A new perspective on Food

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Originally uploaded by potts.lindsay

The food that you love, most likey make Keegan sick.

I dont understand how people can be so closed minded about issues they have never faced. Of course our big thing at home right now is food allergies. A lot of people seem to think.. its not a big deal.. he will outgrow it.. no such thing..

in all actuality.. it is a big deal! Some of his allergies could actually kill him! And now that we are learning that he may have a medical condition that makes the whole food allergy worse sucks!

To anyone who says the things above.. How dare you. If youve never experienced this first hand you can just keep your mouth shut. If this was YOUR kid, it would be different wouldnt it? But since you are watching from the sidelines, not seeing every little thing that these food allergies do to my son, you have no say.

It is so sad to me that Keegan will always be suffering with this. The peanut allergy is never outgrown. The egg allergy might stick with him as well. I pray that his body doesnt start to attack the foods that he CAN eat right now. And this is a possiblity in the future. Some of these kids who have EE can end up on feeding tubes because thier body ends up producing antibodies to every food they ingest.

When we found out Keegan was allergic to eggs when he was 1, we thought that was hard. Having to check every label, makeing sure to wash your hands completely if you touch an egg. washing your face if you eat them, because a simple kiss after an egg breakfast could result in hives. Without even looking at labels i could tell you what he can and cant have egg wise.

When we learned he was allergic to all the other foods he was allergic to, it got even harder.

At this point in time, i just feel greatful that we caught this now. that we started testing early. It will give so many answers. and help us deal with these things.

the allergist even gave us a support group number and website since EE is so hard on families. Im sure i will be visiting often.

I knew that in my head Keegan would never be able to eat cake, or doughnuts, or scrambled eggs for breakfast. he'll never be able to have the wonderful breads they have on the table at resturaunts before a meal. Did you know that salad dressing contains eggs? interesting huh.

the bottom line is this... we will do everything to make Keegan feel normal. We will allow him to have fun and grow up loving life and food! He wont know that hes missing out because there are special things we CAN make that he enjoys. Alot of the stuff he cant have arent that healthy for us anyway. So in a way.. we can thank Keegan for making us healthier.

As for Cameron... im afraid to start food with him. He is still breastfeeding only. I dont want to find out that he is allergic to foods too. But either way it wont be that bad cuz we are already dealing with the big allergies.

We are staying strong and trying to be positive.
Its going to be a long road, but we are a strong loving family and we'll get through this. One day at a time!

Eosiniphilic Esophogitis

I ended up emptying my whole pantry and getting rid of all the stuff he couldnt have into boxes and giving it to my sister! And filled it with stuff he could have. cooking has gotten alot easier and ive invented some awesome delicious dinners! HAHA

We had his allergist appointment last week and it turns out that Keegan does have asthma and they are 90% sure that he has Eosinaphilic Esophogitis (EE). they also gave us some good tips to keep his ezcema under control.

He was put on Polmocort through a nebulizer for every day, and albueterol for when needed. We also had to get Jr. Epipens.

Since we had cut out all the allergy foods for a month, they want us to put them back into his diet for a month because they need to do a endoscopy and a biopsy of his asophogus to diagnose EE. and with him being off the foods, the eosiniphils that build up in the asophogus and the GI tract tend to heal. So for them to get a good read they want to make sure , if he has this, that hes had enough time to build up the eosiniphils again. Which is bitter sweet. because we can eat the foods we love again, but we'll be dealing with coughing tummy aches throwing up and diarrhea. They dont want him to have his dangerous ones, eggs, chicken, peanuts, and treenuts.

he doesnt seem to want to eat much becuase we think it makes him feel yucky.

they also put him on Carnation breakfast because hes is almost 3 and since he turned 2 he hasnt gained anyweight. hes been about 29 lbs for a year.

His Endoscopy is scheduled for April 22nd and then we go from there.
im glad we have one of the best allergiest in the country cuz this is gonna be a long road!
After the Edoscopy we have to follow up with his allergist and they will do tests for celiac disease, the skin prick test and some other tests.

March 27th 2009 the boys see jordan

Yesterday we went to shelly's house to visit her now that they are home. The boys werent allowed to go into the maternity area of the hospital since its RSV season. That really bummed me out, since someone had to stay in the waiting area with the kids while I went to visit or vice versa.

I remember how wierd and stressful it was adjusting to home but it seems like they are doing great.

I helped shelly cut Jordans fingernails. she already tried earlier but they were still long and the poor baby scratched her face up. I dont understand why they like to crab thier faces all the time!

Cameron looked MASSIVE next to Jordan. And Casey and Shelly couldnt stop laughing at how silly Cameron was. He sat in Brians lap the whole time and squealed and talked. he was laughing at himself and eating his feet. Casey says.."oh my god i just cant even look at him right now cuz hes so funny". Cameron is such a chunky baby and looks like he could eat Jordan!!! haha
It was so wierd, because i still see Cameron as that small... and then i when i hold Jordan its a huge shock. My baby is still a baby... but just a really big one!!!haha

Keegan wasnt in the mood for pictures but i got some good ones of shelly casey and jordan and of course Cameron who is always smiling lol.























... Daddy is always pickin on his chub HAHA

Jordan Capri is here and she made me a proud Auntie!

