I know I have really been awful with posting since we decided to move. It has been hard for me to find the time between moving and then finishing school at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition in NYC and then graduating-YIPPEE and then moving and then starting Rachels Wellness but here we go. So much has happened. I owe a birthday letter for Max and now almost one for sammy but Thanksgiving was great and lots of fun. It was hard to be away from my family-the first time in almost 10 years but luckily my great husband was there to tell me it was ok to be upset. Sometimes for a tough “do it myself” and “I can handle it on my own” type of girl..I need to hear that it is ok to ket go and cry and just go with the flow..so once he let me know that it was ok..I felt good and enjoyed the day and saw all the blessings around me. So here is a picture of my little guy and his momma who adores him.

I have to say it is quite funny to have Thanksgiving in the warm weather and be wearing short sleeves and not be cold while up north it was snowing. Max managed to have a gluten free meal even though we ate out because I called ahead and got him a baked potato and veggies steamed. I then found the desserts that had no gluten and he was in heaven. Sammy ate a yogurt I brought and the icing off some cupcake and she was in heaven as well.

The kids played and enjoyed dinner-well they actually did a lot of running around but it was still nice and we had a great time being with family..not my own family but it was still family. At one point Max was break dancing and this guy actually got up from his table and started to break dance with him as well-it was the funniest thing I have ever seen. The kids are growing up so fast. I cannot believe it.

I am very fortunate for all that has been given to me. I always have talked about our food allergies-gluten and wheat intolerance, egg allergies, digestion issues but at the end of the day, I have the happiest and most special kids I have ever met. Max is the sweetest and toughest little kid I know. He has a huge heart. Sammy is on fire. She is talking up a storm and has an agenda all the time and a plan. She is so strong in her desire to enjoy life and live it to the fullest. I am blessed with love from a great husband and two amazing and truly gifted children. It is all grace. I am one lucky girl!

Thank you for all you have given me, whoever you may be up there looking over me! Thank you!

I know it can be really touch living with food allergies when you have a family that has all different ones but one we have in common is gluten and wheat. We have learned through trial and error what we are allergic to and what we are not but it varies with season. I know there is an intolerance when there are skin rashes, hives, digestive issues, mood changes, sleepless nights and candida/bacteria imbalances. We have also taken it a step further and done stool tests to look at the inflammation, digestion, absorption and intestinal health markers. We have all done the Genova Allergy blood tests to know what foods we need to stay away so we do not weaken the digestive system, therefore weakening immune system even more.

People always ask me what we eat but we eat tons. I have learned how to make so many meals/desserts using brown and white rice flours. We try and eat a lot of fresh foods and whole foods because my kids and of course myself do not digest the packaged foods that well. My son is able to eat the Glutino apple bars and he LOVES them and they are a life savior for snack when he goes to school. I also don’t live in a bubble and I give my kids Yummy Earth Lollipops and bake daily so they have lots of yummy treats to eat. Max also adores gluten free plantain chips. YUM! Samantha adores banana chips. I swear kids have an intuitive nature about them to know what causes their bellies to hurt and so they reach for what makes them feel good and when they don’t-they don’t feel well. Luckily, they are still little and so it is still pretty easy for me.

I have learned that are food allergies are really bad when out gut is a mess. So I use a ton of probiotics and I rotate them. I also incorporate cultured foods and mix it in with his burger a few times a week. The probiotics are key and finding out what foods are creating the “leaky gut”.

Dr Weil describes Leaky Gut as, “Leaky gut syndrome is not generally recognized by conventional physicians, but evidence is accumulating that it is a real condition that affects the lining of the intestines. The theory is that leaky gut syndrome (also called increased intestinal permeability), is the result of damage to the intestinal lining, making it less able to protect the internal environment as well as to filter needed nutrients and other biological substances. As a consequence, some bacteria and their toxins, incompletely digested proteins and fats, and waste not normally absorbed may “leak” out of the intestines into the blood stream. This triggers an autoimmune reaction, which can lead to gastrointestinal problems such as abdominal bloating, excessive gas and cramps, fatigue, food sensitivities, joint pain, skin rashes, and autoimmunity. The cause of this syndrome may be chronic inflammation, food sensitivity, damage from taking large amounts of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS), cytotoxic drugs and radiation or certain antibiotics, excessive alcohol consumption, or compromised immunity.”

