It's been a while....

Sorry for my tardiness on this blog (for the 3 people that actually read it).  I find this process to usually be more cathartic for me, and less interesting to others.  :)

Since our trip to Orlando, we have discovered a few more allergies for Kason.  We can add Sesame, chickpea, pineapple and almond to our list of allergies, although the severity is not as extreme as the peanuts, eggs and milk.  The egg allergy #'s have gone down, so our allergist would like to do an egg challenge in the upcoming year.

Here is the odd thing about allergies, there is no template.  Kason has been eating pineapple (and lots of it) since he was less than 1 - with no reaction.  Then on the weekend of his 2nd birthday, he had a reaction to pineapple.  I spent the entire weekend preparing an allergy friendly meal for all our friends (which included pineapple of course) and Kason had a reaction.

We met someone when we were at Children's Hospital for Kason (he had injured his leg - he was ok) and she said that she has a shellfish allergy that was discovered in her 20's while she was on a cruise ship.  She had always eaten shellfish but all of the sudden went into anaphalactic shock.  The allergist said that 'her bucket had spilled over'.  That basically meant that she had eaten her lifetime quota of shellfish, and her body could no longer handle any more. That's really how allergies work - for Kason his quota for peanuts and milk was none, but pineapple - well he had some time.

So the battle goes, we are still coping.  soon we will be talking about an egg challenge.

Allergy Friendly Vacation

Not always an easy task! 

I will admit, I was stressed about this trip, from the airplane to the restaurants to the condo we were staying in.  But as we know, a first impression does a lot and we got that at the Winnipeg Airport from an awesome Westjet representative.  Basically, we told them of Kason's allergies, and we were not even 2 steps away from the desk and we heard a westjet's radio blast "no ice cream on the Orlando flight - we have an allergy".  Sorry to those kids but how awesome was that!?

We got to board first, and wipe down our entire row with 'Wet Ones' and they made a very generous announcement about the peanut allergy.  Then, as Kelly went to the washroom he heard a young girl say to her grandmother "it's ok grandma, I don't need that granola bar, they have peanuts".  Unreal!  Not only was Westjet willing to ease our mind, but so were the other people headed to Orlando. 

Did you know that Westjet carried Epinephrine Injectors on the plane too?  And they let you take more than 120ml of liquid if it is for health reasons (i.e. Claritin). **I tweeted Westjet when we got to Orlando thanking them and they tweeted me back personally!  pretty cool!**

4 hours later - we were exhausted but in 30 degree weather so we were ok!

We rented a fantastic condo with a fully equipped kitchen.  We walked 5 mins to Publix grocery store (how convenient) and picked up fresh fruit and veggies and some of our allergy friendly favourites of course.

Having the condo is a must while travelling with an allergy child, but it wasn't as annoying as I thought.  We ate three suppers at home, all our breakfasts and most of our lunches.  The leftovers were Kason's meal for when we went to restaurants.  All in all, I felt good and confident.

Whenever we went out in public we wore our trusty allermates wristband - Kason wore it around his leg:

The flight home was great, although they singled us out in the announcement "there is a child in row 15 with a peanut allergy" so all the heads turned to us, but I would rather that then no announcement at all.  

Overall - This vacation gave me confidence, as well as a well needed break from REALITY.  I love our little guy and feel happier and confident about his allergies every day!  And from all I have heard - Disneyworld is the place to be if you have food allergies!  That will be our next trip!

Worrying does not empty tomorrow of it troubles....

Why is it that your kid must have an allergic reaction right before bedtime?  He is tired and cranky, and let's admit it, you are ready for your nap time coffee!

Even worse (which is almost very time) is the game of trying to figure out what caused it.  Today- we think it was dust.  DUST!!!!  That's what we get for cleaning the top of the fridge during lunchtime- a ton of hives and an emergency bath.  Then the sneak ins during nap time.  He is fine and happily snoozing hive free btw.

Any parent worries about their kid- we are not special.  The lack of peace of mind at anytime is sometime stressful.  But knowing that knowledge and preparation is power is comforting.  I have to constantly remind myself of this.  We can only live in the now and not worry about tomorrow- but be as prepared as you can to try to avoid a future reaction.  Then the tomorrow is as fantastic as today.  (Does that make sense?  It did in my head)

This is a great blog post about what every allergy parent wants you to know... In the nicest and most grateful way possible:

Http://smartereachday.com/?p=2891

http://smarttereachday.com/?p=2891

Cookies!!

