No Nuts For My Peanut

Yay Peanut Butter Cheerios (NOT)!

2012-01-16T20:06:00.010-05:00

It's probably not news to many of you by now that Cheerios has a new Peanut Butter flavor. There are many out there that are angry, worried, and downright frightened. I don't blame anyone for feeling this way. Cheerios have become a staple in the US for first finger foods for our youngsters. Go to a toddler/preschooler play date and there will be at least one child with a cup or bag of Cheerios. A food that many find safe for the peanut and tree nut allergy stricken. Now it's just one more food for parents to look out for.

Rationally I can't be mad that they made this product. They make Honey Nut Cheerios and Banana Nut Cheerios. No one seems to be upset about those which contain almond. So why the outrage? I think the most upsetting part is that General Mills will not disclose how they are guaranteeing the safety of their other Cheerios products. There is no explanation how the Peanut Butter Cheerios and other products are not cross contaminated. I've always found General Mills at the top of my list of companies when it comes to responsible food labeling. But their refusal to disclose their manufacturing processes is disturbing. You would think they would be happy to let us know how and why their product is safe. Their are millions of children in this county that are estimated to have a peanut allergy. Why not tell the parents why they are safe and end this.

What I and so many others also find worrisome, is the packaging and look of the "O's" themselves. I mentioned to my hubby about the new flavor, and to be careful if he were to buy Cheerios for our son. Now we usually get the store brand because between my 3 year old and husband, we go through so much cereal we need to buy bulk and cheap. If there is a good sale, then sometimes we get the real deal. Well he stopped by the supermarket (the good dad that he is), and checked it out. He was a bit upset that the packaging was so similar to the Multigrain flavor as rumored. The Multigrain box is very different from the regular Cheerios. Why not make the Peanut Butter ones stand apart from the others as well? Even the Honey Nut box is distinct!

So, mad about the new Peanut Butter Cheerios, I am not. I am frustrated, aggravated, and concerned for the new challenge this presents for our family when it comes to food outside the home, especially school. They are free to make what they want. It's just another food we need to talk to his teacher about. We won't be buying any Cheerios Products anytime soon. Not just for the cross contamination factor, but also for their (General Mills), lack of disclosure. Let our wallets do the talking if they won't put on their listening ears (as I tell my 3 year old), and hear our concerns, make sure to let them know how you feel. They may be safe, or they may not be, but until they tell why they are, I say pass the Raisin Bran please!

How many have to die?

2012-01-10T22:03:00.001-05:00

Saddened and angered by yet another avoidable food allergic death of Amaria Johnson, a 7 year old girl at school, I've been thinking how am I going to keep my child safe at school. As soon as I start to get more comfortable with the idea, another child suffers and a family is devastated because our schools aren't keeping our children safe. Do I have a solution? Not for every child, but it's time for schools and all parents to start taking food allergies seriously.

I don't understand why epi pes aren't available in all schools. They have defibrillators in some schools for emergencies why not epi pens? The chances of an allergic reaction happening are rising. For a $100.00 a year so many lives could be saved. Most people don't know they have a food allergy until they have a reaction. To me it's common sense that the school has them.

So right now there are two links I want to share:

1. FANN also has a sample letter to send to your senators to encourage them to pass the School Access to Emergency Epinephrine Act. This is federal legislation encouraging states to adopt laws requiring schools to have epi pens to use for any student.

2. A petition from change.org asking that epi pens be available in all schools. It takes two seconds to sign.

Do your part. Send that letter and sign the petition. Fight for your children's right to be safe.

Goodbye 2011 & Hello 2012!

2012-01-04T21:06:00.004-05:00

Trying to find 10 minutes or more to sit down and write theses days is next to impossible. I don't know how the other mom bloggers do it. My hats off to you ladies! I myself am not that organized. I have piles of laundry waiting to be put away, a sink full of dishes, bottles and pump parts. My dining room is stacked with picture frames waiting to find a photo and a home. I'm not even going to describe what our "play" room looks like. At least my desk at work is nice and neat.

With that said, I look at the mess and think we had one heck of a year. Most important is that Cormac became a big brother. We are lucky he is such a good baby, and Mac is a great brother. Now add my hubby's new horrible schedule, to the new baby, Mac starting preschool, going back to work, and me trying to start a photography business, and needless to say, life has gotten challenging. There are days I say to myself, somethings got to give. Maybe his food allergies will disappear. That would make things easier. But that's not realistic. A girl can dream.

We went for our yearly allergist visit to see if we would get our Christmas miracle. Turns out his peanut numbers went up. A lot! It makes no sense to me after the huge drop last year. But what can you do? I can't say that it didn't upset me when we got the call. I was really hoping we were getting closer the possibility of him growing out of it. I guess I will always hope that it will change.

The good news is we may be able to rule out all tree nuts soon. We got the go ahead for hazelnuts. He's even had nutella, and is doing fine with it. The Dr said she wants to do a food challenge for cashews. If he passes, we can say he's not allergic to tree nuts! It's the last one showing up in the tests.

At the moment I'm excited about the idea of the food challenge, and the hope that we can take away the tree nut fear. But there is a waiting list for the challenge, so by the time it happens I'll be a mess. For now though, I'll think of it as a good thing.

We are also debating on whether or not to test the baby. Our allergist recommends having him tested for peanuts around 9 months to a year. We probably will, but I have concerns regarding false positives. We will look more into it and then decide. If anyone else tested because of an older sibling can you please share your experience with me?

Our holidays from Halloween to New Years were uneventful in a good way. Thanks to a snow storm the week of Halloween, trick or treating wasn't an issue this year. Family made all the holiday meals safe. I couldn't be happier. There are tons of other things that happened in 2011, but to write it all out would take all of 2012. One one my resolutions is to be better about blogging. Now if the kids would only cooperate.

I hope 2012 is a wonder reaction free year for you all!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-23T23:01:00.004-05:00

From our family to yours.

I am so thankful for my two happy and healthy boys, food allergies and all. We face food challenges daily, but compared to what others have to face, I feel truly blessed.

Wishing you and your family a safe and happy Thanksgiving.

PS: I apologize for not keeping up. I don't know how these mom bloggers do it. Hats off to you ladies. You are more organized than I!

What is a Peanut Free School?

2011-10-19T08:41:00.007-04:00

So far so good. Mac has been in school for a month now and everything is going great. I check the snack every time before class, and he comes with me to "help". Now he even asks if it has peanuts in it as I read the ingredients. If it's not safe I tell him, and he's ok with having his own special snack. We've had one party and he had his own cupcake. Again he was fine with it. The funny thing is, the other kids want what he's having. The teacher is doing a great job teaching the kids not to share or take each others food. I love that she is turning his allergy into a teaching opportunity. That's a good teacher.

So what is a Peanut free school I ask? His school is peanut free, yet we've had to say no to a number of snacks. Mostly cookies. They get snacks that are processed on the same equipment or facility as peanuts or tree nuts. To me that's not peanut free, but to them it is.

I'm not asking them to change their policy, but did ask about it. The answer I got bothers me. I was told that it's just a disclaimer and that if they had to find snacks that didn't have this warning, the kids wouldn't have anything to eat. Um so why is there a huge bag of snacks for my kid in his classroom? There are tons of things for him to eat that are safe.

While it's true some companies put it on their products as a disclaimer, others don't. Again I'm not asking for a change. I just think they need to revise their peanut free statement. It creates a false sense of security. I know every parent has to make the choice of what is safe and not safe for their food allergic child. In our family shared equipment or facilities are not acceptable. He is still too young for us to take that chance especially when not with us. For other families theses things are ok. I'm not judging at all. It's each families choice.

Next month there are 7 birthdays in his class. I'm going to bake a batch of cupcakes and freeze them. This way I'm prepared!

First day of School!

2011-09-14T13:28:00.003-04:00

The first day of School was a great success! We are really happy with the school, and his teacher. The snack was safe! We followed our food plan, and so did the teacher. I felt very comfortable leaving him in her care. I even brought a variety of snacks for the teacher to keep in her closet "just" in case.

We went over all his meds with the Director, and she asked some good questions. I love when people ask questions! I have to say I really like how they make me feel. I think we are very lucky this year.

There were no tears for mom, dad, or the little man. We are so proud of him. We are off to a good start for the school year! He is already asking to go back!

New Addition!

2011-09-10T14:46:00.006-04:00

So yes I've been totally neglecting my blog. I do apologize, but I have a good reason. As mentioned in past posts, I was preggers. In my last month I was not a happy camper. Being pregnant in August is no fun especially when you have a crazy toddler running wild! So I decided to spare you all complaining I would have done if I actually sat down to write.

Well after a quick and crazy labor of only 2 hours and 45 minutes from start to finish, Cormac became a big brother last month to baby Kieran! He is doing well with him. Not so much with mom and dad. He's decided to stop listening for the most part. Most of it is the fun terrible 2's and 3's, but some has to do with baby brother. So we are adjusting as best we can. We've gotten a lot of help from my mom. Thank God for Grandma's!

Big brother starts preschool next week! I can't believe it. We are really lucky that his teacher totally gets the food allergy world. Her teenage daughter actually has food allergies so she knows what to do in an emergency, and knows what is at stake (I wonder if she babysits). That makes me feel so much better. The school itself is great about it too. They have gone out of their way to make me feel comfortable with sending him there. They also don't make me feel like a crazy over protective parent.

We have a food plan set up and I am happy with it. When we drop him off we have to approve the snack before we leave. If it's a no, she will give him a safe snack that I supplied already that she will keep in her closet. They are also going to let me keep 2 cupcakes in the freezer for the unexpected birthday. Otherwise I will get notice of parties and such. Two parents have already asked me about his allergies with concern for him. That was very nice too.

Fingers crossed things go well next week and the rest of the year. Diving into the school thing for the 1st time for an allergy parent is scary, but we have to do it at some point. I'm just glad we have an understanding teacher and director to work with.

Start Planning for the School Year & 504 Plans!

2011-07-20T18:17:00.003-04:00

So far summer has been pretty uneventful this year. I'm 8 months pregnant and not enjoying the heat. I feel bad that my little guy isn't getting to do much this summer. Momma just can't stand the heat!

I know this sounds crazy, but summer is half way done! For those of you sending your kids off to school in the fall, it's time to get your 504 plan in place soon. FAAN has a good link explaining what the 504 plan is, and how to go about getting it in place. Basically, if your child suffers from a life threaten food allergy the government considers this as a hidden disability. The 504 plan is available under the federal civil rights laws, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. It is there to help you keep you child safe and set up accommodations with your public institution.

There also may be local resources available to help you with your 504, or written management plan. For instance, there is a nonprofit organization called Putnam and Westchester Living Centers here in NY. They provide services to parents with children with special needs (which includes life threatening food allergies). They have offered to come and do a workshop on 504 plans for the Food Allergy Families of Rockland support group I have co founded. I hope to get this set up soon as baby may be here soon, as well as the school year starting in about 6 to 8 weeks. Best of all their services are free of charge.

As Cormac isn't starting kindergarten for quite some time, I don't have any personal experience with setting up a 504 plan. In the time being, I am anxious to learn as much as I can. He will be attending preschool in the fall, and since it is private they do not have to do a 504 plan. However, I've already spoken to them about his food allergies, and are set to meet before school starts to set up his accommodations and procedures and to meet with his teacher.

My advise is to start looking into what you need to do to keep your kiddo safe in school now. You may not be able to meet with the school just yet, but get yourself on their schedule before school starts. Talk with your Dr. about what they feel is the best plan of action for the upcoming school year. Have all your ducks in a row so you are prepared to do what you have to. The more information you have on what they have to and not have to do will be your best weapon.

If you have any experience with this, please feel free to comment here or on the No Nuts For My Peanut facebook page. I'm sure there are plenty of people beside me who would like to hear what your expediences are.

Summertime Blues:(

2011-06-26T12:26:00.007-04:00

My apologies for not keeping up with my blog. For some reason June is always a crazy month for me. Not one of my favorites. This year I have a touch of the summer time blues. While most people are excited to get out and about, I just want to hide. The good news is, I'm coming out of it!

So some might ask, "How can you be down in the beginning of the summer"? Well for me it's the overwhelming thoughts of all food challenges that summer brings. Add 7.5 month pregnant hormones, potty training, the terrible 2's, the heat, and there you have it folks. A very cranky momma.

What set me off this year is the Ice Cream Man. As a kid, I loved this summertime tradition. He rarely came down my block so it was extra special when he did. Where we live now he comes almost every night at dinnertime. That annoying song that loops over and over drive me nuts! He always stops right in front of out house without fail. Not just for a minute but for 5 to 10 minutes. Sometimes another one comes a bit later.

We've tried to tell the little man that's it's the music truck, but he doesn't buy it. He sees what all the kids are eating. It just makes me so sad every time he sees the kids and their ice cream, and he can't have any. I keep some safe popsicles in the freezer, but that will only last so long. I know there has to be something he sells that is safe for him like a fruit bar or something. I just haven't figured it out yet. I'm not sure how receptive the Ice Cream Man will be to me standing there reading labels for a while without buying anything until I can double check with the company. I know there is a solution to this, I just have to get on it.

Parties and BB Q's are the another summertime downer for me. What once was a fun time, has turned into anxiety from hell. Gone are the days where I can sit and enjoy the party and watch my kid from a distance. Now I have to hoover. FYI helicopter parent is not my thing.

In addition, now that Mac understands that his food is different, it's so hard. He really wants what everyone else is having. He gets mad and upset when we tell him no, but just doesn't understand why. We've been talking to him about peanut and tree nuts and how they will make him sick. He repeats it all the time but doesn't quite get it yet. Again another thing that breaks my heart.

I hate having to pack a days worth of meals every time we go on an outing. Lugging it around and then he won't eat it! It's worse then when he was a baby and we had to bring baby food and bottles. I guess the good part is we don't spend the money and eat healthier right?

Well enough with the pity party for me. There are so many worse things out there to be down about. It really is time to stop feeling down. I have a happy and health child and am grateful for that. As I said I'm coming out if it. I'm keeping busy trying to start a new photography business (shameless plug I know, I'm on Facebook too), chasing a 2.5 year old asking if he needs to go pee every ten minutes, getting ready for the new baby, as well as trying to get the Food Allergy Families of Rockland support group growing. I need a drink! I can't wait till I can have a margarita on the rocks with no salt! August is seems so far with a caving like that.

Ok I'm done feeling sorry for myself!

What's Been Happening Here

2011-05-20T09:06:00.007-04:00

I know I'm way behind on my blogging. I've got tons of excuses, but I will spare you the boring details. I should fill you in on our allergy news.

Wednesday night was the 1st meeting of out local food allergy support group. We had a small turn out but it was fun. We basically traded some stories and talked about how to make the group a success. It always surprises me when you have something in common with other people how easy it is to talk. You become comfortable with them quickly. I would suggest if you have a support group in your area, go to a meeting. It's great to feel like your not a crazy overprotective parent. A the bottom of this FAAN Page on support groups, you can find one near you. Or just do a google search for your area.

The next thing I want to tell you is how wonderful the NY Mets Peanut Control night was at Citi Field! We had such a fun time. Bringing a 2 year old to a baseball game is a lot by itself. Add his peanut and nut allergies, and insane is the word that comes to mind.

Having the peanut free suite was an amazing experience for a number of reasons. First you get to enter through the VIP entrance. You don't have to mix with the rest of the fans (their food in particular), or even pass any concession stands. The hallway to the suite is enclosed so no peanuts flying around.

Second, you don't have to just sit in your seats. There was an indoor suit as well as a balcony seats. You were free to roam between the two. This is perfect for our ants in the pants 2 year old. We were able to leave the suite and let him run and walk around without fear of peanuts all around. The hostess for the suite next to us even asked who the allergic kids were so she would keep an eye out if they wandered to that balcony. They didn't serve peanuts outside on their balcony either just in case.

Third, the food was catered and was peanut free. My only issue with the experience as a whole was their food options were slim. My son won't eat hot dogs or rice so french fries were his only option. I hope next time there will be some additional options. Since we are not allowed to bring our own food.

Fourth, Mr. Met came to visit. The kids LOVED this. Our little guy kept asking him, "what are you doing baseball?" They took photos, but of course my guy was too busy talking to him and wouldn't turn around.

We did go to a lower lever to buy a hat for him. The minute we stepped off the elevator I stared to panic. Daddy had to keep a tight hold on him and didn't put him down until we got to the store. I think until he is older, peanut free suites are the way to go. I know I would not enjoy the game in regular seats when bringing a peanut allergic kid. I do want to go back to Citi Field without the little guy so we can explore the new stadium. It's beautiful.

So if you get a chance and love baseball, I say spend the extra cash and go peanut free suite style. I can honestly say we had an amazing stress free experience. My son loved his first baseball game, and was talking about it for days. He even wore his hat to bed for a bunch of nights. So thanks NY Mets for a great first experience for this Food Allergy Family!

In other food allergy news, I received my 1st edition of Allergic Living Magazine. Now that its available here in the US, I suggest getting a subscription. It's a great resource and a good read. If you go to the FANN Discount page you can save $10.00 on your subscription.

Well I'm off to do the 100 other things I need to do.

A Year Gone By

2011-04-22T09:54:00.025-04:00

Today is an anniversary for our family. It's not one we remember fondly, but it makes us thankful that we made it though without any major incidents (well since the first one that is). A year ago today our family entered the oh so fun world of severe food allergies.

This last week I've been really thinking about how our lives have changed. How my parenting style has changed. Our lives are more stressful, and I've become that helicopter mom at parties (not how I envisioned myself at all). In fact I dread parties now. I have bad dreams about him riding the bus and bullies. I also have arguments with strangers in my head when thinking about the future and the situations we may encounter. I've always been outraged about intolerance, but now it makes me weep when I know my child is the target.

However that is not all. I've become more tolerant and educated. I've come to appreciate our family and friends even more than before. Without their love, support, and acceptance of our situation, things would be much harder. I cry when someone goes out of their way to make my son feel safe and included. I've connected with other parents through this blog to get support and hopefully to give it. I've also met another local mom who is working with me as a co founder for a community support group Food Allergies Families of Rockland. So it's not all bad.

I don't think I even told you our story of how this all began. Since today is our anniversary, it's time I shared it with you. Let me start with that there was no family history with nut or peanut allergies that we knew of. Neither my husband nor myself have any food allergies. We were not told to wait till he was 2 years old since there was no history. When Cormac was about 14-15 months old we decided to try peanut butter. I waited until we had some Benedryl in the house just in case. It was a first time mom thing. I really didn't think he had allergies. I first tested it on his skin, again no real reason just did it that way. No reaction. So he had his first PB&J. Still no reaction. So I'm thinking we're all good. That year at Easter he had some Reese's Peanut Butter Cups and other chocolate candies. Again no reaction. Two more PB&J's later and all was still good.

