Fussy Buns turns one!

Happy Birthday!

Allergy-friendly birthday cake we purchased from our favorite gluten-free restaurant

I cannot believe that my sweet baby girl is already a year old! I’m so grateful that she is healthy, happy, and developing just right, but this milestone is a little bittersweet for me. She also started walking on her birthday, the 9^th, which just further demonstrates how independent she is becoming. I’ve been reflecting on this past year, remembering all of the challenges we were faced with as new parents and acknowledging how much we’ve all grown.

There are few things that stand out:

Diaper Rash

We saw our first case of diaper rash at 2 weeks old. I knew all babies got diaper rash at some point and that there were plenty of remedies available to treat it, but after a couple of weeks I knew something was wrong. I felt so frustrated that I could not get it to clear up and trust me, I tried every suggestion out there! Now that I know that her diaper rash is caused by food allergies, the solution is simple: avoid the foods she is allergic to! I am so relieved that it finally cleared up after 6 months of persistent diaper rash!

Food Allergies (Obviously)

I knew that I have food allergies, but I never really thought about my children having them. It has been such a challenge to pinpoint the offending foods and there were definitely times I felt at a loss for what to eat or what to do to help my baby, but I am so proud of myself for figuring it out! As hard as it was, it was worth it. I am also really grateful to my family members, friends, and doctors for supporting me during this process.

Breastfeeding

When I was pregnant, I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to breastfeed, and I had no idea how long it would go on. Despite having to eliminate ten foods and all their derivatives (gluten, dairy, soy, egg, corn, fish, strawberry, potato, peanuts, and tree nuts) for almost a year now, I am really pleased that I have been able to breastfeed my baby for a year, let alone at all. We’re in the process of weaning now as she begins to eat more solids and I know it will eventually end, but it has been such a sweet part of our relationship. I will miss it.

Mindfulness

Anyone who really knows me could probably say that I’m a bit of a perfectionist. Now that I’m a parent, I’m trying to let go for my need to control everything. I still do my best to be informed and prepared for whatever situation, but I acknowledge that there are many things out of my control. I remind myself often that at this moment, everything is just as it should be and I am grateful for that. The difficult times will eventually pass, and I just hope I can endure them with some grace. As a leader of a Mommy & Me class often told me, “Infancy doesn’t last forever.” She was right. How fast the time went! I never thought when I was in the thick of it that at one year we would not only be managing her food allergies, but she would be thriving! Life is good, and I am so grateful to have her be a part of ours.

Nut Allergy

The holidays were an especially busy time this year. Not only were we getting ready for a trip out of state (with a baby), but we noticed our food pantry was infested with Indian Meal Moths and our dishwasher stopped working mid-cycle just as the dishes were really piling up in the kitchen. On top of all of that, I visited the allergist the day before we left.

I met with the same allergist who five years ago told me I wasn’t allergic to peanuts or tree nuts based on skin testing. I’ve eaten them on and off over the years, but within the past year I’ve noticed that I get blisters on my lips, gums and throat that last about a week when I eat them. I decided to do allergy testing again because I didn’t want to mess around with a potential nut allergy. I was really hopeful I could add nuts back into my diet because I’m still nursing and need the extra calories. The allergist didn’t think my symptoms sounded like a true allergic response, but proceeded with skin testing.

I found out that I’m allergic to milk, peanuts, tree nuts, and white potato!

I did have a reaction to soy and corn, but the allergist didn’t think it was big enough to be considered a true IgE allergy. He prescribed an Epi Pen and a nurse trained me how to administer it.

It seems to me that this allergist is pretty conservative, so if he says it’s serious I believe him. It’s unfortunate that I really am allergic to peanuts and tree nuts because there are so many products that I’ll have to be careful to avoid, like nut butters, flours and processed snack bars. I was also really surprised to discover that I am allergic to potato, but now that I think back I realize that potatoes make my hands itch and make my stomach really upset. I always thought it was the starch that was the problem. Regardless, I’m going to do my best to avoid the foods that are problematic for me, so I can start feeling better!

This was the first holiday I stayed away from all the treats I normally looked forward to because they all contained nuts. Fortunately, I was able to indulge by eating some pure maple syrup candy Santas!

I am having a hard time remembering everything I need to avoid because of Celiac and food allergies!

No gluten, dairy, soy, egg, corn, peanuts, tree nuts, potato , fish, or strawberry!

Whew!