The Jorgenson's: July 2009

I cannot believe that July is over! Time is flying...especially when I realize that my little Cooper-man is going to be 1 whole year old on the 4th!!! That seems unreal. He is such a good dude and has just been a real pleasure to have in our family. I definitely love my boy.

I started taking the dog for a walk about 2 weeks ago when the kids would go to bed. I had to squeeze it in before Richard would leave for work. I decided that I would attempt running as well. I could go for about 10 seconds at a time before I felt like I could die. Well, my endurance began to increase and the dog's began to decrease. She is incredibly lazy and did NOT want to run with me and would make things very difficult so I would know that she was displeased. She made me so crazy one evening, that I took her home and continued the walk/run on my own. I continued going by myself and continued to push myself a little more. Over the next few nights, I got up to running 3 minutes straight, then 6 minutes and then a whole mile. My route is a tiny bit over 2 miles, so the other day I jogged the mile, walked a bit, and then jogged the rest. I was telling Richard about my progress and he said that he bet I could do the whole thing without stopping. The next night I tried it and...I did it!!! I was soooo proud of my accomplishment as I have never considered myself to be a runner or to be someone with much physical endurance in that department. I cannot believe how much of it is in your head. If you keep yourself going mentally, the physical submits. I am totally pumped, especially as I am seeing my body become stronger and looking like I want it to look again. It is also nice to have the time to myself, doing something only for me...very refreshing :)

Here are a few pictures from lately...

Now I see why I can never keep this sliding door clean!

Crazy teeth!

More teeth...Cooper's top 2 finally came in and they are adorable.

I cannot truly describe how hard it has been trying to figure out what to do with my Dakota and her out of control, frenzied, wild behavior. It has been constantly on my mind as I am constantly dealing with the bazillion issues that have come up every day for a long time. She is the most beautiful and sweet (on her terms) little girl but her behavior has been down right frustrating. I have had people tell me not to worry because she will grow out of it, or that I am looking too hard at things because she is just a normal busy 2 year old. To those, I must say, that is wrong. It goes beyond 'normal' 2 year old behavior. We have been prisoners in our home for a long time because taking her places has been ridiculous. Church is just a joke and I have felt so bad for the poor nursery leaders who have been so patient but have to put up with so much. If she is around other small kids (and some of the more passive big ones) she is constantly showing aggression and acts totally mean. I deal with countless tantrums on a daily...make that hourly basis. It has seemed like she feels uncomfortable in her own skin, especially when she would get upset. All in all, my precious child has been acting miserable and out of control for a long time and I have had no clue how to help her or make it all better for her.

Obviously, this has been the focus of much thought and prayer. I just constantly wrack my brain trying to figure out what the heck is going on. So yesterday I was taking a shower and the thought came to me that a big part of Koty's problem could be her diet. We know she has a 'lactose sensitivity' (if you would like to catch up on that saga, you can read back on my xanga) so maybe all dairy in any form is affecting her. I also thought that gluten could be a problem because I had heard something about that affecting autistic kids (which Dakota is not, but she still has massive behavioral issues). So Richard when online and looked up "special diet wild child" and found a plethora of info on casein (milk proteins) free and gluten (wheat proteins) free diets and the amazing affects that it has had on autistic, ADHD, and other problem children. Well, what did we have to lose? It definitely couldn't hurt anything. Dakota has always bloated after eating, has had sleeping issues, doody issues, anxiety issues, aggression issues...the list goes on and on and on.

For lunch that day I omitted all dairy and gluten filled foods (which by the way is EVERYTHING). After doing some research and actually reading the ingredient labels on the food we eat, I was/am disgusted by the lack of real food in our "food." I went shopping and have to continue shopping to figure out this new way of eating. Basically eating the way our bodies were originally intended to. I am telling you that Dakota woke up today a different kid. She slept through the night for the first time in eons. She would get upset at things, as any normal 2 year old would, but would never get into the crazy anxiety ridden out of control frenzy that would normally ensue. She and Taylor were actually able to play for quite a while. She listened to us and followed directions, she was more affectionate. She went down for her nap and bedtime with hardly a peep. Her whole vibe changed. She is peaceful now. All this change and only 24 hours off of the bad foods. I have hope for the first time in a long time. I am so happy for my little girl who has been so miserable for a very long time. I cannot truly describe or paint a true picture of the change because I don't think people can really understand the struggles that we have been living with unless you experience it all day everyday. I am in shock and totally amazed and can't believe it. I am now even more motivated to really research and get my cupboards stocked with all good natural gluten/casein free foods. Surprisingly, the food is really good. Richard and I are enjoying eating this way too, Taylor (the pickiest eater on the planet) is still unsure about it all, but she does try.

So to make an incredibly long post a little shorter, there is hope and Koty is happy and I am GRATEFUL. What more could I ask for.

On a completely different note. The Coopy-man was playing outside with the hose faucet. A bit of water sprays out the side when it's attached to the hose and he thought it was great fun.

Chillin'