Little Munchkin's First Road Trip

Last weekend we went interstate for four days. We were invited to attend a friend’s wedding. I had mixed emotions when I received the invitation. I was so happy to hear that my friend was getting married and I was so excited to attend her wedding. On the other hand, I was nervous about the eight-hour drive to get there and the eight-hour drive back home.

 I purchased many new picture books and activity books to keep my munchkins entertained. I also invested in a car DVD device that would only come out in desperation. To my surprise the little munchkins were really good on the drive up and on the drive home.

The second dilemma was food for my little Munchkin. It was easy to organise something on the way to our destination, as I was able to prepare from home. We had chicken schnitzel and bread rolls. They were a hit. On arrival I prepared a vegetable soup with risoni from ingredients I had brought from home.

Little Munchkin eating his chicken schnitzel

The second day breakfast was easy just some Weetabix and snacks were simple. Lunch was the left over vegetable soup, which always seems to be tastier the second day. Dinner was going to be prepared by the reception (this made me very nervous). I contacted the venue and discussed my little munchkin’s dietary requirements and restrictions. The gentleman on the phone was so wonderful he was so understanding and told me everything he was going to prepare separately. Entre was a bowl of homemade pasta made egg free followed by a main of grilled chicken and chips. I was able to sit back and enjoy the evening knowing that my little Munchkin ate well.

Day three we went to the restaurant located at the hotel where we were staying. The layout was a continental breakfast bar. I mentioned to staff what foods were restricted. The restaurant was so helpful and offered to cook his bacon and toast separately to ensure there was so contamination. I didn’t feel it was necessary as every item had its separate dish at the bar. The staff sympathised and wanted him to feel special by preparing him his own plate. He was happy to be eating with the family and have his own plate with the exact meal. Lunch was a treat and dad took him to Nandos to have chicken and chips. That made his day. Dinner was at our friend’s house where they prepared a barbeque and sides suitable for him.

Day four breakfasts was a toasted ham and cheese sandwich from the local café. We drove back home with a bag filled with fresh fruits which we snacked on. We dropped into a Mc Donald’s and treated him to large fries and a good play on the playground. With a few hours still to go before we arrived home I was wondering what he was going to eat for dinner. Luckily my mother in law prepared a lovely chicken soup.

Eating French Fries 

Travelling with young children can be very daunting especially when you have children with food allergies. As a family we were hesitant to travel due to food allergies. We let it take control. This wedding was a good experience for us. It pushed us to take this trip away and opened our eyes; we coped very well with all our little munchkin’s meals. With a little organisation it was a success. Food allergies shouldn’t get in the way of our children’s everyday life. I have to look at it as we can do everything, the only difference is we may come across a few obstacles, but that’s ok. There are many ways we can get around them and enjoy new experiences. Now I am confident to organise a family holiday.

Finding The Right Kindergarten For My Little Munchkin.

I have my little munchkin starting three-year-old kindergarten next year. I am so excited to see him with his little backpack and his first little lunchbox. I figured that I was going to send him to the kindergarten that was central in the suburb that I live in. I thought this would be perfect. It is walking distance to where I will be living so my little munchkin and I could stroll to kinder or take his little bike. Once he turned two years old I had to submit my applications to the kindergartens of choice. I thought that I should ring and ask what their policies were with children and food allergies.

This was the first kinder I called and was told that children were still allowed to bring in peanut butter sandwiches. This scared me as my little munchkin may have a severe reaction should he come in contact with this product. I was told it was no big deal and that the child consuming the sandwich will be sitting at another table and will be taken to the basin to wash their hands once they have finished. At home I have no products that contain his allergens. I think I would be filled with anxiety if I were to leave him in an environment where he is faced with these allergens at such a young age. I do understand that we cannot control every environment that they will be in and that we need to educate them to understand what they can and cannot have. But I still believe that at three years old its very young for them to completely comprehended what will happen and how fast paced it is. I figured this was not good enough for him.