So that's at least 4 times the kid had peanut butter without a reaction. Well #5 was the winner. A very good friend came over for a play date which we planned on having lunch. While I was getting our food ready she asked if Cormac could have a peanut butter cracker. I said yes, so she made him and her son some. When I come out of the kitchen she says I think his eyes look funny. I thought, oh he's just tired since it was very close to nap time. Within five minutes we knew it wasn't that he was tired. His eyes were swelling and swelling fast!

She said I think it's the peanut butter. I still was not convinced because he had had it at least 4 times already, and he hadn't even eaten any of it this time. Well we figured out he rubbed his eyes with his peanut butter coated hands.

Now we're getting really scared. His eyes were now swelled closed and the size of golf balls, and he was getting a bit lethargic. I gave him some Benedryl, started a bath and, called the Dr., as well as my husband who was luckily down at the library in town. The Dr was out so I called the emergency number. He called back fast, told me to give him more Benedryl and if his breathing started to get bad go to the ER. Luckily that didn't happen. The Benedryl seemed to calm things down pretty quickly.

Photo 1. taken 20 minutes after exposure. Photo's 2. and 3. taken 3 hours after exposure.

He was now able to open his eyes, but when he did I was totally freaked out! The whites of his eyes had swollen so much that they were starting to cover his iris's! They looked like someone put a ton of clear jelly like stuff in them.

He was no longer lethargic but was crying in pain. This however didn't last long thank God. The Dr called back to check on him 20 minutes after our first call. We updated him that Cormac seems to be improving. He again said to watch his breathing and call 911 if any hives appeared, his breathing changed, passed out, or started vomiting. None of that happened so we stayed home. It took over 24 hours for the swelling to go completely down.

I think back now and think why didn't I go to the hospital? Part of it was I didn't know what was happening. It didn't make any sense to me. Cormac was able to communicate to me the same as if he were ok. I had an experienced mom with me and then my husband who both kept me calm. At no point did I feel his life was in danger, but that was my inexperience with food allergies talking.

That's our story. I can't imagine what would of happened if he actually ate the peanut butter that day. Instead of his eyes swelling it could have been his throat, mouth or tongue which would have been much more serious. After seeing a pediatric allergist twice now, and living with this for a year, we have learned so much. The one thing that scares me the most is that his next reaction could be much worse. But if and when it happens you can bet we will be calling 911. When they say knowledge is power, it's true. The more you know about food allergies the better you can keep your kids safe.

Do I wish he didn't have food allergies? You bet! But when I think about all the other illness's or disabilities he could have, I am grateful that this is just it.

Girl Scout Cookies!

2011-04-10T18:19:00.007-04:00

I LOVE LOVE LOVE Girl Scout cookies! In fact I've already polished off two box's of Somoas alone, and have threatened the hubby to not touch what's left. As usual, I first checked the label and didn't see any warning on the ones we bought for peanuts or tree nuts. The Somoas do however say, "Contains, wheat, milk and soy". I figured that since they are only made once a year, it would be vague, or full of cross contamination warnings. Very doubtful, I went on their web site to find out about their allergen labeling policies.

According to the Girl Scout web site, the cookies are made by two different bakers, Little Brownie Bakers and ABC Smart Cookies. I bet you can imagine how excited I was that both companies do more than the minimum when it comes to their allergy warnings! Both state they practice in cautionary labeling for cross contamination. Even better was the information was easy to find in the FAQ section.

If only all companies would be as responsible with their labeling. I don't think they understand how loyal food allergy sufferers can be when they find an company that is responsible.

I am truly excited that my little man will get to eat one of my most favorite treats (if I share that is). It makes me proud that when I was a little girl I was in such a considerate and wonderful organization. Thank you Girl Scouts!

Always the same.

2011-04-09T13:24:00.005-04:00

Finally beautiful weather to take the little guy to the park today. I was not the only parent with that idea. The park was buzzing with kids today and it felt so good. Our guy had a great time.

As usual I had his epipen on me. I didn't bring a bag so it was sticking out of my pocket a little. I think any mom with a child who suffers from food allergies can spot and epipen a mile away. That's what happened today and I'm glad.

This very nice mom to a beautiful little boy came up to me and asked if Mac had food allergies? I of course said yes and then laughed because I remember the epipen sticking out of my pocket. She said I have mine in my bag. We got to talking and comparing allergies.

Whenever I meet someone who has a child with food allergies they all same the same two things:

1. How it is such a life changing diagnosis.

2. How alone they felt when hearing those works your child has a life threatening allergy to...

The second one always make me so sad. Why is it that we feel so alone? There are over 12 million people estimated to have food allergies. I am meeting people all the time now who have to deal with them in their families or just know someone.

I am reminded once again that more research, education and awareness is needed. I told her about the support group Helen and I are starting and she was excited to hear about it. I hope she comes. This is the exact reason I wanted to do this. We need to be there for each other, and learn from each other. Most importantly we need to know we are not the only ones.

The NY Mets are stepping up to the plate!

2011-04-05T11:07:00.009-04:00

NY Mets Peanut Control Night

Tuesday May 3rd. @7:10 pm

vs. San Francisco Giants

A while back I mentioned that the NY mets are going to have a peanut control night, but didn't have all the details. Well I heard from them and want to share. It's not a peanut free game, but there will be a peanut free suite, with a peanut free menu offered to the fans in the suite. The ticket price includes the food, beverages (non alcoholic), and the safety of the suite. It's pricey ($90.90 per person), and not the best time for kids to go to a game, but it's a start. The suite will also be power washed prior to the game to add to the safety.

During my original conversation with their rep, I was told that only 45 General Admission tickets (no assigned seats), will be available online only. I was also told if this is successful (meaning sold out or close to it), they will look into adding more peanut control games to the schedule.

I did mention that people with peanut allergies generally are allergic to other foods and hope that they will allow those individuals to bring their own with them. I do not know if that is something they will allow, so I suggest you call.

As I am a Met fan and the hubby is a Yankee fan, this has to be a success in order to sway the little man into the Mets camp. Here is the link again to the info.

Hives twice in one week!

2011-03-24T08:31:00.006-04:00

It's been a tiring week and a half so far. The little man has had a bad cold and cough accompanied by a fever 3 nights in a row that would spike at 4 pm each day. He would have no fever during the day but a 4 he would get a fever ranging for 102-103.2. It hasn't been fun for anyone. Lack of sleep is getting to both me and daddy. Jim just says Mac is prepping us for the new baby. Personally I'd like the next 5 months to get as much sleep as I can.

On top of that we had 2 incidents of hives in 6 days. Keep in mind hives have never been a symptom with Cormac. We only had one food allergy reaction to peanut butter and that was bad. Swollen eyes to the size of gold balls, as well as the whites of his eye swelling over the iris's. It looked like gel. Very scary and painful for him, but no hives.

Back to the hives. While Jim and I were at the big ultrasound finding Mac is going to have a little brother, he was at a play date. We totally trust the two moms (and still do), that were watching him. Both are well informed about his allergies and know what to do if something happens. Yeah for good friends!

Apparently the dog licked him around his eye. His eyes then got watery, red and itchy, and one or two hives appeared on his for head. They called us and told us what was happening. They wanted to give him benedryl like our action plan says to, but they weren't in a panic. Since Cormac has been around this dog and many others without incident, we weren't in a panic either but concerned. By the time we go there the benedryl cleared it all up and if they didn't call us we never would of know about it.

We talked about what he ate while there, and determined it wasn't the cause. So this led us to believe he's either allergic to the dog, or something the dog ate. I'm leaning toward the dog food, since he has been around this dog many times and never had an issue. But we aren't 100% on that.

Five days later we had two neighborhood parties to go to. Lets just say St. Patrick's day is HUGE here. Our little town boasts that we have the second largest St. paddy's Day parade in NY, just after the NYC parade. So there are parties everywhere. Both parties we were invited to are at houses we frequent and allergy aware.

At party #1, we knew ahead of time that the chicken nuggets were safe as well as some of the cupcakes made by another neighbor. She had called me the day before to tell me she made Mac safe cupcakes for both parties. As usual she told me what she used to make them. All safe.

Needless to say we let him have both. After about 10 minuets of him eating the cupcake his little face broke out in hives. My sister in-laws brought it to my attention as we were saying good by to out hosts. So this time I got a little panicked. I still haven't had this happen to him while I was there. Hives covered his chin and cheeks. One of the moms who was at the play date earlier in the week, was there and said this was much worse than what happened at the play date.

We gave him bebedryl, and in 10 minutes it cleared right up. Now there with a few other kids at the party that have peanut and tree nut allergies and didn't have a problem, with the cupcakes. Plus I know they were peanut and tree nut free. So for the last week I have been racking my brain as to what could have cause it. He only ate the frosting not even the cake. Since we feel so comfortable at this house, and were outside most of the time, I think both me and the hubby let our guard down. They were many people there who deal with his allergies often, and I think we took that for granted. There were many kids there and of course food everywhere. Maybe he got his sticky little hands on something when we weren't looking. I feel so bad. It could have been so much worse. Lesson learned. But at the same time, the unknown cause was still nagging me.

So this whole week I've been a bit obsessed. I called my cupcake making friend and asked her about the frosting ingredients again. The only thing I can question now is the egg whites. (which is not on his list of no no foods). Our friend is very diligent when it comes to Cormacs allergies, so I'm 100% sure it wasn't nuts or peanuts. He's always been able to eat things with eggs baked in it. We did have to stay way from straight eggs for a while because he would get splotchy, but he seemed to grow out of it, and we got the OK from the allergist to go ahead and bring them back. He hasn't had any issues with them since.

We never made it to the 2nd party, but managed to make it to the parade. I'm still very frustrated about not being able to pinpoint the cause of his hives. Like everything else with food allergies, I'm left with unanswered questions.

Lets talk positives: Littlescoops Ice Cream Parlor and More!!

2011-03-14T14:47:00.011-04:00

After following the heartbreaking story of the little girl in Fl, I thought some positives were in order. This week was a very busy week for us. We had 2 birthday parties, received a phone call from the NY Mets, and, we found out today that Cormac is going to have a little brother! That's two crazy boys in my house. I can't wait.

Ok lets get to the details. The first birthday party was at an ice cream parlor called Littlescoops. Normally I would have been very scared to go to a party at and ice cream parlor, but not here. The host of the party is good friend and had asked all the food allergy questions I would have asked and more before even booking the party (thanks Willlie). She called me and I was floored about the response she got. The owner was very informed about food allergies and cross contamination. She even knew that M&M's are not safe for peanut allergic kids. The host and the owner decided to keep nuts out of the mix. How lucky are we that we have such great friends!

After hearing how great they were being, I had to call myself to confirm and ask some questions. The owner Michelle was great. Turns out her daughter suffers from tree nut allergies, so she had no problem with me asking so many questions, and even answered most of them before I had the chance to ask. I asked if we could bring our own toppings and she said bring what ever you need too. She told us vanilla soft serve ice cream was what was safest, told me the brand of chocolate syrup they used, and gladly gave me the name and number of the pizza place they get their pizza from. The pizza guys were just as nice. I wish I had their name for you.

Topping I brought with us: sprinkles, chocolate chips, crushed Oreo cookies, mini marshmallow's, teddy grams, and Sweetart Hearts.

Eating their pizza. How cute is this kid size counter!

To think I would never have even considered this as an option. We are adding Littlescoops to our b-day party venue list. They play games with them, danced, and the kids had a great time. Their website says they have other locations in NY, NJ and FL. Check them out. It's so rare to find a great FA friendly place.

Enjoying his ice cream before I could even put the toppings on it!

In our other positive news, The NY Mets will have a peanut free suite available for their May 3rd game again the Giants. The tickets will available online only. It will include a peanut free menu. I suggested that families be able to bring their own food for their allergic children if they have more than a peanut allergy. I hope that will be allowed. The suite will be power washed prior to the game as well. They will be sending me more details when the tickets are available for purchase. If it sells out, they will consider doing another game! I will update you as soon as I get the info.

Well that's all for now. Stay safe!

What is wrong with people?

2011-03-12T10:12:00.006-05:00

I really don't understand people. I had planned on writing a nice positive post about some great people and places we have been. Unfortunately the horrible ongoing going struggle about the 1st grade girl in Fl is haunting me.

I read the update this morning on The Allergic Kid and some other news reports (I commented on this one). Again I find myself in tears for this family. What baffles me even more is that there are other children in the school that have peanut allergies. Why are they targeting this one little girl? Why are they threatening her life over peanuts? Because their kids have to wash their hands. Really? Good hygiene practices (which they should be doing anyway), interfere with education, but class parties do not take time away from their studies. Why can't they have class parties without food? How is food a part of the learning experience?

As I said before, for 5 meals out of 21 in a week and a few snacks you can't come up with a different just as affordable lunch option? What do you think kids with allergies eat for lunch fillet mignon? Especially at the elementary school level I think schools need to be vigilant in keep all kids safe. I'm not always in favor of peanut free schools, but depending on the amount of kids and severity of the allergies it may be an option. A peanut free classroom is not extreme and either is hand washing.

Calling hand washing an extreme measure is just pain stupid. Do they even know the definition of extreme? It benefits all the kids not just the allergic ones. I bet these parents don't wash their hands after using the bathroom. I think the adults are the ones lacking an education.

On the The Allergic Kid blog there is contact info for the state, school district and principal. Please read the advise given about contacting them. If you want to speak up for this family I encourage you, but keep the family's wishes in mind.

I am so grateful for the people we have in our lives that help us keep our son safe without us even asking. Even our preschool and parents of his classmates are supportive. You would think as one parent to another it wouldn't even be a question.

Perk to Peanut Allergy!

2011-03-06T18:42:00.002-05:00

So there is one perk to having a peanut allergy in the family. Recalls of peanut butter for Salmonella! It's one recall we don't have to worry about in this house. But if you do have it in your house, or like me eat it at work, here is the link to the article with the recall information.

Besides that, the weekend was pretty uneventful. I'm ok with that. I hope you all have a great Monday tomorrow!

Do you know your expiration dates?

2011-03-03T07:44:00.005-05:00

Yesterday on Facebook I said I forgot what I wanted to write about. Well I remembered! I was dropping the little man off at the sitter/good friends house. Since earlier in the week we signed the kids (Cormac and her daughter), up for a class together that she will be bringing them too. That with spring hopefully on the way means she will be taking them out more.

So I just wanted to have the EpiPEn reminder talk. It's time to have it with everyone. We don't talk about it every time we see her or even monthly so I thought it would be a good idea to start refreshing people's memories.

I just stated the 2 simple rules that we have.

1. It MUST go everywhere with him. The park, library, a play date, everywhere. No exceptions.

2. Never leave it in the car. Temperatures can damage the medicine and make it less effective. Plus you never know when you may need it.

His sitter (and also good friend), is on top of this! I know she knows and does this, but it still needs to be said to anyone who takes care of our little man. A little reminder never hurts. Mom and Dad your next!

This EpiPen talk lead me to remember that both sets of EpiPen's are expiring soon. One set next week, and the other next month. How I remembered with my baby brain is beyond me! Let me say this is an accomplishment for me. I have the worst memory when it comes to dates. I can't remember the exact date of my best friends birthday and we've been friends for over 20 years. You would think that the husband couldn't remember the wedding anniversary. Nope it's me. I get it wrong all the time! When people ask I just wait for him to answer. Of course I get the look from him every time. I even mess up his and Cormac's birthday. I just have a hard time with numbers.

However I guess when it comes to my son's life, dates are not a problem. I can tell you when his EpiPens and car seats expire. So the really important stuff is in there. If you get a chance, go and check you emergency meds and epi's. If you can't remember when they expire, you can always register you EpiPen's here and they will send you a free e-mail reminder. They also have a app for your iPhone. I don't have it yet, but may try it out. I think it's a good idea for care takers to have. If you don't wan to register, you can also put it on your calendar at home, computer or phone. If you use an electronic calendar, have a reminder set at least a week in advance so you have time to call the Dr. to get a new Rx.

I just have to remember to call the Dr. and get the Rx. Oh baby brain how I hate you! I also have to go find out why ducky is in the naughty chair.

Food Facts!

2011-02-27T08:34:00.008-05:00

I received and e-mail asking me to talk about a website that can be a great help for anyone suffering from food allergies, want to check ingredients, nutritional facts, health score, recipes and even make a shopping list.

So I click on FoodFacts.com to check it out. As always I won't write about a product if I don't check it out first. I liked what I found. I especially like the Shopping List and Quick Recipe Finder. I can make a shopping list for myself and others on here. It is brand specific to help family and friends get what they need should they have to get food for my little man. While making the list I can double check the ingredients. Whoever is shopping will still have to double check when in the store, but at least they know where to start.

Though I haven't tried any of the recipes in the Quick Recipe Finder yet, I have done a search and a ton came up that avoided our allergies. I like that you can check off what you can't eat and a recipe is ready for you. They even put the safe brand of flour and seasonings you can use. Click add to shopping list and it adds all the ingredients to your list. You can then go and edit the list if you already have some of them. LOVE that. The recipe also lists the nutritional info. So it's good for anyone who is conceded about what they are eating.

I would recommend checking this out, especially if others take care of your FA children or you are new to the FA world. I think for the experienced FA people, it may give you some new recipe ideas! The only thing is you will have to register to use all the features on this site, but it is free so why not. For a better explanation check out their video on YouTube. They did tell me they are coming out with an app. Maybe they will let me review it ; )

**As always I want to be honest. I did not receive any money or products for this review. Just an opportunity for them to list my blog on their site. I would of wrote about it even if they didn't list it.

What not to eat?

2011-02-24T14:00:00.003-05:00

So now that our big news is out, I can share my struggles about food. When your pregnant the doctors give you a list of no no foods. No sushi, no alcohol, no caffeine, no cold cuts... the list goes on. This off limits list does not take into consideration that we already have a child with food allergies.

My first instinct was to avoid all his allergens while pregnant with number two. It makes sense. I am not exaggerating when I say I ate peanut butter 5 or more days a week for all 9 months of my pregnancy with Cormac. I also turned to almonds and walnuts for a quick, easy, and healthy snack. Low and behold, a child with severe peanut and tree nut allergies. I have beating myself up over this since we found out.

