Wednesday, October 15, 2014

Allergies ugh!

So over the last few weeks, Matthew has started eating new foods - whole milk... allergic, almond milk... possibly allergic... peanut butter ... definitely allergic. It's been a trying and scary few weeks of hives, eye and nose swelling, Benadryl and doctor's visits. Next week, we'll be adding a new doctor to the list of appointments, pediatric allergist.

When Matthew was 5 months old he had a reaction to me eating peanut m&ms but a blood test showed he did not have an allergy to peanuts, so we figured that he wasn't allergic. My new pediatrician suggested trying peanut butter to add protein to his diet. So Saturday morning, I made Matt a multigrain waffle with peanut butter on it. As soon as he took his last bite a large hive appeared on his left eye, his nose on the same side swelled slightly, and more hives appeared around his cheeks and leg.  Not wanting to over react, I gave Matt a little Benadryl and took him upstairs to sit in an oatmeal bath and watch. Watch to see if he had any trouble breathing, swallowing and if more hives would appear. Luckily none of that happened, but when the eye swelling didn't go down I figured it was time to call the emergency line at his pediatrician's office. We had an appointment in 20 minutes and to get him there to be seen. Matthew now comes equipped with an Epipen Jr., but I pray to God we never have to use it.

Next week, Matthew and I will be at his two-to-three-hour long allergist appointment where they will test him for those allergies, the severity of them and if he is allergic to anything else. I wonder what causes a child to get allergies though?As far as I know, we don't have food allergies on either side of our families - with the exception of my allergy to pastry filling. I just don't get it. He is healthy in every other aspect, but he suffers from horrible eczema and now it's suspected that he has these food allergies. Hopefully we will get the answers we need to ensure that Matthew stays as healthy as can be. If that means avoiding foods with peanuts and milk, so be it. Let me tell you though, it's not easy to find foods that haven't been processed in a factory with peanuts. And milk? My goodness it seems like it's in everything. I'm hoping he grows out of the milk allergy and I'm further hoping it's just a milk sensitivity and not a full-blown allergy. Keep us in your prayers for a good report next week. I'll keep you all posted. 

Thursday, October 2, 2014

Well that was eventful!

Ever just feel overwhelmed? That's where I am at right now. The house is a mess, the kid started hitting and the dog, well, she's a pain in the you know what!

Let me begin... every evening I try to make sure the dishes are at least done and the kitchen is mostly cleaned up, because I can't stand gross left over food dried up on the counter. But now, because Matt is into everything I also try to make sure the toys are mostly picked up, or at least thrown into one corner, before I head out the door for the day, but by the time I come home from work it's as if a tornado has made a run through the house.

It's typical every day mom stuff I know, but I feel like I can never catch up on all the stuff that needs to get done. There's endless loads of laundry, piles of dishes to be washed and put away, toys every where and a window of just a few short hours to complete the daily tasks that are must dos every single day. If I let it go, which if I'm being honest happens far too often, it becomes a monstrous task that gives me heart palpitations thinking about the growing list of to dos that need to get done over my short two day weekend.

My day goes as follows, I get up in the morning and shower as quickly as possible so that I can be ready before the baby gets up - sometimes that happens, sometimes not so much. Then I am running around trying to get the baby ready for the day, take care of the dog, the fish and try to get myself ready for work. Then, I drop the baby off at the sitter's house, drive to Tonawanda, work til 5, then get in my car and drive 45 minutes home. Then from the minute I walk in the door, the dog is barking and jumping at me for attention, the baby is following me around the house with his arms up for me to pick him up and the sink is already filled with dishes, the fish bowl needs to be cleaned, the dog is scratching to go outside and the toys are scattered across the floor. Then it's bath time, a little cuddle time on the couch, and then bed time by 8:30 p.m. By 9, it's dishes time, sit on the couch for a little tv and relaxation and then bed time. Some nights the baby sleeps through the night and other nights he's up for hours, and I try everything I can to get him back to sleep before my alarm goes off for the day.

This morning was pretty typical, I got up and showered and ate breakfast all before Matthew got up. It was nice to sit and watch last night's Tonight Show with my husband before the chaos began. I should have known it was too good to be true.

After Eric went to work, all hell broke loose.

As I was upstairs changing Matthew I heard the dog rustling with something in the kitchen. In a span of a few short minutes, a tin of cupcakes from Matthew's birthday party had been entirely consumed along with a few of the plastic Jake and the Neverland Pirates cupcake toppers that I had used to decorate for the party. I wasn't even down the stairs yet and Marley's tail went between her legs and she headed straight for the back door because she knew she ate something - again - that she wasn't supposed to. Now, if it had just been the cupcakes, I wouldn't have worried because she'd eventually puke them up, probably in the middle of the night, but these cake toppers were big and I know Marley would have trouble passing them if she had to, so I called the vet. Induce vomiting, they said, and call them back. GREAT.

I have the baby on my hip, a bottle of hydrogen peroxide in my other hand and I am now chasing Marley throughout the house because she knows what will happen when I pour it down her throat. I finally coax her into her crate where she is thrashing around and Matthew is trying to scoot around me to get into the crate with me and Marley, because that's where the party is, right? I get Matt out of the crate who immediately has a melt down and is throwing himself onto the ground in fits of rage, I corner the dog and get some peroxide into her mouth and get her outside and wait... and wait... and wait... nothing. She's apparently getting used to peroxide-induced vomiting, so I am now chasing her outside with the medicine syringe filled with more peroxide yelling at her to get over here, cursing and telling her that if she doesn't come to me right now I am sending her to the pound and getting rid of her. The roofers two doors down got quite the comedy show this morning. After about 50 minutes, the dog finally threw up the contents of the cupcakes and I was able to take Matt to my dad's and get to work. I then received a text from the hubs asking if I took anything out for dinner? SMACK MY HEAD AGAINST THE WALL.


Side note: I have to give credit where credit is due. Eric does the cooking, so at least I don't have that added to the to do list.