Three Words

Y'all. Are. Awesome.

Let's make it four.... Y'all are STINKIN' awesome!!!!

Thank you so much for your comments and emails with help and suggestions for Carter's diet. I hope to respond to all the emails over the weekend. I spent my (very few) spare moments yesterday checking out websites, kiddie food blogs, recipes, etc, and I'm getting together a week's worth of meals to try out. The main challenge, I think, won't be making the food but rather getting my son to simply taste it. Even though I exposed him to many different foods and flavors as a baby, he has grown to be very picky. He won't even try foods. But as a few people wisely pointed out, he'll eventually break down and eat if the food on his plate is the only option and he's hungry enough.

Last night, I made a yummy soup (pureed steamed broccoli, coconut milk, salt and pepper) that I thought was pretty good. (And I do not like vegetables in the least.) I named it "Dave the Mover's Green Surprise Soup." Yes, I know it wasn't very creative or enticing. But the Imagination Movers were on (C's fave show), and it's what came out of my mouth as I tried to lure the kids to the dinner table. Next time I'll plan ahead more and choose a good name.

I gave C a few strawberries, but he ended up going to bed without dinner. Unfortunately, this is a tricky strategy in our household because I can't withhold food from Grace at this point in her adjustment. So I was sneaking food to her when Carter wasn't looking. I felt very evil and deceitful, but I kept telling myself this is all in their best interests. :)

As I try out recipes (and I'm creating some of my own), I will post them on here to help those of you who are also looking for meal revisions. As a quick response, some of the foods you can feed kids with milk and egg allergies are:

• coconut, rice, almond, and hazlenut milk, (soy is now considered to be "bad" so I steer away from it for the most part)
• coconut milk yogurt
• Nature Rounds (like Ritz crackers but without the high fructose corn syrup)
• egg replacer (for recipes calling for egg but not a substitute for a prepared egg)
• Van's blueberry waffles (they have wheat free too but they don't hold together well)
• Ian's chicken and fish (casein-, milk-, egg-, and gluten-free)
• oatmeal (sweeten with fruit or cinnamon)
• Ezekiel bread (in the organic fridge section)
• Cococut Oil (a spread we use as a butter)
• Natural peanut butter or almond butter
• Turkey or salmon burgers
• Hummus

Over time, we've done well adjusting to foods less processed and more organic. The issue now is transitioning C's meals from fruits and carbs (yogurt included) to proteins and veggies. I've got some great ideas to try, thanks to your responses and recipes. Now just pray Carter will try them. :)

I thought of a game my sister and I used to play when we were little. We'd put together a plate of snacks and blindfold one of us. With trust, we'd allow one to feed the other, and the one eating would have to name the food as we consumed it. Maybe I can do this with Carter a few times (with familiar foods, of course) until he trusts me. Then I can add in some foods he'd like but wouldn't taste based on appearance. Just brainstorming.

Dr. Marsh wants me to make a "lemonade" made of apple cider vinegar, water, and honey, giving him a teaspoon a day. As we progress, I am supposed to increase the amount the vinegar while decreasing the honey, and up the dose to a tbsp. This mixture supposedly resets the acidic levels in his stomach which will help with the allergens. According to Dr. Marsh, giving babies grains too early (before they have teeth to chew) causes their digestive systems to struggle. No chewing means the enzymes necessary to break down the grains aren't manufactured, and the result is an offset of the natural acid levels and the creation of allergens that lead to food allergies. Apparently, resetting the acid levels can lessen or eliminate allergies! Who knows if this is all true, but I'm all for helping Carter grow out of his food allergies as soon as possible.

I've got some pics from the last few days but my kids are screaming and crying. Will try to upload this afternoon or tomorrow. Thanks again for all your help, and HAPPY FRIDAY!!!

P.S. I forgot to mention that several of you brought up the green smoothies. I used to drink these last year and loved them! Thanks for reminding me about them. The ones I made had almond milk, 2 cups spinach leaves (which you really can't taste), 1/4 avocado, ice, vanilla protein powder (maybe 1 scoop?), Udo oil (I think that's the name), and frozen blueberries. You can change out the fruit and add a banana instead of avocado. It was so tasty and very healthy! On the menu for tomorrow morning! :)