A whole new world...of food!

We have great news to report - Tate has had two successful weeks at the allergist challenging both egg and peanut. He is now able to eat eggs, peanuts, and anything containing either of those items. We are so proud of him, and so proud of us!!! It has been a long and sometimes difficult road with food allergies. Derek took him last Monday with a hard boiled egg and Tate forced a little bit down every 15 minutes, working up to a full tablespoon. No problems whatsoever! Then they went back this week with an jar of organic peanut butter (the only thing we felt safe enough with) and worked his way up to a tablespoon again. No problems again! He didn't really like either on of them but forced them down anyway. Can you imagine trying something for the first time, that your parents have always taught you is dangerous, and having to eat like 2 tablespoons of it? He was a trooper too because 15 minutes after they fed him each taste, the nurse came in to check his belly, breathing, temperature, etc. and then feed him some more.

We feel so fortunate to have had the food allergy journey we have had. We have never had to carry an epi-pen, but we have been vigilant about what we feed him, ingredients and cross contamination. If you haven't had to deal with a food allergy, or haven't known someone who has, it can be rough and frustrating. When we started 4 years ago, it was hard to read the labels on food and eating out was very difficult. Now, allergens are printed in bold at the bottom of the ingredients and many restaurants have thorough allergen safe lists and have chefs that are trained to accomodate people with allergies.

So, the past two weeks have been exciting for Tate. He didn't have to take a special cupcake to the birthday party yesterday, he ate his first bag of M&M's, and as you can see in the picture a powdered sugar donut. After the egg challenge, he chose Campbell's Alphabet soup (egg noodles) and a donut for his first treat. It's a bummer of a time to outgrow a peanut allergy since they can't guarantee the safety of cookies, candies, etc. So, the peanut buttery treats will have to wait. In addition, the allergist feels comfortable feeding Avarie the same foods Tate is eating, just not a plate of scrambled eggs or a PB&J, not that she would like it anyway.

My friend Sarah said it best, "Celebrate by going out to dinner, and don't even call first to ask if there's anything your kid can eat there!" Think about that for a second? Yahoo!!!