Thank you Christie for giving our family so many delicious cookies that are super safe... And that I don't have to bake from scratch!!

Not like the  'Enjoy Life' brand snicker doodle cookies which are ridiculously overpriced and still gave Kase multiple reactions.  Sometimes the allergy friendly foods are not so friendly and way too complicated.

Hey look!  They are free of all the major allergens!  Either life is playing a mean trick on me or something is up.  I'm going to contact the company- wish me luck.  

Another Epic Fail

Here is something that sucks about being an allergy mom- 9 times out of 10 your kids will have a reaction because of something you did.  You didn't mean to do it- in fact you probably worked very hard to avoid a reaction.  But the odds are simply not in your favour and you are just screwed.  Allergy moms like to be in control and prepare almost everything by hand, so likely some cross contamination or milk challenge reason cause the reaction, but since it came out of your hands you feel so responsible... And terribly guilty.

Allergy moms (and dads ;) ) also have the terrible task of testing out new foods.  Now I haven't tried one of the high allergen food since Kason's first birthday- as far as I am concerned we will learn more about sesame and tree nuts from a test and not from the incredibly shitty task of watching your kid eat while you mentally take note of where your epi pen is.  

Because of Kason's milk challenge- I have to give him something cooked with milk daily.  I made a casserole with a cup of milk in it and cooked it.  After about 5 mins it became clear that I put too much milk in there and his face was really red.  Like REaLLY red with a few hives.  1/2 tsp of Claritin later (and some time and a bath) he was all good, but just like many many nights- I'll be checking in on him throughout the night.  

I'm getting sick of this- is that ok to say?  I want to give him something prepared at a store... Or even better, a restaurant!   I want to take a break from cooking, researching recipes, doing the never ending dishes and forcing him to eat things with milk!  Especially when he eats them and you can see in his face that he knows it isn't something that he should be eating.  

Kelly told me once that I was meant to have an allergy kid.  I am the kind of person who jumps in with two feet and will only do something 100%.  It's really a complement because it means we take such good care of this seemingly fragile guy( ps - he isn't, he is indestructible some days) but I wish that fate didn't create this situation for us some days.  Well- most days.  Ok- every day.

What a whiny suck I am today. Have I told you lately how much I love my kid?  Just the way he is..... :)

A great article

http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/314369

A fantastic article detailing how challenging being an allergy mom is- but knowing that it's a way of life for our kids and thus far less challenging for them.

I can especially relate to the comment about being an allergy mom.  Cross contamination is a big deal and I would always rather be safe rather than sorry.  Not everyone understands that, but as a parent I am those who should make the call.

Great article- and yes- I constantly worry about him when he moves out.  I'll probably be calling him daily asking if he has his epi!

Crazy cook

Ok, I'll admit it.  I'm not a great cook.  I enjoy cooking and Kelly will have to admit, I have tried hard!

When we got married, I tried to fit my wifely roll and do a lot of cooking.  Lots of burning!

When we had kason I tried again- with the help of Pinterest and a crock pot.  But now that I am an allergy mom, there is no choice.  I am officially a cook, 7 days a week, so I have no choice but to try to be good at it.  I still rely on Pinterest and a crock pot!

I put together my 5 freezer meals for the week- it took 2 hours and a HUGE mess!

 I took this picture because I was really proud that I hunkered down and got this done- dinner is somewhat prepared for the rest of the week.  No stress, no trouble.  

I also made a delicious brownie recipe for kason as part of his 'cooked milk' daily snack!

So yummy and yes!  Kason loved it!

I used a new egg substitute- home made edition.

1 tsp baking powder + 1.5 tbsp water + 1.5 tbsp oil = 1 egg

At first I was nervous- it was like that volcano science experiment!  Once I added the water it fizzed up!  But once added to the batter, it settled and created some delicious brownies with a purpose!

So, I'm not going to be so bold to say that I have become a good cook, but when the situation creates itself- you have to jump at the opportunity to try.   And hopefully this situation of having to always to cook from scratch can create more than just an(almost) good cook- family dinners, conversation, learning how to use utensils, smiles and laughter. 

Ya- I can deal with that :)

Menu planning

This is the way to do it as a working mom to a kid with allergies.  essentially every meal we have is made from scratch, it's just the way it has to be.  Having a delicious allergy free meal cooked from scratch is certainly tasty and healthy.... I'm not complaining!  But it is time consuming, and as all my fellow full time working moms know, that is just something we don't have.  

I rely on my best friend.... My slow cooker.  I use it 4-5 times a week.  