If you are having trouble with your digestion and you need my help, feel free to check out my website
Rachels Wellness.

Dearest Samantha,

So it was a tough month for you. We had some interesting food allergies come up..actually hives that were covering your body from head to toe. We tried everything homeopathy, Sulphur 200c and sulphur 30c, Chamomilla 30c, Belladonna 30, and then Benadryl and and the creams but nothing was working and you were getting worse by the day. We took away your lactose free milk and started a elimination diet and try rice milk and that made it worse. I have a feeling the safflower oil was aggravating the situation. You also were dealing with candida and bacteria, which in not uncommon when your stomach is really messed up but the questions still remained-what was causing the problem? You were so unhappy and finally when you eyes blew up and your lips swelled, I scooped you up and took you to the ER and they gave your IV prednisone. For me to have you on that type of medicine, it was really bad. So I have since tried everything and the hives started to come back until one day I saw you play with play doh and BAM-hives-ah-WHEAT!!! So play doh went in the trash and so have the hives. It will take some time for you body to recover because you were in really bad shape so I am giving you yeast medicine and an all natural bacteria medicine because you had a bacteria rash on your skin from itching the hives raw. Finally I am giving you chinese medicine to help with the rashes and that seems to be working. Thank goodness. Poor baby. But I hink it is safe to say No wheat and No gluten. I am going to get you tested next week via a blood test. Just like your mom and your brother.

Halloween was not that much of a day for you because we were in the ER that day but you and I did have fun answering the door and handing out candy. In our new neighborhood it seems that halloween is like a national holiday. So we put on your Tinker Bell/Angel costume and took a few pictures. This was a great picture of us that night and even Esther seemed to make her way into the picture.

As for the potty and your diaper. Basically you like to be nude. I have found you in the morning with your diaper off and saying wet. Yes, you heard me right, you take your diaper off..not all of the time but sometimes. You have started to go on the potty and you are very excited about this. You began this about 3 weeks ago and your favorite part of the toilet paper-although you don’t wipe-you just take little pieces and then throw them in the toilet and then clap. You have gone pee and poop on the toilet and I am very proud of you. You also love to get out of the pool and actually poop on the grass like a dog-we are working on this one. I think both you and your brother watch Esther, your dog, a little too much and think this is an acceptable way to go to the bathroom. Oh Boy!

You are talking up a storm. You refer to yourself as ME or Sam! You say, “I throw or I go”. You can repeat almost any word and your brother enjoys teaching you words and making your learn new words daily. You are a great communicator and you are very social.

You are in LOVE with Kung Fu Panda and you think you are a kung fu master so you walk around the house doing kung fu non-stop and hitting doors and people. We are working on not hitting people. You still love Wow Wow Wubzy and you are really enjoying books finally..although sometimes you are the one who has to read the book to me, which is adorable as well.

You are on feisty little girl. You have to have it your way and so I am doing my best to teach you that life does not always give you what you want when you want. We just started a mommy and me called Sprout and hopefully this will help you since there are 12 other little kids in the class because sometimes you get frustrated when other kids are at the playground or on the slide and you say, MY SLIDE or MY PLAYGROUND and then I say share slide…share playground..I love your strong willed personality. You have a voice. You are not scared to show it. Never stop speaking up. You have taught me so much already and I am blessed to have you as my daughter.

I love you angel!

Love,

Mommy

Dearest Samantha,

So much to tell. You have turned into a little girl right before my eyes  this month. You babble, say words, walk with ease, carry your baby around and ask for your favorite movies. You can say the following words: Max, Ma Ma, Da Da Ba for bottle, Hi, Bye Bye, Re-for remote, ruff ruff, Do for Dog and more. I am sure there are others but those are the ones that I can make out currently.

You love to point at everything and you give this look..I know you are asking me WHY? I can see the future already..so many questions and so many answers. I have a feeling that you will always want to know the answer just like your momma.

You have been cutting two teeth this month-a molar on the bottom right and a tooth on the bottom right and I swear I feel a bump on the bottom left. OUCH. We actually had to give you motrin for a few days but things seemed to have calmed down since the tooth broke through. Poor baby. Teething stinks!

You are so sweet and so much fun. You love to play with blocks and you love to put things inside of other things. You enjoy playing with the little kitchen we have in the playroom. Every morning we go downstairs and you sit on this big bean bag and watch MILO and OTIS-a movie about a PUG and  CAT while I work out. You play and watch me and we sing songs..even though I can barely catch my breath as I am running.