The minute we decided to have another baby I stared researching what to do this time. Every doctor (about 5 so far), say not to totally avoid these foods. Same with what I've read. Ok, now what I asked myself. There is no conclusive evidence as to whether to avoid or include these foods in my diet, just opinion. I hate that there are no clear cut answers when it comes to food allergies.

So like with the regular list of no's, my hubby and I decided moderation is key. Obviously I'm not going to eat these things around my son or even bring it into my house. So work is were I sample the forbidden. Is this the right coarse of action? I really don't know.

The good thing is I can bring almonds and walnuts back into the house. We received the good news that we can go ahead and include these nuts in his diet. So no guilt in eating those. In fact I had a yummy almond butter and jelly sandwich today.

Even though this is my second pregnancy, and I'm much more relaxed about it, I now have a whole new set of fears I didn't have with the first. I really don't know if I'm doing the right thing, and that is stressing me out.

The Real Reason ;)

2011-02-20T10:20:00.003-05:00

A picture is worth 1,000 words!

So this is my excuse these past few months for not being an active blogger. I do apologize, but the first trimester was kicking my butt big time! I just didn't have the energy or the stomach to be on much. Now that I'm starting to feel better I hope to be better about my blogging.

We are very excited about our new addition coming this August. Cormac is already talking to the "baby" (my stomach), and loves to give him or her kisses. I hope this is a sign that he is going to be a wonderful big brother.

The search for the perfect double stroller is on as well as trying to figure out what to and what not to eat this time. Things I didn't have to think about the first time.

Happy Valentine's Day!

2011-02-14T09:04:00.008-05:00

Here is my first ever attempt at making sugar cookies from scratch. Well the icing wasn't from scratch but the cookies are. I have a very fickle oven so this took so much longer than it should of. It wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. I may need practice but since I didn't burn the house down or the cookies, I think I did an ok job. Hopefully my St. Patrick's day cookies will be prettier. Looks like a have a lot of baking in my future.

Just frosted

After the Hubby and I ate a ton of them.

I also wanted to wish you all a safe and Happy Valentine's Day! Take the extra minute to hug, kiss and the tell people important to you that you love them! And remember be on top your game today and read those labels!

Valentine's Day Candy So Far

2011-02-02T15:30:00.005-05:00

When I wait until the last minute to get safe treats for my little man I always regret it. So I started shopping. We don't make a big deal about Valentine's Day, but it's nice to get a sweet treat. I use to love when my parents would get a little something for me. A giant Hershey's Kiss was a favorite.

This year is a challenge. It's our first allergy aware Valentine's Day. Please keep in mind the treats mentioned are peanut and tree nut free to my knowledge. Remember to check for yourselves.

Since the giant Hershey's kiss is out of the question, I picked up some regular kisses since those are the safe ones. I also picked up some Sweet Tarts Hearts, not to be confused with sweet hearts (the hearts are not safe). Sweet hearts are the normal conversation heart candies people usually give out, but you guessed it, it's on the no no list.

As mentioned on our Facebook page I also bought Heart Shaped Peep's. I did write them and found out (the next day I might add), just as people said on the FB page they are safe. He's a snippet from their email:

Because product formulations can change at any time, we encourage consumers to refer to our package labels for the most up-to-date ingredient and allergen information. We are required by law to declare major food allergens as defined by the FDA on our label. Moreover, it is our policy to voluntarily add advisory statements to our packages to alert consumers to potential cross contamination risks. Therefore, if there is a risk of any cross contamination with peanuts or tree nuts it would be stated on our packaging.

I like that they have a policy to voluntarily add advisory statements about possible cross contamination. This is responsible labeling and I think it's great. Easter is looking a little bit sweeter this year too! I love me some Peep's!

Since I know school will most likely pose a problem I'm going in with back up in my pocket this party. Some candies, and cookies ready to eat. Since we are snowed in once again I was going to try and make some heart shaped sugar cookies with the hard frosting and share my success or failure with you. But alas, my dear husband used the last of the vanilla so I have to settle for some oatmeal chocolate chip. Still yummy and much easier. I hope to get some time soon to try my hand at the the sugar cookies this week or next.

Remember: READ IT BEFORE YOU EAT IT!

This Week at the Allergist

2011-01-29T18:58:00.009-05:00

On Monday we hopped in the car and headed to out allergist in NYC. As expected we did another skin test and blood test. Not expected was how good Cormac was when they did the skin test. He didn't even flinch until the last prick. He just watched and sat still. When the nurse was done, he started to roll up his sleeve of his other arm. I'd say pretty good for a 2 year old. The blood test was of course a different story.

The skin results were every encouraging! Back in July he tested negative for almonds (for some reason we missed that), and positive for the other nuts that were tested. This time he tested negative again for almonds! I think this is a good sign. The other nuts came up, but much smaller welts this time. So small that after the 10 minutes we still didn't see anything. After about 20 minutes there were some small dots but not even close to last time.

The Dr. is optimistic that we may be able to rule out tree nuts! Almonds anyway. She wants to wait for the blood work to come back and make our move from there. I must note that his tree nut diagnosis was based purely on the skin test in July. When our regular pediatrician ordered the original blood test after his reaction to peanuts, Cormac wasn't tested for tree nuts. This time he was, so we sit and wait to see what the next step is.

I am still really happy with our Dr. at Mt. Sinai and their whole staff. They are all wonderful with Cormac and us. They take there time, and answer every question. Our Dr. never thinks I'm crazy or over reacting. She is supportive, and has encouraged me to go forward with the support group idea (now if only I could get moving on that).

One thing I want to stress is this. Be happy with your child's Dr.'s. If your not, it makes things so much harder. I'm glad we switched pediatrician's a while back. It was just before Cormac had his horrible reaction to peanuts. He was wonderful with us and I know we wouldn't have gotten the same attention and genuine concern from our old practice.

I went in thinking nothing had changed, and turns out there may be a big change for the better. I couldn't be happier!

Even at my son's own party?

2011-01-22T14:32:00.007-05:00

I was going to wait until later in the week to post about this, but why wait. Today we went to the New Jersey Children's Museum for the first time. Cormac had a great time. It had a ton of stuff to tire him out and give us some laughs. If your looking for something affordable to do on a cold winter day, this is the place.

My problem with this museum isn't about the the facilities , activities or anything like that, it's about what happen when I inquired about birthday parties. When were there, there were a few parties starting. I thought what a great idea. Cormac 's b-day is in December, and for years to come I'm going to have to come up with some location b-days. Our house is just too small for all his little friends already.

So of course my first question was about the food. I started by saying my son has food allergies so we would like to bring our own food. I also stated there will more than just him that has food allergies. She said we can accommodate you no problem. You can bring him (just him), his own food and the rest of the party has to eat what they supply. I said no it's his b-day party. I'm not going to make him something different than everyone else. This is not school, it's HIS party and he will not be left out. She said no you can't bring food for everyone. What the hell. I can't have a party for my own kid that has all safe food! She didn't even give me a reason why. Tell me why and maybe I'd understand.

I said what about a cake. He can't have yours and she said oh desserts are OK. So at least part of the party can be safe. So I asked what foods they serve and she said pizza. OK usually a safe food. I asked where do you get it from so I can talk to them and make sure it's safe? She wouldn't tell me. She said the pizza is peanut free, they use vegetable oil. Um really? In my quest to find safe places to eat for Cormac, vegetable oil has never been a answer in any pizza place so far. It's always olive oil. So that makes me question her info. It could be true but it's weird to me. I said what about tree nuts? Her response was, I'm sure it's tree nut free too. I can ask if you want.

No I don't want you to ask, I want to ask myself! I don't know you, and frankly your lack of understanding and unwillingness to talk about it doesn't make me trust you. No I didn't say that, but wish I did. Seriously why can't I talk to the place? You are charging $299.00 for a party. You can at least let me find out if the food is safe. I don't care how much you are overcharging me as long as I am 100% sure my son and his other allergic buddies are safe.

Anytime we go to a party at a kids place, we call and ask about the food. Not once have they denied me the information of where it comes from. Every place we have called have been super helpful and informative. Why wouldn't they be? Having an ambulance come to your place of business can't be a good thing.

So looks like a party here is out of the question, but for something to do we will probably go back. Like I said the museum itself is great and the staff (besides the party planner), were nice. Too bad though. It looked like the kids at the parties were having a great time.

Quick Update

2011-01-21T13:01:00.005-05:00

Things here have been quiet on the allergy front. We have so many school parties I was getting stressed out, but all the moms have been so great about it. I wish all his school years can go as well.

The bad dreams are starting up again and I'm not happy about that at all! It really sucks. I can go a while and not get upset, and then one damn dream gets me all anxious again. We have such great friends and family who are on board so why do I get this way? Motherhood I guess.

I think the big trigger is that we are heading back to the allergist on Monday. Cormac will be getting more blood work and skin tests done. I'm not looking forward to it. I really don't think much has changed in 6 months, but I will try and stay positive. I just feel bad for him and all the needles.

I'll be sure to give you the details when we get back.

What's Acceptable?

2011-01-14T11:42:00.009-05:00

I'm hoping I can get back to my blogging as I've been MIA. For some reason I've been avoiding the computer and my social networking/emails a lot lately. Probably not a bad thing since so much of our time now revolves around the Internet. I'm actually trying to talk myself out of upgrading to a smart phone. Do I really need Internet access 24/7?

So I read a blog entry today about a teacher who feels guilty about eating nuts at school. Now she does not have any allergic children in her class, nor is the school peanut and tree nut free. However they were at one time but that failed. The new idea is for the teachers to abstain and ask the kids to as well, but again it's not policy. Kids can still bring in their nutty foods.

She goes on to say how guilty she feels about her secret stash of mixed nuts she has in her draw. That she always washes her hands after eating them. She is aware of the allergies in the school (again none in her classroom). She seems responsible about it, but feels guilty. I think that feeling alone shows that she does care. Her post was well written and not accusatory against food allergic children or parents.

My point of this post is to ask, what's acceptable to you? We each will have our own tolerance on what is OK and what's not. In general I am OK with what she is doing. Provided she is not interacting with other children who do have allergies and is not eating the nuts in front of the non allergic kids when asking them not to eat nuts. I do think a teacher needs to set the example. Kids learn from teachers just as much as they do from home.

OK what do you think? Should she feel guilty?

I can't believe it's 2011!

2011-01-02T08:49:00.004-05:00

Boy how time flies. I really can't believe it's 2011. I think about how long I've know some of my friends and it's been more than half my life! It feels like just yesterday I met some of them. I feel old! But that's ok, because when I sit down and think about it, I've accomplished so much. At a glance it doesn't always feel like it in my everyday life, but when you get down to the details it's pretty fun to see what I've done. I think more people need to look at you life details and you will surprise yourself.

I've definitely grown as a person. I'd like to think I'm as still as open minded as I was when I was an idealistic teen. But the reality is life and motherhood changes that as you get older. When you become a mother, you world view changes a bit. You see more of the bad than you saw when you didn't have those worries. Add food allergies to the list and you start seeing how some people are down right mean, selfish, and ignorant.

I don't always deal well with those people. I'm still struggling with my own anxieties and fears when It comes to Cormacs allergies. Reading negative comments and articles all over the web still gets me upset. So even though I'm not one for New Years Resolutions I decided to work on some things in 2011 that I hope will stay with me for the years to come.

1. Stop reading comments made after food allergy articles and negative blogs about it. I need my sleep, and fighting with these people in my head isn't worth it!

2. Take a step back a remember that people who don't live with food allergies on a daily basis don't deserve my anger when they don't get it. I can't expect the world to understand.

3. Thank and tell people who make and effort how much it means to us that they are trying even if they don't get it right. This will encourage them to keep trying, give us an opportunity to educate, and eventually hope that our patience will pay off in the end when they do get it right.

I make sure to tell the moms in our Mommy & Me class how much it means to me that they ask questions and bring in safe snacks for the whole class. It's paying off! At the holiday party a mom made cookies and asked me a ton of questions before hand. The party came and she was worried about the frosting she used and made him a plain cookie. It meant so much that instead of taking the chance she though about it. She thought about my son in the middle of all the holiday fuss. That's a big deal to me, and it was important to me that she knew that.

So even though our children's food allergies are a very serious thing, I think we need to give others ( the people who are trying that is), a bit of a learning curve. People will forget or make a mistake but you can't expect everyone to be as on top of it as you are. Never compromise you child's safety of coarse, but remember how confusing and overwhelming it was and is for you. For others it may be just as scary. Good intentions won't keep your child safe, but it's a start to educating others on how to keep your kiddo happy and healthy.

I don't know about you but I am so happy the holiday's are over! Cheers to a healthy and happy 2011. Happy New Year everyone!

Two Reminders

2010-12-16T09:26:00.003-05:00

Epi Pens

With the cold weather settling in remember that your epi pens are affected by the temperature. Remember do not leave them in the car in the cold or hot weather. It can damage them and they may not be as effective as you need them to be. We have the Epi Pen Jr and there is a little window to check and see if it's still good. Make sure to check them and their expiration dates.

We finally went and got our Christmas tree last week. We didn't need to bring his diaper bag so we left it in the car. The chances of him having an ana reaction while getting a tree are slim but we always carry it with us. I put it in the inside pocket of my jacket to keep it from getting too cold. So remember that when sledding or just playing outside keep it with you where it won't get too cold.

Read it before you eat it!

Another reminder is this. With the holidays almost here we are getting busier and busier. It was the week between Thanksgiving and Cormac's birthday. I was at Costco getting things for his party and was stressing out. They have really yummy premade meals that just need to be heated up. I LOVE their chicken and past alfredo. I scooped it up and was all set for dinner.

We got home and the leaf truck was on our street. We just have to rake our leaves to the curb and the truck sucks them up. So I bundled Cormac up and in a mad rush tried to finish the raking I started the day before. The calvary arrived! My parents pulled up at that moment and even 2 of our neighbors jumped in to help get the yard done. With their help the front got done just as they stared to pick up out leaves.

Well, still without checking I asked my mom to put in the chicken dinner. She did and it smelled so yummy. Then my mom came running out of the house. She was looking at the directions and by chance saw that is was process on the same equipment as peanut and tree nuts. I felt so horrible. In my rush to get a bunch of things done I didn't do the easiest and most important thing done. I didn't read the label! I was just going to give it to him. It really would have been all my fault. My mom thought I checked it so she didn't. We were lucky that she caught it. I beat myself up over it for days.

So my point is, don't let all the craziness get to you so bad you get careless like me. Remember to always check labels and ask people who made dishes what's in them.

And check those EpiPens and other meds, and beware of the cold temperatures.

Take Over Tuesday's Guest Blogger Laura. The Food Challenge

2010-12-13T13:12:00.011-05:00

Meet Laura, a mom of a beautiful little boy with multiple food allergies. I've been getting to know her thought this blog and e-mails, and am so happy to have done so. We actually got to meet in person at the FANN Walk for Food Allergy this past October. She has a passion for cooking and a degree from the Culinary Institute of America. She has recently started a blog called Treats 4 Me 2 with some yummy allergen free recipes that she has made for her son.

The Food Challenge

My name is Laura and I am the mom of a 2 year old with multiple food allergies. We first discovered the allergies when I was nursing and had Jack's blood work drawn at 9 months old. Fast forward to July 2010 and we were given the green light to sign up for a soy food challenge at Mt. Sinai's Food and Allergy Center in NYC. I was told that we would receive a call in a couple weeks from the food challenge nurse to schedule. Two weeks passed and I was very anxious so I called and was told it is a 4 month waiting list for food challenges. My initial excitement was followed by short term disappoint by having to wait so long to have our test taken. We scheduled the first available morning appointment on Nov 23rd. 2 days before Thanksgiving! A huge food event in every Americans' home I was hopeful for additional foods to add to our meal plan.

My next "challenge" was to find foods containing soy to bring to the challenge that my picky 2 yr old would eat. I spent countless hours on the internet and in the grocery store aisles looking for things my son might eat. We packed soy chocolate pudding, instant miso soup packet, soy milk carton, soy milk yogurt and I panicked the night before and ran to the health food store and found soynut butter.

Tuesday morning arrived and I packed my soy food and hungry son in the car and we were on our way to the city by 715am. We arrived right on time to the appointment and waited less than 5 minutes before we were ushered into the food challenge room area. There were 3 rooms for challenges from what I could see and 1 nurse appointed to administer the challenges. Each spacious room was equipped with toys, table and chairs, flat screen tv. There was one little girl ahead of us so we had a wait several minutes for the doctor and nurse. I didn't mind because I thought this would make Jack even hungrier for breakfast which he normally has eaten by 730am.

The doctor arrived and asked how Jack was feeling health wise. Has he taken any meds or Benedryl? Everything was good so far. The goal of the challenge was to consume 5 ounces of soy without a reaction. The first food we were going to try was oatmeal mixed with soy milk. It took a little coaxing, but Jack had 2 spoonfuls and then it was time for a 10 minute break to watch for a reaction. The doctor and the nurse left the room and we were to get them if anything happened. The nurse did pop her head in to see how things were going. After the time lapsed the nurse came back and asked Jack to eat some more oatmeal. Again he didn't want to, but I think the hunger helped. 3 more spoonfuls and it was time to watch and wait. Jack coughed a couple times and the nurse asked if he had a cough, I told her no and she decided we should wait a few more minutes before we give some more oatmeal. I agreed and told her next time she could add some more soy milk to change the consistency. This time we asked Jack to finish the bowl and he did. At this point, Jack had had 3 ounces of soy milk without any problem. I really don't think the cough was related, but we will never know for sure.

The next food we were going to try was chocolate pudding. I really thought he would love it and it would be that easy. Forget it, the tears started rolling and the protests began. We begged, bribed with offers for new toys, we ate it ourselves to show him how good it was. I tried to push a spoonful in his mouth and it only made things worse. He took turns crying on my husband's lap and crying on mine. The nurse tried to give him a cracker with the soynut butter and he wouldn't even look at her. She offered him soymilk which looked identical to his ricemilk carton we brought and he wouldn't take a sip. I didn't even bother offering the yogurt if he didn't want the chocolate. It lasted almost an hour when the doctor finally came back in the room to say it was over and she didn't want to upset him any further. He was flushed and exhausted from crying and we wouldn't be able to notice a reaction at that point. The doctor thought the amount of soy consumed was sufficient to continue giving him the 3 ounces and increase it after a couple of weeks at home if there was no reactions. After the challenge finished we still had to sit the room another 45 minutes to make sure there was no reaction. In total we were there almost 2.5 hours. I was so mentally tired after the visit I couldn't imagine how Jack felt. The nurse offered us the opportunity to schedule a challenge in a month for yellow mustard, sunflower or wheat. I passed on all of the choices. If he wouldn't eat pudding there was no way Jack was going to try a teaspoon of yellow mustard or sunflower. I told the doctor Jack has been eating Cheerios with wheat all along and I started giving him saltines with no reaction. She told me I could try a small amount of whole wheat pasta. We haven't tried yet.