Jordan Capri was born March 25th 2009

weighing in at 7 lbs 2oz 19.5 inches long
Shes is sooooo cute and perfect! I am so proud and lucky to be her aunt!
I am surrounded by boys and its so nice to add a little girl to the mix! She is going to be spoiled rotten! And that is perfectly fine with me!

Shelly better get used to me bombarding her with pictures, because she is already my newest subject!

I still cant believe that my boys were that little! they are just so precious when they are first born. So small and sleepy :)


Jordan hardly makes a peep. She doesnt fuss when you take her out of her bundle of blankets. She pretty much can deal with anything and shes only days old.
I cant wait to hold her again!!

love like the movies

Theres something about romance. Something about watching a romantic movie that makes you want something more. Makes you realize how much you love that special person. Is it just me? Or does this happen to everyone?
The romance, the passion, the love, the connection between the characters...
It makes me miss my husband even more when hes away.
it almost makes me jealous in a sense.

Our relationship is awesome and great dont get me wrong. but theres just something about the movies.. Something that makes me wish itd happen to me THAT way.

When we kiss, or even when we make love, it really does feel like the movies. Sometimes i have to shake myself out of it and realize that this is ACTUALLY happening.

Brian is a very romantic guy. Ever since the get go. Things have died off since the kids were born.. but that was expected. you hear that from every person who HAS kids. so why would it be different for me?

Why do we long for that passion, that excitement that love?
WE have it in some aspects of our lives, but if you could, would you wish for more? Would you want to be MORE romantic? more dramatic?

Sometimes iwish i could just.. change the way my body looks, have my hair perfect everyday. To be beautiful without an ounce of makeup... and have mu husband pick me up off my feet and look at me like im the only one for him.
no insecurities, no thinking, no what ifs.. just passion. just romance. just pure utter love.

You know how men are, they feel that way, they just dont TALK about it, or they think they are showing it.
Is that how it really is? Do we hold an expectation so high because of the movies? Or is it enough?

Maybe the movies are an expression of both of our emotions put on camera. put in action to see. So that when the movie is over, when we turn off the tv, we can cuddle, make out and have that passionate sex. Are the movies there to remind us?
To let us not forget that we DO have love between eachother and its there all the time. The fire is always burning.
Even with the baby spit up on your shirt. the snot of a toddler on your pants. Your hair thrown up in a messy pony tail to keep the baby from grabbing and drooling in it.

Its not about shaving your legs everyday, or just before you know youre gonna have sex. its not about the wonderful fragrence of the new perfume you HAD to have. Its not even about the clothes or the make up.

Take all of it way... the things you try to create yourself. the things you try to make yourself look like. OR things you try to cover up.

Its you. Every flaw you think you have. Every thing you need to change.. The one who LOVES you.. actually truly LOVES you.. for better or for worse.. till death do you part. he doesnt CARE about those things.

He sees ME. without the makeup and the shabang. he wouldnt change a piece of me.
AND THAT is what i love most.

(but it wouldnt hurt to spice it up like the movies once in a while haha)

Dont worry

Matthew 6:19-34

I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? "And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labour or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendour was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, "What shall we eat?" or "What shall we drink?" or "What shall we wear?" For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

RIP Grandma

Today we got the news that my Great Grandma Harman passed away today. Its so surreal. It doesnt feel like it has actually happend. I hate that we live all the way across the country. The last time i saw her was in 2003 after high school graduation! She wasnt in great condition then. Shes has gone through a lot of things since then.

I love my grandma.

There are so many good memories of her. How she loved to take care of her garden. How she was always baking or cooking something. Everytime we walked into her house as kids, the first thing she would ask us is if we would want some candy from the candy jar. it was so convientely placed by the front door ontop of the microwave.

i remember the way her house smelt. Esp the basement. which was sometimes creepy but so fun to play it. There were couches and that little radio. the basement door that opened to the outside with the big hill.

She always had cats around her house and she gave them milk and food all the time.

No one could match her potato soup and homemade rolls and breads.
not to mention all the jams.

She was a very special woman. she raised my mom and was always there for her. I think it hurts more to see my mom so upset thats shes gone.

We've been kind of preparing for this day. Mom wanted to go back to NY last year to visit in the srping because she thought it would be her last and she was right.

Grandma always had this thing about spring. Grandpa died when i was only 1 or 2 so i dont remember him. But he died in the spring outside. and she planted flowers where he passed away. she said that old people died in the spring. She wanted to go then.

Grandma i love you and i'll always miss you. Thank you for all of our memories and your sweet hugs and kisses. You were awesome to us and im so sorry that we've had to be away from you for so long. i wish we had more money to visit more often. I hope you know how much we all love you. I know youre in Heaven now with Grandpa. Try to not to get too crazy up there together

Forever in our memory,
Lindz

The boys

Its such a challenge to get the boys together and have a decent photo! One looks and smiles while the other is interested in something else. I tried haha











I cant wait to see what the future holds for my little guys. im so blessed to have them in my life!

Cameron 4 months old!

Tomorrow Cameron turns 4 months. hes our little chunkers and a great addition to our little family









stay little for a little while okay??

Keegan Growing up Fast

I cant believe how fast the time is passing!! He will be 3 in 2 months! YIKES!!! We've had a lot of hurdles in the past 3 years, but nothing short of a miracle he is to us.