Pre kason, I used to prep these meals in the morning.  Back to my point on time- this is not an option. My options are preparing every meal the night before after kason goes to bed or doing the 'freezer meal' thing.  Freezer meals mean that I prepare everything that will go into the slow cooker in advance, put it in a freezer bag and freeze it. I thaw it over night and simply dump it in the slow cooker in the morning.  I even thaw all the spices, water etc that will go into each recipe, to save time.  

I usually do this on the weekends- sure it's time consuming but if I do it during Kason's naps or when he is playing with Kelly- I don't feel like I am missing much, and I walk away from the weekend feeling very productive.  

Menu planning is key with this.  You have to know what you want to eat for the week on the weekend as you are planning.  You also have to have a small idea when you do your grocery shopping prior.  It takes organization.... Something I frequently lack.  It also takes improvisation- something I am pretty good at!  

Menu plan- November 2013

Monday- pot roast - onions, celery and sweet potatoes cut (and frozen if necessary) in advance.  Slow cooker on low the next day with pot roast seasoning pack

Tuesday- Hawaiian BBQ chicken 

I don't use minute rice but Uncle Bens Perfection or quinoia- so it's only about 20 mins max.  Or sometimes I make rice in advance and freeze it- it's just as good in my books!

Wednesday- chili- you know what's in chili!  It's all prepped in my freezer (seasonings and all).  

Thursday-  onion soup pork chops.  This is so easy I feel like I'm cheating.  I throw pork chops and any veggie I want into the slow cooker.  Mix package of onion soup mix with 2 c of water and pour overtop.  Moist, flavourful and so easy!  

Friday-free for all!  Sometimes Kelly and I give ourselves a break and pick up dinner, sometimes taco del rio, sometimes Calabria, sometimes a frozen pizza.  

For these days (and for lunches at daycare) I always freeze ahead little meals for kason.  If I am making spaghetti squash and meat sauce, I am making a lot extra so I can freeze in little portions and just pull out the individual meals.  This also works great if we are going out for dinner or to a friends place- either planned or spur of the moment.  This way kason doesn't have to have a crappy sandwich or something, since we really can not confidently get kason food at a restaurant safely, and most people might cook without peanuts, but not often without dairy and egg.  

All this planning plus lunches, making Kason's 'milk muffins' and allergen free cookies from scratch is a big job!  Worth every minute!  Happy meal planning!

Superhero mom

Sometimes I feel like a superhero and sometimes I feel like I can't do anything....

Label readers extraordinaire...

That is what Kelly & I thought we were... Get ready for us to jack it up to another level.

Who would have thought - bad things can happen when products that may contain peanuts, eggs and definitely dairy when you are transferring from 1 container to another.  We were putting some protein powder into another container in the kitchen while kason was eating lunch.  Some spilled and was in the air & after cleaning up and washing hands you would think we would be good.  Not 2 seconds later- kason was covered in hives.  I mean covered.  We gave him his Claritin- no change and not 15 minutes after the initial reaction- we were headed to the hospital.  

Here is the deal:

A) when in doubt- go to the hospital

B) don't hesitate- but drive safely

C) don't worry about over reacting with a kid with an allergy- there is no such thing

D) when in doubt give that epi pen- it buys you time to get to the hospital (we hesitated- luckily we live close to the hospital)

I've never skipped the line in the emergency room or seen a doctor within 15 mins- but we did.   By now Kason's eyes were red and with a runny nose- his neck was covered in huge hives, his face was so red it was frightening.  He was coughing but talking and alert.  At no point did he appear to have anaphylaxis- but the Claritin was not working.  

The doctor gave him epinephrine, prednisone and Benadryl.  Being overly cautious and we were glad.  Our very itchy boy went from red to kind of clear within 10 minutes.  We had to stay at the hospital for 2.5 more hours to make sure he cleared up and didn't have a residual reaction which can happen.  

He napped- finally

We watched him sleep for a full hour

I mean- we did not take our eyes off him

So where do you go from here?  How do you deal with this?  How do you take this incredibly scary and adrenaline filled moment, and make it a positive.  

First- you use this to educate.  A good friend of mine said "knowledge is power" when I told her about this and she is right.  The more people that understand what can happen from this very freaky incident, the less of a chance that this will happen again - to kason or anyone with food allergies.  