I called another local kindergarten and ask the same questions. The coordinator was so wonderful. She had invited me to visit the kinder and offered to give me a tour. I was told that families are advised not to send children to kinder with any products that contain nuts. It is printed on their weekly newsletter every week to offer a friendly reminder to all families. Every child is to be accompanied by a parent or guardian into the classroom, prior to entering the classroom all children are to wash their hands and have their lunchbox sighted by the staff to ensure that this allergen is not in any of the products. I was so happy to hear everything she had to tell me. As every minute past by I was getting more and more excited about him starting kinder rather than feeling anxiety. The coordinator was so lovely; she even explained what the protocol is should he have a reaction. She knew exactly what to do. And the good thing was all the other staff are very understanding.

The day after my visit I found out that a friend has a child that attends this kinder and who is also anaphylactic to nuts and eggs. He gladly recommended sending our children to this kinder. Two days later a very good friend of mine told me that her daughter attends as well. Her daughter does not suffer from any food allergies. It was good to hear my friend’s point of view with her child attending and the kinder’s policies to accommodate with food allergies. She told me the kinder is constantly making everyone allergy aware, they also have story time based on characters that have allergies to help educate all the children in the class.

I hope that everyone who is faced with this situation has the same positive outcome. Ensure you are completely happy with your discussion. I will keep you posted once he commences. I look forward to posting his first day at kinder photo.

Delicious! Who Made That Cake? Betty Made It. Sssshhhhhhh!

I have only had the opportunity to celebrate a very small amount of birthdays with my little munchkins. My eldest is now two years and four months and his brother little Munchkin #2 is one year old. So I have celebrated three birthdays. It is so exciting and I think about what theme and what food I will prepare months in advance. I want to do everything I can to make it enjoyable for my little munchkins as well as all our family and friends.

One thing I always said to my husband was that I want to be the mother that makes all her kids birthday cakes. I didn’t anticipate that this was going to be a hard task as I love cooking, although now that my little munchkin suffers from anaphylaxis I have to make sure that its not going to be a cake that is going to harm him.

When my little Munchkin turned one I had organised a Mickey Mouse themed birthday party. The easy part was organising decorations and preparing the food. The challenge I was faced with was to make a cake that contained no egg or nuts and was firm enough to support royal icing. I did a few trials weeks before his birthday to ensure it was not going to be a disaster. Finally I had worked out the right recipe and the icing was easy to sculpt over the cake.

Today I made my third birthday cake and I think I may be getting better. I have discovered a cheat’s way that is delicious and I am sure everyone will love. Betty Crocker cupcake mixes are nut and egg free. The ingredients required are water, butter and eggs although I have not included eggs and used an egg replacement instead. The flavours that I have made are vanilla, strawberry and vanilla and chocolate. I called Betty Crocker to confirm that the mixes that I used were egg and nut free. They informed me that these particular ones are made in an egg and nut free environment. Be sure to always do your own research to confirm this as some manufacturers may change their recipes or formulas.


The good thing is everyone enjoys the cakes. It is hard to make something that caters for my little munchkin that will also be appealing to our guests. 

Hopefully this may make baking more fun, easier and very yummy.

Little munchkin #2 first birthday cake prepared by Mama Munchkin

Eating Out...

Here are some tips for your little munchkin's next outing. If you're heading to a restaurant, call ahead and speak to the manager and/or chef. Let them know that you may need to bring a few food items to supplement or enhance your meal. Ask the waiter questions about how the food is prepared. Be aware of any potential hidden sources of your child's allergen. Always carry a safe snack in case there is nothing on the menu that is suitable. I prefer to choose meals that are as basic as possible. If ordering pizza, I will request that the cutters are cleaned before slicing our pizza (just in case the previously sliced pizza was topped with egg, e.g. an Aussie pizza). Try to avoid buffets because they tend to use the same utensils for a variety of foods.

Before going to a friend's house where food will be served, let your friend know about your child's allergies as early as possible, and offer to bring some tolerated foods with you. Give your friend examples of foods to avoid. Don't feel like you’re being rude by mentioning this information to your friend. It's better to tell them before they put all of their effort into preparing a particular meal, only to find out that it may cause harm to your little one. I've found that all of my friends tend be very understanding when they're informed of reactions that can occur if my little munchkin eats certain foods.

