Oh nuts!

Well we had an interesting conference weekend. This is from an email I wrote to a friend that tells the story.

"So here is my crazy, crazy story....we found out the hard way that Alexander is allergic to peanuts. It was/is awful! So Saturday between sessions I needed to run to Walmart, because I was there friday and had left a bag at the cashier (totally another crappy story) so I was waiting for him to wake up and he slept late so I just threw together a pb&j sandwich, which was the first time that I had ever given him straight up peanut butter. So we got to the store and I fed it to him as we were walking the isles. He loved it, and ate the whole thing. I was excited that he liked it because i have a bunch from WIC and its an easy snack. So we get back in the car and drive back to Shelley. He was extra fussy, like crying a ton and screaming at me. He never does that. I have a mirror that I can see him and I couldn't see that anything was wrong. When we get home and I go back to get him, his face is totally swollen and his eyes are almost swelled shut. So we run inside and I called our pediatric center because he was breathing fine, as far as I could tell, he was just running around and playing with his toys. I asked them if I should take him to the ER or just bring him in. They said just to bring him in to them if he was breathing fine. I called Taylor and he came right over from work and we drove up there.

Anyways, he is totally allergic to peanuts, and maybe all nuts. We have to go to an allergist and they will test everything. So now I have to carry an EPIpen with me everywhere and be so paranoid about everything! Its been a crazy few days, just trying to figure everything out and even trying to tell family when we are around them that they can't feed him anything with peanuts, peanut oil etc. and show them how to use the pen. I'm pretty sure I will never be able to comfortably leave him now, it was already hard for me, but its so much worse now. I keep having nightmares about it and its been so hard! I am leaving him in 2 weeks for 7 days, and I am freaking out now. I know he will be ok, but like even regular m&ms, because they were made by the peanut and almond ones he can't have, and any granola bars because they were made by the peanut butter ones. Even a lot french fries are made with peanut oil."

There you go. I'm feeling better about the situation now, but it was a bit of a shock. But I know it could have been worse, or a totally different situation, so I am thankful that it worked out, and I am so thankful for our good health. 

I am taking a workshop right now for photography, so I have been taking a ton of pics of Al (he is my only model, and a stinking cute one, if I say so myself!). I want to do more lifestyle, candid shots, so that is what I am working on here.