A New Challenge

This morning, Will had his 4 month well child check-up. He won't technically be 4 months for another week, but our appointment was today...so we went.

I always look forward to the check-ups, so I can see how long he is, how much he weighs, and all of that fun stuff. I always dread the appointments because I know he has to get shots. Even though I know it is what's best for him, it is still hard for me to stand there, holding down his arms, so they can poke him with needles. He did great at his 2 month check-up and seems to be doing fine now, so hopefully things will continue to go so smoothly.

He weighed 12 lbs 8 oz., which was actually a little smaller than I was guessing. He had dropped from the 25% to the 10%, but the doctor didn't seem concerned. He was 24 1/2 inches long, taking him from the 25% in length to the 50%. The bottom line is...my son is long and skinny. If you have seen many of his relatives, this probably does not surprise you.

We are still dealing with some cradle cap and some very dry skin, but the doctor made some recommendations that will hopefully be very helpful.  His development seems to be right on track, and he can start solids whenever I feel like he's ready. Overall, he's a very healthy little boy, which is always nice to hear.

There was a bit of bad news for me. The pediatrician noticed Will had a rash. She said it looked like a rash caused by a dairy or nut allergy and said I need to cut ALL dairy and nuts out of my diet. I have to admit...I was devastated. I've been trying to eliminate most dairy products, and that has been hard enough. But now I have to give up nuts, too??? I can't even begin to explain how much peanut butter I eat! I also learned that it's not enough just to cut out the dairy products themselves. I need to cut out anything that contains dairy, as well.

Yes, I was sad. I was thinking of all the things I could not eat. Then, after talking with a friend, I came to my senses. I had just been told I had a very healthy little boy. I could have been told something MUCH worse than: You can't eat dairy or nuts.

So, I have taken a new approach to this whole situation. I am actually kind of excited about it. I am looking at it as a challenge. How can I take the foods we normally eat and adapt them to be dairy and nut free? I have been researching products and looking up recipes all morning, and I am getting more and more excited by the minute. I will make this work! I've even found a few substitutes for peanut butter...soy butter and sun butter (made from sunflower seeds). I can't wait to try them.

The good news is, Will should eventually outgrow these allergies sometime between 12 and 18 months. I could also choose to stop breastfeeding, but I would like to continue until he's at least 6 months old and hopefully longer. Until then, though, we will adjust to our new way of life, and we will be grateful that we are all happy and healthy...even if we're nut and dairy free.