Educate your friends and family about the symptoms of an allergic reaction, and what needs to be done should one occur. Have directions in your emergency kit on how the medicine should be administered in case you are unable to do so yourself.

Regardless of where you're going, or how little time you think you may be spending at a destination, always make sure that you carry an emergency treatment kit containing an EpiPen, Zyrtec, and any other medications your doctor has prescribed. With proper planning, outings can be both safe and enjoyable!

Amber Teething Necklace. What A Relief!

Teething…it doesn’t sound that bad, unless you are a parent with a child who has teeth ready to cut through. My little Munchkin did not tolerate teeth cutting well. I remember all those long days that consisted of rocking and comforting him. Every time he had a new tooth come in, it was accompanied by cold symptoms and a fever. When I was expecting my second little munchkin, I was already dreading the word “teething.”

A friend of mine recommended using an amber teething necklace. She had used one on her son and found it to be helpful. My friend mentioned that there are ones on the market that claim to do the same job but are not genuine. The company she referred me to was Bambeado. I went online and bought three necklaces.

Bambeado sent the necklaces in the mail and I received them within 2 days. Their service was prompt. I placed one necklace on my little Munchkin #2. I’m not sure if it was coincidental, but after a week he was more settled than usual. He didn’t dribble as much and he didn’t constantly have his fist in his mouth. My husband also noticed this change. He has been wearing his necklace for five months now. There was one week during this time when I forgot to put it on him and he began dribbling again, placing his fist into his mouth and becoming unsettled. The necklace was placed back on him. After another week, he was back on track.

Though I'm usually a sceptic, this time around - I am a believer.

Please take the time to read an article recently in The Herald Sun. www.heraldsun.com.au/ipad/.../story-fn6bfm6w-1226334775132

Here is a useful link to give you further information.
Bambeado: www.bambeado.com.au

Little munchkin #2 with his first teeth

                                                

Thank You, Blue Wiggle, For Sharing Your Story.

My children love The Wiggles. I think I may know all the lyrics to their songs. We have a large collection of DVDs by The Wiggles, and there is not a day when one of those DVDs is not played. Most parents will know exactly what I am talking about. I don’t blame my kids for loving them. I think that they are amazing entertainers and they are loved all over the world.

It was sad to hear that Anthony Field, otherwise know as the blue wiggle, has a son - Antonio - who suffers from anaphylaxis. He made their story public on "A Current Affair." Even though it is a heartbreaking subject, it’s great that someone who is highly admired by many is telling his story to raise awareness.


Sharing our stories about food allergies is the best way to educate everyone. I want to say thank you to Anthony Field - his story has reached so many. You can view his story on the following link http://www.facebook.com/thewiggles/timeline?filter=3

Wiggles Concert 2012

My Choice to Use Goat's Milk Over Cow's Milk to Assist with Eczema.

I'd like to share as much of my journey as possible, from the beginning of Sam's life until the present. My little munchkin has suffered from eczema pretty much from the time he was born. When he was three weeks old, I was not able to solely breastfeed and moved him on to formula - this is where the drama began. I started him on baby formula that was cow's milk-based. He seemed to take to the bottle well; however, once this change was made, he also developed eczema. 


I started doing some research on the causes of eczema, as well as potential methods to assist in treating the condition. I had made contact with a naturopath who suggested trying a baby formula that was goat’s milk-based. After many hours Googling, I could really only find one that was available in Australia. The formula I found was Karicare Goats Milk Goat 1. This is suitable from newborn to 6 months. It can be found at most supermarkets. They also make a follow on to use after 6 months, which is Karicare Goats Milk 2. After about two weeks, I started to notice his eczema come down. From initially having eczema weeping all over his back, chest, and face, it had then reduced to random patches on his body. The goat's milk based formula was making a difference. Below is the information that assisted me in understanding how this may have helped my little munchkin.


