Sorry to leave you hanging

But YES, we have a baby!!! The baby was finally born yesterday at 4:47 pm via C-Section. His little head was turned and he wasn't coming out so the doctor felt a C-Section was better. Mother and baby are fine. The little guy was 8 pounds 11 ounces and 21 1/2 inches long. We have big boys in this family! Older Boy was 9 pounds and 22 inches and the Little Man was 9 pounds and 21 inches.
I went to see him this afternoon and he is SOOOOO CUTE!!! Oh my, you forget how little newborns are. So Tiny and So Sweet! It almost makes me want to have another. Almost, but not quite.

Tuesday's tidbits

Things are just busy around here! I haven't had time to do a "real" post and I really can't come up with anything now. So I'll just slap down some random stuff.

My sister in law is at the hospital delivering my nephew. Say a prayer for her that things go smoothly and quicker. She went in last night and as of 10 am she was still in labor.

We had a busy weekend.
Friday night was "Family Fun Night" for older boys school. They had pizza and cookies and the kids did a walk a thon which raised more money for the PTO. The boys had fun playing on the playground and I brought safe pizza for the Little Man so he didn't feel left out. The parents at the school are pretty cliquish and I think only 2 people spoke to me, so I felt a bit uncomfortable there. But we're sending him there for the Catholic education not the people. I'll get over it.
After that it was a Midnight Madness sale at a local garden center. They were selling $30.00 ferns for $10.00 so I picked up 4 of them for the front porch. They also had steel drum music and margaritas. It sort of made up for the play ground experience.

On Saturday I took Older Boy to a birthday party at one of those jumpy places while Hubby took the Little Man to swim lessons. Then I came home and picked up the Little Man and three of us went to another birthday party for my friends son that is turning 7 (Hubby stayed home to rest his injured foot). Then we raced home, picked up Hubby and went to dinner at the new home of friends of ours. The kids were up until after 10 am and they were wiped. I was wiped out too.

Sunday was Church, PSR, and then the boys went to a Webkinz Extravaganza at one of our local garden centers. They had a buy one, get one free special on Web Kinz (because you know, we totally needed more Web Kinz) and they had an actual Gem Hunt there (just like on the web site). It was cute and the boys had fun.

So this week I'm just trying to continue to get organized and keep the house running. I can't wait to meet my new nephew! What an exciting week this is going to be!

Beef, beetles and fish, Oh My!

Have you seen those new probiotic yogurts or superyogurts on the market? Ever wonder what makes it so much better for you(at least according to yogurt company claims) than regular yogurt? Well it could be beef, beetles or fish added to it. Yes, these 3 yummy sounding items are being added to yogurt to give it extra health benefits. Now the beef and fish may be labeled, but the beetles, not so much. Would you knowingly eat crushed up beetles? NOT ME! So I'm sorry if I'm going to ruin your favorite yogurt for you, but I read this article and it just needed to be blogged about.

I read labels because of my sons food allergies. I read labels because I need to make sure that none of the things he's allergic to are listed in the ingredients. It's really opened my eyes to what's in our food. But some ingredients aren't always as they seem.

Here's a snippet from the article about the beetles:

Fish oil and beef by-products aside, there is one ingredient that would cause most anyone to balk: bugs. That's right -- cochineal beetles, shmished up.

Read the side of your yogurt to see it if lists "carmine" as an ingredient. Dannon Boysenberry yogurt and Yoplait strawberry yogurts use it. So do some of the new Activia line of Dannon, as well as many other brands of yogurt.

"Carmine" doesn't sound so bad, but look it up on the Internet for an eyeful. These beetles live on cacti. They are scraped off and dried, along with their eggs. The dried compound is used to add "natural" color and texture to foods and makeup.

This really freaks me out. How would I know what "carmine" is if not for this article? It's in makeup too. I really think the government needs to step in and require more truth in labeling. Seriously, I don't want to be putting bugs on my face!

One part of the article that got to me was the fish in yogurt. Fish is one of the top eight allergens. Would you expect fish to be in your yogurt? I'm sure if you're allergic to fish you know that anything that boasts "omega 3's" for "DHA" can be derived from fish so your allergy radar goes off. But what about Stoneyfield Farm's Yo Baby Yogurt with DHA (apparently derived from fish oil)? Most people start giving small amounts of yogurt to their babies around 10 months. With this yogurt you are also introducing fish at the same time. As an allergy parent, that just seems a little scary to me. And how many people actually read the label and KNOW that the DHA is from fish? Probably not too many.

You can read the whole article from the Press and Sun-Bulletin here.

And be sure to check your yogurt labels for beetles!

Here's a Wiki article on Carmine. It's in so much stuff, I'm going to try and pretend I don't know what it is.

Fat loss Friday

Um, I can't really call this Fat Loss Friday. I DIDN'T LOSE ANY FAT. Darn it! No weight loss this week. Same old weight on the scale. But I know I ate well. And I know I exercised, but not enough. So I'm not going to complain. I'm going to man up and keep going and not let this get me down.

Next week:

1. Eat healthy (no chips - No cheating)
2. 4 days of working out at least 35 minutes at a clip.
3. LOSE WEIGHT - at least 2 pounds.