That same evening Jack got a fever. I don't think it was related other than the exhaustion and dirty city. I didn't call the doctor and it only bothered him at night. I think it was just an annoying coincidence. I haven't given him anymore soy milk because he barely drinks his rice milk (which is very bland in comparison). I got what I wanted from the soy challenge. Confirmation that we can give Jack foods that contain soy or where processed on equipment with soy.

It will be a very long time before I schedule another challenge for Jack. Our next visit to the Food and Allergy Center is July 2011. Jack will be blood tested for the first time in a year. It will be very stressful for him, but I am hopeful that his scores will come down and there will be a future challenge for dairy or eggs. Nuts will just have to wait and see what research is completed.

Guest Blogger Disclaimer: The information shared by the guest blogger does not represent the opinions and policies of No Nuts For My Peanuts and it's creator. As always seek proper medical attention for any issues, medicine dosage's or questions you have regarding your health and allergies. Always read labels before eating or serving any food to anyone who has food allergies.

Playing Catch Up

2010-12-12T10:44:00.000-05:00

I want to apologize for being so behind on my blogging. Bad blogger (hand slap)! It's been pretty busy for us as this time of the year is for most. Cormac's birthday was right after Thanksgiving so we went from party mode one to party mode two in the same breath. I haven't even had time to get stamps for my holiday cards that are still sitting here! So I wanted to do an update post today.

Thanksgiving

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving and we truly enjoyed ourselves. My mom made a delicious meal that was safe for Mac. As mentioned, we did have the one unsafe dish but it really wasn't a problem. Everyone knew the risk it posed and was very careful not to cross contaminate anything. We still prepared Cormac's plate before anyone sat down. So everything went according to plan.

We also made an unplanned stop at my husbands Aunts house where his whole family was having dinner. The cousins got to play a bit and we were able to say hello. Since it was unplanned, I was very nervous to stop by knowing there would be food out and they weren't expecting my peanut tree nut allergic kid. But when they found out we were on our way they removed the nuts they had out without us asking. Then we were watching him like a hawk because they still had food out (which is totally ok it's a party). Jim's cousin noticed and she just moved stuff out of his reach again with anyone saying anything. It was so wonderful to see how much this boy is loved by his whole family. We are truly blessed.

Cormac's 2nd Birthday!

Well as most of you read my little man turned two last week. I can't believe how fast the time has gone. Last year we had a huge party which was fun but a big undertaking. I don't know 1st birthday's are so special. This year we keep it to family and God Parents. We have a tiny house so inviting all his friends would have been insane. But he had his cousins and family around. It was so fun. We did appetizers, pizza and cake. Clean up was simple and we got to visit with everyone. Mac was a hoot and sang happy Birthday to himself. We practiced for weeks!

We got the cake for a tree nut and peanut free bakery in my parents home town. My mom usually makes the cake but we weren't sure if she was going to be in town for the party. She was but we had already ordered the cake. It was yummy and we would recommend it, but not as good as my moms. Since it was a Caillou theme party I had to go on a hunt for all the party supplies. We actually found the Caillou edible cake topped. I called to check for allergens even thought their website said it was free of common allergens. It wasn't too specific so a phone call was warranted. They were very nice and answered the phone on a Sunday even thought they were closed.

Since Caillou is a very hard to find I had to think out of the box. I went to ebay and etsy.com to find what I needed. I LOVE Etsy.com. If you are ever looking for handmade unique gifts of any kind this is the place. It's like a up scale, great quality craft fair online. The people are truly creative and talented. There are thousands of shops with items for decorating your home, a baby's room to jewelry and clothes. It's a dangerous place to go, lol but I love it.

Then the following Monday for his regular play date we did cupcakes with his 4 girlfriends. They had fun and so did I! We still have our niece's birthday next week. She's truing one! It's crazy how fast it all goes. My wonderful Sister in-law called to talk food to make sure there was something he could have. She really is great about it. After that it's Christmas and then we are done with the holiday season. I do like the holidays but they are totally exhausting when you add the birthdays and holiday parties to it.

Also watch out for this Months Guest Blogger Laura on Take Over Tuesday! She will be telling us about he son Jack, and his first food trial. He did it a few days before Thanksgiving! She also has a blog Treats 4 me 2 with some great cooking advise. I need it because I HATE cooking!

Today You Turn Two

2010-12-06T17:09:00.007-05:00

It was 2 years ago early in morning that I met you for the first time. We waited for a long time for you to arrive, and when they put you in my arms my life changed forever. I watched as your father held you in his and instantly fell in love. You stole our hearts forever.

From that day on I tell you every day how much I love you, even when your not at your best. You make me laugh so much sometimes it hurts, but it's a good hurt. When you cry it breaks my heart. I kiss your boo boo's and wipe you tears in the hope that it will fix everything.

I am your momma bear and will always fight for you and do my best to keep you safe. I hope to teach you how to use your head and make good decisions, but if you don't I will still love you, because that's what mommas do.

These past two years you have grown so much and you are a little boy now. You talk to us, and make jokes, dance, run and laugh. I love you little voice and footsteps which are now my favorite sounds. I love you hugs, kisses and cuddles, and wouldn't change a thing about you (well maybe your tantrums).

Today you turn two and oh how how I love you. My life is so much better simply because of you.

Giving Thanks

2010-11-24T19:06:00.008-05:00

Besides all the food, Thanksgiving always reminds me of all the things we should be thankful for. I feel lucky to have such a wonderful family. My beautiful little boy has brought so much joy to our lives. I am thankful that he is a healthy thriving little boy. He may have food allergies but in the grand scheme of things that's nothing compared to what other parents have to go through with their children. So as tough as it may seem at times, remember that they are here with us, living their lives, laughing and smiling with us everyday. We are among the lucky.

I am thankful for my husband, who is not only my best friend and confidant, but an amazing partner to have in this life. His love, support and understanding keep me going everyday. Not only is he a fantastic husband, he is an even better father. His love and devotion for our son only makes me love him more.

I am thankful for our families. Grandparents, Aunt's and Uncles. All have been so supportive this past year (and always). Thanks mom for going out of your way and making this Thanksgiving safe for Mac. It's a lot of extra work but means the world to us.

To my dear friends, you have been my rock. Thank you for the hours of listening, support and advise you give. Thanks for loving my son, and taking the time to learn how to keep him safe. You make life so much easier for us.

And to all of you who take the time to read all the crazy things I have to say, thank you. You have given me an outlet to get my thoughts, fears, triumphs, and even anger out. Your advise, and ideas mean so much. I never thought anyone would ever read this blog. I am so grateful for your support, and kind words. I love reading your e-mails, comments on here and facebook. Thanks for letting me know we are not alone.

So from our family to yours, have a safe, fun and Happy Thanksgiving!

*photo by Doug Schneider Photo

Take Over Tuesday's: Meet Tricia & Her Nut and Dairy Free Maple Sweet Potatoes

2010-11-23T09:31:00.015-05:00

Tricia Barry Biagi is a freelance graphic designer who works from home and a mother of two. Her 7 year old son has food allergies to peanuts, tree nuts and dairy. She enjoys creating healthy, delicious, food allergy friendly recipes that their whole family can enjoy. You can check out her blog at www.cognizable.blogspot.com

One of my favorite Thanksgiving side dishes from childhood was sweet potatoes with lightly toasted marshmallows on top. What other time of year did your parents encourage you to eat vegetables with marshmallows? However, our family recipe included lots of butter and pecans, which were out of the question now that my son had food allergies to dairy and tree nuts. So, in order to have a traditional recipe we ALL could enjoy, I developed this super easy dairy and nut free version. While the turkey is occupying the oven, the sweet potatoes can cook in the microwave. This quickly steams them in their own moisture resulting in soft, tender potatoes. Using real maple syrup is a bit pricey, but worth the splurge. The maple, cinnamon combination create such a luscious flavor that you’ll never miss the butter or pecans.

Nut and Dairy Free Maple Sweet Potatoes

serves 6

4 pounds sweet potatoes or yams (approximately 3 large potatoes)

1/2 cup of Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Spread*

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 cup of real maple syrup

one to two bags of small marshmallows

1. Wash the sweet potatoes well and prick all over with the tines of a fork. This lets the pressure escape while cooking in microwave and keeps the sweet potatoes from exploding.

2. Place the sweet potatoes on a microwave safe dish (I used a pyrex pie plate) and cook on high for 12 minutes. Turn the sweet potatoes over, so the softer side is up, and cook in the microwave for an additional 9 minutes, or until the sweet potato feels a squishy all over.

3. Set the sweet potatoes aside for about 10 minutes until they’re cool enough to handle.

4. Slice the sweet potato in half, length wise, and scrape the potato from the skin with a spoon into a large mixing bowl.

5. Add Earth Balance, cinnamon and maple syrup.

6. Mash with a potato masher until combined. They don’t need to be whipped smooth like mash potatoes, a lumpy texture is fine.

7. Spread in a 8.5" x 11" baking dish greased with Earth Balance to prevent sticking and ease with cleaning.

8. Top with marshmallows and BROIL on HI for a couple of minutes, or until marshmallows look puffy and toasted. This happens fast so watch it carefully.

* Earth Balance can be substituted with other dairy free spreads like Fleischmann’s Unsalted Margarine.

Our Thanksgiving Plan

2010-11-22T07:48:00.008-05:00

With 3 days left until thanksgiving I'm hoping we all have our "plan" ready. This will be our first Thanksgiving with food allergies. Surprisingly I'm not freaking out. I think it's because my mom is hosting. She has jumped right into our food allergy world, and is so amazing about it. Our other family members get it too. We do have it easier since Cormac only has the two allergies. For that I am thankful. I feel so lucky that there are no battles over this meal. I know that's not true for everyone.

What are we doing to make this a safe meal? Well first all appetizer will be safe. Anything he can get his grubby little hands on, has to be peanut and tree nut free. My mom likes to put out appetizers in the living room, perfect for him to get. So I'm in charge of two appetizers (the ones I would question if I didn't put out). She has asked about the other to make sure they are ok.

Dinner:

All but one dish will be free of his allergens (peanuts & tree nuts). My mom even contacted the company that makes the seasoning she uses for the stuffing. We couldn't get a 100% grantee that it was safe. Their facility is peanut and tree nut free, but they could not confirm if the plant were they get some of their ingredients from is. This was a tough decision. We said ok because the company explained their cleaning practices as well as their allergen testing policies. They seem pretty thorough, to my satisfaction anyway.

Our family has a love of sweet potato casserole. This is the one unsafe dish. Unfortunately our family recipe is topped with pecans. It is so delicious that I can't imagine not having it. The family offered not to have it, or to make it without the pecans, but Jim and I decided we were ok with it. My aunt will be making it at her house so we can avoid the possibility of loose nuts in the house, or the residue it may leave on the counters, cutting boards and such. What we will be doing is making up Cormac's plate and left over Tupperware before anyone even sites down. This way we reduce the risk of cross contamination of utensils and if he wants seconds (which I doubt), it will be all be on the side waiting for him.

As far as Jim and I eating the forbidden casserole, were not sure. We have the bad habit of sharing our food with him. We were thinking of having a separate plate and fork for it, but I don't know if I trust myself. We'll see.

Dessert:

We are lucky enough to have a peanut and tree nut free bakery in my parents town, Carmine's Village Bakery. To be safe she ordered all the rolls, pies and cakes from there. So he will have some options. I'm not sure if anyone is bringing anything else. If so, we will just have to watch him like at any other party.

With all that in place I'm feeling good and grateful to have such a wonderful family. However not all families are so cooperative. If you fall in this category (I'm sorry if you do), make sure you have a plan. He are some thing to think about.

1. When you sit down and think about it, does the meal have to be completely allergen free? For us not completely but the majority does. For some with multiple allergies it can be a must. If so, you may want to host. If your family refuse to make any concessions regarding the meal you may want to say, "We would love to join you but it really is too dangerous for so and so." I know this is not what most people want to do and it sucks, but it may be the only way for people to take you seriously or to keep you little one safe.

2. If you can handle a few unsafe dishes consider a seating arrangement and serving your allergic family member first. Even make up the left over Tupperware ahead of time.

3. Make your allergic family member one of their favorite dishes. In time this will become a part of your usual holiday dinner. Make enough for everyone. This way your little one won't feel like they are the only one eating it. As a kid I hated everything. Our parents use to include a pan of baked ziti at every holiday. It has become a must have over the years, even though it wasn't a holiday staple. Even as adults my cousins and I love having it.

4. Bring all you own food for your little one. Ask you host what they are serving and make as close to an identical meal as possible. Make extra too so they have left overs when they get home that you can all eat together. It's seems like a lot of work, but if it make your little one feel include, I say it's worth it.

Well since it's out first FA Thanksgiving I don't have much more advise. If you have more advise to add please do. Sharing ideas and ways to keep out kiddos safe is very important.

I hope you all have a safe, fun and wonderful Thanksgiving. Oh and check out tomorrows Take Over Tuesday, with Tricia who will share her nut free recipe for a sweet potato pie!

Dear Mr. Dumb Ass:

2010-11-17T09:44:00.008-05:00

I woke up in a good mood this morning, and I had a really nice uplifting post ready for today. I really try to keep it positive since it's hard at times. Then I got into my car and turned on the radio. BIG mistake! Normally I avoid articles, interviews and the comments people post about them that talk food allergies. It is just so upsetting to me. I will sit and stew over it for days, having arguments in my head with strangers when I should be sleeping. It just isn't good for me.

Today on 101.9 rxp a famous dumb ass comedian went on a rant about his child's God given right to eat PB&J (not in a funny joke telling kind of manner). I was really surprised and disappointed they aired it. I get it, really. It is a staple food here in the US (even though it's not the healthiest choice). It's easy, cheap, and kids like it. As I've said before I don't always think a peanut free school, or table is the solution. In fact I don't have a solution but that's another topic. But really, if your child eats 21 meals a week (not including snacks), and they go to a peanut free school, that's 5 meals they can't eat peanut butter. So the other 16 meals in that week they can. Why are those 5 meals such a big issue if not eating the stuff will keep all kids safe. Seriously 5 meals and some snacks. No one is saying you can never have peanuts again, so stop acting like it's Prohibition on peanuts. You can still eat them, and buy them. Oh but I forgot your wants (not your kids even), are more import than a life.

He called FA parents hypochondriacs. Oh I'm sorry my son has a CONFIRMED life threatening allergy to peanuts and tree nuts. That's right it could kill him. He could eat something and suffocate to death if he doesn't get help right away. Help for him is jabbing a needle into his leg and holding it there for 10 seconds, just so he can have 20 minutes to get to the hospital in time for further treatment. Heck after your kid eats his God given right PB&J are you going to be there to make sure he washes his hands? Because if they don't, they may be putting other kids lives at risk. But I'm over reacting. What if it was your child who was at risk? I bet you'd be the first to ban whatever it is that is life threatening.

Last I checked all kids in this country have a right to a free education, and all kids have to right to be safe receiving that education. FYI parents don't make school policy, the schools do. They may have influence but in the end it's the districts decision. They do it for many reasons, one being keeping it safe for all. So stop blaming the kids and the parents for a choice they don't make. Some like me don't even want the ban because they don't want to deal with people like you!

Like I said it's not the kids that are the problem. It's the adults that think this is how it should be. I hear "what's a birthday without cupcakes in the classroom to celebrate?' It's still a birthday just choose a different special treat. Yes other food can be special. Are cupcakes the only way to celebrate a birthday? If they get a treat and don't have to do school work for a few minutes they are happy with whatever it is.

So Mr. Dumb Ass, please think before you open you mouth and spout you uneducated, ignorant opinions. You get to speak on a public platform, and have a wonderful opportunity that most people don't to reach millions of people. Do your research and know your facts before talking about policies and health.

OK rant over. I just need to get this one out. Sorry for the angry post. I guess it's just been building up.

Play doh!

2010-11-10T12:48:00.008-05:00

Recently I picked up some play doh for Cormac and his little friends to play with. I would say it's a childhood staple here in the US. It's cheap, keeps the kids occupied, gets their little hands and imaginations working. I really enjoyed watching the five 2 year olds play with it this week.

Later that day Mac insisted on playing with it again (and has for the past 3 days). When Jim came home, he started reading the ingredients and was surprised that there was wheat in it. Actually he was shocked. I did know that, but didn't think about it when I bought it, because Mac nor any of his friends have a wheat or gluten allergy.

There are a ton of home made play doh recipes out there you can make. Just do a goggle search to find one that fits your needs. Here's a page of links for the search I did for wheat free play doh recipes.

I'm sure parents of kids with wheat or gluten allergies know this, but I wanted to put it out there for all parents who have play dates. Just something to think about.

It's Over!

2010-11-02T19:30:00.007-04:00

The weeks before Halloween my anxiety levels increased more each day. The last few nights before the main event I didn't sleep very much. I really didn't know what to expect for our first trick or treating (he had the flu last year). I have to say I was pleasantly surprised how well it all went.

We gave out peanut and tree nut safe candy and two kids actually commented and were happy. Most people let Cormac pick out his own candy. So we were able to stay clear of the unsafe stuff. I was surprised at how much safe candy people gave out this year. Also if he did go for a snickers, I would ask if he could have something else. Most people didn't think anything of it. Some even asked why. When I told them about his allergies they were great about it. One woman even told me that a few of the kids were asking what had peanut in it and what didn't. I guess my town has more kids with food allergies than I thought.

We went trick or treating with two of his little friends (and my mommy friends). It was so fun watching these three 2 year old' s (Mac is almost 2), go door to door and hear them say trick or treat. The moms were great to. They saved the peanut candy to eat later when they got home. I did make some adult hot chocolate (with Bailey's) since it was pretty cold.

Over all it was a great experience. He got safe candy, no panic attacks for me or the hubby, and we all had a good time. Plus since he doesn't really eat candy anyway, we get 99% of it! So how was your Halloween?

One last thing. I'm looking for this months Guest Blogger. If you interested please let me know. I still have lots to learn and would love to hear what you have to say.