A mother’s body is designed to produce milk and therefore babies thrive from consuming human milk. If human milk is no longer available, the closet substitute is goat's milk. Goat’s milk is the closet match to a mother’s milk. The benefit of goat’s milk over a cow’s milk is that a goat is smaller than a cow and produces smaller protein molecules. The fat molecules in goat milk have thinner, more fragile membranes half the size of those found in cow milk. Curds from milk form in the digestive tract or during the making of cheese or yogurt. Having less curd tension means that the milk is easier to digest. A book called Goats Milk Magic by Dr. Bernard Jensen mentions all the benefits of goat’s milk. His research also shows that goat milk will digest in a baby's stomach in 20 minutes, whereas pasteurized cow milk takes 8 hours. The difference is in the structure of the milk. In conclusion, it seems to be something about the proteins that assist in reducing the eczema in some children. 


My little munchkin is now over two years old, and since he was just a little over one, I have been giving him the fresh goat's milk found in the supermarket fridge.

Little munchkin drinking his goat's milk inside his truck

Once Upon a Time.....Our Beginning.

Our story, our beginning.

When the doctor confirmed that I was pregnant, I can truly say that for the first time in my life, I cried out of complete happiness. After I left his office, I immediately called my husband and told him the news, barely able to hold back my tears. We both agreed to wait until the initial twelve weeks of my pregnancy had passed before telling everyone else. Twelve seconds later, I rang my best friend to tell her the news. The excitement in her voice brought out my tears. From there, I was on the way to my in-laws to meet my husband. He gave me a look and whispered if we could tell them the news. Within an hour of finding out for ourselves, we couldn't even keep our own secret. Before the day ended, the news had spread to my mother and the rest of our families. Everyone was so happy and conversations about our baby went on for hours.

January 17th 2010: it's a healthy baby boy! Slowly, we were experiencing all the wonderful milestones. First smile. First full night of sleep. First time crawling. Everything everyone tells you about. But no one could have prepared me for what we were about to experience, and what we continue to live with every day.

Almost as soon as Sam came home from the hospital, his eczema began. His face and body were covered in it. So many creams and lotions, soaps, oils and ointments. Many months later, it slowly became less visible - after much trial and error, we finally found the right treatment for him. Reading and researching many books and websites brought an important thing to my attention: that his eczema could be a indication of something more serious in the months to come. There was much evidence to suggest that children suffering from eczema were more likely to suffer from asthma and food allergies, particularly to eggs and nuts. After reading this, I decided to hold of on introducing eggs into Sam's diet and wanted to make sure that my husband was home when I did. My gut feeling was that he was going to be allergic. At this stage, I knew absolutely nothing about allergies - I just felt that this was going to be a bad day. I purchased children's antihistamine just to be prepared.

We started with about half a teaspoon of egg, and less than five minutes later, hives we surrounding his mouth. I gave him the antihistamine just to be safe and we made our way to the closest medical clinic. Within an hour, his little body full of hives as he was vomiting and beginning to wheeze. He was going into anaphylactic shock. As the doctors administered adrenaline, he slowly began to breathe with ease. His hives were finally going down and he was beginning to look like our son again.

A month later, Sam had his first appointment with a pediatric allergy specialist. He tested positive for allergies to both egg whites and yolks, as well as peanuts and cashews. I felt like I was just stabbed in the chest. I made my way into the car and buckled my son into his chair. Though I tried to stay focused while driving home, at that moment, it felt like the car was driving on its own and everything outside was standing still. No movement, no noise. Once I told my husband and our families the doctor's findings, jaws hit the ground, heads nodded, and eyes widened. None of us could believe the news. We are a very close-knit family who spends a lot of time together in one another's houses. From that day forward, all of our pantries were cleared of nuts, and my fridge of eggs. The shelf was now replaced by a EpiPen Jr. and antihistamine.

This is where our journey begins. Today, all food is prepared by me. During every outing, I'm on guard like a hawk, screening for any potential hazards with eggs or nuts. Any visible blemish on Sam's face is analysed closely for potential changes in size. Questions arise: where has he been? What did he eat? What did I eat? Do I give him antihistamine? Oh my gosh - what if I need to use the EpiPen? Ok, take a chill pill...it's gone - it was just a bit of texter. Anyone with a child who has been diagnosed with anaphylaxis would know exactly how crazy our minds go with worry. Hopefully, we can work together in supporting and informing one another of food allergies and raising awareness.