Apparently I have clean skin

I mentioned the other day that I had a gift certificate for all these pampering things (very girly and very fun) and today I went for my facial. I haven't had a facial in say, oh 5 years, so I had forgotten what it was like and what you do. I felt like a novice. When I got there the nice facial lady handed me a wrap and told me to undress (which I thought was odd) and to take off all my jewelry. Then I got to lay on a heated table under some very fluffy blankets. I really wish we had one of the tables at home. That "table" was more comfortable than our bed! And that music they play. I was totally lulled into a semi-stress free state. I quickly realized why I needed to take all my jewelry off and had to put on the wrap when the nice lady started giving me a shoulder massage. I started wondering "Why in the heck don't I do this more often"? You don't have to answer that question. I know why. I looked up the price of the facial on line this morning before I went just so I'd know how much to tip, and the price of the facial was....$95.00. $95.00~~~~ HOLY CRAP!! That's why I don't do this more often. And knowing that made it a little less easy to relax. I was a little stressed out trying to enjoy my $95.00 worth of a facial. But it was worth every penny (and it was from a fund raiser at Older Boys school and it came with a whole package so it wasn't like I "bought" a $95.00 facial). But laying there on that cushy table, listening to the relaxing music, with a face full of goop and my hand and feet covered in oily stuff, plastic wrap and heated oven mitts I thought "Seriously, aren't I worth a $95.00 facial once in a while"? or at least once a year? And once a year should do it for me. The lady wanted to know what type of facial products I use and I told her. It's a mish mash of stuff. I use some Beauty Control that I got at a spa party. I really like it, but it's a tad pricey so I intermix it with Oil of Olay and Aveeno (but not the new Aveeno with the wheat in it). And she was surprised and said that my skin was very clean. Of course she didn't say it was wrinkle free, but hey, I guess you can't have everything. And I'll go for clean and aging gracefully. I saw this story on MSNBC today about bad plastic surgery on aging stars and I'll keep my real face and my wrinkles, thank you very much. I'd much rather be clean and normal than wrinkle free and freakish.
So maybe I can do a facial once a year and I'm sure I can find a place that does just as good a job and isn't quite as pricey. But I can tell you this, I'm sure enjoying this gift certificate of beauty. The last thing on there is a massage. But I'm not sure I'll have time to fit it in before it expires. And that's just really too bad. A girl could get used to all this pampering....

Silk Soy Milk Recalled

If you manage an milk allergy; Kids With Food Allergies, Inc., is issuing a food recall alert for Chocolate Silk Soymilk because it may contain undeclared milk protein. People who have an milk allergy, run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume these products. Reactions have been reported with this product. The recall affects 11 oz individual bottles printed with a "use by" date of May 7 2008. WhiteWave Foods Company is voluntarily recalling this product. The FDA has been notified of this recall. For more information about this recall, visit Kids With Food Allergies Food Recall Alerts.

Happy Earth Day!

Oh what a difference 18 years makes. Back in my college days I hated Earth Day. The whole thing seemed so ridiculous to me. But now I have a better appreciation for it. I may not be jumping on the Al Gore Bandwagon, but I do think we as a people have an obligation to take care of the Earth that God gave us.
Here are some of the things we've done this year to be "greener":
1. Switched to earth friendly cleaning products.
2. Try to buy more organic foods.
3. Looking into joining a CSA . I called and they have room but the lady that owns the farm is a little hard to get a hold of. I'd like to visit the farm and give her my check but I'll have to just mail it. To find CSA's near you visit Local Harvest.
4. We currently recycle newspaper and magazines, but we can't recycle anything else at the moment. I don't know where to take it. There were local boxes for aluminum and glass, but people started using it as a dumping ground so they took them away.
5. Trying to use less electricity.

These are just some quick and simple suggestions that everyone can do to try and do their part.


Today's Earth Day experience for the Little Man: AKA A lesson in how cruel nature can be -
The Little Man and I went out to play and I thought I could start pulling weeds. When we went around the back of the house we noticed that a rabbit made a nest near our air conditioning unit. We quietly crept over to see if anything was in the nest, and sadly the neighbors cat got there before we did. The only thing in there were two dead baby bunnies. The Little Man was confused as to why the baby bunnies were sleeping and not hopping. I explained what happened and he was sad for the bunnies. We put them in a bag and took them to the woods. I started weeding and when my bucket was full we walked it back to the woods too. The Little Man asked me if we piled all the weeds up and made a fun area would the dead bunnies come back to life and play in there again. He wanted to see them hop. I didn't have the heart to get into the whole "death" thing with him again, so I left it as "That would be nice honey, wouldn't it"? He's still hoping that the bunnies will wake up so he can play with them. Some lessons are just too hard to teach a 3 year old.

The Fairy Chronicles

A wonderful series of chapter books, the Fairy Chronicles by J.H. Sweet are books about a group of ordinary girls that discover that they are fairies and have been given special powers by Mother Nature.
The books are an adventure series for young girls (probably ages 7-11, maybe older). Each book promotes positive values such as courage, teamwork, respect, love, eco-friendliness, self esteem and acceptance. According to the publishers "The Fairy Chronicles also encourages a healthy, active lifestyle and opens reader's eyes to the importance of appreciating and protecting the world we all share". These are wonderful themes to be teaching our children. And the best part about the books are that they are so engrossing, that your child won't feel like you are "teaching" her. She will just thoroughly enjoy the experience.
In the first book "Marigold and the Feather of Hope, the Journey Begins", we meet our first fairy, Beth, who finds out that she is a Marigold fairy while staying with her odd, yet lovable aunt for the summer. In this book the Feather of Hope has been lost and Beth, her dog, and the other fairies must find it or all hope will be lost forever.
The writing in the book is beautiful and engaging. And dispersed throughout the book are beautiful illustrations by Tara Larsen Chang. They really help to bring the atmosphere of the story to life.

In the second book, "Dragonfly and the Web of Dreams", the highlighted fairy is Dragonfly.
Together with her other fairy friends, Dragonfly must find out what has happened to the Web of Dreams and the fairies must convince the Dream Spider to rebuild it. Or their nightmares will continue.

Along with these two books in the Fairy Chronicles, you can also find six other adventures by J.H. Sweet.

Visit the Fairy Chronicles website to find out more about the books, meet the fairies, read the fairy handbook, celebrate Earth Day fairy-style and so much more.

Sounds From Our House

"Mommmmmmmm, the Little Man is in my room (SSSSIIILLLEEEENNNCCCEEEE) And nak*ed".
I'm not sure what happened there.


Picture this,our house 1 hour ago: Two boys are in their rooms, separated because they can't stop fighting over the V-Smile system and Mommy doesn't have enough wine patience to deal with them. When from the upstairs comes the high pitched screams of two boys. They are screaming like someone is killing them and there is pounding and it sounds like they are coming through the floor. I jump up to see what is going on. I'm thinking they are killing each other. The Little Man comes flying through the kitchen screaming "THE ICE CREAM MAN, THE ICE CREAM MAN". And that's when I finally here the "music" coming through the screen of the front door (I think it's Greensleeves). How can over priced ice cream and a nasty truck whip children into such a frenzy? When we get to the bottom of the drive way, our neighbor boy is standing there in his Pj's waiting for the truck. I can only assume his mother had no wine patience this evening. It's only 6 pm and a 7 year old boy in Pj's is not a good sign.

