of these supplements (some are newer additions) since November of last year. Lets just say I feel it helps the real Brody start peeking through. He is happy, content, less tantrums, looks healthier, saying more words, bowel movements have become regulated, eye contact is better and just in general seems better.

This is all part of the biomedical approach. For us it is no cure, no dramatic change, just little by little and bit by bit the boy I was meant to have is slowly working his way back to me!!

My little Ryan

Ryan is will be 18 months in just a few weeks! I swear time speeds up for the second child. I cherish that first year and now I just hold him for five seconds before he is desperate to jump out of my arms and run off and chase a ball. He is so adorable and he just cracks up everyone around him.

Haircut

There are only a few noises Brody can't stand and the buzzing of a clippers is one of them. He also HATES being restrained. Brody does not like when you mess with his head. It is almost impossible to actually do his hair and he has never worn a hat since he was about 6 months old. Combining all those elements equals Brody's idea of a living hell - A HAIRCUT.

Haircuts are the absolute worst things in the world for Brody and for the people giving him a haircut. At no point during the haircut does Brody realize he isn't being hurt and it isn't a big deal. So he doesn't calm down at all. And with each haircut, somehow, Brody's phobia of haircuts have gotten progressively worse. On Sunday, Jake's brother, Josh just happened to be over and Becky was also there. They were witnesses to his hysterics (and witnesses to CPS - in case a neighbor called due to the screams - that we were not hurting our son - so far no one has called)!!

It took 1 person to cut the hair and 3 to hold Brody! We buzz his head a couple times a year cause trimming it with scissors just isn't an option. But as you can see from the pictures it was just getting too long. Since he doesn't let me do it his hair ends up looking really crazy most of the time. Here are the after and before pictures (that is just the order at which Blogger put them on).

Venting

My mind works in a strange way. I might be frustrated with one thing but then because of that frustration I pile on other things that might be related to it and then instead of being frustrated about one thing I grow to being angry about a lot of things.



I try to be a positive and relatively happy person.



But today was one of those days.



I hate money. I know most would say I have that opinion cause I don't have it...that might be the case. It is not like I have much to compare to.



Money and greed has become the motivator for modern day evil and horrible deeds. Money is the culprit that causes wars, spurs on the selfishness of big businesses and the government and money even is what can cause problem in marriages and relationships.



That is an opinion I have had most of my life.



Knowing that opinion of mine already it would be no surprise to know I am adding to that opinion. Certain people out there (i.e. special needs children) are in bad circumstances to begin with and without money their situation is made worse which makes it difficult to ever get "ahead" in life.



The angry realization I came to today that started with a frustration I while working with the State. The Arizona government funds the Department of Economic Security (DES) and the Division of Developmental Disabilities (DDD)is a part of DES. I am attempting to have DDD pay for a program that I am trying to get Brody into so he doesn't regress too much without being in a structured environment with other kids between now the time school starts. After dealing with it through lots of follow up consisting of many phone calls and emails for the past week and half I realize one overwhelming fact that makes me more angry than I have ever been:



If Jake and I didn't have to go through the state funded programs (which are basically out of all money and continuing to cut-back) and it takes tons of work to get ANYTHING done it would mean we could do everything we wanted and just pay out of our pocket. Brody could go to one of the few amazing schools that specializes in special education for children with autism (they are only private pay and most cost $20,000 year round). Brody could get more hours of therapies. We could buy some of the same equipment and tools the schools and therapists use and keep them at home for us to utilize. We could of course spend a lot more money on the biomedical treatment. There are a lot of alternative treatments within the biomedical treatment that cost a lot of money that, if we had the financial means, could try.

Jake and I are doing the best we can with the circumstances we are under. Everyone in this country right now are struggling and unemployment is really high right now. I don't feel we have been selfish and bought the nice clothes, fancy car or go on nice vacations and squander our income. Jake is working on his masters and is yet to work in the field he is going into so in a way he has the rest of his career left. There is a good chance the day will come that we are able to do well financially BUT it is right now that matters for Brody. Experts and doctors say the most hours of help, therapies, special education at the youngest age possible will result in the most improvements and progress.

So I guess I am angry cause I hate thinking Brody could be a lot better if we had more money. That shouldn't be how it is - there are state programs and help out there but it is very much like twisting someones arm off just to get the basic needs met let alone the best help out there for children like Brody.



I hate money. I hate people who do horrible things in the name of money, greed and "profit". I hate that those who don't have money are made to, in many ways, suffer cause they don't have money.



I want to go back to the barter system. I wish I could "trade" something to get Brody the help he needs and deserves...not sure what I would trade but at least I would have that option!!



Just venting and wanting a place to put my frustrations and anger

Stuff going on with us

Just saw it and LOVED IT - yes I am another female fan just like the other millions!
Hilarious and cute kids movie

Our new roommates

Saying goodbye...

to these two beautiful kids I had been watching who are now going to be home with their Mommy!