Halloween & What Not

2010-10-28T13:55:00.009-04:00

The hubby and I just got back from our short little getaway to Newport. We had an amazing time. Cormac had a wonderful time with his grandparents here at home. I can't believe what a difference traveling without him is. Specifically the food issue. It's become such a part of our every day lives that it was hard to turn off the worry when eating out, but we managed. I have to say I am so guilty. Every chance I had, I ate something with nuts or peanuts in it. It was almost comical. I really enjoyed a chocolate chip pie that had walnuts in it. Since it's been so long since I had them, I had asked the waitress after finishing the dessert if they were indeed walnuts. Her face turned as white as a ghost! Poor thing, she thought I had an allergy and started to panic. I quickly assured her there was nothing to worry about, and that I was just so happy to have the nuts. I know sounds crazy.

When we got home we had to get right back into the swing of things. One of those things on my to do list was, to make a treat for Cormac's first school Halloween party. We go to a Mommy & Me class once a week. It's more like a pre preschool. We do a craft, have story time, and play games. All the kids are within 2 months of age with each other. The other moms are really nice too. When the sign up sheet went up for who would bring what to the parties I jumped on the snack assignment, and my good friend signed up for the next party snack. What a relief that was. That's 2 parties where he gets to have the same snack as the other kids. Though I think the other moms in this class understand. They ask me lots of questions about his allergy.

Ok so I made cup cakes. These are my first Halloween cupcakes. They aren't the best, but I think they came out ok. I have a feeling over the years I will get better at them.

I used all Betty Crocker products since I only had to worry about the peanut and tree nut allergy. Mac is the only one in the class with food allergies. The kids loved them, and the moms seemed to like them too. FYI when you use black frosting it leaves a mess on their face. I didn't get a good photo of Mac without the other kids so I can't post it. But take my word for it, because their faces were all covered in black icing.

We are gearing up for more Halloween festivities. There will be 2 days of trick or treating in my town. Tomorrow the town hosts a trick or treat event in downtown where all the kids get dressed up and go from store to store. We are going to attend with friends but may skip the store to store part and just hang out. Then of course is Halloween day trick or treating. We are going to attempt that too. This is our first time, but I don't think it's going to be a big deal since he's still little. I will carry some safe candy so if he get the urge to eat something, I'll be prepared with candy in the "safe" bag.

The candy we give out will be safe for Mac. I bought 2 bags of tootsie pop and rolls candy. I was going to try and get some fun little plastic toys or glow sticks to give out instead, but haven't had the chance to get them. I may also give some safe candy to the neighbors to give him so he can still have something. Here is a link to a list of safe peanut and tree nut free candy (and remember to still check the ingredients before eating or giving to a food allergic person). A few people sent me this specific link (thanks guys). Just google and you can find all kinds of safe candy lists. When he gets older my plan is to weed out the bad candy and trade it for a toy or something. Fortunately this year we won't have to do that. Jim and I will just bring it to work.

Since this is a hot topic right now there are tons of blog posts out there with tips for an allergy safe Halloween. Check out some of them that I have listed on the right of this post.

I hope you all enjoy and have a Happy & Safe Halloween!

I've been slacking!

2010-10-22T10:14:00.004-04:00

I know it's been over a week without a new post. It's just been hectic. I have a lovely cold and I'm just plain tired! Fall is my favorite time of year and October is my favorite month. We've been trying to do a lot, but this month has had us down for the count so far. Cormac has been sick twice as well as myself with four different things.

With what little free time I have, I've been trying to find a safe food coloring. Yep you heard me food coloring. With the holiday's upon us and treats everywhere, it times to start researching. To be honest, I hadn't even thought about food coloring until a friend asked which one was safe to make her sons birthday cake with. Cormac was going to be a guest at the party and they wanted him to be able to eat the cake (I have some great friends)! So the search started.

I've been e-mailing a few different companies and am still waiting for most to respond. The front runner looks like Betty Crocker, though I'm still waiting for a clarification from them. The actual company which makes Betty Crocker's food coloring and sprinkles is Signature Brands LLC. When I hear back from them I will update you. What they have told me so far is that the following products are NOT SAFE:

Marble Mixins (NOT SAFE)

Parlor Perfect (NOT SAFE)

Cake Mate Fruit Flavored Decors (NOT SAFE)

Cake Mate 26 OZ Rainbow Sprinkles - upc 52100 32626 (NOT SAFE)

Cake Mate 26 OZ Chocolate Sprinkles - upc 5210030247 (NOT SAFE)

Unfortunately Wilton is now on the no list for food coloring for us. They are made in a facility that has peanut nuts and tree nuts. I asked if they had dedicated lines that were peanut and tree nut free and they could not confirm. However they did say to call them while shopping and they could tell me about the specific product I am looking for. Here is the phone number if you want to check 1 800 794-5866. I did find them very helpful, quick to respond and forthcoming with the information. So in my book Wilton seems to be a responsible company.

I have other inquires out and will update with a full list. An amazing Baker friend of mine had made some calls too. I will be including those companies as well when I can get myself together. I know I'm behind on the Halloween topic but I hope to have my thoughts on it out soon. And yes we will be trick or treating!

Take Over Tuesday Guest Blogger Nicole: Schools and Food Allergy Awareness

2010-10-10T10:00:00.021-04:00

Nicole Smith is the author of Allie the Allergic Elephant: A Children’s Story of Peanut Allergies and Cody the Allergic Cow: A Children’s Story of Milk Allergies and Chad the Allergic Chipmunk: A Children’s Story of Nut Allergies. She became interested in writing a children’s book on peanut allergies after discovering her son, Morgan, has life threatening peanut allergies.

Nicole was raised on several military bases, but has called Colorado Springs home for many years. She graduated from George Washington University in Washington, D. C. and went on to work in the field of finance for several years.

She and her husband, Bob, own Allergic Child Publishing Group, the publishing company for Allie, Cody and Chad.

Nicole served as Treasurer for the non-profit organization, Kids With Food Allergies, Inc. and has helped school districts across the United States manage food allergies and create safe environments for food allergic children.

In Colorado, Nicole was the driving force to get Senate Bill 09-226 introduced and passed into law requiring all school districts to have a policy to keep food allergic children safe at school. Two years of meeting with senators, representatives and board members of the department of education culminated in the bill being signed into law by Governor Bill Ritter during Food Allergy Awareness Week in 2009.

Nicole is currently serving on the Food Allergy Initiative (FAI) Advocacy Steering Committee to help build a strong nationwide presence for the food allergy community in the public policy arena, and to actively seek to increase federal funding for food allergy research.

What can be done within your school district to raise awareness?

Some schools and school districts have yet to experience their first student with severe food allergies. Other schools have had tragedies of a child dying from a food allergic reaction. In each case, education and awareness is needed. You, being the parent of a food allergic child, are armed with the most important information about your child, allergic reactions and care that is needed. Make sure to share your child’s allergy information and reaction history with your child’s school and district officials. We have found that keeping our son’s allergy information secret is a recipe for disaster. We don’t want him to be known as ‘allergy boy’ but we also don’t want to withhold the information from the people who can help circumvent a reaction.

For those schools with experience with food allergic children, some feel they have all the information they need. The problem with this, we have found, is that not all parents live a life of vigilance around food allergies. For example, other parents may not have a problem with their child touching peanuts, and believe that a severe reaction can occur only if their child ingests the food. Schools can be complacent when the next allergic child enters school, and can’t understand why a different set of rules now apply.

We have found that participation in the school is vitally important. Participating in classroom volunteer projects, school parties and field trips allows you, the parent, to know how frequently food is being used in the classroom. It also gives you the opportunity to get to know the children and especially the teacher. Giving of your time to the school makes for a better partnership when you are asking for extra accommodations and allergy awareness for your child, regardless of whether the law is on our side!

Beyond the school, participation at the district level is even more important. Meeting the school district 504 officer will allow him/her to put a face with your child’s name. Gaining understanding of your school district’s process for creating accommodation plans allows you to get exactly what is needed for your child to be safe. Additionally, if you are willing to assist your school district to better understand food allergies, volunteer on district-wide committees and bring up the topic of food allergies.

I did exactly this several years ago, and was able to get a requirement added to the accreditation process for all schools in our district. The requirement is for every school to have training on 504 plans and health care plans and to receive training on how to respond to students undergoing an allergic reaction. It was a small step toward safety for all food allergic students.

In the spring of 2007, I participated in a Food Allergy Task Force for our school district along with 15 other parents, district administrators, principals, district school nurse and others to create guidelines for our school district’s severely food allergic children. This task force came about because so many parents were attempting to teach their individual school about food allergies and felt they were reinventing the wheel at each school. Some schools in the district had experience, while others had none. We wanted to create a standard set of guidelines and procedures for all schools in the district to follow so that a food allergic child enjoys awareness of food allergies and prevention of allergic reactions regardless of which school he/she attended. It was a tall order!

You can view these guidelines here.

You will see that peanuts and peanut products aren't served in the cafeterias of schools with peanut allergic students if the parents and principal request it. We don't ask other children to not bring in peanuts. Instead we create nut free zones at specific cafeteria tables. The monitoring of a "peanut ban" creates a nightmare for everyone, we felt, and is virtually impossible to guarantee.

We also agreed that while peanuts are a very serious allergy, there are students with equally severe allergies to milk, fish or many other foods. In fact, our school district of 21,000 students had 275 students with life threatening food allergies. It would be impossible to remove all the different foods from the schools without banning food entirely.

There are some school districts that have banned peanuts entirely such as Aspen School District in Colorado. Anaphylaxis can and has still occurred at schools such as this because a child ate a food he assumed was safe, yet other non-food allergic parents don't always completely understand the ingredient label.

We prefer “food allergy aware” to food bans in schools!

If you’d like more information about food allergies and schools, please visit AllergicChild.com.

Nicole can be reached as follows:

Allergicchild.com

425 W. Rockrimmon Blvd, Suite 202

Colorado Springs, CO 80919

nicole@allergicchild.com

http://www.linkedin.com/in/nicoleshieldssmith

Family Happenings

2010-10-10T08:38:00.007-04:00

We've had a really long week, and I can't believe a new one is starting. We had play dates, Mommy and Me class, got our flu shots, had our first trip to the dentist, and went pumpkin picking. We did all this with no naps! Seriously the kid has not taken a nap in 5 days! I'm not ready to have a no napping toddler.

At Mommy and Me class we are starting to talk about party food. This of course makes me nervous. But the school is peanut free so that helps I guess. I found the moms in the class to be understanding. We even started talking about safe foods and what brands have good labeling practices. I'm trying to come up with a list, but it so time consuming. Do you have favorite brands you buy because of good labeling policies? I like General Mills so far. I believe Frito Lay is good too, but I need to investigate that more.

After our Mommy & Me class, I noticed Mac had stepped in something. I figured dog poop, gross. Well it turned out to be a snickers! I'm serious, somewhere between our house and class he stepped on a snickers bar, peanuts and all! I'm just glad I found it. Cormac likes to pick out his own shoes now, and his red Converse are his favorite. So I scrubbed them down. But what if I missed it and he got a hold of them? I'm not freaking out or anything, it just reminded that peanuts show up in the most unexpected places.

The flu shot didn't go so well. He did great getting the shot, but got a nasty fever for a few days. He seems to be back to normal. We took him to get some pumpkins and see some animals and he wasn't too happy. He wasn't feeling 100% yet. So I guess we will make another trip. Momma needs some good photos!

I wasn't at the dentist appointment and it's one first I'm happy to miss. He did well, just got a check up. There was a problem with insurance (shocker), so there was that to deal with. I hope this week is calmer. He has a birthday party today and another on Saturday. Today's party is at a little boys house who also has a peanut allergy. There will another kid there with a milk allergy. Both parents are coworkers of my husband. How crazy is it that 3 kids in this group of friends have food allergies. It's not like we met though a group or anything. Anyway, this kid has more of a social life than us!

This Tuesday is Takeover Tuesday! Our Guest Blogger is Nicole from The Allergic Child. She is also Morgan's mom (last months amazing Guest Blogger). Be sure to check it out. She has some good info. to share.

Just a quick note.

2010-10-05T19:16:00.004-04:00

If you haven't already seen it on facebook, I'll post it here! One of the interviews I did on Saturday at the FAAN Walk for Food Allergy made the PATCH New Rochelle Article, and so did a photo of our team walking! I was quoted and a link to my blog was added. Also an excerpt from one of my posts made in there too. I know it's only local but we're really excited!

What's Next?

2010-10-04T15:26:00.007-04:00

I am so proud to say that our team of family and friends raised over $1,900.00 for the FAAN Walk for Food Allergy. That's $400.00 more than we had hoped for. This was the first fundraising walk I ever did, and I feel like we made a difference. We were 13 people in a group of 1500. That's a lot of people making a difference. Now I'm thinking, what's next?

I have a couple ideas that I am playing around with. The first one is a food allergy support group here in Rockland County, NY. There may already be one, but I haven't found it yet. I was lucky enough to briefly talk with one of the organizers of a Westchester group. I have her contact info. so I hope she's ready for me to ask a million and one questions. I also spoke with the staff at Cormac's Dr.'s office, and they think it would be a great idea, and gave me some helpful tips and are already spreading the word! Free PR how great is that.

I want to create a place for parents like me to meet other parents to learn from and support each other. Make lists of local restaurants willing to work with people who have food allergies. Find out how to deal with schools to keep our kids safe but also keep the community happy. Basically I want to create a resource for people who have food allergies in Rockland County. I would also like to set up safe play dates for the kids and let them know they are not the only one with these challenges. So if you live in the Rockland County area and are interested please e-mail me at nonutsformypeanut@gmail.com. I have no idea how to do this but am willing to try.

The other thing I want to mention today is what you can do in your community. Start small and simple. I was at the grocery store today and asked the manager if they carried the Enjoy Life products. They have products that are safe for people who are allergic to the most common allergens. For many people, these are some of the only packaged foods they can have due to a variety of allergies. When I asked her, we went to the computer to see if they had any, and of course they didn't have them. She asked me why I was interested. After explaining about kids and food allergies, and that we have to travel to other stores or order these products online, she offered to look into getting some in our store. I was grateful, but wasn't sure if she was serious. I thanked her and continued my shopping.

I ran into her again and she told me she had already e-mail their grocer to find out what they could get in the store. I was thrilled! She said to check in with her to see what happens. I think they will stock something there. They stock a bunch of specialty Irish items that you can't find in other places (we live in a large Irish community with strong ties to Ireland). If there are enough customers who know about and will buy these products, I think we may see them on the shelves.

So start small and ask your local grocery store to stock the allergy safe products you like. It helps to bring up other stores that have them, you know the competition. If they say no, nothing lost. If they say yes, well that makes your life better and easier.

If you have any ideas on how to make you community more food allergy aware, share here. One person can make a difference.

Success!

2010-10-02T13:52:00.009-04:00

Today was the FAAN Walk for Food Allergy. We had an amzing time. I was really surprised how many people were there. It was nice to see and just be around some many people who understand. The kids seemed to really enjoy themselves and so did the parents. Here are just a few photos from today that I would like to share.

Team No Nuts For My Peanut

Me Cormac & Jim

And the walk begins!

Old Friends

New Friends Jack, Laura, Me & Mac

Divvies Chocolate Cookie Face (So Yummy)

Mac, Michelle & Mike

ELMO!

FAAN Walk Tomorrow!

2010-10-01T20:24:00.008-04:00

Tomorrow is our first FAAN Food Allergy Walk. We are walking in Westchester New York. Our team of family and friends did a great job raising money. We met our team goal and a little more. I am so thankful and gratefully for all the support we have received. Cormac is truly loved, and that fills my heart.

If you live in the area and are not already walking come down and join in the family fun. There will be entertainment, vendors and activities for the kids. The Z100 Party Patrol bus will be there to get things started! Following the walk, Suzi Shelton a rising star in the children's music scene, will be performing her catchy and upbeat folk/pop-rock music. Groove Performing Arts, a family favorite in Westchester County, will perform songs from it's award-winning music program for kids, Music for Aardvarks. In addition to the free concerts, enjoy a fun-filled day of activities such as arts & crafts, obstacle course, jumpy castles, gaga court, raffle and more.

Well I'm off to get everything ready for tomorrow. The t-shirts are done ( I figured it out with your help of course), and our walking shoes are ready. I hope to see you there!

Thanks again for all your support!

Diane, Jim & Cormac

Food Allergy Bully's

2010-09-29T14:47:00.005-04:00

At least once a week I have the same nightmare that Cormac is on the school bus and another kid is chasing him with a PB&J sandwich. He's pinned in the corner with no way to escape, and no help because the bus driver doesn't see it or doesn't care. He's not even two yet and I'm having anxiety about this! On Monday night I had this dream again. I wake up the next day to two articles (one from CNN the other from MSMBC) about about food allergies and bullying.

It's been the talk of the allergy websites, blogs and online support groups, so I won't be surprised if you've read them. I actually posted the CNN article on our Facebook page as soon as I read it yesterday. We had some great sharing going on there. Since Mac is sick, this is the 1st chance I've had to sit down and write about it.

I was in tears off and on all day yesterday. I even called my husband crying because I couldn't believe how bad this really is. It has justified my dreaming fears, and brought them to life. I hate this! With everything these kids will have to go through, they have to fear that other kids will assault them with food! Not a gun or a knife, but with food. It's strange for me to say that food is a real weapon, but it is. What's worse is that there are teachers and school officials out there who tease these kids or don't take these threats seriously. I m not saying all teachers or even the majority are this ignorant. I know some amazing teachers out there who do every thing for their kids. They go above and beyond everyday.

My next question is why do these kids think this is ok? Are they learning this at home, at school or what? Why aren't the adults in their lives more aware, and educated? Little kids may not understand but the older ones know. There needs to be consequences for these acts no matter what the age. Of course they should be age appropriate. You're not going to arrest a 5 year old for assault. But a lesson needs to be learned. The question is how do you teach it and make it real to people who don't know or get it?

Like most food allergy advocates and parents say, we need to start with education. We need to stand up for our children and teach them how to stand up for themselves. We need to teach their peers about the seriousness of this, as well as educate the other parents, and teachers.

I feel really lucky that Cormac already has a group of friends who he will be going to school with, as well as other friends he may not share a school with but will share his life with. They will be growing up together with my son and his allergies. They will be educated and so will their parents. Their parents already take care to make sure he is safe. The more people in your community that understand, the safer our kids are. Don't pass up the opportunity to talk to people. Get involved with your child's school as much as possible. Most important be there for your kids. They may not always be able to handle this no matter how old they are.

