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allergy kids

Musings of an Allergy Mom

Food allergies are so prevalent nowadays, so I know I’m not alone in trying to tackle allergy issues on behalf of my kids. I thought that when Grady weaned, things would improve because it would eliminate all the various foods I was eating from his diet. But now that he’s completely eating table food (the same foods he’s been eating for months), his symptoms haven’t improved. If anything, they’ve worsened. So we’ve got another allergy appointment on the books for later this month for the full panel of skin prick testing.

At his first test in the spring, he was allergic to 15 out of the 16 foods they tested. When I think too much about it and the possible results of a full panel of testing, I simply get overwhelmed. I wonder how many more foods can he be allergic to. I wonder if he has Eosinophilic Esophagitis like big brother. I wonder if it’s time for an endoscopy. I wonder if it’s worth visiting more specialists or if I should try to figure things out on my own.

So to cope, I compartmentalize and internalize. I put all those daunting questions and concerns into a tiny box and pack them all inside me. At times, they weigh me down a bit, but that’s part of the role of motherhood, of parenting: to take on the hard things for our kids. It’s not that life won’t be difficult for them at times, but parenting is about walking alongside them, protecting them, supporting them and teaching them. In the same way, I have to remind myself over and over again that the same is true of me. Even as an adult, I’m a child of God and I’m not alone in this. It’s scary to unpack that tiny box, to voice concerns and not have clarity on health issues. It’s hard not being in control of things. BUT, I know there is a silver lining here, even if it’s not always clear at the time. God is teaching me the same way I’m teaching my child. I’m still in awe of how much impact these little people of mine can have on my own maturity.

tree swing

House Hunting

We’ve given ourselves until mid-October to continue on house hunting as normal. For us, that means sticking to our ideal home, which is on a few acres but still within 15 minutes of town and all within our budget. Sounds so simple, right? We viewed a couple homes this week that were “fine.” They were nice enough and the proximity was right, but it’s hard to give up on that idea of a little acreage at this point. Come mid-October, we’ll expand our search parameters, possibly looking for a neighborhood house and then buying some land separately. I wonder if I’ll get that aha moment that I did with our last home, when I saw through the cosmetic issues and knew it was the one. At this point, I’m grateful that we aren’t rushed into this decision but am still hoping we find the right place by the end of the year.

driving boat

Lake Life

It feels like September has consistently been the hottest month so far. Cooler mornings have still turned into 90-degree days. We spent Labor Day weekend on the lake, and I even drove the boat for the first time. I like having brakes or a way to stop, so boating, snowboarding, roller skating, etc., have never been my thing just because I can’t stop when I want to stop. But apparently, there’s a first time for everything. Cheers to getting outside my comfort zone a bit and actually enjoying it. Besides boating, my Rowdy boys spent lots of time in the lake rough housing and fishing.

 

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Haley

I'm a full-time wife and semi-stay-at-home mom to four young kids. Day to day, I help my husband with his small business, but when I have any extra time, you can find me cooking or being active outdoors with my family. We live at the foothills of the North Georgia mountains and are embracing modern homesteading month by month.

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