Older Boy: I'm done with my dinner.
Me: No. You didn't eat enough. How old are you? 6? Eat 6 more bites (a trick I read in Wonder Time magazine. Make them eat as many bites as their age).
Older Boy: (Stern Face) Dam_ it!
Me: What did you say?
Older Boy: I'm Sorry I'm Sorry!
Me: That's a bad word and I don't ever want to hear you say that again. Where did you hear such words?
Older Boy: From you. And you call bad drivers Big Jerks too.

I need more wine Patience.

Immuno-therapy for food allergies?

From Science Daily:

Can Food Allergies Be Overcome With Scheduled Small Doses Of Allergens?
ScienceDaily (Apr. 21, 2008) — Researchers at National Jewish Medical and Research Center are conducting trials to evaluate a method to prevent allergic reactions to food. They are feeding peanut- and egg-allergic people increasing doses of an investigational protein extract from the foods to see if they can induce the participants’ immune systems to tolerate the food.


“We hope these trials will lead to the development of the first active, preventive treatment for food allergies,” said pediatric allergist David Fleischer, MD, principal investigator for the National Jewish studies. “If successful, it would offer great hope for allergic patients and their families, whose lives are haunted by a daily fear of food.”

Currently the only advice doctors can give to the estimated 12 million Americans who have food allergies is to avoid the food and carry a self-injectable dose of epinephrine in case they accidentally consume the allergenic food. There is no treatment available to prevent an allergic reaction to food other than strict avoidance of that food. It can often be difficult to determine if a food contains peanuts or eggs, especially when eating at a restaurant or food prepared by another person. It can even be difficult recognizing egg and peanut proteins listed on food ingredient labels, especially from products that are not manufactured in the U.S. As a result, thousands of people rush to emergency rooms every year suffering severe allergic reactions to food. As many as 200 people die from allergic reactions to food each year.

Allergists treating hay fever and other allergies have long used immunotherapy, also known as allergy shots, to reduce their patients’ sensitivity to pollen, cat and dog dander, and dust mites. However, it is not considered safe to give allergy shots to food-allergic patients because the shots can cause severe allergic reactions. Previous research has suggested that placing the allergenic food protein under the tongue or directly swallowing it, are safer methods of administering food immunotherapy. So that is how National Jewish researchers will try to desensitize allergic patients in the trials.

Click Here to read the entire article.

This is VERY interesting! This is a study that looks promising and National Jewish is an organization that I would trust.
Of course it goes without saying that this is only a study and shouldn't be tried by anyone other than a medical professional.

I've Been Away

doing some fun things! Saturday I went scrap booking. I haven't scrap booked since November so it was nice to get away for a few hours and get some things done. I didn't get as much done as I wanted but 4 pages (vacation 2007) was better than nothing. Now I just have to keep the momentum going. Yesterday we went and bought new shoes for my husband (not exciting) but when we came home, I took a nap (yay for me!). This morning I went and got a mani and pedi and now my feet are sandal ready and I scheduled a facial for Thursday. No, we didn't hit the lottery for "beautification". I have a gift certificate that we won from my son's silent auction at his school and it expires in May so I'm trying to use it up. It was for a mani, pedi, facial and massage. So that leaves me with only trying to get the massage in. They sell facial products there too but they won't let me skip the massage and spend the rest on products so the only day I have left for the massage is Thursday May 1st. I hope they'll have an opening. I'll have to check with them after the facial. Boy, I feel like a princess getting all these special treatments!

The weather is gorgeous and I'm itching to get started on some yard work. It's amazing how many weeds have popped up already. So that's my goal for the week: Weeding and Cleaning the inside of the windows. The people that spray for bees haven't come yet, so I can't clean the outside (they make a huge mess when they come) so if I start on the inside now, it won't leave me with the whole task later. Too bad both of these things will probably destroy that manicure. Oh well, I guess I'll just have to get a manicure more often.

Fat Loss Friday

WHERE'S THE FAT LOSS? I didn't really lose anything this week. Maybe .5 of a pound. I don't know for sure. I got on the scale and it said I lost .1 pound and I said "Well that sucks". So I got on it again 5 minutes later because I didn't believe it the first time, and it said I lost .5 pounds. So whichever is right, I didn't really lose anything. I'm not surprised though.
I did work out more this week:
Saturday: Gilad Cardio Blast Work Out (35 min)
Monday: Jogged 2 miles on treadmill/lifted weights for 15 min.
Wednesday: Walked 2 miles with Leslie Sansone 2 interval DVD
Thursday: Ab work

But my eating was not good. I ate chips this week. And cheese. Ain't gonna lose weight eating that. Wanna guess what week this is?

So goals for next week:
1. EXERCISE!
2. START USING FITDAY.COM AGAIN (it works!!)
3. Lay off the chips and cheese
4. Lose 2 pounds

What's my motivation? Put on shorts and look at b*ooty in the mirror. It ain't pretty.

Food allergy blog carnival and a renewed trust in our children

This months food allergy blog carnival can be found over at Rational Jenn Here. There is some great information that has been submitted. Please don't miss it.

Also, I posted earlier today about bullying with food allergies in school.
I worked in the lunch room today at my older sons school. A little first grade girl asked me to open her sting cheese and 5 minutes later she called me over because she was concerned because "The girl next to me is allergic to cheese". I said "Honey, just keep the cheese away from her and don't touch her after you eat it". She replied "Can I go and wash my hands"? (A HUGE "DUH" ON MY PART, BECAUSE WHY DIDN'T I THINK OF THAT?). So I told to her to please go wash her hands and I thanked her for thinking of the health of her friend. I said "I think you had a very good idea". And she replied "I think I had a GREAT idea". Not all kids are malicious. MOST kids are concerned and very helpful. Once when I worked at lunch and the kids ate in the classroom and I worked with the 5th grade. A boy came up to me and asked if he could change seats because he was eating peanut butter and another boy at his table was allergic to peanuts. I told him "ABSOLUTELY AND THANK YOU FOR ASKING". I think it's once kids get to middle school that things change. And I think that's normal. It's just that food allergy kids face a more serious situation than just the normal teasing. And from what the teachers have told me, the teasing has been so ratcheded up that bullying is an issue in most schools across the board.