Learning to take out of this:

A) Label read/label read/label read - a 'may contain' warning is just as good as it containing it 

B) cross contamination is very serious-  you don't even have to ingest the product that was made in a facility that uses peanuts to get sick

C) take it very seriously people- that Reece's peanut butter cup is not worth someone's life

Our family have already said that this is an eye opening experience for them.  That's the best thing we can ask for - to make sure that ours and everyone else's eyes are open.

A great way to understand food allergies is by watching this documentary- it's difficult to watch (especially as a parent) but tells you how serious food allergies are and how reactions can be prevented by avoidance, diligence and awareness.  Please watch of you know someone with a life threatening food allergy.  

http://www.discoverychannelcme.com/patient-education/food-allergies

It's also narrated by Steve carrell.

Secondly - making your home peanut free means reading very label, throwing away anything even close or peanut related and excepting that it is just no longer a part of your diet.  I won't even touch peanuts while I am at work!!!  It's not worth it- not for one second. 

Today- kason is fine- completely back to normal and relatively rash free (considering he hasn't been rash free a day in his life) and loving his megablocks.  We even took him shopping and EVEN bought him some new cookies to try.... 

Big shout out to the staff in the emergency dept at Victoria Hospital- they were amazing and very considerate to us.  We hope we don't have to see them again.

Milk Challenge Day

I was nervous, but we did it!  Sat in the allergist office for almost 3 hours and guess what...

Kason passed!!

Not much of a win- but it was determined that kason can safely ingest food baked with milk.  

Here's how it went- we started out in the office- thankfully filled with fun toys....

I made a variety of regular sized and mini muffins- from an organic mix that I usually use for him but instead of rice milk, I used skim milk.  First we gave him 1/4 of a mini muffin.  I had to feed it to him because they didn't want him touching it- we needed to know if he got a reaction, how he got it.

25 mins later we gave him 1/2 a mini muffin

25 mins later we gave him a whole mini muffin

30 mins later we gave him 1/2 a full muffin

He ate it dutifully- and played with the iPad, my phone and the toys in between.  

The nurse determined that a kid his size didn't need 3 muffins- so since there was no reaction they felt that it was a success and the test was done.  We had to wait around another 20 mins until we saw the doctor.  She determined that I need to feed Kason a baked good with homo milk daily.  Starting with baking, maybe trying casseroles etc.  ( more Pinterest research for me)

I will take this mini victory.  It doesn't mean I can feed him ice cream tomorrow or anything but it is the first of many long steps towards growing out of this allergy.  

And that is what kept us so happy during the test!

Maybe it was the three muffins he ate too....

I don't doubt it!!!

Well said

Allergy free weekend!

Tomorrow starts an allergy free long weekend for our family!  We can reflect on our week and enjoy kisses & cuddles all weekend.

Kason's allergy appointment left me with a feeling of hope!  Usually discussions about Kason's allergies leave me frustrated and lost.  This time- Dr. Roberts gave us a feeling of hope.  Based on the evidence of Kason's skin reactions to milk and the fact he didn't experience any anaphylaxis when he accidentally took a sip of milk- she believes that the allergy may be contact only.  If that is the case, then there is a chance he can safely ingest it.  If he can safely ingest it- then he can eat it in small doses and that is the only way to grow out of an allergy.

So now we do the FOOD CHALLENGE!

This means that we serve Kason a baked good with milk in it at the doctors office.  A doctor will only do a food challenge after the doctor reviews the child's history, skin tests and blood tests.  The challenge involves feeding Kason doses of the food every 15-30 minutes.  The amount starts small and gets larger every time.  The challenge takes 3-4 hours.  

I'm sure this will be the worst 4 hours of my life but we are hopeful.  Hopeful that maybe kason can grow out of the milk allergy, and if so maybe all his allergies!!!  I know- that's pretty hopeful, and I also know that it's unlikely.  The average persons IgE is 0-15, while Kason's is 2500!!!!!   IgE is the body's way of fighting off things- because Kason's IgE is so high- his body sees these allergens as something foreign, and he rejects it with his allergic reactions.  So- we know that things won't change- poof- just like that- but I will hold on to that little bit of hope, because we have to.

So- this is how we started off our allergy free weekend!

Marta- I was thinking of you when I made this one. 

 Kason and Kelly loved it!  First pizza for Kason, and I'm grateful for it. 

Another great way to top off a fun pizza party??  Ice Cream!!

The trick!  Yonanas!

This is just a smart choice!  It's frozen fruit only!!!  Made into ice cream.  So tasty and so healthy.   Great for allergy families!  And yes- Kason does have an intolerance to raw strawberries, apparently very common in those with high IgE.  So- no strawberry yonanas- but banana/pineapple/mango will do just fine!

