On Having a Child with Food Allergies

I suppose I must have jinxed myself for always thinking I would never have a kid with food allergies. Not my kid. Oops. Little Miss has several.

So, in addition to the general anxiety that surrounds motherhood and caring for a tiny human- there comes the added anxieties that surround every feeding time. And all the times in-between.

Every time it is a mealtime or snack time, I watch with added care and anticipation for any signs of distress involving my baby having ingested something her body cannot handle. If it is a food she has had many times with no problems, it could be contaminated today. Did I wash the counters properly? If it is something more foreign, will she be able to eat it without any dire consequences? Will she even like it? Little Miss seems to be pickier than she can really afford. (But maybe that comes with toddler-hood)

Not time to eat? Okay, I hope the floors are clean. Little Miss is much closer to ground-level than I am, and as such, seems to find all of the litter I don't see. Crumbs, dog hair, my hair, paper, wrappers, dust balls, rocks, leaves, dirt, invisible imaginary trash-- Sometimes I wonder where she seems to find all of these treasures. Boy, is she helpful.

Play date? Sure. But I hope the fellow little human doesn't share anything with my little human. Forget the common cold- let's be concerned about crackers and peanuts! "She can just come play with so-and-so!" Ok, great, but if something happens, I will feel awful, and believe me, so will you. It's not that I don't trust anyone. Little kids are just so curious and sometimes a little too helpful- in that they want to share their snacks- and they are so quick! Plus, I sound like some over-protective helicopter- crunchy- mom if I have to give the "She has a few allergies..." speech.

She's a faker. Little Miss seems to delight in the sudden panic that washes over my face when I see her randomly put her fist to her mouth and begin chewing something. In fact, she finds this so funny, that she will fake me out! But I have to check, everytime, because, well, you just never know.

And so, I've become THAT mom. The mom who stares at her toddler at feeding time. The mom with the EpiPen. The mom who struggles to find new things to feed her daughter, The mom who has even more to be anxious about.

But guess what? That's okay, because I am also HER mom. I'm the mom with the super cute, crazy, silly, full-of-spunk, little girl. And man, she's a special one. Never doubted that.

Bread for ONE... In the MICROWAVE!

GLUTEN-FREE EGG-FREE BREAD

This is the perfect size for one person. Can make it in a small glass container, and cut into two pieces for a sandwich.

I modified this recipe to meet my Little Miss' needs from One Good Thing. It was a great idea, I just think glass in the microwave is better, and Little Miss has more food restrictions.

What you will need:

1/4 cup applesauce
1 tsp water
3 Tbs Milk (Or milk substitute, or buttermilk)
1/3 cup rice flour blend or other gluten-free flour blend
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp Sugar

Instructions:

1. Combine the applesauce, water, and milk.
2. Mix in the dry ingredients and mix well. This is gonna be a thick batter.
3. Pour into a small, square glass container (Or save yourself on dishes and just mix it in there in the first place.)
4. Pop it in the microwave for 85-90 seconds.
5. Remove from container and let it cool for a few minutes.

I think this would be fun to try with a hint of cinnamon, blueberries, or chocolate chips. Cuz, my Little Miss likes chocolate chips. And chocolate chip bread-- that sounds delicious.

Avoiding the Allergens- Let's do it!

As someone who loves baking and eating... Little Miss' food allergies will be interesting to work around. As I navigate the restrictions in Little Miss' food diet, I will be posting recipes that work here on my blog. Then I will be able to find all the recipes I need, where-ever I go.

Little Miss is allergic to:

Wheat
Barley
Oats
Eggs
Peanuts

Luckily, many gluten-free recipes are available on the world wide web, and gluten-free means NO wheat. Yay. Unfortunately, many gluten free recipes include oats and/or eggs. So it's a no-go on the Oats, but I have learned that 1/4 cup of applesauce does just about the same thing as 1 whole egg. Whoop!

Spring Break 2012

I have to say, this Spring Break was full of ups and downs, although mostly ups, and despite the downs, it may still qualify as one of my best spring breaks, mostly due to those I surrounded myself with.

I began my Spring Break early, with a trip to Gilbert to see my mommy. I packed my swimming suit, not to swim, but just to feel the sun. I miss feeling the rays of the sun. Here all it does is shine, but never quite warm anything up.

 In any case, my break started out pretty dandy. I got to romp around in the backyard in the warmth, and found out I’ll be going to Disneyland this summer! (Thank you, thank you to my mommy in law) Later, my husband was arranged to pull weeds while I met with a good friend (and her adorable, adorable baby) for lunch.  Oh, it was so good to see her! I talk too much, but it is always so great to be able to chatter with her and I always leave our lunches feeling uplifted. My dad came over and we played Just Dance 3 on the wii. I realized that a lot of the dances in that game use moves of his that I never thought were actual dancing moves. Way to go, Dad. 

Then I went to see my in-law family! We got to play “Mommy Taxi” for a day or two, while Mom and Dad took a get-away day. I discovered that I am glad children arrive in increments. I can gradually learn how to cook dinner for more than two, and not jump right to seven! Before we left, the Easter bunny came to visit us early, even including an egg hunt in the backyard. Unfortunately, we had to cut the trip short and come back to Flagstaff early, as the weather decided that it would like to have a major storm watch.

We arrived back to Flagstaff to find that our mailbox had blown away. We called our landlord, and he had rescued it. He brought our mailbox to our door, the entire thing. And we had mail!

Got up and showered for church, but discovered it had been cancelled… Cancelled church… The thought had never occurred to me before. I didn’t know that church could be cancelled... but apparently so. Good thing because I was unsure how I was gonna get out of this bible camp that I live in!

And thus I sit at the conclusion of my spring break, in my pajamas that I’ve worn all day, with a hair clip on top of my head, not really holding any hair, a makeup-less face, and chipped nails in dire need of some attention. And happy that I have a snow day tomorrow. 

This is me. Awkward but adorable.