So today is the 2nd day of Asher trying the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD)--which is a little more strict than the GF/CF Diet. He was doing well these last 2 months GF/CF and we did notice some improvements with eye contact, being able to be re-directed easier, learning, and attitude...but he was still having "gut" issues with loose stools, visually "stemming" (getting stuck looking at lines, furniture, shadows, etc.), having eczema rashes, and his language hadn't improved much either. So, I began doing more research and learned that the SCD was originally the first "GF/CF" diet officially and that it doesn't just alleviate symptoms, it can heal the gut and improve the gut/brain connection. It does this by only allowing simple carbohydrates in the form of fruits, vegetables, and nut flours (among other things) that are easily digested by those with Crohn's Disease, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Colitis and...Autism. In the last 2 years, this diet has received significant press due to the incredible strides children with autism are making once on it even when no progress was reported from the GF/CF diet. Anyway, if there was any chance that it could help heal Ashy, of course, I had to try it :) So, we're in the trial phase to see if he has any improvements whatsoever.
For additional information, please visit www.breakingthevisciouscycle.com or www.pecanbread.com. There you'll find the background information for this way of eating, the list of allowable foods, and the incredible testimonials of parents whose children no longer have symptoms of autism. Wish us luck!
Karate Tournament III
On Saturday Jase, Jonah and I all attended a karate tournament together in Wickenburg. It was the first time I'd gotten to go with them...so pretty exciting :) Crystal, Asher's hab worker, came early to stay with Ashy and "do hab" and we left at 7:45am and didn't get home until 3:45pm--so a long day! Jonah and Jase both competed in two events: Kata and Kumate (sparring). Jonah won a medal (4th place) in Kata and a 2nd place trophy in sparring! Although a kid hit him in the ribs, he forged on to take 2nd place! Jase also got a 3rd place trophy for Kata! I was so proud of them---they did a great job!
Garden Cam
Just had to take pics of our sprouting seedlings! They're coming up quickly--seeing as how we only planted last weekend. So far we're seeing corn, watermelon, canteloupe, garden beans, okra, camomille, basil, red hot poker flower and swiss chard lettuce. It seems that our Arizona sun combined with well placed drip lines are a good thing for gardening! Wish us luck :)
Why We Love Da-da
He's cute, he's silly, he's just a kid-at-heart really---he's our DA-DA!!! Jase has to be the Best Dad E-VER! He's always ready to play with the kids, joke around, show love and affection, do anything really for any of us at any moment. He's dedicated, self-sacrificing, and truly a good person. I have so much respect for him--the father of my children-- that I wanted to just take a moment to say "thank-you for being who you are and for loving all of us so much...everyday."
Spring Baby
Well, Ashy turned 4 yesterday (the 21st) and we couldn't be happier. I started off the day with decorations in the dining room and my famous GFCF applesauce pancakes with scrambled eggs and herbal tea. We let Ashy open a gift with each meal--that way it got spread out over the day and he could focus on each toy individually. This year he received, from adoring fans: a musical car, 3 Bumblebee developmental videos, a kite (from Jonah), a Jack-In-The-Box, and a toy guitar. A big "thank-you" for all of your expressed love, notecards, gifts and thoughts for Asher on his birthday. The cake was a true experiment (GFCF vanilla from Sprouts and I made the chocolate frosting). Surprisingly, the homemade frosting was the best part about the chalk...I mean cake. The dairy-free ice-cream left room for improvement as well. But Ashy LOVED it all--which is really all that mattered. Besides having to re-learn what "hot candles" means (he got slightly burned :(), he had fun singing "happy birthday" to himself all day and practicing his blowing! We finished off the day going to his favorite place--the Surprise park. Three was a rough year for Ash and all of us--one with lots of discoveries, changes, tears, and adjustments, but also hugs, love and laughter. We appreciate all of our your love and support for us. THANK-YOU!!!
The Soil Is In!
This was our "fun" last weekend. We were determined to finally fill our SFG raised planter beds with soil and feel like real gardeners. Jase finished the beds weeks ago, but we've been hunting down the crucial 1/3rd part needed to complete the Mel's Mix: course vermiculite. Once we found it, Shane Elsberry, Jase's sacrificing little brother, lent us his time and truck and picked it all up for us. It was interesting hauling all those bags of compost, vermiculite and peat moss over to a tarp, mixing it all together, and shoveling it into beds...but we got it done (thanks to Jase's upper body strength, for which I lack any!). Whew! Are we done yet?
Like Older Brother Like Younger Brother
I snapped this pic at Home Depot (where we went to get some garden seeds
). Jonah was hanging out on the large cart and Asher noticed this and promptly wanted to climb up also. It just made me realize how far he's come in his "typical" behavior and how grateful I am for the little things in life. Even something as simple as noticing other kids or your environment, learning from it and mimicking it has been something that has taken many hours of hab for Ashy. It may not seem like a huge thing, but to me it was meaningful. Way to go Ash!
