Jackson has been a very healthy boy...he breastfed until he was 6 months (which is a small miracle), we were told by his Nutritionist that he needed to be on Soy milk because children with Down Syndrome can not digest the vitamins and such in cow's milk....so he drinks soy. Over the past couple of years we have gained more knowledge into the effects of food on his tummy. Now granted, he will eat EVERYTHING!! If you have seen him you'll know he doesn't miss a meal...not because he's fat, but because he's solid! Anyway, through trial and error we have found out a few things:
1. He can not eat any fruit that is acidic...so no oranges, no pineapple, no apples, no grapes
- however, he can eat 1 individual portion of applesauce or 1 individual portion of mandarin oranges. He can also eat raisins and prefers yogurt covered! Never more than 1 a day (or else the side effects are not worth it!!) such side effects include days of loss bowel movements (most times uncontrollable)
2. He can not eat fruit snacks...because they do the same thing as #1!
3. He can not eat a lot of refined sugar or he becomes very hyper and aggressive...when he gets this way it is very difficult for him to settle down.
4. Everything in moderation! Chips, raisins, etc must be put in a bowl, so he understands that when it is done, that is all! (it doesn't stop him from asking for more, but does stop the mindless munching.
5. We also have to monitor the stress in his life such as starting school, new situations, etc and change his diet accordingly because it does affect his digestion.
6. He typically drinks soy milk or water and prefers water...however he also enjoys Root Beer and Sprite when we are out and about. No Capri Suns, or juice for the same reason as #1!!!!!
The boy will eat in constant! His favorite foods are Pizza, Corndogs, Pancakes, Yogurt covered raisins, and cheese balls...to name a few.
I say all of this so you understand his eating routine and to prepare you for the story I am about to tell. This evening we went to a party that was filled with all different types of sweets: Cakes, brownies, cookies, fruit, punch, etc. Not only was there a variety of food, but it was also at the perfect height for Jackson to reach easy. Since it was a special occasion I decided to let Jackson have his choice of a couple of dessert where he ate almost all of it, but also devoured a delicious sugar cookie from Kroger ( you know the one with icing on top that you just can't get enough of it's yummy goodness because it calls you to that calm....but I digress. So for the most part he did good (I think, but I wasn't watching all the time...oh yeah you know what's going to happen!) So the next thing I know he has fruit punch, not a problem, we can try it, a couple of sips won't hurt right???WRONG!
After about 20 minutes he had had enough, he'd gone to the bathroom, he washed his blue hands and face from the sugar cookie and all of the sudden a burst of energy began to take place. Now I'm sure that onlookers were in awe and wonder in his energy because he does command an audience. His brother was also available so I had to make a decision. I could hold on to him, get kicked begin to yell because he won't calm down making a scene or I could take him to a clear area in the room and let him run it out....so I told Zachary to take him and run him ragged! So he did just that, they ran around the tables, they ran around chairs (well mainly Jackson). Remember how I said Jackson becomes hyper and aggressive...well once the running was too much for Jack he then proceeded to take Zachary to the floor, when that was not very successful, Jackson then chose to fall on the floor himself and loving every minute of it. I figured as long as he wasn't hurting anyone, then better he get it out now, than to deal with it in confined spaces...well after about 30 minutes we chose to leave, his movement was getting to be too much and we needed to do other things. Once we got home, he got into the shower all riled up, luckily the shower settled him down a little, but it took another 45 minutes for him to completely calm down enough to watch a movie. After it was over he began on last segment and moved from couch, to chair, to chair and pretended to sleep...Little stinker!
He is a ball of energy without the extra sugar, therefore this is why we limit his intake of certain foods and beverages....In all of this I can safely say that bed time is never a problem! After getting ready, brushing teeth, and getting him Mickey Mouse and blankie, it takes him no time at all to fall asleep as I read him a book. He sleeps well (10+ hours) every night and is ready in the morning to take on the world!! Never a dull moment with this little man!
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