Bullies And Food Allergies

Kids pick on each other for the smallest thing. It's only natural that because a kid is "different" since they have food allergies that he would get picked on for that too. The problem is that this bullying can be deadly. It's not just the words, it's the actions that take place. Some children will bring peanut butter to school and try to smear it on the peanut allergic child "just to see if they are really allergic". Kids don't understand the full concept of what they are doing. But that doesn't excuse the behavior.
And it's funny how things change. My son is 3 and his classmates question things all the time "Is the Little Man allergic to that"? They care about him and worry about him and want to make sure he doesn't get sick. It's sad how it changes when they get older.
The article below details all of this. It's scary and it shouldn't happen. But it does.

Peanut Butter and Deadly Taunts
A Combination of Bullying and Peanut Allergies May Put Some Kids in the ER
By LAUREN COX
ABC News Medical Unit
April 17, 2008
Late last spring, 14-year-old Sarah VanEssendelft of Mastic, N.Y., experienced bullying worthy of a teen movie.

The number of reported peanut allergies has doubled in recent years. Taunting kids with food now may turn into medical school yard problems.
"There was a group of five girls ... and they decided they didn't want me sitting at their lunch table anymore," said VanEssendelft. To get her to leave, they all brought in peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

For VanEssendelft, it might as well have been arsenic.

Two weeks later, a boy in the back of her class opened up a peanut butter cup. The smell was enough to trigger VanEssendelft's peanut allergy and send her to the emergency room with breathing problems.

"My throat felt tight and my lips were getting really swollen, really fast," said VanEssendelft. "I looked like Angelina Jolie."

On the one hand, mean tricks or sneaking candy looks like mild behavioral problems to school administrators. On the other hand, given VanEssendelft's serious peanut allergy, those sandwiches might very well have been weapons.

Click Here to read the entire ABC News article about bullying and food allergies.

Because sometimes we all need a reminder

of how we should live our lives:




Watch this amazing video.

One Year Ago Today

Virginia Tech

Making Martha allergy friendly

This morning I had the Martha Stewart show on and she was making a delicious looking salad with ranch dressing. My son turned to me and said "Momma, am I allergic to ranch dressing"? And I had to reply "Yes you are, son". "But Mommy can make you safe ranch dressing". So that's what I did this afternoon.
If you don't have food allergies click here for Martha's original recipe. To make ranch dressing safe for wheat, rye, barley, egg, milk, peanut, and tree nut allergies see the following recipe:

Ingredients
Serves 4
1-1.25 cup egg free, soy based mayonnaise product (such as Nayonaise)
1/2 cup soy milk mixed with 2 tsp, of cream of tartar (let this sit for 10 minutes before using - this makes a soy version of buttermilk)
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1 teaspoon celery seed
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)
Directions
In a medium bowl, whisk together Nayonaise, soy (butter) milk, lemon juice, salt, celery seed, oregano, black pepper, and cayenne pepper, if using.
Store dressing, refrigerated in an airtight container, for up to 1 week.

If you look at my recipe vs. the Martha recipe they are almost exactly the same except for a few substitutions. The safe ranch came out pretty good. I can't guarantee that my son will eat it, but at least he'll have his own ranch dressing.

The soy buttermilk recipe came from Dairy Free Made Easy by Alisa Fleming. This is a wonderful book about living and cooking dairy free.

For other ideas about allergy cooking or cooking substitutions see the following:

Wego Health Dairy Allergy Recipe Page

Wego Health Gluten Allergy Page

Wego Health Child Food Allergy Page

Wego Health Post "Finding recipes that cater to food allergies.

Should a food allergy be considered a disability?

I saw this discussion over at Allergy Moms. What do you think? If you have a food allergy, should it be ok to not allow you to participate in certain programs or should it be protected under the disability act and considered discrimination?

This Article talks about one towns issue of not allowing children with food allergies into summer programs and also the lack of training on the use of EPI pens for bus drivers and in schools.
In Amesbury, it's an issue that has hit home. A 6-year-old boy was denied entry into the town Youth Department's summer program last year due to a nut allergy.

Some say the child's legal rights are being violated. But at least one state official says the law isn't as clear-cut as advocates might think. A food-allergy case has been filed with the state Commission Against Discrimination but there has been no finding yet.

Town officials say the current policy — which is reviewed annually and is currently under consideration — discourages taking children with severe food allergies into the program. Officials justify the stance by citing a number of unique factors with the youth program that would make it extremely difficult to make provisions to deal with a life-and-death situation.

"Although we could train all the staff in EpiPens, there are difficult controls with having an outdoor program that is spread out at the park," Recreation Director Kathy Crowley wrote in an e-mail last week. "In addition, controlling the food and outdoor areas is extremely difficult with 300 children in one program, especially since what kids bring to the programs for snacks and lunches is predominantly peanut butter."

In Amesbury, the number of children with life-threatening allergies is significant.

According to school nurse records, there are 14 students with life-threatening allergies that have EpiPens just at Amesbury Middle School.

In addition, there are 12 or 13 diabetic students in the district.

In 2001, an Amesbury Middle School student with a peanut allergy died after eating a cookie with nuts in a class.

After his son had an allergic reaction while on the school bus in December, one Amesbury father is urging state legislators to adopt a state law that would require bus drivers to be trained on how to administer an EpiPen.

This is a really difficult subject. The lack of training for bus drivers (IMO) is inexcusable. It's a serious safety hazard. The summer programs are a completely separate issue. I think if parents or a local food allergy support group or even a local allergist is willing to train people and help them adopt an action plan then I don't see what the problem is. It sounds like the town is worried about a liability issue and would just rather not deal with it at all than formulate a plan to keep children safe. As a food allergy parent, I'm not sure that at this stage in the game I would feel comfortable entrusting my child to these people.

I don't know if it should be considered a disability. Part of me says yes and part of me says no. I do know that my husband and I consider our son to be "special needs". You can't deny that he has special needs. He needs special foods. And he has to carry special medicine. And he wears a special bracelet to let others know what he's allergic to. And he has a special snack box at school that he eats from. And he sits at a special place at the snack table. We can't just get ANY babysitter when we go out (which rarely happens anyway). We need sitters that are "special" trained. Everything we do with him has to be pre-planned and checked out ahead of time. He's only 3 and I'm already thinking about Kindergarten (with 504 plans). And Safety Town. And if anything he wants to do doesn't seem safe then I volunteer there or wait in the lobby. So yes, he is/has special needs. And I guess you can consider that a disability. BUT I'd rather not label him with that. Not unless you make me. If you discriminate against him because of his food allergies then I'll whip that Americans With Disabilities Act against the side of your head so fast and so hard you won't know what hit you. And that's a promise.