T-shirt Frustration!

2010-09-25T11:06:00.005-04:00

Front of the shirt.

I wanted to make T-shirts for our team for the FAAN Walk for Food Allergy next Saturday. At first I was going to have them silk screened but they are too expensive to do that. Then I thought get the digital printed ones. Again too pricey at 18.99 a shirt! Since it's a fundraising event I want to give as much to the walk as we can, and not spend a ton on T-shirts. So next I thought I will try and silk screen at home. I bought a kit and was all excited to get started. I have the photo skills to make the screen (as I have a MA in photography and am pretty darn good in a darkroom). I forgot one thing, I no longer have a darkroom! All my equipment is at my parents house and my darkroom is now a storage closet. It would take weeks just to get it cleaned out and set up.

My last hope was to get the fabric iron on transfer paper. Supposedly you should be able to use your ink jet printer. I tried printing my design on regular paper to check it. It is way too light. I can't get my printer to print the dark color I need. When I print it on a laser printer the color is perfect. But alas we can't use the transfer paper in the laser printer because it get so hot and can ruin the printer.

I am so disappointed that we won't have our team shirts. My husband doesn't think it's a big deal, but since this is our 1st walk, and it's for my son I really wanted to make it special. I know having our family and friends walking with us is what will make this day unforgettable. That really is what matters most. People that love him will be there. I get all teary whenever I think about that. So I will keep trying to make them but if not, oh well. We are still walking together, raising money, and awareness and that's what matters.

2010 Child Passenger Safety Week: I am the Crazy Car Seat Lady!

2010-09-21T19:53:00.033-04:00

Cormac ERF at 19 Months

On top of being proactive about Cormac's Food allergies, I am also very passionate about car seats. More importantly, spreading the word about the proper use, age and size of car seats and boosters. Some of my friends think I'm the crazy car seat lady and I have to agree, I am. Since this week is Child Passenger Safety Week I wanted to talk to everyone one about this.

When I was pregnant we made a registry. We put our infant car seat on it based on what other people liked, used, and recommended. I tried and looked up safety ratings, but with all the things we needed I just picked one and forgot about it. When Mac was about 9 months I started looking for his next seat. A Convertible. This seat Rear Faces (RF) to a certain weight and height and then Forward Faces (FF) to a heavier weight and height. He still fit in the infant seat but it became too heavy for me to take in and out of the car. So we left that seat in Daddy's car and bought a convertible for mine. Again I went with recommendations.

At 1 year he grew out of his infant seat. We needed to get a seat for my car and move the that seat to Jim's. Here is when I started really leaning about car seat safety. I was shocked about how misinformed and uneducated I was. The information is out there and easy to find if you are looking for it. If your not looking for it however, you will miss it. Kind of like not seeing what's on the back of a shelf in the store unless you move things around.

Here is what I leaned. Car accidents are the # 1 killer of children ages 1 -14 in America. 57% of these deaths are because the children were unrestrained. Even scarier many more of them were improperly restrained. Think about it, 57% of these deaths could have been avoided if people used their car seats, booster seats and seat belts properly.

Most people think that their car seat is installed correctly. They also think that they use it properly as well. In the US the misuse rate of child restraints is 80% and as high as 95% in some areas. That's high! These people are not bad parents. They just don't know. I didn't either. No one educates you about it in main stream baby society. I only found out because I happen to read about it on some social networking site for parents. Otherwise we would be going by the minimum requirements that most car seat manufacture tell us. But is the minimum what's best for our kids? Not for me. So here are some general information.

Car seats

At 1 year AND 20lbs you can turn your child Forward Facing. Yes, you can by law in most states but this really isn't as safe as you child could be. The AAP is recommending the new minimum be to turn them at 2 years and 30 lbs. But did you know most convertible car seats can Rear Face (RF) much longer? You can get seats that RF to 35 or even 40lbs! Why is this important you ask? Well because a child's bones do not fully fuse until around age 3 . Rear Facing your child as long as possible lowers the risk of internal decapitation (where the child's head is separated from their spine internally), or a broken neck resulting in death or permanent damage to your child in an accident. In an accident a RF the seat will take the brunt of the force instead of the child. Here is a great video to explain what I am talking about.

My goal is to keep Mac Extended Rear Facing (ERF) until 3 years old. Many people think I'm crazy, but it physics that helped make my decision. He may not make it to 3 but we are going to try. The next questions I get deal with the legs. For instance, where do they put their legs? They hang them over the side, sit with them crossed or rest them on the seat. Here is a great video of kids of all ages ERF, and how they sit.

Mac ERF at 21 Months

Next people ask about broken legs. Mine and many people's answer to this is: 1. Wouldn't you rather your kid have a broken leg than be dead or paralyzed? 2. If the crash is so bad that your child's legs are broken Rear Facing than they they would most likely would be broken if Forward Facing with other injuries. 3. Think of the kids, not you. They are so much more flexible than us adults. Just look at the positions they get themselves into that we can't even imagine doing ourselves. If they are not complaining than they are comfortable. Don't fix it if it ain't broke.

Then comes they like Forward Face better. Again if they have never FF they don't know any better. So in the future they might like it better, but why rush it? They don't know what they are missing. Next is usually they can't see out the window. Yes they can! Mac is chatting up a storm these days and he tells us everything he sees out the windows from buses, cars, trucks, to trees and signs (well shapes of the sign anyway). He see birds and clouds and tells us.

Those are just the usual questions. There are more questions people ask and want answers too. Here is a great site Car-Safety.org that can answer all your questions and really explain what I'm talking about.

However I do think there are circumstances that Forward Facing your child at the minimum is not the worst thing. There are things like heat, car sickness and other medical conditions to consider. Also as long as you use the seat correctly it's better to FF than not to use a seat at all or move too a booster too soon. Like anything in life it's not always B&W.

Booster Seats

A booster is a seat that no longer uses a 5 pint harness to restrain the child. Instead you use the seat belt with a booster to help position the seat belt on the child correctly. This is the one that upset me the most. People move their kids to boosters way too soon. When it's time to Forward Face your child say anywhere form age 1 to 4 depending if you ERF or not, they are in a 5 point harness. This is the next safest thing. Keeping them harnessed as long as possible will keep your kids safer longer. Again there are seats that you can keep your child harnessed up to 80 lbs! The minimum for a booster is usually 4 years AND 40 lbs. However most 4 year old's are not mature enough to use a booster correctly. So when I see kids under 3 in boosters I get so upset (and I see it often). Here is a video if a crash test with a booster and a FF 5 point harness seat.

When it is time for a booster you first get a High Back Booster (HBB). Then as they get older you move them to a Low Back Booster (LBB) That will be their last seat. Each state has different laws. NY for example says children must be restrained in a car seat or booster until the age of 8. Yes 8 years old! It is also recommend that sitting up front not be allowed until 12 or 13 years old.

I know this is a long post but I have a few more tips.

1.In the winter, puffy jackets are a danger. You strap your child in nice and tight right? In an accident the jacket will compress and then straps will be too loose to restrain the child properly. Fleece jackets are great! They are thin but super warm. Some are warmer than a standard down jacket. Some people use car seat ponchos.

2. All aftermarket products are a no no. If they are not tested with your seat by the seat manufacturer then they void your warranty. God forbid your seat doen't do it job. You will have no legal recourse. Products like the Bundle Me for the infant carriers reroute the straps which can result in the restrains not doing their job to the best of their ability. Get a shower cap style cover instead. They don't interfere with the straps or any working parts of the seat and are just as warm.

3. Car seats expire! Usually after 6 years. Over time the materials start to break down due to use, and exposure to the sun, heat and cold. Again using an expired seat won't protect your child as well as one that is not.

4. Be wary of used seats. It you don't know the history do not use it. Also there have been many recalls over the years. Make sure your isn't one of them.

5. If you are in any kind of accident whether the child was in the seat or not, it is likely you will have to replace it. You can go on the manufactures website or call and see if your accident fits the criteria to keep or replace the seat. Most car insurance companies will pay for a new one.

6. Get your seat installation checked! It' free and your local police, fire department or safe kids.org has places you can get it checked all over the US and Canada.

As parents we make choices for our children every day. We may not agree with each other on what's best for them, but the fact that you love them and care is the most import thing. Here are some great websites to start doing your own research on car seast if you want.

Rear-facing – Unmatched Safety
A fairly comprehensive article from CPSafety.com

Child Car Seat Advice Questioned

Joel’s Journey
A website started by Joel’s grandfather when he was injured while FF in a crash. Warning this is emotional.

Why Rear-Facing is Safest
A fairly comprehensive article from Car-Safety.org

Rear Facing Seats
Yet another fairly comprehensive article for thecarseatlady.com

Pictures of How a Child’s Spine Develops

AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics) Policy
Highlight of the policy - for optimal protection, the child should remain rear facing until reaching the maximum weight for the car safety seat, as long as the top of the head is below the top of the seat back

AAP news article about RF to 2
Although this isn’t policy at this point, the AAP is working on developing a new policy, which hopefully will more strongly encourage RF

BBC New article about RF

Why RF is Safest Even in Rear End Collisions
One Family’s Story of Being Rear-Ended While at a Stop by a Car Traveling at 60-65mph

European study showing that rear-facing is better through age 4

CarSeatSite.com’s explanation of why rear-facing is safest.

Videos

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sssIsceKd6U&feature=player_embedded

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bq8BtptGAcg

Parties and Diapers

2010-09-18T09:22:00.008-04:00

Every weekend this month we have a party. This presents 2 challenges: food everywhere, and we need to make something that will travel well. When the party is at someones house we have more hot food options. Like today, we will bring turkey meatballs, some cheese tortellini and probably the old stand by chicken nuggets. We will be able to heat food up there but that isn't always the case. I'm looking for some cold food options. I bought a thermos that is suppose to keep food cold for 9 hours and hot for 7. I haven't tried it yet but, today I may. What do you pack when there is no where to heat up the food? Mac is anti sandwich lately, actually anti eating. I think the 2 year molars are trying to make their appearance.

Since we are going to a party I wanted to bring something. I did some baking last night. I decided to try out Cherrybrooke Kitchen Sugar cookie mix. It is peanut, tree nut, egg, and dairy free. They are easy to make, and you don't have to run out for eggs! I used whole milk since we don't have milk issues but they recommend rice milk as a substitute. Over all they were good. Not my favorite sugar cookies (as I like them from scratch best), but I would definitely get them again. They are great in a pinch. I'm not much of a baker so I doubt cooking from scratch will happen often. So I will keep a supply of these handy.

I also tried out Betty Crocker Oatmal Chocholate Chip Cookie mix in a bag. These

are only peanut and tree nut free to my knowledge. Here is a link to a forum where BC answered the FA question. Make sure you check for your self, by always reading the labels. If you have other FA these are no good. Man are these yummy. I will be stocking on on these for sure!

On a totally unrelated note we survived our 1st night using cloth diapers! It was a success. I will update you after a full week and see if we are going to stick with it. So far it's not bad at all. But time will tell. I do feel good that I'm not adding more disposables to a landfill, and we will be saving a lot of money. At the end of the week I'll give my review and reason why we are trying to make the switch. Here's a sneak peak of 2 of our new cloth diapers.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Take Over Tuesday: Meet Morgan Self Advocating on Food Allergies

2010-09-13T20:49:00.020-04:00

Morgan's Mom Nicole commented on my post about peanut free schools. She has an amazing website Allergicchild.com

where I learned about her family's story. I asked her and her son if they would be guest bloggers. They both agreed! First up is Morgan. He an an amazing young man who is living life with food allergies.

Morgan is 14 years old and is in 9th grade in high school. He is anaphylactic to peanuts, tree nuts, sesame, fish and shellfish. He is severely allergic to dogs, cats and other furry animals. He gets eczema from food dyes and is allergic to grasses, weeds and trees. He is currently receiving allergy shots and is seeing a huge decrease in his seasonal and pet allergies!

When your done here, Check out Morgan's Corner on Allergicchild.com.

Self advocating on food allergies

My mom says that I started asking if a food had peanuts in it from the time I learned how to talk. I don’t remember that. I do remember wanting to learn how to spell peanuts so I could read labels and find the word. I remember my mom telling me that “Sooner or later, you're going to live alone and when you do, I'm not going to be with you. (Let's hope not at least.) Let's start now on working on how you can deal with food allergies by yourself.”

In preschool, my mom took care of everything. She made sure that no one brought in peanuts or nuts. And she made sure I had a safe snack to eat every day.

In kindergarten, I stayed all day at school, which means I ate lunch there too. That’s when food allergy signs started on the lunchroom table. My teacher and my mom talked to my class about food allergies and about not eating unsafe foods around me. Also, everyone had to bring in safe snacks for the snack bucket, but I still brought my own snacks. I knew what my food allergies were, and I knew not to eat foods other people tried to give me.

In 1^st grade, I learned more about self-advocating. I was at school one day and my class had to go to another classroom. I knew that I wasn’t supposed to go into other classrooms at school because pets could be there, or kids eating peanuts. My teacher felt that the other classroom was probably unsafe, pet or food wise. I had to stand out in the hallway for a few minutes, being left out of whatever went on in the classroom. I came home, crying, and told what happened to Mom. She suggested that I needed to talk with my teacher. I wrote up a letter of how I felt when the incident occurred. The next day, I came in to school and I read the letter out loud to my teacher. My Mom was there as parental support. It was just us three. Both the teacher and I cried at the end. She said she never wanted to hurt my feelings, and I wanted her to not leave me out in the hallway ever again.

I learned in 2^nd grade that I had to start to take care of myself, and that my mom wasn't going to be there all the time. One day in the lunchroom, no one sat by me at my peanut free table. I didn’t like that at all. I asked if I could get rid of the big sign that said, “Peanut Free Zone” and just be able to sit at the same place with no peanuts around me, but also no sign. We talked about this at my 504 meeting that year. By the way, I started to go to all my 504 meetings with the teachers and my parents from kindergarten on. I always was asked what was working and what wasn’t working. And what wasn’t working for me was to have a BIG sign that said “Peanut Free Zone.” So, we agreed to remove the sign, but that I would still sit right in front of the cafeteria monitor just to make sure no kids brought in my food allergens.

In 3rd grade, I started doing a PowerPoint presentation I created for the class. I continued doing this in 4th and in 5th grade. There were just a few slides. I talked about what my food allergies are, what the class can do to keep me safe (don’t bring in peanuts, nuts, sesame or fish) into the classroom, don’t sit by me at lunch if you’re eating those foods, and don’t get upset if I ask you to move if you are eating those things. It really helped.

In 4th grade, I got to go on field trips on my own. Before that, my Mom came on every field trip. I wanted to go on field trips without her. I carried my own EpiPen and other medicines in a fanny pack on the field trips. Everything worked out fine.

In 5^th grade, I started to carry my own EpiPen at school. The law in Colorado passed, and I could start doing this. There was still a medicine box in the office at school with my Benadryl and eye drops in it, and an extra EpiPen just in case.

In 6^th grade, I brought in all the Peanut/Nut Free Zone signs for my classrooms. I talked with the principal about the peanut free tables in the lunchroom. My Mom didn’t come into school at all for that. We (Mom and I) had a meeting with all my teachers at the start of the school year, and talked about no foods being in any of my classrooms.

In 7^th grade, the process happened again, but this time my classrooms were spread apart, unlike the Pods in 6^th grade (classes in one group/area). This year, there were more dances and parties, but food was no problem since I had already dealt with my teachers.

In 8^th grade, it was the same as 7^th, just my classes were a bit farther apart. Lunch was no problem in any of the middle school grades since I had made my friends aware of my food allergies.

The step from Middle School to High School was more of a leap than a step. At my high school, people can eat lunch anywhere on campus: hallways, courtyards, even classrooms. This created a problem for classes after lunch- thankfully only one class each day is after lunch. Even then, people can eat anytime and anyplace. This includes during class time and during free period. My choir teacher simply just said ‘No food allowed’. It has worked quite well and I haven’t had any problems. Other teachers have been sort of lenient on food, but the class that does allow food is a freshman class, so I have been with these friends for 3 or more years, and so they understand my food allergies.

9^th grade is a blast! I had met with my teachers in the spring time before school ended and before school started in the fall. Every one truly understood my hidden disability and is very helpful and supportive. I really feel the leap was much easier with all my teachers understanding!

Neighborhood Kids

2010-09-13T13:58:00.006-04:00

I love my neighborhood! It's crawling with kids and friendly parents. Cormac is one of the youngest at 21 months old. The older kids love to come over and play with him. It's so cute. That's what happened this weekend. We were outside using the sidewalk chalk and some of the 4th grade girls came over to play with him. He had a ball!

A while back I had some t-shirts made that said No Nuts For My Peanut. We haven't used it much because I wasn't happy with how they came out. But that day he was wearing it. It got the other kids attention! They asked me questions and remember the rule about not sharing food with him. I was so happy! They even asked were his bracelet was since he wasn't wearing it.

Here is the shirt. This is back in May.

A little while later some more kids were out, and of course Mac had to be in the middle of it. They all read his shirt and commented. One of the younger kids came out with some food and wanted to share, but stopped when the other girls said she couldn't even before I could! She then saw his shirt and didn't understand why he couldn't have a doughnut since it wasn't a nut. So I explained and they all seems to get it. So like I said, I love my neighborhood!

You can make your own allergy shirts or just google it and a bunch will come up. One that I think I may be getting Mac is from a company called Alert Clothing Company. They have short and long sleeve T's, and sweatshirts with cute designs and great warnings. Mac is into dinosaurs so I think that one may be a good fit for him. I should of ordered it already as September is a crazy party month for us but as usual I thought of it too late.

Food Label Frustration

2010-09-09T10:35:00.010-04:00

We have only been at this for about 5 months now. I've been feeling pretty confident that any food we give Cormac is safe. We read all labels now and double check ourselves often. We bring his food places just in case. Our friends and family are reading labels too. Over all I felt we were doing a great job.

Well I took things for granted. I thought that companies were required by law to label the top 8 allergens as well as the risk of cross contamination, (ie "shared equipment", "shared facility", "may contain".) WRONG! They are only required by law to label the top 8 allergens (milk, eggs, fish, Crustacean shell fish, tree nuts, wheat, peanuts, and soybeans).

All this time when I read packages without anything referring to the statements above, I thought the food was safe. For all we know it could be, but there is a big chance that's it's not. Maybe we've been lucky so far. I know a few FA mom who are diligent about contacting companies about the risk of cross contamination and share their findings. Most say e-mail works best as you can get it in writing.

