goodbye old friends...

the past week has been crazy. it all began last wednesday when i started noticing blood in gabe's stool. it began as just a little but quickly became a frightening amount. needless to say, i rushed him to the pediatrician that morning and she began a series of tests. two days ago, sarah came with me and gabe to jacksonville where we spent the morning seeing a gastroenterologist, getting x-rays and drawing blood. as it turns out, both the pediatrician and the gastro guy think that gabe has a food allergy. thus begins the great experiment. for the next four weeks i am not allowed to consume any dairy whatsoever. that includes any that may be cooked into processed foods. thus, my diet is now strictly limited. the good news is that i am being forced to quit all of the sweets that i love but that are a hindrance to my ability to become pre-baby sized again. however, as someone who LOVES to bake, it is sad to have to give that up for awhile. maybe i will begin to explore the wide world of hypoallergenic baking.


interestingly, infant dairy allergies and eczema often go hand in hand. so, eliminating dairy from my diet may also clear up gabe's eczema. also, infant dairy allergies rarely carry over into childhood, so he should not be plagued with this forever. however, because many infants who are allergic to dairy are also allergic to soy, for now, i am not allowed to drink soy milk. so, no cereal for breakfast i guess. i am, however, determined to nurse gabe because i think it is good for him and also because most non-dairy infant formulas are made of soy anyways. so, i will adjust to this new diet and learn to live without chocolate and ice cream. (its probably for the best anyways)