Just A Typical Day

With typical kids activities and typical food allergy issues.

I took the Little Man to his gym class today for the first time. He loved it! He was supposed to start last week, but with Older Boys illness and pink eye we had to miss it.

The Little Man woke up this morning with a barking cough. I have no idea what caused this, but it sounded like the croup. I gave him a nebulizer treatment and he seemed to do better. It hasn't returned since. I'm so glad that it isn't the croup and he is so glad that it stopped so he could go to his gym class. Every time he'd cough, he'd look at me with wide eyes and say "I still have gym today, right"? We'll have to keep an eye on it, but he does seem better (fingers crossed).

After gym we ran to the drug store and the butcher. He was so tired from his 1.5 hour gym class that he was starting to melt down. I knew I was pushing the envelope, so I tried not to get angry with him. He was tired and just unable to control his emotions.

At the butcher he kept saying "This is boring. I want to go home" (whiny 3 year old voice). After a few minutes he wandered around the place to check things out. It's a one room store, so I could see him the whole time and he was never more than 10 feet away from me. At eye level for 3 year olds they have candy, cookies, chips and he spied the "Smokey's" on the counter. Every time he'd see something he wanted, he'd ask "I'm allergic to these"? And my reply is always "Yes". Then he'd crinkle up his little face and say "Aw Man! You'll make me some of these"? "Yes, honey I'll try". Of course I have no idea how to make licorice or smokies and I don't think he'd like the licorice anyway. I think because he was so tired, he was extra sensitive about what he couldn't have due to his allergies.
The older he gets though the more he understands. And this is a blessing and a curse. On one hand it's wonderful that he is aware of his allergies and that he knows there are things that he can't have and that can make him sick. On the hand, he knows he's different and he realizes now that he's missing out on things. It just breaks my heart. But I try not to show it. I try not to make a big deal out of it which will only reinforce the fact that there are things that other kids do that he can't. I don't want him to focus on what he can't do or can't have but focus on what he can do and can have. Now as an adult I sometimes have problems with this (Why can't I have that Louis Vuitton Purse?)but I'm hoping that if we try and teach this facet of his food allergies at a young age, maybe it will make the teenage years easier (and I'm still praying that he outgrows everything by then).
Earlier this week he asked to go to Chuck E Cheese. OF COURSE I SAID NO!! That place is just too full of his allergies and it scares me to think of him touching stuff there. We have been there for birthday parties(just 2). I bring his own food and wipe down everything he is going to touch and wipe down his hands constantly. But just to go there for no reason is so not in my comfort zone. So instead I took him (and Older Boy) to the zoo. It's a place he can go and can have fun safely.
I hope he realizes that for every one thing he can't do or can't have that there is a compromise that is safe for him. I hope he doesn't feel completely left out of things. It's so hard to find the right balance.

Fat Loss Friday

AKA Biggest Loser Blogger Addition:




This is our first installment of the "Summer Slim Down" weight loss challenge started by Christie.

The Results: Weighed myself this morning and I lost 3 pounds!!

What I did:
Well, I did what I've been doing since January (unsuccessfully since January), I watched what I ate, mostly following the Weight Watchers Core program.
New things: I joined www.fitday.com and kept track of everything I ate via their free calorie counter. This made a huge difference. I'm not good at estimating what I ate. I UNDERESTIMATE in a big way.
Working out: I did work out this week but not nearly as much as I need to. I have much room to improve here.
Sunday: Jogged 2 miles outside (approx. 35 min.)
Monday: Jogged just under 2 miles outside (approx. 30 min.)
Tuesday: 15 minutes of ab work and got sidetracked on theigh work. Walked around the zoo for 2 hours.
Wednesday: Walked for 30 min.
Thursday: Nothing
Friday: So far nothing.

But I did lose 3 pounds for a total of 5 pounds total (I lost 2 pounds before the weight loss challenge). And I'm able to get back into my cargo pants which is a great feeling.

Goal for next week: Add in more exercise and lose 2 pounds.

This is not rocket science and it's certainly not something I'm new to. I just need to keep my head in the game and keep my hands off the junk food.

Whole Foods And "Be Good To Your Body"

Whole Foods has added health related pod casts to it's site. This new section is called " Be Good To Your Whole Body Pod Cast Blog". It can be found here:
Whole Body Pod Cast Series.

For the month of April they will be concentrating on Nasal/Seasonal Allergies. The topics are:

April Podcast Topics
April 1st
Homeopathy for Allergy Relief
Learn why homeopathic remedies are a great choice for all ages during allergy season. Get the short answer to how homeopathics work, as well as some specific formulas to look for and how to use them. Dr. Tori Hudson is a naturopathic physician of 23 years and medical director of her clinic in Portland, OR. She is also director of product research and education for Vitanica and author of Women’s Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine.

April 7th
Natural Approaches to Allergies
Wondering what’s causing all those troublesome allergy symptoms and why natural formulas can be effective? Tune in for the answers and take the first step toward alternative relief. You’ll also hear about preventing allergies and long-term solutions. Dr. Sarah Bedell Cook is a naturopathic doctor in private practice in Westminster, CO and teacher at the Nutrition Therapy Institute in Denver.

April 14th
Lifestyle and Seasonal Allergies
Here’s your chance to discover the top easy-to-adopt lifestyle recommendations for dealing with and finding relief from allergies. Includes research-based natural approaches that work, as well as personal accounts of what’s been helpful over the years. Malia Curran, MS, MPH is a nutrition consultant and speaker, and sees clients in the Boston region.

The first two pod casts are available to listen to right now.

According to the experts at Whole Foods, “Natural allergy remedies encourage natural defenses to adapt to their environment rather than just covering up the symptoms and help the body adapt to allergens over time,” said Jody Villecco, quality standards coordinator, Whole Foods Market. “Alternative options encourage relief without creating dependence on a product and help side step the ‘rebound effect’ – when allergy symptoms are masked for a few days and they often come back even worse then before. Conventional methods often have side effects like insomnia or increased blood pressure while natural approaches help the body rest, recover and adapt to seasonal changes.”

