So Momma's Not Crazy & An Allergy Update

The last week of parenting has kicked my rear. Seriously. I am so beat down.

Whining. Irrational crying. Disobedience. Irritability. Discipline, discipline, discipline.

Oliver, who typically goes right to sleep at night, has made bedtime a miserable event for everyone in our house. And probably for our neighbors as well. It has taken hours - HOURS??? - to get him down the last several nights. And you can forget potty training b/c he screams bloody murder when we mention it. (Thanks to the elimination diet he's on I can't use M&Ms for bribery anyway.) We had to leave the library without any books thanks to the fit he threw over not getting to do the puzzle he wanted to do. Approximately three-fourths of his excessive toy collection is in toy prison b/c he chose not to pick them up and Mommy had to. Are you getting the picture??

And Baby Truett must be held at all times or he will cry. Granted, he doesn't shed a tear after bloodying eight fingers by slamming them in a kitchen cabinet. But walk past him without picking him up? You'll break his heart.

So. I took both boys to the pediatrician this morning thinking there had to be an explanation for their behavior.

Ear infections all the way around. Yep. Again.

We hoped things would improve on the ear front when the weather warmed up. Hmmmmm. We'll return for a checkup in three weeks and will talk then about tubes for poor Truett.

The meds haven't helped the boys yet but somehow those two new antibiotic prescriptions have made me feel better: I'm not crazy! And perhaps we haven't really raised children who will intentionally act this way forever!

I'm rejoicing.

Allergy update: Oliver can't have his beloved milk but is intrigued by all the "new milks" in our fridge: goat, almond, rice, and soy. He requests a new one each time and hasn't missed a beat. The fact that I got a couple of chocolate versions of the new milk has definitely aided in the transition.

Thanks to those of you who emailed and commented with ideas. We got some Sunbutter as well as cashew and almond butter. He likes all three and has been sampling a little of each at mealtime. We're still adjusting and haven't seen a real improvement in his symptoms yet but I know it hasn't been long enough.

I felt sorry for him at church on Sunday b/c he had to wear a huge, florescent sticker proclaiming his allergies. His teacher is a friend of mine and said he didn't even notice when the other kids were eating cheddar goldfish at snack time b/c he was too busy playing intently. So that's good.

On Sunday our thoughtful friend Jan surprised me with an orange cake, one of my favs, for an early birthday celebration. She even called my mom for the recipe, super sweet. It was delicious and I felt so sad for Oliver b/c he couldn't have any of it. He started to fuss but Mike ran to a vending machine and came back with Oreos, which we learned are vegan. Who knew? Oliver had never had Oreos before but he is understandably now a fan.

And finally, for the record, Oliver weighed 32 lbs today and Truett weighed 18 lbs, 9.5 oz.

Chrys