). Jonah was hanging out on the large cart and Asher noticed this and promptly wanted to climb up also. It just made me realize how far he's come in his "typical" behavior and how grateful I am for the little things in life. Even something as simple as noticing other kids or your environment, learning from it and mimicking it has been something that has taken many hours of hab for Ashy. It may not seem like a huge thing, but to me it was meaningful. Way to go Ash!
Therapy At "Don-Don-Don" (McDonalds)
Today Ashy got to spend his Friday hab session with Lauren (his Occupational Therapist) at McDonalds in Phoenix. He played away with a small group of kids he's come to know and love at Creative Therapy. He showed great independance in climbing through the playland, going up and down slides, interacting with other kids, and trying new things. He's learning and growing all the time and we're so proud of him!
Who Needs Toys?!
The boys' newest game is "Jump"--wherein they climb onto my coffee table in the family room and leap (or get pushed in Ashy's case) off onto our Luvsac. It's been great because Asher is actually initiating play with Jonah, learning to take turns, continuing "rounds of communication", getting in physical therapy, and connecting with his brother as a friend. There's no better sound than to hear your children playing and laughing together first thing in the morning while you get breakfast ready---really, no better.
My Lil' Reader
Ok...so he's not reading quite yet, but the fact that he's now showing an interest is really exciting! I caught him, looking so cool with his foot propped up, "reading" his library book the other morning and he now sits still long enough to have an entire book read to him (multiple times). He'll want me to point to the individual words and say them slowly and then he'll try to repeat. He's counting very well and knows his alphabet too! Our little 3-year-old learning so well :)
Just Like Big Brother
I had to share this--so cute! This morning I was practicing piano and Jonah ran into me and said that Asher was trying to "do school" too. So, I grabbed my camera and snapped this shot before he had a chance to run off (one minute later!). Ash had climbed up onto Jonah's stool at his desk and was writing all over his math homework. Both Jonah and I got a big kick out of this. Asher has really showed some progress since we put him onto a gluten-free/casein-free diet. He's playing and initiating play with his brother all the time, his eye contact has improved, he's showing an interest in self-learning now, and his eczema is clearing up. Way to go kiddo!
Easter!
Jonah was superhero fast finding eggs and we had to keep reminding him to leave the easy ones out for Ash. Ash actually enjoyed it this year (he LOVES to eat eggs and knows that word well!). Jonah received a "gold tipped" kid's Bible Stories book and Ashy got an Easter Egg Express book with eggs that disappear with each turn of the page (he loves to count too). We all had a great time playing together and reading about the atonement and our Savior's sacrifice for all of us. Hope you all had a Happy Easter!!!
Caught 'ya!
Proof that Ashy has found my Fujifilm Finepix camera and taken various self-portraits (usually about 30 or so!) See, the problem with toddlers is they like to get into trouble, but they don't know how to hide their tracks---so evidence is left behind (also true with puppies, in our case :) I thought I'd share a few of these with you---too funny!
Elsberry Family Book Reviews
So, in case you didn't know, my family is obsessed with the library and reading. I actually have to remind Jonah to eat because he's usually so caught up in a book that he'll sit for hours just reading and next to my bed I usually have at least four books I'm in the middle of. So, I've come up with a sidebar that lists all the books we're currently reading and thought that it would help me get more out of my reading if I posted a summary...review...critique, what have you, of what I'd just read.
So, enter www.berryblurbs.blogspot.com. I've included it in my blog links sidebar for your reading enjoyment as well. Feel free to comment on whatever I've written--I'd like to know your opinions as well....and whatever you do, don't EVER stop reading :)
Enjoy!
Cancellation Days
So normally on a Friday morning we'd be rushing out the door at 9am to drive an hour for Asher to see his Occupational Therapist in downtown Phoenix. We'd stay there for another hour--doing homeschooling in the car--at which point we'd drive for an hour to get home and drop Ash off at Montessori for his habilitation. But instead...we spent a relaxing morning at Surprise's library and park. Amazingly, I was able to sit under a tree and watch the kids play (on their own!) peacefully while practicing my yoga breathing :) After the kids wore themselves out (45 minutes) they quietly came over to me, had a snack, and we all proceeded to walk over to the library (with Ashy waving "bye-bye" to the park and saying "EIIII!" as loud as he could :) We spent another hour at the library picking out books/DVDs for the new week and came home to have a wonderful lunch together. Then Ash went down easily for his nap and I actually had time to blog! Ok...HOLD ON!...am I in another dimension or something? Days like this rarely happen...but it's so nice to have them once in a while and realize---I'm truly blessed.
Veramonte
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