If you suffer from Seasonal Allergies, this may be something you want to check out.

5 Minutes For Mom and A Contest

If there is one thing that is HUGE at our house right now it's Lego's. Oh my boys just love them. Especially the Older Boy. 5 Minutes For Mom is hosting a 2 Weeks of Toys Give A Way Event. Hop on over and check out the information and the toys. Today's give a way is Lego's. My son would just FLIP if we won this. I'd be the coolest mom ever. And honestly, I don't think that I'll get that title too many times in my life.


Thank You5 Minutes for Mom!.

EPI Ready Storage Case

Yesterday I received a Press Release about a product designed by 2 food allergy parents. It's a wall mounted EPI Pen storage unit.

The following release, issued today, announces the availability of a simple wall mounted storage unit that will fulfill the growing need for placing Epinephrine in public places, much like a fire extinguisher or a heart defibrillator are.
For less than $30., people can mount the drug in a visible spot - a kitchen, a hospital building, a cafeteria. No more wasted time looking in cabinets and backpacks - it's there when needed. Epi-Ready® comes from the need of two parents who have a child with a life-threatening food allergy. They know first hand how dire four minutes can be.



Epi-Ready® will allow schools, camps, and daycare centers to mount auto-injectable epinephrine where they will most likely need it -- in cafeterias, gymnasiums, nurse’s office, classrooms, and kitchens -- so as not to lose valuable time looking for and retrieving emergency epinephrine. The individual with life- threatening allergies may have only four minutes to receive life-saving emergency epinephrine. The price will also allow individual users to have similar conveniences at home – mounting the product in their kitchens or playrooms. Grandparents or other relatives of a child or individual with a severe food allergy should consider Epi-Ready® for storage convenience at home.

"When an Epi-Ready® unit is installed in a prominent place it will serve as a constant, visible reminder of where the emergency epinephrine is kept, so epinephrine can be reached quickly," said Michael Prindle, co-founder and inventor of Epi-Ready®. “Knowing where it is, when you need it, can provide valuable seconds and save a life."

Epi-Ready®, is designed to provide a readily accessible, climate controlled, secure but not locked storage unit for auto-injectable epinephrine. It is currently available for order, and will be available to ship in early May.

Click Here to read the entire article about the EPI-Ready and it's creators.

Click Here to visit the EPI Ready website

This is an interesting storage unit. Having epinephrine available in public places in case of an emergency could be a great thing. Of course anyone who may have to use epinephrine knows that you shouldn't leave home without it.

In Honor Of Tackle It Tuesday

I'm sharing this today:




When you listen to the ideas and suggestions, it all sounds so easy. I know that it isn't. I've tried some of the suggestions and our problem is "maintaining". I really need to get better with that. I did find this short clip very inspirational though. Enjoy!

An Allergy Parents Nightmare

This POST made me cry and is the reason I'm always scared sending my food allergy child to school. Something so innocent as a piece of candy given without malice can be deadly.

An Explanation

"I tell someone/someplace that my son has food allergies and before I can say another word I get "Oh well we're peanut free". This should make me very happy I know, but it actually irritates me. There are more allergies out there besides peanut. And yes, a peanut allergy can be fatal and it's one of the most severe, but my son is anaphylactic to wheat and egg."

Oh I knew someone would take offense that comment. I'm actually surprised only one person has said something so far. I was going to respond in comments on that post, but I think I'll do a whole post about it instead. Just to clarify my view on this subject.
Yes, it is nice knowing that one allergen has been removed from the variable. If your child is allergic to peanuts then it's much easier to breath a sigh of relief.
But what really puts me off is that people don't realize that there are other allergies out there. They don't even let me finish explaining our situation. Because they say "peanut free" they feel that it cancels out anything else you have to say. You start off by saying "My son has multiple food allergies..." and you are immediately interrupted with the peanut comment. I realize that peanut is the big one. What I'm saying is that for a lot of us, there is so much more but people don't get that. And it makes it harder for us to keep our children safe. A lot of people who don't live with allergies every day don't take food allergies seriously and they don't even think about the lesser known allergens. And since this place is a public place, anyone can bring in any food they want. I'm glad the establishment doesn't serve peanuts, but that doesn't necessarily make it peanut free. And I think people (not allergy parents of course) get lulled into a false sense of security with the "peanut free label". At this particular place I've witnessed people eating peanut butter sandwiches and peanuts that they themselves brought in.

Yes, I'm glad to have places that are "free". Our preschool is peanut free and it's one less allergen I have to worry about. I wasn't necessarily ranting about the place serving peanuts (or not serving peanuts), but more about the fact that they feel "peanut free" is a coverall for "food allergies" and for some of us, it just isn't. I don't expect a wheat free place. What would people eat? You can't have a restaurant without rolls, or pasta, or bread, or pizza for the general public. It just isn't feasible. I just wish that ALL food allergies were taken seriously.

I'm sorry if my post put you off. I guess that's what is going to happen sometimes when you share your opinion. I didn't mean to offend the parents with children with peanut allergies. All I was trying to say is that because the "peanut" gets so much attention other allergies get no visibility at all. Oh and I could do a whole ranting post on Wheat Allergies vs. Celiac Disease and the major confusion between the two. There is so much confusion out there about food allergies, and THAT is what I find frustrating.

Why Don't We Live In Rochester?

HOW AWESOME IS THIS???? Oh if only more places would follow suit. I think I'm going to send them a letter telling them what an amazing idea this is and what a world of difference this will be making in the lives of so many people:

The Rochester Red Wings have big plans for their home opener Friday night:

A salute to the military. Cowbells to the first 5,000 fans. Post-game fireworks.

Not to mention 2008 magnetic schedules, new food choices and a specialty stand for those with allergies.

"We can't wait to get started," general manager Dan Mason said.

The Wings host the Syracuse Chiefs at 7:05 on Friday in the 12th opener in Frontier Field history. It's the first night opener since the stadium opened for baseball in 1997.

An allergy-free food stand called "Free" will offer items such as pizza made with gluten-free crust. The Wings also have made the left-field berm area a "peanut and tree-nut free zone.

"So many children have bad allergies to the point where they can't even be around peanuts," Mason said.

