I have about a zillion things I need to get done before Thursday.   The list is so overwhelming that I’m pretending it doesn’t exist.   Hence the middle-of-the-day blog post while my kids sleep.   Sure, I could start writing a comprehensive list of everything to pack, start the laundry, sign Sabrina up for her ski lessons, organize my closet enough so I can find my hiking books, and edit the wedding pictures as well as a twin session I did yesterday  … but, instead, I’m writing a post for all my avid followers.

I have an excuse.  We had Tyler’s nine month appointment today so I figure that’s blog-worthy.   He’s 18 pounds, 9 ounces and 28 inches long.  Have I ever mentioned how I hate those height and weight charts?  Well, I do.  He dropped on the growth chart for weight to 30%.   The doctor said she wasn’t too concerned … but she said it in a way that clearly said she was kind of concerned.  She, “wanted him to gain two pounds rather than a pound and a half.”  Of course, at the same time, she said he’s perfectly capable of going nine to ten hours without waking at night.  And, sometimes he does … but the times that he doesn’t her advice was simply to, “just ignore him.”  Soooo — she doesn’t like his weight gain, but just wants me to ignore him at night??   Make up your mind Dr. Brown.    They took his blood today to check for anemia — and he’s not anemic, but when the lady who drew the blood came in the room, Sabrina recognized her instantly and started to get worried (for Tyler…but mostly for her).   Poor thing, she’s been poked and prodded so many times.

On another note … I opted against the allergy testing today for Tyler.

Let me preface this next part with the fact that I’ve been scared to write this on the blog … but I’m almost certain Tyler is free and clear of a dairy allergy.   For lunch today he had salmon and my favorite cheese (Seaside Cheddar from Whole Foods — you must try it!).  He’s been having cheese for over a month now with no reaction.    For Christmas dinner he had a fabulous mashed potato dish that’s cooked with cream cheese, real butter and scalded milk and had no reaction.   He’s also had an egg dish with no reaction.   There are times when I eat egg that he seems to get red in the cheek — but that’s about it.  We haven’t tried nuts.  For one, we don’t keep them in the house but mainly, he can live without nuts.  Heck, he can live without dairy and egg, too and really, he might have to for a while because it’s not like he’s a neat-and-tidy eater.  Half of his cheese ends up on the floor and frankly, it’s not worth the anxiety it puts me in knowing that one bite could kill Sabrina. She’s such a Mommy’s little helper … what if she picks it up to put it in the trash?

So, on the one hand, it’s wonderful knowing that dairy is not a deadly food for him but on the other hand,  it also opens up a can of worms that I wasn’t quite ready to face.   It’s awful because it’s heart wrenching  when Sabrina says, “I wish I could have that (while Tyler eats a huge piece of cheese with a grin bigger than Texas on his face).”  And, she really means it.   What I’m saying is, she’s not just saying it because she’s four and wants to see our reaction.  She is increasingly more and more aware of the fact that her food allergy sets her apart.   It’s like when she comes home from a birthday party where she didn’t get to have what all the other kids were having and she cries.   She just wants to be like everyone else.  She wants to eat what they eat.  She knows to ask whether something is safe … and what a hard reality it is for her if it isn’t.  Sure, she gets the cupcakes I make… but they are still different from the other kids.    So, while I’m happy that Tyler doesn’t appear to have life threatening food allergies, it opens up a huge can of worms in our house.  And I mean a gigantic can of worms.  Big, ugly ones.

And while I don’t have to cross this bridge for three more months … should I give him regular cows milk?  Or rice milk?  What if his milk spills on the floor?  What if she takes a sip from his milk cup without thinking about it?  Should I keep giving him cheese knowing that it’s good for him but deadly for Sabrina?   Do boys need more calcium than girls?   Will it be confusing for our friends as to whether he can have something that Sabrina can’t?  Will it be confusing for us?  For her?  For him?   See. Ugly ugly worms.   And really, I’d like opinions on the subject.

Writing about this is making me anxious enough that it’s time to go clean my closet and find those hiking boots.

{calm down mama. Look! I'm sooooo big!}