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We successfully suprised Leona with her birthday. She knew it was coming after Bailey's birthday (September). She asked if she would be getting a cake, presents, and get to pick her birthday dinner. I told her we would consider it if we thought she could handle having that much fun. Her lousy behaviors increased for a while (mainly the wetting) and I think it was because she was trying to "wreck" her birthday. So, we didn't tell her it was coming up and we completely surprised her. I picked a dinner out of her long list of favorites- pizza, complete with soy cheese (she's on a gluten-free, milk free diet). Of course, I was informed later that I picked wrong but what do you expect! We gave her only a few small presents...a new princess cup, crayons, and a coloring book. She got a cake and some soy ice cream, also a big treat because I don't often get to make special milk-free items. So here is the picture of her special day:
She got so overstimulated in just the hour-long time we spent having her "party", she could not calm herself while I spent time tucking Josephine in and got jealous when I tickled Josephine (she said "you didn't tickle me!). So I knew that we were in for it at a later date!! She managed to make good choices the next morning (using the potty instead of the diaper) and enjoyed her coloring time for a few days in her book. Overall, she was OK for a few days(OK doesn't mean "normal"--she increased some other behaviors like vomiting her food back up and chewing it and was quite obnoxious about her birthday cake leftovers -I ended up freezing the last piece because she was so overly concerned and worried about it. She also kept interrupting everyone else's "mom time" and more). But then, "it" happened! She was making wrong choices while we were all cleaning the bus (yes, I really mean a bus-I don't think I mentioned it but we recently "upgraded" to a 17 passenger shuttle bus!). She had to sit and be bored while the other kids got to color and so she wet her pants in the bus (I'm so happy she is wearing diapers now!--and she does have to carry a bright green piece of plastic to put on seats she sits on in public). Then, the next day I went to get her out of bed and I found this:
Bet you can't guess what it is??? RAD gone MAD! Red spot on right: blood, she bit her cheeks until they bled and spit the blood all over her bed (not a new trick for her but one she hasn't used in a while). (The gray strips you see are the duct tape that we used to repair the plastic cover on her mattress!). To the left of the gray strips: yellow spot....yes, you guess it...peee! Blue snibbles: pieces of her shirt sleeve that she bit and ripped off. This one's a new trick for her although she has tried to wreck her clothes before, she didn't succeed to this degree. And so, there you have it. What happens at our house when Leona has too much fun! In regards to Josephine, she has settled down for now. Because of her recent outbursts, she is on increased supervision for a while. This means I escort her everywhere, same as Leona and make many of her choices for her. She doesn't really like this but is taking it well. She can't go to her Sunday school and junior church classes until this improves. She was a bit grumpy about that. She had a bad morning before church 2 wks. ago (took some things out of a closet that she was not suppose to have yet and got in trouble for it)-then she had to sit with us in church and so she decided to not "listen" (turning her head when I signed to her). This got her a seat by me, and then she decided not to "listen" again-she got to go to the nursery with me (and the little ones) for a time out then. I really think her outbursts are hormonal in nature and related on the onset of her period. I took her to the doctor and her ran some blood tests (iron, thyroid) and they came back normal. He told me many women who get out of control during their monthly cycle (and I would definitely say she was "out of control", kicking, screaming, spitting, hitting, punching, generally miserable and not "listening"!!), benefit from an antidepressant for the week before their period and a few days at the beginning (10 days total). I don't really like to medicate my children but I think I may try it in addition to some natural treatments. I never thought I would medicate my children but (after trying everything natural I could think of!) the doctor did prescribe some antidepressant medication for Leona that is mostly to help her sleep better at night (Desyrel). This was definiely a small turning point for her probably due to the fact that she got more sleep-prior to that we were pretty sure didn't sleep much at all. I am considering waiting to see if the herbal treatments I've been giving Josephine have started working to stabilize her hormones before giving her the Prozac. I may wait and only begin giving it to her if she has a "bad day". I am praying that the more natural treatments will work instead. It's such a difficult decision. On one hand, I don't even want her to have the "bad" days because she was doing so well (I don't think she wants to have the bad days either, she has apologized for being so out of control but still couldn't seem to be "in control") but on the other hand, I don't want to give her the meds.!! Any suggestions (and much prayer!) would be much appreciated!! On a more positive note, my older girls, ages 15 and 11 are getting into cake decorating. They decorated Leona's cake (above) and made Eric's, Bailey's and Jeremiah's cakes also.
The first one is made with regular icing and the last two are made with something called "fondant" which you roll out like dough. It's very interesting. The last two are gluten free cakes and Leona's was gluten-free and milk-free. We have some yummy recipes that we've finally come up with! Even Eric will eat them so that's quite a compliment! That's it for today...I need to go tend to all my sick kiddos! I had time to do this because I didn't need to help any one with schoolwork today...they are all sick!!! |
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Posted by Anonymous