Naomi Silver, chief operating officer of the Red Wings, said the idea came about as a result of several fan inquiries.

"More and more people are being diagnosed with serious food allergies," she said. "My own son has a peanut allergy. This new concession stand will give a sense of comfort to people with similar, potentially life-threatening allergies."
A new concession stand called 'Sup Dog offers specialty hot dogs and platters. The "DiMaggio Dog" features home fries, sautéed onions and peppers on a quarter-pound Zweigles hot dog.

Calabria's, another new concession stand at the stadium, offers chicken French and chicken parm sandwiches, artichokes French, fried ravioli and arancini, a rice ball stuffed with egg and beef, fried and topped with marinara or alfredo sauce.

You can see the original article Here. Oh yea, I'm a HUGE Redwings fan right now!!

The Triumph Dining Gluten Free Restaurant Guide

A few weeks ago the nice people at Triumph Dining sent me their "The Essential Gluten-Free Restaurant Guide 2008-09 edition" by Triumph Dining.

The beginning of the book explains how the book came to be, and then takes you through standard restaurant protocol and safety for eating out gluten free. But the BEST part of the book comes after that. This book lists all chain restaurants that have gluten free items or are willing to safely cook for gluten free clients and gluten free safe restaurants broken down by state. In the state listings the restaurants listed are chains AND privately owned restaurants that are willing to cook for gluten free cliental. I was pleasantly surprised by some of our local resto's that are willing to serve gluten free meals.

This books lists:

4,700+ restaurant locations
1,600+ individually-owned restaurants specifically recommended by other Celiacs for their willingness and ability to accommodate the gluten-free diet.
900+ individually-owned restaurants and bakeries offering printed gluten-free menus, pasta, pizza, cake or other gluten-free specialty items
80+Lists of gluten-free items provided by regional and national chain restaurants,from fast food to high-end steakhouses.

This is truly a great resource for the gluten-free diner.

You can check the book and other Triumph Dining Gluten Free products out Here.

Just Some Random Stuff: The Good, The Bad and The Cranky

First let me start off by saying that I'm taking part in an excellent "Biggest Loser of Blogland" challenge.



Christie from Baby Tea Leaves
just had a baby and to motivate herself (and us) she is hosting a weight loss challenge. We have 2 months to lose the pounds. I've been trying for 4 months and have only managed to lose 2 pounds, so it's really time for me to get my game on.
Every Friday we will weigh in and link over at Baby Tea Leaves. Now you're probably thinking "This is the Internet, how will we know if you're truthful about your weight loss"? Well this challenge ends right before we go to Disney and the proof will be in the pictures.

So yesterday after I took Older Boy to the doctor, I went to see my doctor. This cold is STILL hanging on and now I have a new problem. I'm itchy. But just on my head and torso, and there is no rash. But I'm scratching like I have fleas and honestly, it's just not that attractive. So the verdict is: My cold has moved to a sinus infection or is heading down the sinus infection path and the itching is caused by a virus. I went more for the itching than the sinus' because I was afraid I was reacting to a new medication that I started. So the virus is fine by me. She put me on antibiotics for the sinus' and methylprednisolone (steroids) for the virus. I hate steroids. They make me hungry and give me roid rage. So between the Older Boys pink eye and my roid rage, our house is not the best place to be at the moment. But maybe if I work out really hard right now, I'll not only lose weight, but get pumped too. Ok, I guess they aren't THAT kind of steroids.

I took the Little Man to swim lessons today. Mr. Pink Eye had to stay home with dad.

The Little Man is doing really well and I'm proud of him since he's only had 4 lessons so far.



We've been thinking of joining this swim club (and exercise facility) for the summer. I got the tour of it today and it is really nice! When Hubby called about the cost, they said that they would wave the monthly food fee since the Little Man has so many allergies and we probably wouldn't eat there very often. During my tour today, I was very interested in their food allergy friendliness or lack there of. This next comment isn't necessarily directed at this place. I get this response all the time. I tell someone/someplace that my son has food allergies and before I can say another word I get "Oh well we're peanut free". This should make me very happy I know, but it actually irritates me. There are more allergies out there besides peanut. And yes, a peanut allergy can be fatal and it's one of the most severe, but my son is anaphylactic to wheat and egg. Yes, I'm being picky (and roid crabby) and you're probably thinking that I'm a "female dog" right now but it really irritates me. And just for the record: THERE REALLY IS NO SUCH THING AS PEANUT FREE. People can eat peanut butter before they come there and not wash their hands and get the peanut residue on things. People can bring in their own peanut laden snacks. Is every ingredient they cook with NOT cross contaminated with peanuts?
Sorry, I just had to get that off my chest.

But on a brighter less crabby note: The director that gave me the tour, the swim instructor (and I already knew this because she and I discussed it) and the lady that runs the nursery are all trained in the use of the EPI pen. The director also said that she would have me train all the personnel that work in the restaurant on how to use the EPI to be on the safe side. This made me feel better. Then we went to the nursery and the lady that runs it was sitting in there eating breaded chicken fingers and french fries and that made me feel bad. I guess you can't have everything. At least they seemed willing to work with us. I don't know if we'll join but if we do at least I will some comfort level with their food allergy knowledge.

Well I'm off to take my roids and to take a nap. Maybe when I get up I'll be lessy cranky. But I wouldn't count on it....

Ugh! Pink Eye!

So as you know, a cold has invaded our home and has refused to leave. It started with the Older Boy, went to the Little Man, then to me, and to a lesser extent Hubby. Then it started going back to the kids and has never left me. This has been going on for about 2 weeks.
Well yesterday the Older Boy woke up and said his eyes hurt and they were goopy. I didn't notice anything, but I did notice that the cold seemed worse. When I picked him up from school his eyes were watering like crazy, beat red and goopy and he looked awful.
I took him to the Doctor today and he has a double ear infection, a sinus infections and pink eye. Poor kid. Older Boy rarely gets sick and usually we are at the Doctors for the Little Man. Even she was surprised today when she walked in and it was Older Boy sitting on the table. He only gets sick a few times a year but when he does it's a doozy.
So now I had to call the school and let them know we infected them with pink eye. They are sending home a note to the class.
And you know that it's just a matter of time before the Little Man gets this.