In light of this I have been digging to find the exact laws concerning food labels. It's not hard to find, but in true government form it's not all easy to decipher. He are some helpful links I found. I asked some other FA moms for a reference with a simple explanation, and the 1st one listed is what they sent me.

Kids With Food Allergies

http://www.kidswithfoodallergies.org/resourcespre.php?id=50&title=FALCPA

FDA

http://www.fda.gov/food/labelingnutrition/default.htm

http://www.fda.gov/Food/FoodSafety/FoodAllergens/default.htm

I'm feeling pretty defeated this week. My lack of knowledge could have put my son's life at risk. That is not a good feeling. I know I shouldn't beat my self up over this, but I'm a mom and that's what we do when we think we aren't doing are very best. I feel so bad I didn't do all my research. Going forward you can bet that I will be contacting any company I feel is not including cross contamination warnings and becoming even more brand loyal to the ones that do.

Peanut and tree nut free, is it pracitcal?

2010-09-02T17:59:00.009-04:00

Over the past few months I keep reading and hearing about peanut free schools. I read a lot about people who think it's the worst thing in the world. It's something I think about often, as in just a few years my son will be in a classroom without one of us to make sure he is safe. Take the regular fears of a parent sending their child to school for the first time and multiply that by 100%. It's the stuff gut wrenching nightmares are made of. Mac isn't even in school yet and it keeps me awake at night. The school bus ride terrifies me most.

The thing that upsets me the most is people's ignorance of the actual issue. Actually it's not their ignorance, because it's just not part of everyday conversation. It's the lack of caring when they find out that certain foods can do serious harm or even kill a child. What's infuriating is that some people feel their right to eat peanuts and tree nuts trumps someones life. That is what scares me. It is my understanding that peanut and tree nut allergies are more likely to cause ananaphylaxis than other foods (not to say other foods don't or can't). It's not like you are outlawing nuts forever, just for a few hours. When you leave you can eat all the nuts you want.

Another one that bothers me is when someone says my child only eats peanut butter. I get so mad! Seriously only peanut butter? Unless your child eats peanut butter for breakfast, lunch, dinner and all snacks, than you are just being dramatic. And they say parents of kids with food allergies exaggerate. Ask any parent of food allergic children, and they can tell you a whole host of foods you can send your kid to school with. I think it's about the ease of PB&J. Trust me I get it. I wish that was an option when I'm running late and need to pack his food. We have to pack his food everywhere we go.

With that said, here is my take on peanut free schools. I think it's unrealistic. I may be the minority and you may be surprised considering my vent just now, but as of today I don't think it's necessary or doable at every level. As far as the older grades (middle school and high school), a child should be able to be his or her own advocate. It's the younger grades I worry about. I do think that the school and parents need to be sensitive to it. A school is a place where all the kids should be safe. They must be able to provide that as well as an education.

A peanut and tree nut free school is my dream but is it realistic? I honestly don't think it is. Do I have a solution to make it so? Not really, but I have ideas to make it safer. I think the lower grades especially kindergarten should have peanut free classrooms and restrictions on group snacks if there are kids who are allergic. Teachers and subsitues teachers should be educated on food allergies, how to read food lables, and how to spot if a child is introuble. I do think schools should not sell the offending food. I do think they need to work with the family's of the allergic kids to find the best possible solution.

I know many schools have peanut free tables, and in theory it's a great idea. However, I hate the thought of my son sitting at a peanut free table all by himself. I actually cry every time I think of that. Yes I want my son to be an individual. However to be singled out as different so blatantly, bothers me. Every kid is different and should be, but I want him to make his mark and stand out for what he does, not by what he can't do.

By school age I hope and pray that my son knows the rules of what he can and can't eat. Again I would love it if my son's school was peanut and tree nut free, but lets be practicle. The risk of cross contamination is going to be there whether there is PB&J or not. It may be a peanut free school, but are they going to check every kids lunch box everyday and read the ingredients on every snack? That's just impossible.

I know not all parents of food allergic children will agree here, so I apologize if this offends. I just don't think it's realistic to be a truly peanut and tree nut free school. There will always be parents who don't care and will send them to school with banned food. There will be parents who forget. There will parents who will try but just don't understand the risk of cross contamination. Plus kids will be kids. In the end I would rather my child be aware that the peanuts and tree nuts are out there, rather than have a false sense of security that he's safe because a school has a no nuts policy.

Cormac is not in school yet so I may change my mind on this. Who knows, maybe our school will have a great peanut/tree nut policy by the time he's ready to start. Or maybe someone with more experience will shed some light on this for me. I just don't think it's a s simple as a nut free policy when it comes to schools. Now if we are talking about a ban on air planes that's another story. There's no compromise there. No nuts ever in my opinion.

Good Friends

2010-08-30T13:18:00.005-04:00

There is something to be said about good friends. No matter what is going on in your life, the good, the bad, and the ugly, having good friends in your life makes everything better. They celebrate the good times with you. They listen and support you during your worst moments. A really good friend will always tell you the truth, whether it be a bad fashion choice or behavior. They love and adore your children.

I feel very lucky to have these special people in my life. They make dealing Cormac's food allergies easier, as if it's a part of their everyday life too. They ask questions when they don't understand, provide safe food for him to eat (or ask if it's safe), and ask us how we are. They don't think I'm crazy when I bring a his food to their house.

So today I want to thank my wonderful, generous, and loving friends, both the old and new for your ongoing support throughout my life. We may not talk or see each other as often as we should, but know I love you and am very grateful for all you do.

I also want to thank all of my readers for their support, advise and for listening too. Knowing others are out there who share our same challenges and fears is comforting. You get it, and for that I am grateful.

Lets Talk Positives!

2010-08-19T20:06:00.023-04:00

Being a parent to a child with food allergies can be overwhelming and depressing sometimes. Your hear breaks when you think of all the simple food pleasures your kid is missing. Your heart stops when you think about what can really happen if you child eats the wrong thing.

Since I want to think of ways that having a food allergy can be a good thing, I asked the mommas in my online food allergy group to help me put a positive spin on it!

Most said that they've learned to be more creative in the kitchen and that cooking from scratch is healthier and cheaper. All agree that their entire family is eating healthier too. I couldn't agree more!

Here are three of mine:

*No fast food (except pizza that is). Yes fast food is so convenient but it is so bad for you. Living a life without it is a good thing!

* Our son is learning good eating habits right from the start.

* With all the label reading, we are seeing what is in our food. You'd be shocked at how bad most of it is for you. We are much more informed about of food choices. As my husband says, "It is creepy to see what's in our food."

Now here are what some other moms had to say!

*My kid is not That Kid, screaming and crying about the injustices of the world when I refuse to flag down the Ice Cream Man as he drives through our neighborhood. (In this house, that magical van is still known as The Music Truck....and it's a mystery as to why the kids go running towards it.....)" Sarah (Check out Sarah's blog for her full positive list Live, Laugh and Learn)

"My Daughter has learned already at age 4 to be a spokes person for herself and to be assertive and speak up." Jessica

"I've learned to be more assertive with our Dr. and family when it comes to advocating for our daughter."Tayna

"We are always prepared...since we have to pack enough food to sustain our son for an entire day when we go out, we never have a crying, miserable little guy...at least not because he is hungry or thirsty." Amy

"My Daughter watches me cook and prepare food all the time, so she's learning how to prepare healthy foods. As a 2-year old she knows a lot more about where foods come from than some adults! Laura

"All the info and recipes that are available online now. I can't imagine dealing with this 20 years ago." Katie

"Allergies are also teaching my son it is OK to be different. Some kids wear glasses. Some parents carry an Epi pen. Some kids eat a different snack. And he doesn't have to have a cookie just because someone else has one." anchoragite

" I've learned we don't need milk, eggs or meat to live happy, healthy lives." skh1123

"I learned that a food allergy doesn't mean that life has to be drastically different. My family is still plugging along just like it always has. I'm not spending hours a day in the kitchen. The kid is still a typical 11 month old tornado happily tearing apart my house." Marti

"I am also learning to be more aware of people with allergies and to the problems with eating out." B & The Boy

"I have to say between being Gestational Diabetic with all 3 kids and now dealing with FA it is amazing what difference fresh, from scratch, organic and all natural truly means vs the grab and go make kids happy foods advertised for kids. (Gogurt is not considered eating a fruit in our house)." fuzzychild

Just a quick list of positives to think about the next time you feel down. There were a lot more but than this post would be never ending. If you have some positives you want to add, write them in the comments for others to see. We need these to remember it's not all bad.

Take Over Tuesday: Meet Jim, August's Guest Blogger

2010-08-17T09:20:00.015-04:00

Meet Jim, AKA the dad!He is the worlds best father to my beautiful little boy, and my wonderful, loving and supportive husband. Most important he is my best friend. His guest blog is about what a dad goes through being a parent of a food allergy kid.

A Father's Story

The day our little man had his allergic reaction, terribly swollen eyes as a result of contact with peanut butter, our lives changed instantly. Diane called me while I was studying at the library, in a panic, and I rushed home to find Cormac with puffed up eyes, and a sad expression on his face. My first reaction, after learning his breathing was normal, was to pick him up and hug him, and try to make him feel like everything was OK. I didn't want Cormac to see the fear and panic in our eyes, so I just hugged him and talked to him like I always do. We had seen diaper rashes, teething, sleepless nights and other childhood events, but never anything like this. On top of all of the everyday worries of any parents, we now had to be concerned with food allergies.

Since that day, we have both learned about food allergies in our own ways. I have asked friends about their experiences, checked out Internet articles and, thanks to Diane, read some very informative blogs about the issue. Diane, on the other hand, jumped head first into a campaign of research, networking and blogging. As she will readily admit, we tend to react in very different ways to events in our life and Cormac's peanut allergy has been no exception. However, as I hope she understands, that doesn't mean we disagree on the importance of caring for our little guy. We just have different ways of making sense of life's challenges.

I have to thank Diane for introducing me to the world of blogging. I know it's not something I will ever do on a daily basis, but I understand why people do it, and I appreciate the way blogs and websites bring people together to talk about common issues. It's really amazing how many people from so many parts of the country, and the world, have shown interest in Diane's blog. It makes us feel like we aren't the only ones out there who are dealing with peanut allergies.

I guess I still have the same reaction when I think about Cormac's peanut allergy as I did that day I saw him with his puffy eyes. I just want him to feel as normal as any other kid. Reading about other people with food allergies and other parents coping with their kid's allergies has helped give me perspective and hope.

I hope this blog helps make another father or mother realize that they are not alone in dealing with food allergies. I hope that it helps them feel like everything is going to be OK.

Jim (the Dad)

I have a button!

2010-08-15T13:43:00.016-04:00

I have a button! Ok it's my first attempt at making one, and trying to figure out the code. It will need some tweaking, but for now I'm pretty please with myself! So what do you guys really think?

Feel free to gab it and add it your site or blog! Let me know if you do add it to your page. It's amazing what you can get done during nap time!

Oh and I want to share my new favorite photo of my guy!

Looking for a day of family fun?

2010-08-15T10:00:00.009-04:00

Our Team No Nuts For My Peanut, is walking the in the FAAN Food Allergy Walk in Wstchester, and would love to see everyone come out and support us and others if your not walking already. There is a bunch of family fun, and food safe activities that will be happening during the walk. I received an e-mail from the organizers telling me what will be going on that day and wanted to share! If you don't live near the Westchester location, check out the FAAN Walk For Food Allergy locations for your area.

The First Annual Westchester FAAN Walk for Food Allergy is on Saturday, October 2nd. The Walk will take place at Glen Island Park in New Rochelle. Hundreds of residents are expected to walk with their families and friends. In addition, Congresswoman Nita Lowey and Dr. Amanda Cox, Pediatric allergist at Mount Sinai Hospital (who is also our Dr.) will be there!

Their will be entertainment, vendors and activities for the kids. The Z100 Party Patrol bus will be there to get things started! Following the walk, Suzi Shelton a rising star in the children's music scene, will be performing her catchy and upbeat folk/pop-rock music. Groove Performing Arts, a family favorite in Westchester County, will perform songs from it's award-winning music program for kids, Music for Aardvarks. In addition to the free concerts, enjoy a fun-filled day of activities such as arts & crafts, obstacle course, jumpy castles, gaga court, raffle and more.

Also the Melting Pot is hosting a FONDUE-Raiser, Tuesday, August 17th from 4:00-10:00 pm to benefit the FAAN Walk. A portion of the proceeds form each meal will be donated to FAAN. Melting Pot offers a gluten-free menu and can accommodate most food allergies. Please contact Melting Pot in White Plains at 914 933-6358 to make a reservation.

Even though we live over the bridge in Rockland County, Westchester is just minutes away. We hope to see you, whether you are walking or just come out for the fun! If you see me come say hi. I would love to meet you!

Yikes!

2010-08-13T09:02:00.007-04:00

I'd have to say my house is pretty baby proofed. We have locks on the cabinets and draws, gates on the stairs, the TV even has a "cage" around it. When we found out Mac had food allergies, we cleaned out the kitchen and check all his skin products. Well as any parent finds out, as they get bigger you need adjust your baby proofing. Overall I feel we do a bang up job.

Well, I had a YIKES moment this week! We have some draws in the bathroom that Mac likes to play in. I "thought" I had all safe things in there for him to play with. So I'm in the shower, and as usual, I hear him playing the the draws. I do my usual peak around the curtain to see what he's doing. Nothing to worry about, we do this every day.

WRONG! When I get out, I see that he is holding something I don't recognize. Turns out I had a all natural skin product in that draw that shouldn't be there let alone in the house any more. The 1st ingredient was almond oil! All I could think was, what if he got it open while I was in the shower? He could had ananaphylaxic reaction, and I wouldn't of even known!

So my lesson for today is no matter how baby proofed you think your house is, there is always something lurking somewhere. Check all your products twice and adjust your baby proofing as they grow. Remember no matter how safe you think they are, there is always some kind of danger.

I am doing another Blog Hop! Thirsty Thursday

2010-08-12T12:18:00.003-04:00

Welcome to all visiting from Obviously MARvelous & For the Love of 4. I hope you take a look around and like what you see.

They're Here!

2010-08-11T08:33:00.010-04:00

Cormac's Medic Alert bracelets came in the mail on Monday. I was excited and sad at the same time. I decided to put the traditional chain one on him first. We put him in his swing to put it on him. This way he couldn't run away! It wasn't as bad as I thought. He didn't really fight us at all. He did try to get it off right away, but then we started playing in the swing so he forgot about it for a bit. Throughout the rest of the day he would tug at it every once in a while but surprisingly no tantrums. It helped that Grandma and Grandpa were here. Cormac is obsessed with Grandpa's watch. So we called the bracelet a watch. He would look at his bracelet and then at Grandpa's and Grandma's watch, and smile. It was cute.

We decided to just leave it on all the time so he will get use to it. He really doesn't need it 24/7, but I don't want it to be an issue when he does need to wear it. Plus if we are ever in an accident he will have a way to be identified and emergency contacts can be notified. Just an added perk I guess.

The emblem on the chain bracelet is a bit big for my taste (well he's so little everything is big), but it doesn't seem to bother him. I tried the sports band bracelet on him today. I think he will be able to get that one off, so we will wait a bit until we have him wear that one.

So far so good! We are starting day 3 of Cormac wearing it, and it's like it's always been there. I'm glad we finally did it.

Food Allergies and Day Care? Help!

2010-08-07T08:34:00.007-04:00

Looks like my work situation is changing, so that means so is my child care situation. I want to start off by saying I have nothing against Day Care. Every family has different needs. In fact I've been looking for two 1/2 day programs for Cormac. He needs more stimulation and educational interaction. However, I've been unsuccessful since he misses the age cut off by 5 days! It's very frustrating.

A few months ago (pre peanut/tree nut allergy), I had done some Day Care scouting as I needed to increase my work hours. I did find one that I liked, but it wouldn't work financially. Day Care in the NY Metro Area is pricey. I was able to find a friend that offered to watch him for the increased hours. I LOVE her and she's great with him. She has a little girl Cormac's age. They are like 2 peas in a pod! When he was diagnosed with his peanut and tree nut allergy she was amazing, and still is. So obviously my problem is not with her. The other days I work, he with with his dad or grandma. Again not a problem.

So what is the problem? Well work has requested that I return full time. That mean 2.5 more days of child care that I need to find. I have to admit I am freaking out! I know emotionally he will be fine and probably love it. I don't trust many people with him now that he has allergies, and I don't want to give up my time with him. I have to say I've been very lucky thus far balancing family and work. I also understand where my company is coming from. They have been very generous and understanding with me. I really did have the best of both words.

Here lies the big problem: Will he be safe at a Day Care? I know food allergies are more prevalent these days. Day Cares must have experience with this, but I 'm terrified to let a group of people take care of him. What it there is a substitute who isn't aware of his allergies? What if the teacher forgets? What about accidental cross contamination? I work somewhat far from home, what if I can't get there in time? It's hard enough for us to make sure he's safe, and we are his parents. Cormac is our world, and our lives have changed accordingly. But can a Day Care really keep him safe?

I know I have more research an interviewing to do. I would love to know how other parents of food allergic kids handle this situation. If you have and suggestions or advise please let me know! I really need some guidance here.

Sunbutter Video Contest

2010-08-04T08:41:00.004-04:00

When Jessica (our 1st guest blogger), wrote about SunButter, I had sent them an e-mail telling them about it. I don't know, I thought it would be nice. Both Jim and I have tried it and like it to. So when I received an e-mail from them about their video contest (click on the link), I though what the heck, I'll tell all of you about it.

As Jessica said it is a healthy and safe alternative to peanut butter. I can say for myself that it's really good and is very similar to peanut butter. I have said that if you've never eaten sunflower seeds than one might think it's a gourmet peanut butter. Mac still hasn't caught on to SunButter, but I see it in his future. I may try one of their dessert recipes this week. I'm thinking cookies, because momma loves her some cookies!

OK back to the contest. SunButter would like you to submit videos of your little one enjoying SunButter. I think it's a cute idea. The winner will receive a $100 savings bond and a free case of SunButter. In this economy people can use both right!

If you submit a video, let me know! I would love to see your little ones enjoying themselves. Maybe I'll even post a link for you, for others to see.

As always read it before you eat it! Check the label to make sure it's safe for you or you little ones. Good luck!

Follow Me Back Tuesday!

