We packed the last few months full with lots of fun stuff and family time, starting with our Disn.ey trip and ending with a week spent with family in Savannah. I think we're all tired, happy, and ready for a little structure around here.
At least this mommy is!
Miss O. starts third grade on Tuesday. I really don't understand how this is possible!?! Third grade? She's excited to go back to school, see her friends, and read. Secretly, I think she's ready for a break from the twins 24-7. From her viewpoint, it has to be hard to constantly compete with 2 two year old's for Mommy's attention all day long, as well as having to do certain things because they are little.
The twins are doing well. Acting like typical two year old's, showing independence, pitching fits, giving hugs & kisses to anyone who will take them.
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Over the summer, we found out that our little peanut, Pretty Girl, is allergic to peanuts.
Very allergic.
Like, we have to carry an Epi.Pen, allergic.
Cue Mommy freak out moment.
I wasn't super surprised that she was allergic, I just didn't expect it to be that bad.
In May, M. had given her a tiny bit of peanut butter on the tip of a spoon while I was working at my Twins Club yard sale. He called me, panicked, because even though she had spit it out immediately, her entire face had broken out in hives almost immediately! I told him to give her Ben.edryl and watch her closely, and it seemed to work and she was fine a few hours later.
Obviously, we called the doctor on the following Monday, explained what happened and was told to just keep peanuts away until her 2 year old appointment. Once that came in July, Pretty Girl had blood drawn, and we found out how severe her allergy is.
I have plenty of allergies, myself, but no food allergies.
She'll never enjoy a package of peanut butter cups, my no-bake cookies, or a PB&J sandwich.
It's been a real learning experience for us. Pretty Girl needs to avoid peanuts and all tree nuts, just to be safe. I never realized how many things may or may not have nuts in them.
We've found that even if someone has eaten a forbidden food and touches or kisses her, she will react.
It's scary.
And because she's two, and I've spent the last 2 years teaching her and Big Boy to share EVERYTHING with each other, Big Boy has to be peanut-free, too.
I just can't trust that they wouldn't share with each other, at least until they are much older.
It's a big adjustment...just yesterday we had lunch at a friend's house, bologna sandwiches, watermelon, and pretzels. Should be fine, right?
Yeah, not so much.
About 10 minutes into lunch, I noticed that Pretty Girl was starting to break out around her mouth. Crap. Grabbed the bag with the pretzels in it, and looked at the label. There it was..."made in a facility that uses nuts"...I hadn't even thought to look at it, it was a bag of pretzels!
That's just it, it seems that I need to scour EVERY processed food label, in order to make sure it's safe for her.
It's a learning process, but one I want to learn quickly, that's for sure!
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Do you or a family member struggle with a peanut allergy? Food allergies in general? How do you handle it? I'd love to hear how others deal with this...
