How we're doing

I think we are almost ready to move into stage 3. I am excited.

I am still concerned about my son. I wish he could tolerate more foods. But Clark is doing very well now in school. His teachers have seen so much progress with him since we started the diet. He's more focused, more engaged, and less likely to be acting out. He's acting like such a little boy and finally asking WHY. Why, why, why. What a great thing to hear.

My son is five years old. He has taught himself to tell time -- like, on a real clock. My mouth fell open when I realized this.

The problem with Clark will never be academics. It will be boredom, it will be social skills, but it won't be academics. His teachers are trying to give him special tasks and responsibilities to keep him engaged and occupied, because otherwise Clark will act out. See, Clark doesn't put too much stock in what other people think of him. At first it was because he wasn't aware of what the other children were doing. Now, it's because he really doesn't care.

I have to admit, I admire that quality in him. Haven't we all wished at one time or another that we could act without worrying about what others will think of us? And here my son does it, effortlessly.

However, Clark is still battling constant illnesses. He's still not healed enough to handle many foods. Squash is no good. Asparagus loosens up his stools. Spinach does the same thing. All he really tolerates well is the green beans and carrots.

I need to make more yogurt and try it with him, but I was battling the flu and I'm still not completely better, so there was no way I could wake up at 2 a.m. and check the temperature. At least Clark didn't catch THAT. But he caught a cold and was out sick yesterday. Again. It's so frustrating.

I am hoping we can try the yogurt again. It's probably been at least six weeks since we tried it last. I'm going to try the casein first by making an SCD cheesecake and we'll see how it goes again.

As for me, I just started trying legal cheese. I am eating avocados, which we haven't tried with Clark yet, even though I know I should. With the cheese, I am wary. I have been eating it now for two days, and each morning as I wake up, I wonder if it isn't just a little harder to get out of bed, if my fingers aren't a little more swelled up, if my right wrist hurts a little more than the previous day. It should become obvious over the next two days. If I start sliding into true flare territory, then I'll know.

I feel very lucky right now that my son is getting better. He helped me plant flowers on the balcony yesterday. We planted petunias, verbena, and asters. He called them asterisks. :) He still is very literal and loves learning the names of things. Clark and I were in his room the other day. I was sitting on his bed, and Clark had shoved everything out from under his bed with no explanation. He then started to go under the bed. Daddy came in and lay down on the floor, and asked what Clark was doing.

Clark: "I'm pretending it's a parking garage."

Daddy: "Oh."

Clark: "Daddy, what's that?"

Daddy: "What's what?"

Clark: "Come under here."

Daddy: "I won't fit."

But Daddy gamely shimmied a bit under the bed. Clark was looking at the wood slats under his Ikea bed.

Daddy: "Oh. Those are knots in the wood."

Clark: "It's broken!"

Daddy: "No it's not, they're part of the wood."

Clark: "There's another one! And there's a knot. And there. And there!"

Daddy: "Yes, there's a lot of them.

Too cute. :)