2010-08-03T09:28:00.013-04:00

I'm going off topic today and trying something new! It's called Follow Me Back Tuesday! What is it you may ask? Well, Follow Me Back Tuesday is another day of the week that you can gain more followers and find other great blogs to follow on a weekly basis. Follow Me Back Tuesday is hosted by Survey Junkie, Little Yaya's, Review Retreat, and Boobies Babies & A Blog. This weeks guest host for the #5 Spot is Shanna from Mommy of One And Counting.

Since I'm getting more and more into blogging I thought this would be a great way to find some interesting blogs to read as well as help tell people about mine.

So of your visiting from Follow Me Back Tuesday Welcome! I'd love to hear what you think.

Click here to learn more and check out the other blogs on the list!!

We Finally Ordered His Medical Alert Bracelet

2010-07-31T14:57:00.018-04:00

After struggling with whether or not to get the Medic Alert bracelet, I finally ordered it today. I don't know why, but I kept putting it off. We have gotten many opinions about this from people saying "well he's always with you why get it", to "you must have one". The reality is Cormac is not always with us. He's with people we trust when not with us, but it's not the same as mom and dad . I think part of me felt that getting one made it official. That sounds crazy I know. You would think when Cormac had that horrible reaction to peanut butter, or when we got the test results, or going to the Jaffe Center, I would feel the "officialness" of it all. Don't get me wrong I did every time. But, picking up that phone, signing him up, and picking out his bracelets (yes I ordered two), made me so sad today. I know it's the right thing and can only help keep him safe.

I said we ordered two bracelets. I know, I know he only needs one. I just couldn't pick one. I have a strong feeling that Mac is not going to be happy about wearing it and will loose it. So I got two different ones. I ordered a more updated sports band and the traditional chain with the the logo in red.

OK so why medic alert you may ask when there are so may different and cuter kinds out there? Well I chose Medic Alert because emergency personal have access to his Emergency Medical Information Records or EMIR. They can contact us or our other emergency contacts in case we are not with him, or if in an accident and non responsive. We actually have 5 people listed as emergency contacts! It is also a universally known symbol. We do pay a discounted yearly fee of $15.00 because he is in the Kid Smart Membership. His membership came with a free bracelet and an emergence contact card which includs his Dr's contact info as well. I also like that they inscribe it with his allergies. We had Anaphylaxis peanuts, tree nuts. Treat with Benadryl or Epipen Jr. inscribed on his.

If you don't want to use Medic Alert, there are many others to choose from, but they don't have the EMIR service. You can google medical alert jewelry and a bunch will show up in your search results. Some of the ones I've seen are quite fashionable and cute. What you get all depends on what you need.

I'll post photos when they come in and we'll see if Mac will wear it.

Takeover Tuesday Guest Blogger Jessica: It's A Good Thing I Hate Jelly!

2010-07-26T20:22:00.034-04:00

Hi everyone! My name is Jessica and I'm the wife of an awesome man and mommy of an energetic little boy. I work full time, chase my toddler when I get home, and blog http://caterpillarfamily.blogspot.com after he goes to bed- I'm busy! I was born with a congenital heart defect and have had a total of three open heart surgeries. I was also diagnosed with an allergy to peanuts and bananas at the age of one. Despite all of that, I have had a totally normal and largely unaffected life, I swear! I try to find the humor in everyday situations and that keeps me sane. I have a great family and more than I could have ever asked for. I'm a lucky girl!

It's A Good Thing I hate Jelly!

As someone who has had a severe peanut allergy all my life, I could tell you a thing or two on the subject. One of the silliest things I’ve ever heard (and I heard this over and over again as a child) “Oh my! How horrible! What do you feed her?”. Really people? You take away peanuts and your cookbook is empty? Apparently I lucked out and got the creative mom, because I never felt deprived. Instead of PB&J sandwiches I got grilled cheese or turkey- problem solved!

As soon as I could read I was a label reader. I knew to ask if there were peanuts in foods if my mom wasn’t there to ask for me. I didn’t know any different and it was never a big deal to me. I was also fortunate in that I was still able to eat other nuts, such as almonds and pecans. It’s hard to miss peanut butter when you have Nutella! For those who don’t know what Nutella is, it’s a delicious spread made from hazelnuts and cocoa. Allergic to tree nuts all together? Try Sunbutter! Sunbutter is actually a personal favorite of mine, made from ground sunflower seeds. I prefer it to almond butter any day. The brand I buy is organic and processed in a peanut-free facility so no worries there. It’s also almost the exact consistency of peanut butter, so it can be used as a substitute in recipes.

Check out: www.sunbutter.com for several safe food products!

The two biggest dangers to those who suffer from severe food allergies are:

1. Foods at parties. the worst offender for me was always cookies. I almost never eat cookies unless I make them myself. Believe it or not, I’ve actually had people think that the cookies they made were ‘OK’ because they used peanut butter, not whole peanuts. I’m not joking. It’s best to avoid unless they are prepared by someone familiar with your allergy. Occasionally I’ll take a gamble on sugar cookies (as long as they are on their own plate). Most chocolate looking cookies are risky... and I can spot the tell-tale double fork pressed top of a peanut butter cookie from a mile away. Even a “safe” cookie is off limits if it’s touching one of those.

2. Coming into close contact with people who have just eaten peanuts. I always tell a particular story (…or is it my husband, who thinks it’s hilarious?) of one unfortunate night early in our marriage. My husband loves peanut butter. We’re a match made in Epi-Pen heaven. He knows he’s not allowed to kiss me for several hours and at least one tooth brush after eating it. Anyway, so we’re sitting on the couch one night playing war.. you know.. that card game. He had just eaten a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. We’re playing, it’s a long game, cards are exchanged back and forth, the next thing I know my eye is swollen shut. Yep. Apparently some trace amount of peanut butter on his hand was transferred to me by the cards and then I proceeded to touch my eye. A few gulps of liquid Benadryl and one night’s sleep later I was totally fine, but it was definitely a wake-up call.

That brings me to the golden rule of food allergies- ALWAYS have liquid Benadryl on hand. Regular children’s Benadryl is fine for all ages. In the event that you or your child ingest something that causes a mild to moderate reaction, nothing coats the mouth/throat and stops it like liquid Benadryl. Of course, if the reaction is immediately life-threatening use of an Epi-Pen may be necessary.

Remember that food allergies, like anything in life, are what you make them. It’s not about deprivation, rather substitution. Nowadays peanut allergies are much more common. You may find that obtaining a peanut-free life is much easier than you imagined!

Eating Out

2010-07-26T07:51:00.014-04:00

Eating out has become an anxiety ridden experience for us. It generally goes something like this: We finally pick a restaurant, and I start getting the knot in my stomach. Then we ask about the use of nuts and peanuts. If the sever knows the restaurants procedures and seems to understand what we are talking about, we stay. We order and wait. When the food comes the knot in my stomach gets worse. After about 20 minutes of Cormac eating, I start to relax. Sounds fun right? We don't eat out much anymore, but am always looking for ways to make it more enjoyable.

Here are some tips and advise I've received since this all began.

1. If you have time, call ahead. If you prescreen your restaurants it will decrease your chances of having to leave.

2. Make or get cards made. A friend and a coworker have suggested making business like cards to give to the chef. You can make and print them yourself using a program like Microsoft word, ordert soem online or even try Staples. You can make business cards, or make them bigger using the labels wizard. Another great option we use is the Food Allergy Buddy from Supermarket Guru. This came from a mom in an online group I am a part of. All you do is type in you e-mail and then click away. It's free and you can customize it with your specific allergies as well as emergency contact numbers and the names.

3. Once you find a few safe places that you like, make them your place. Become regulars, and let the staff get to know you, and your special needs. Make sure to tip well too! Your needs make their jobs harder. Show them that you appreciate the extra steps to make sure you or your kids stay safe. Always remind them of your allergy. Even though you may be regulars, the ingredients of their dishes may change at any time as well as the staff. We have a pizza place that we like and works with us.

4. When on the go, figure out your go to food. For us it's pizza. Nine times out of ten, that's what we do since most don't use any kind of nuts or peanuts or peanut oil. However we always ask.

5. Lastly bring your food. It's usually not a problem. If you are nervous call ahead. We carry a little lunch box for Mac just in case. Another mom told me to bring a safe dessert since it is not likely Cormac will not be eating dessert out. It's just not safe.

As always ask before eating or serving your kids anything. I hope this helps you enjoy eating out a bit more. It's not always easy but it can still be enjoyable.

The Good & Bad

2010-07-22T16:51:00.023-04:00

We survived the 1st pediatric allergist appointment. Overall it was a good experience. The Dr. was great and spent a lot of time with us, and answered our questions as best she could. I would definitely recommend her to anyone. The office was clean, colorful and welcoming. We felt like we were in the right place as soon as we walked in.

Ok lets get down to business. I'm going to start with the bad first. There are no real answers for food allergies, and where they come from and how to prevent them. The skin test was not so fun. In fact it broke my heart, but is was quick. The results came back positive for tree nuts. So I was disappointed. She also confirmed that Cormac has a mild egg allergy, but not much to worry about right now. He can't have scrambled eggs (which we already eliminated from his diet), but can still have it in things.

The good news is we don't have to eliminate anything else from his diet! We were worried he may be allergic to tomatoes, but nope he's in the clear! We are very happy about that. We were also told that we are doing everything right, and that were not just being over protective. The confirmation makes me feel like I'm not crazy, believe it or not. So we will just keep on doing what we are doing. It's been 3 months now and we have gotten a handle on some things. However I know there are many more challenges to come. Our Food Allergy Action Plan (FAAP) is all done! It's not as aggressive as I thought it would be. I'm glad we waited for the Dr to help us with it.

We took pictures for our own records, but I thought about it and think it would be good to share. I hope this helps others get an idea of what the skin prick test is.

The samples before the pricking

The skin pricking. This was not fun for anyone.

Right after the pricking.

Waiting for the results.

Getting the results. He was scared but not in any pain.

The Results

Pizza for our brave boy!

Tomorrow Is The Big Day!

2010-07-20T12:14:00.003-04:00

Tomorrow we are heading to Mt. Sinai for Cormac's 1st pediatric allergist appointment. I'm excited and freaking out at the same time. One of our readers (Laura), was kind enough to give us the rundown about how it will go. I am so grateful for that, and it did make me feel better knowing what to expect.

I'm excited to get some answers since we have a ton of questions. I am also really hoping to rule out tree nuts, and anything else as an allergen. The less the better. It would open up so many more food options for him and us. I make a delicious pecan pie and want him to be able to eat it! I would love for them to say oh there's been a mistake, your son isn't allergic to peanuts. However, his eyes swelling closed tell me that's not going to happen. At this point I will be grateful for eliminating any allergen.

I'm freaking out about the skin test. Actually I'm dreading it. I heard good and bad things about this, so the pessimist that I am can't see this as going well. It has to be done I know, but I wish it didn't.

Wish us luck and send Mac your positive thoughts! I will be sure to let you know how it goes.

Food Allergy Action Plan

2010-07-16T20:51:00.003-04:00

What is a food allergy action plan (or FAAP), and do you have one? Well a FAAP is basically a set of instructions of what medicine to administer, when to give it, how much, how often, emergency contact names and numbers and any other important information someone may need to help and treat you or your loved one in case of an allergic reaction. It can also give directions for using your epipen. If you google Food Allergy Action Plan, a number of links with plans you can fill out and use will come up. Here is just one I found http://www.foodallergy.org/files/FAAP.pdf. Ask your Dr too. They probably have one for you.

I've been meaning to do this, but haven't just yet. We're actually waiting to talk with the allergist next week and have her help us with it. I'm still not 100% clear when Cormac will get the epipen vs only Benadryl. It's a bit overwhelming so I suggest talking with your Dr. to make sure you get it right.

Ok, so what do you do with it? I plan on keeping a copy on the fridge and copies with his epipens at home, and epipens that go everywhere with us. When it's time for school the teacher, school nurse, and bus driver will have one. Since my husband and I can't be with him 24/7, I will show the FAAP to who will be watching him.

Right now we explain how to use the epipens, and how to administer any other medication he needs. I will feel better if they have directions as well. Explaining this over and over again gets tiring and frustrating but it's a must now. Trusting people with out little man is so difficult for us. At the same time it also can be overwhelming for them too. Watching someones child is hard enough, but one with a life threading allergy or other condition is just pain scary. As the parents of the kids with allergies, we have to remember that too.

I urge you to talk with your Dr. about your own FAAP. It could help keep you or your loved one safe.

Awards & What Not

2010-07-14T13:05:00.008-04:00

No Nuts For My Peanut was recognised by Wellsphere.com as a Top Health Blogger. I was so happy to receive this. I am also a happy to report that Jessica from The Caterpillar Family Blog sent me a blog award called The Versatile Blogger! The Versatile Blogger award comes with rules so here we go!

1. Thank the blogger who gave it to you.

2. List 7 things that people may not know about you.

3. Pass the love to 15 deserving bloggers that you have discovered recently.

4. Let them know that you gave them an award.

Seven things about me you may not know:
1. I secretly watch some of the worst TV on the planet.
2. I am addicted to Baby Center.
3. I grew up in Long Island NY, but now live in Rockland County NY.
4. I miss the beach terribly.
5. By working part time I get the best of both worlds.
6. I wish I wasn't such a control freak.
7. Looks forward to nap time every single day.

Now 15 Blogs!
1. Sara Bakes Cakes
2. This Mamma's Heart
3. He Gives Me Grace
4. The Nut Free Mom
5. Living on Love & Cents
6. You Don't Know
7. The Girl Creative
8. Review Retreat
9. Jenieshell Design Challenge
10. A boy and His Dogs
11. The Shores
12. Milk Free Recipes
13. Kevin and Amanda
14. Long Island Mom of 2
15. Blanket Statements

Well I think that does it!

Guest Blogger

2010-07-10T11:19:00.005-04:00

Have a funny or scary story to share? Or maybe some great tips and advise for food allergy sufferer's? Could there be something you need to get off your chest or just want to talk about your anxieties? I am looking for guest bloggers to contribute a post to my blog each week. My requirements are simple:

1. Topic must be related to any kind of food allergy. It doesn't have to be about nuts.
2. Post must be submitted to me via e-mail at nonutsformypeanut@gmail.com
3. Post will need to be approved.
4. Post may be edited by No Nuts for My Peanuts, but not without the authors approval.
5. Must be a follower or like on Facebook.
6. Requirements to be a guest blogger may change at any time, without notice.

Random Nuts

2010-07-08T15:03:00.007-04:00

My mom has been great thought all this allergy stuff and has been on board right from the start. We totally trust her. When we go visit, the house is basically nut free. She moves unsafe food around so he won't be able to get it. She also cleans the house from top to bottom just in case. Well I received an e-mail from my mom today that made me cringe and laugh. She is finally getting rid of a very old couch. While taking off the cushions she found peanuts under them! Now my son doesn't spend much time in that room if any when we are there, but still he could. I don't know what we would of done if he got his little hands on them. So scary, but kind of funny. Nuts in the couch just sounds weird.

So today's lesson is check under the cushions and always be on top of your game. You never know where you may find random nuts!

Getting Ready for the Allergist

2010-07-06T20:32:00.003-04:00

In 2 weeks we will be heading to NYC to see the pediatric allergist. We have a little notebook that we are writing questions in to ask. I wonder how much time they give us? Though our new pediatrician gives us time, not all do. You are lucky if you get 5 minutes to ask one or two questions. I know we are going to do the skin test (not looking forward to that at all), so we will be there a while. But I wonder if they see other patients during that time, or if they stay with us. I am so anxious to go. I have so many questions and concerns that I don't think they will be able to address them all. Heck I will probably go blank and not remember to ask half of them.

Someone in my online food allergy group sent me this link to get started. So I am sharing it with you!

If you have any ideas of what else I should be asking, please share!

Happy 4th of July Everyone!

2010-07-04T12:04:00.002-04:00

We just want to wish everyone a happy 4th of July! We hope you enjoy yourselves. We also want to give a very special thanks to the men and women who are serving our country (past and present), so we can celebrate our country's independence. You and your families sacrifice so much. Thank you.

Lotion, Soap and Shampoo

2010-06-29T10:31:00.004-04:00

Just a little reminder today. If you or your kids have food allergies make sure to read the ingredients on your lotions, soaps and shampoos. Many of the organic and natural products contain some of the top 8 food allergens!

Today for example, I was looking at the ingredients for Burt's Bee's Baby's Bee Fragrance Free Shampoo. It has sweet almond so we can't use it. It also has oats which for us is OK, but not OK for someone with a wheat allergy. So even though Skin Deep Cosmetic Safety Database gives a great safety rating we still can't use it. Also Our pediatrician gave us a lotion recommendation but didn't know it had almond in it. I will be sure to tell him at our next visit just so he knows.

Skin Deep Cosmetic Safety Database is a great site to see what in the skin and hair care products we use. You will be surprised by products that you think are natural and safe but aren't. Check out your sunscreens too, and you will be shocked!

Facebook Page

2010-06-27T15:44:00.004-04:00

It has been suggested to me a number of times to create a Facebook page for No Nuts for My Peanut. Well I just did. I'm not sue what to do with it, but I'm sure I can figure it out lol. I do know I would like it to be a place where people can discuss, share and support people with food allergies. I welcome questions. If I don't know the answer maybe someone else will. Heck I still have SOOOOO much to learn. Yes peanuts are my main focus but I don't want to limit discussions to just nuts. Chime in, tell me you story. Lets learn from each other.

Found a Bakery!

2010-06-18T20:56:00.004-04:00

Through word of mouth, my mom heard about a local bakery in my hometown that is peanut and tree nut free. I found this very hard to believe. Since it's Father's Day this weekend, I decided to call and see if it's true since I will be I town. Well it is! The Brightwaters Village Bakery is a safe place for my boy. He can go in a eat anything his little heart desires! I was so overjoyed at this, that I burst into tears right there on the phone. I tried to hide it but I could barely speak.

The woman I spoke with was telling me that the owners grandchildren have the allergy, and he wanted a safe place for them to go. She also told me that they have had kids come in there and cry because they could have anything and it was safe. Can you imagine being told no you can't eat that everywhere you go, especially all the desserts and sweets other kids get to eat. If I was overwhelmed, I can imagine how they must feel. We now have a special treat for our little guy. We can also get cakes, cookies, and pastries, for a party without having to worry. I know it sounds crazy, but something like this is a very big to to us.

They have customers from all over, not just Long Island NY. I wish they had a web page but since they don't, I'll post their contact info instead.

Brightwaters Village Bakery
631-968-2808
346 N Windsor Ave
Brightwaters, NY 11718