A good day...

I am hoping, praying, and keeping my fingers CROSSED that I am not speaking too soon...however, today has been a GREAT day! Logan is not near as fussy, not near as hyper, and no where near as EMOTIONAL as he has been the last week+.

When Logan tried the Adderall, he had an allergic reaction... So then his dr recommended that we try the Vyvanse and we really had a day from ____. He didn't sleep for 2 days, he cried, had unbelievable tantrums, lashed out by hitting, kicking, etc. So what did I do? I didn't give it back to him and made yet another appointment with the dr. I could not believe what I witnessed. My heart was breaking knowing that I couldn't even really understand how he must be feeling.

When meeting with the dr (who is also a family friend of ours) he was a little upset that we took him off of the Vyvanse so quickly...which I understand...although I don't think he quite understood the EXTREME differences in emotion, behavior, and sleep patterns! We came to a mutual agreement that we will give him a half dose when we resume. I jokingly said to the dr that I would gladly let him have Logan for the day so that he could witness the extreme difference. Ha! The mommy in me thinks his body needs a BREAK (and honestly, not to sound full of myself, I have yet to be off when it comes to my mommy instinct)! I am not giving him any ADHD medicine for a few days so that his body has time to completely rid itself of any of the drugs. I want to see just exactly where we our with behavior, emotions, etc. free of meds. Dr. T did agree that this would be okay.

We are very lucky that his pediatrician has always been super supportive, and he ALWAYS lets it be known that I know Logan best. Just that little thing makes a HUGE difference when dealing with everything that Logan has going on ie: adhd, developmental delays, low muscle tone, speech delays, etc.

Anyway - We are on day number 2 of being medication free and it isn't so bad! We still have some sleep issues, but I will take that over the lashing out, tantrums, extreme emotions, etc ANY day! :) My wishful thinking is that the behavior he displays while being free of the medication will not be so bad and we can stay medication-free. I understand the probability of that happening with Logan's history is not likely, but it never hurts to dream! ;)

Well, I hope you have a fabulous weekend. We are going to try! :D

Autumn

A Challenging Week...

This past week has been extremely challenging... I think this may be one of the worst weeks yet to date. I am unsure if this is due to the weather and the outdoor allergens, something that I am not realizing in his diet, or just a plain and simple bad week....we all have those, right?!

We have experienced a lot of tantrums, fussiness, irritability, more hitting/kicking, etc. His routine has most definitely been off. His sleeping has been ALL OVER THE PLACE...most days he has been up by 6 a.m., some days he has taken a nap, he doesn't actually fall asleep until 10 or 11, and he is up and down ALL NIGHT.

He has been really hungry for lunch, not hungry at dinner, and then starving at bedtime. We haven't introduced anything new in his diet...but there is always a chance that there is some type of corn that I am not recognizing. It seems like just when I think that I have gotten really good at reading labels, I get home only to realize I have missed something! :/

The most important thing (to me) is that no matter what kind of day or week we are having, I will still love him just as much as I did the day or week before!

Please - keep Baby Keegan over at http://www.karingforkeegan.blogspot.com/ in your prayers. He did have the spinal surgery to remove the mass, but they are almost certain that what they found is recurring medulloblastoma (the type of cancer he had previously). This has been weighing heavily on our hearts this week.

Hope you have a great week! I will leave you with a few pictures we did this past week. :)

Isn't his smile contagious?! <3

My handsome little man! :)

Praying for Baby Keegan...



Prayers for the Chupps!

Over the last year our family has been praying for a very special, very strong little guy named Keegan who was diagnosed with medulloblastoma (a type of brain cancer). Logan absolutely adores Keegan. He has me pull up pictures of him on the computer, he includes him in our bedtime prayers, and he absolutely LOVES watching videos of "Baby Keegan."

Tomorrow morning they will face another life changing day... Keegan will be having surgery to remove a small mass on his spine. This mass was not there when they did the last MRI so they do know that it is something fairly new. Please, please say a prayer for Keegan as he goes through this procedure - that he will recover quickly and without obstacles. Say a prayer for the doctors and nurses performing this surgery...please guide their hands, give them patience, and help them to remove the growth safely. Last, but not least, say a prayer for his mom and dad - Beth & Ryan.

This is a video "A Year In A Life" Beth made for her sweet boy...please watch it! You will instantly fall in love with this strong little guy.

In support of brave Baby Keegan...wear your GREEN tomorrow! :) Logan and I will definitely have ours on!

Autumn

Somewhat annoyed!

Guess what... Walgreen's brand suncreen contains CORN (sorbitol). Yep...it sure does. After racking my brain for hours on end as to why Logan has a red rash ALL OVER his face, it finally dawned on me that I put sunscreen on him (*face*) when we went out to play. I think I went a little insane thinking that it was something he had eaten, but I knew I hadn't introduced anything new today. Hmmmm. Guess I will be on the lookout for "corn-free" sunscreen. Craziness!

Fun with my boy!

This past week Logan started T-ball! I think Neil and I had just as much fun as Logan did! He remained focused for almost the entire time... :) Sorry about his shaggy hair! He got a haircut right after this! Ha!

My big boy!

He's such a fast runner!!! :)

Best hit of the game! Go Logan!

Between T-Ball and Lap Club (his swim team) it has been an overwhelming sense of accomplishment. A year ago I would have never believed that my boy would be able to do "organized" sports with peers his own age. It definitely brings a tear to my eye when I think about his progress. He has taught me the true meaning of "patience." Things happen when they are supposed to, not when we always want them to.

Speaking of Lap Club, Logan is doing awesome! He absolutely LOVES the coaches husband that volunteers and has become his designated helper. He "graduated" from wearing the swim belt and arm floaties to only wearing the arm floaties!!! :) He has also become friends with a little girl in the class and she is adorable! They share a snack in the locker room and hold hands the entire way to the car. Let me just tell you...it is SO CUTE and INNOCENT! 

His behavior has been a little worse these last few weeks, but I didn't really want to "report" that in hopes that it would subside, however, we (not the doc) realized that when Logan was switched from the liquid form of Zyrtec to the pill form... the pill form contains "corn starch." Ugh! Why do things have to be difficult?!  The allergist has us giving Benadryl for a week so that the corn can get out of his system and then go back to the liquid Zyrtec. I am hoping that this helps! It has been a little crazy!

Logan will be getting his customized orthotic braces in 2 weeks... We have been using the "toe-offs" and they are working, but he still manages to keep his left heel from touching the ground when he is walking. This will make it so that the bottom will form to his foot and prevent him from manipulating the braces.

Mother's Day was fabulous. We took a trip to the zoo. It was packed, but we had a fun time! I didn't manage to snap any pictures...I just enjoyed the time with all of my lovebugs!

Hope you all had a wonderful Mother's Day as well! We are headed out to enjoy the SUNSHINE!!! Take care!

Here are a couple of silly pics I got this afternoon! My handsome little officer!