You enjoy empty vitamin bottles, water bottles, and anything that is not a toy. You still love to sing and dance and enjoy yourself the most when music is playing. You are shy to a degree but the minute you warm up..you are chatty and dancing.

You were able to see two huge storms that totaled almost 40 inches here in Philadelphia and that is unheard of but you witnessed it and we had a lot of fun playing outside. You loved going down the hill with your Daddy, as I know you are such Daddy’s little girl. And by the way, he loves you so much too!

You still love to snuggle despite how independent you are and I love that. You have very curly hair, especially the day after we wash your hair and it reminds of the curls I had when I was your age.

Your favorite movie is SHREK. You have a little couch inf ront of the TV and you will sit there until your favorite scene and then you must go to the TV and watch close up..it can’t be good for your eyes but it is what you do and it is adorable.

You are doing great with your food and pooping..both subjects we talk about in this house a lot due to allergies. I think this protocol that we have had you on since November is working and we are addressing some issues that are finally getting your tummy in good order. You love squash, home made banana muffins, rice, apples, pears, carrots and kefir. I also give you a litle cultured veggies each week to help with your digestion and gut..we are just so happy that you are pooping daily. You are also on a homeopathic remedy called SULFUR, which is helping you to process the sulfur better in your little body-hoping that you will have less reactions wot foods with sulfur and almost every food has sulfur.

So things are good with you and you are just such a blessing in my life. I never knew how amazing it would be to have a girl. You have taught me so much about myself. I see my fire in you and I see that part of you that is a little volcano when you don’t get your way-kicking and screaming on the floor but then-I show you cups ands blocks and it is all over. You are a great kid and everybody that sees you just says you have so much personality and so much to say already.

Ever since you learned to walk, you are just so happy and you love to explore and hide and play games. You are playing great with your brother and you guys have a lot of fun together. We adore you. I guess there is not much more to say than that. Thank you for being my daughter.

Love you tons,

Mommmy

I try not to talk a lot about allergies and stuff like that because I also know that my kids are healthy in ways that other kids are not. But sometimes it is so hard. Both Max and myself are having allergies to foods that we typically do not and it is so frustrating. It is one thing to not feel well myself but when I see my kids suffering it is so hard. Max has been getting rashes on his testicles, ears, face and back. He has not been himself and looks a little gray. I just don’t know what it is and we have done so many tests, which is awesome but overwhelming. We started with this one doctor in chicago named Dr. Amy Yasko. She is doing genetic testing and it is really amazing her work. We did genetic testing for the whole family, a urine test for Max and a stool test for myself and the kids. The constant candida and GI issues with some adrenal issues with Max seem to just be effecting him one day and then the next day he is fine. Like I said, I try to keep perspective because my kids are so happy and they are so damn cute but something it just not right. I know the speech is part of it. I also know one of the genetic mutations we have in our family is the inability to detox properly and so any toxin, environment of food is just too much for us, but especially Max. You know I never know what it is-was it the introduction of food when he was 6 months, allergens in my breast milk, chronic candida, vaccines..all of it or maybe none of it.

The good thing is that we have all these tests coming back and we are starting Dr, Amy Yasko’s protocol to get the methylation process in the body working efficiently. I knwo it sounds complicated and it is. There is a part of me that know in the end we are all going to be fine but I also know that something is going on in Max’s body that effects him on so many levels and we are working hard to figure it out.

I finally feel like somebody is giving me a plan and that feels so good. I cannot tell you how often I worry-24/7. It is hard to explain to anyone who does not have an allergenic kid what it is like to worry about allergies. But like I said, it is not anything that is killing him and that is where I need to get grateful. I just sometimes get jealous of people who don’t need to worry about food or allergies.

Luckily we found this doctor and our doctor Daphne Goldberg will help us to navigate. I also have another doctor named  Dr. Joe Carcetti advising me on the genetic stuff as well. So all in all we are good. I just have felt tired these last few days and just needed a break. Between school, which takes up about 4 or 5 hours and week and the kids and day light savings, which has the kids now up between 5 am and 6 am, I am tired.

I am fine but I am tired. Ok just need to vent and say SCREW DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME-WE ARE NO LONGER FARMERS-WHO NEEDS THE CHANGE IN TIME!! Thanks feel better now!