Guest Post: Lessons in Potty Training

Kanika is originally from Los Angeles. but later moved to Detroit, Michigan where she and her husband of nearly six years started life together.  Today the couple lives in New Hampshire with their two year old son.  Kanika is a part time instructor and a Mentor-in-Residence at Colby-Sawyer College.

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My husband and I have a two-year old son, and anyone who spends time with a toddler knows they are fun, loving and unpredictable. One moment they may seem completely fixated on their favorite television show or toy and within seconds, they are on the move to something else. They also are very observing and aware of their surroundings. Our son follows us around taking notice of everything we do, including using the bathroom. And now that he is much more talkative with an evolving vocabulary, he announces when “Daddy pee pee” or “Mommy pee pee!” Sometimes he’ll even let us know when he has a soiled diaper.  Of course, we took this is a signal for potty training readiness! After all, he’s two, can hold a conversation pretty well for his age and is obsessed with wearing super hero underwear or “Big boy draws,” as I call them.

Unexpected Grace

This Easter was our first Holiday post-diagnosis, and I was really nervous that it would put a focus on the fact that Kiddo is different. At the risk of repeating myself, it did occur to me that being the Easter Bunny, while allergic to eggs, to a kid who can't eat sugar or starch, was pretty hard! I probably should not have dyed the eggs (but I did, while breast feeding), and I really should not have made meringue cookies (but I did, between breastfeeding and bed time) and that didn't go too well.

1-2-3 Choose!

I hate tantrums. My son hates tantrums. And yet, here we are living in tantrum central. I know all three year olds have tantrums, but my kid is like Dr. Jekl and Mr. Hyde: normal days are really quite manageable, CSID reaction days (when he feels like he has the stomach flu) are hellish. But since we're going to be living with it for a long, long time, we have to find a way to maintain good behavior.

We've tried many, MANY different tantrum taming tricks (ignoring, 'asked and answered', redirection, and on and on) they have not worked for us. In desperate moments we've even tried spanking, and *News Flash* it does not work-and it teaches him to hit in anger, and it leaves me feels like the worst. Yikes.

But you know what my three year old absolutely LOVES?

CHOICES.

Guest Post: Running for My Life!

I'm not sure if I've conveyed the fact that I'm a slacker...but I am.  I exercise, sometimes, a little.  Liesa (read previously here) puts me to shame, but she actually makes me curious.  Is it possible that my lazy self could enjoy something this crazy?  - Daisy

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I’m a runner.  I wasn’t always a runner.  In fact, I wasn’t truly a runner until I was a mother.  I ran casually in college, simply to “not get fat”.  For a decade, I ran a few miles a few times a week, and hated nearly every minute of it.  It was hard, I was alone, and it always meant I needed a shower.  It didn’t even really keep me from gaining weight.

Lunches of Fun

When we found out our oldest son had CSID I was panicked that all the hard work we had done to diversify his diet and make food fun would be in vain. Would mealtimes become a drudge? Would all the food be plain and tasteless? Would my son (who loves to eat) become a picky eater?

Guest Post: What Most People Don't Understand About Food Allergies

While Jen is dealing with her own egg allergies and trying to get her toddler's CSID under control, Jane reveals what it's like to live with an adult with serious food allergies.  While most of us can graze on whatever is on the free food table at work (really who doesn't say "Doughnuts..!  I shouldn't but....") And many of us can freely orient our social situations around drinking, snacking, and eating.  For some, meals are a gauntlet.

 Jane is a 30-something teacher who lives with her husband and naughty cat in Wisconsin.