Luckily a few weeks ago the nice people at
Buzz Agent sent me two free cans of Oust Surface and Air Sanitizer (I work for Buzz Agent).



The Doctor said to spray disinfecting spray on everything so hopefully the rest of the family doesn't get pink eye. I've already started with my Oust and I have to tell you that not only does it disinfect, but it smells wonderful (We have the clean scent).
Go Here To Print A Buy One, Get One Free Coupon From Oust.

And please keep your fingers that the rest of us don't get Pink Eye.

YUCK!

A Tag And Some Helpful Reads

I was tagged by Ria of Check My Tag to come up with "7 Things". First, the rules of "tag" are:
1. Link to the person that tagged you and post the rules on your blog.
2. Share seven random and/or weird things about yourself.
3. Tag seven people at the end of your post and include links to their blogs.
4. Let each person know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

So here are my top 7 "most helpful books" for dealing with food allergies:

1. Understanding and Managing Your Childs Food Allergies by Scott H. Sicherer, M.D.

2. A Parents Guide To Food Allergies by Marianne Barber

3. Caring For Your Child With Severe Food Allergies, Emotional Support and Practical Advice From A Parent That's Been There by Lisa Cipriano Collins

4. The Complete Peanut Allergy Handbook by Scott H. Sicherer, M.D. and Terry Malloy

5. Cooking Free: 200 Flavorful Recipes For People With Food Allergies and Multiple Food Sensitivites by Carol Fenster

6. The Whole Foods Allergy Cookbook: 200 Gourmet and Homestyle Recipes For The Food Allergic Family

7. Great Foods Without Worry by Cindy Moseley

I won't tag anyone because most of the bloggers that I read have already done this tag, but if you decide to do it anyway, please let me know in comments :)

Starbucks Wants Your Opinion

Starbucks has an idea section where "YOU" can post your ideas or vote on ones already suggested. The one that was brought up at my food allergy meeting on Tuesday night was "A peanut free Starbucks". We were asked to go check it out and vote for it if we found it a great idea. I'm ok with that and I checked it out, but I also found the one below for gluten free snacks. This one would benefit my son and many others I know even more (not that my son drinks coffee at Starbucks, but I know plenty of adults that could use this). Go and check it out for yourself and vote for the idea that you feel would benefit you the most.

Click Here for the Gluten Free Snack Idea.

Click Here for the Peanut Free Stores.

Click Here to see all this ideas.

But don't read the comments though. There are quite a few people that didn't like the peanut free idea.

I'm not necessarily for making Starbucks "peanut free", but better labeling and some pre packaged allergy friendly snack ideas would be awesome.

Any business that can make themselves more allergy aware is a plus.

Window Treatments

Oh yea, now here's a riveting post. OOOOO, window treatments. I can tell you're on the edge of your seats.

But, I'm totally excited! After living here for almost 7 years we FINALLY have some window treatments in this house. We've had shades for the 7 years we've been here. After crawling across the floor from the bathroom to my dresser to get clothing without flashing the neighbors for 2 weeks, I called the blind people and said "I don't care what it costs, get me some blinds". And it cost A LOT!!! Oh I was shocked. Then we started doing the outside. We needed landscaping and a deck and a patio and SURPRISE "You need a retaining wall around the patio". Who new what a retaining wall was? We didn't and we had NO IDEA what that little beauty would cost. So the inside decorating just kept being put on the back burner.

But now we have this:



Not the best picture, I know. But the sun from the window kept making the pictures too dark.



Another view



A close up of the fabric.

It looks so nice that I want to finish the rest of the room. We need a new light, some pictures on the walls and a rug. I had to tell myself "Slow down girl, there's only so much money to go around". But I will have the dining room completed by this time next year.

The Master bedroom:

This has been a work in progess. A few weeks ago we painted....



We went from white to "Toasted Pine Nut".



It wasn't pretty.



But it wasn't as horrible as we thought it would be.



And here is the finished product:





The small window.



The big window. And again the sun was giving me fits so I auto corrected it and it's a bad photo.



Another view.



The family room.



A close up of the fabric.

That's it for our tour today. Thank you for joining us. Boring, I know. But family members wanted pictures.

Stay tuned tomorrow for more exciting and life changing posts (yes, I'm being sarcastic here).

It's Been A Stressful Morning

I took the Little Man to the dentist today for the first time. For over a year now I've mentioned to whomever is working on my teeth that he has multiple food allergies and I'd like to bring him but I need them to check out the tooth polish and fluoride rinse to make sure that it is safe for him. Someone always makes a note of it, but then that's where it dies. So I made sure to give them the information 6 months ago when we set up his appointment and again the other day when I called back to confirm the appointment.

We get there today and I just KNOW no one has looked into this. And of course they hadn't. They gave me the box of tooth polish to read the ingredients and everything *looked* fine. Then I grabbed the can of fluoride to make sure that was ok and it appeared to be too.

The stress came in because I wanted them to CALL the manufacturer and double check all of this. And they didn't and even though everything looked fine, I was more than prepared to grab the Epi Pen and use it if the need arose.

I did let the Dentist know that I was concerned and that he has suffered anaphylaxis in the past and I have used the Epi. And that yes, he does have asthma and here are the meds he's on. The Dentist definitely took things much more seriously and marked the front of the file with "SEVERE FOOD ALLERGIES". He said almost all of what they use there would be safe, but they mark it that way anyway just in case there is anything that could be "cross reactive".

Everything went fine. His teeth are good and he got his picture taken for the "no cavity club". Then they tried to give him a sugar free sucker. I had to dash in because I don't know what's in them and I'd be afraid it's something he can't have. Sure enough they gave me the ingredients and one of them was "Food Starch". Could be corn, OR it could be wheat, rye or barley. I explained again about the food allergies and the assistant felt bad (to her defense she was not the assistant that cleaned his teeth).

Going to the dentist for the first time should be stressful because the parent is afraid their child will freak out about the cleaning and x-rays. But for us it was stressful because I was terrified he was going to have anaphylaxis. Even if they were more pro-active about finding out the ingredients I still would have been nervous. But now I have a head ache and I feel exhausted because I didn't feel they were as prepared as they should have been.

I am so thankful that all went well. But I wish that EVERYONE would take food allergies as seriously as they should. The unknown is just too scary and too life threatening.