So- enjoy your weekend folks!  Ours will be dairy/egg/nut free and super tasty!!!

Good days and bad days

After a rough weekend with our very upset and fussy baby- I think we are back on track again.  Between fevers and teething- compounded with a kid who had continuous skin problems- it's always hard to tell what is up with this little dude.    I spent a lot of the weekend thinking about my little man and all the little moments in my life that have made me happy (many with friends, on the track, professionally). There are many- but none compare to these 5:

1) the moment I saw the '+' on that little white stick- we were in Hawaii on vacation with friends, and I took the test on a whim- not really expecting anything to come of it.  For anyone who has taken a pregnancy test before- you don't really have to wait 2 minutes like they soon the movies- you kind of get the gist of it immediately.  Cut to me jumping up & down in the bathroom silently screaming and smiling until my face hurts.  That second where I felt like my dreams were coming true with my true love.  There is no purer feeling.

2) napping with my little man on the couch when he was 1 week old- I know this seems like a really insignificant moment but it was the moment for me that the blind panic of becoming a parent wore off and I realized how incredibly lucky we were and HOW FAST it was going by!  I wish I could say this moment happened the second Kason was born, but I was a new mom who needed some time to adjust to the scariness, exhaustion and weepiness of parenting a newborn. 

3) when kason started smiling at me whenever he saw me.  I mean, I don't want to toot my own horn- I know I can be pretty awesome sometimes but there is no better ego booster than your little munchkin making you feel like a million bucks with just a little grin.  

4) 3 nights ago when Kason starting understanding that the cuddle before bed means lots of kisses!  Sure- his kisses are really just a slobbery open mouthed mess- but I love it!  Even more reason to keep it dairy free in the evening so I can enjoy the kisses!  A good friend of mine Marta has a beautiful blog www.petiteraisin.ca and she posted some amazing pictures of her kissing her son.  My immediate thought was about how I would have to be careful about what I ate!!  The incentives of going dairy free keep increasing!  Yay to slobbery kisses!

5) every second that Kason and I are together!  Yes- this is very generic but it tells you how awesome Kason is and how much he has impacted my life in so many positive ways!  He has also increased the number of wrinkles I will have because if smiling, making faces etc!  

Tomorrow I take Kason for another round of allergy testing.  I know it will break my heart watching him get poked & prodded- but he is so brave I feel like I learn about how to be from him.  I'm feeling very reflective on how lucky I am to have this family and 2 very strong boys in my life who are do similar- they tackle the bad and conquer it.

 Couldn't love him & Kelly more than I do right now.

Best part about that- is that I know I will get to say that every day from now on.  

We've been busy...

I have been working on lots of different recipes for kason!  First up- standard choc chip cookies!

Used my classic cookbook...

Used vegan margarine and dairy free choc chips-

Delicious!  A great option for families like ours to keep in the house!  Either for when guests come or for a snack.  I want to be completely dairy free at home when kason is awake.  I need to make sure there are lots of options- or else I will cave... It's reality!

Next up- vegan pumpkin muffins!

This was my first experience using a flax egg as an egg substitute.  It's amazing!  1 tbsp ground flax & 4 tbsp water.  When you let it sit, it becomes like a gel.

( like my socks?  Lol)

These muffins are delicious!  I like to make mini muffins ( a perfect snack for Kase) and freeze them.  

Pumpkin

Quickly becoming a fun new ingredient for me.  I can of pure pumpkin was used for pumpkin pancakes, muffins and butternut squash and pumpkin soup in the slow cooker (another incredibly easy & delicious recipe)

I think it needs to be a staple in my pantry!

Dairy free apple pancakes

Kelly & I want to make weekend mornings into dairy free mornings!  First we start with this...

And now- for the first time we are all going to have the same breakfast together!  I wanted to try this recipe (sans walnuts of course).  

Since many allergy free recipes are gluten free- I just simply used whole wheat flour instead of coconut flour.  I also added another 1/4 C. Flour to make up for the lack off walnut dust.

I used coconut oil and also egg substitute.

I think next time I would use apple sauce or a flax egg as an egg substitute to ensure the texture for the pancakes.  

So we got started- 

Not bad!  

We all enjoyed delicious dairy-egg free apple pancakes!

So- this is a blog about successes and failures- so I can't say that this is a complete success.  

We served the pancakes with strawberry slices.  Shortly after breakfast kason started to get some redness under his eye & red dots around his mouth.  Even though he loved the pancakes, it doesn't mean they love him.

We've narrowed it down to the honey, vanilla or strawberries.  Oddly, we had noticed before that kason sometimes reacts to strawberries- but not always and not to jam.  Maybe we need to clean the fruit better?

So- now begins the trial of narrowing down what gave this minor reaction to kason.  The story of every meal for us.

A little frustrating that little successes come with failures, so you have to be a glass half full kind of allergy parent or else you will always feel defeated by the allergies.  Kelly & I are naturally very competitive, so we will not be defeated!  

Chicken Pot Pie

So- what's more traditional than chicken pot pie?  I'm basing this on the fact that this was the staple we used to get from the sales at the Hutterite colony's.  

Inspired by meeting more friends dealing with the allergy mom syndrome (love it!) I wanted to transform a recipe.  I searched through a new cookbook I acquired from the library 

And found a recipe that I decided to tackle.  I also decided to double it since I am trying to freeze a lot of meals for fall & winter when we can't rely on throwing something on the BBQ.  

I made a few adjustments of course...

Unsalted butter = vegan becel

Chicken thighs = chicken breasts (because they were on sale)

Shallots = onion (still not 100% sure what a shallot is)

White wine = just added more broth

Half-and-half= rice milk   - I knew this would create an issue because rice milk is much closer to water than milk, so I also added a tbsp on corn starch with some water and a bit more flour

Consistency turned out great!!

My intention was to make the pie for a dinner party we are attending and serve the mixture like a stew to Kason, assuming the pie crust had egg.  Then I read the ingredients:

Looks like the 'ol egg replacer is cheaper than eggs for this manufacturer!  Ps- wondering why I didn't make my crust from scratch?  Cut me some slack- I'm working on this whole "cooking from scratch" idea on my own pace!  That's a future project.  

That being said- I don't think Kason will miss pie crust & since we try to give him things prepared by us to avoid any risk, he will be eating chicken pot pie stew while we eat pie.

I almost don't want to post the pick of my pre- cooked finished product because it looks so amateur but I know tastes delicious but that is what committing to writing a blog about food trials is all about 

Looking forward to eating this goodie & trying to convert more recipes to Kason Friendly recipes!

Yummy treat

Went to vita health today and found some blueberry flavoured cultured coconut milk! Another delicious treat that kason loves!

Is it strange that I feel happy that kason gets to eat 'yogurt' just like the other kids get to? I mean, snacking on steamed carrots is cool, but this is way better!

Realities of an allergy mom

http://allergenmenumom.com/2013/08/29/how-to-crush-a-food-allergy-mom-a-satirical-tutorial/

This is great!  While all my friends and family have been incredibly supportive and amazing with this whole thing, it doesn't change the fact that I constantly feel that I am being super anal and obsessive.

Today we fed Kason a peach.  Just an ordinary day- eating a peach.  He broke out in hives all over his back (how many times can I say 'thank god for Benadryl')

Kason breaking out in hives is turning all to ordinary in our lives.

Back to the peaches- kason has been eating peaches since he was 7 months old.  Frozen, canned, fresh.  So we know he isn't allergic to peaches.  

This particular peach was cleaned and in my lunch bag the day before.  Also in my lunch bag were some granola bites in a ziplock bag.  These particular granola bites have a warning on the bag that it may contain tree nuts.  I bought them, promising to keep them separate and only eat them after work. That was bad mom move #1- gotta maintain that peanut free household!!

The granola bites are my prime suspect in this allergy crime!!

While I feel guilty about this experience (but am happy kason was hive and itch free minutes later) this has been, yet another, eye opening experience.  If something like this can happen to an allergy mom (or dad) who are aware, how many times can this happen when someone is not aware!

I have read many blogs of moms who have quit their jobs or hired nannies because this is a problem that they can not control.  Luckily we have a great daycare who is adjusting a lot of things in her daycare just to make sure it is safe for kason.  And I will be bringing lunches for kason to ease both our minds.  But I can't control everything, which is a sickening feeling.  It's also called parenting.... Watching him fall down and learn to get himself back up is what we need to do as parents, but I didn't think parenting was about carrying an epi pen every second, watching everything people put into their mouths when they are around kason and begging them in my brain to please wash their hands, worrying that I am going to have to use that epi pen...

But being a parent to kason is truly some,thing special.  Yes- it does include all those things, but that's what makes kason so perfect in his own little way.  I feel like I love him more and more after he has an allergy outbreak because we get to watch him be brave and endure.  How I wish I could take it for him.