Life has been so busy. We go all day long and then we all crash at 10 (poor Superman can barely keep his hardworking eyes open by then!) Days are a mix of crazy busy and then wide open stretches, due to Winter and its typical germy chaos. (As we saw when E went back to Kansas and all of our plans fell through because all of our buds got sick!) This winter's weather has proven to be just as lovely as last year's, so we're often on a walk or playing in the park or, if Z has her way, down the block at the playground;). Toss in some playdates, attempted gardening time (I'm trying to plan the yard and implement those ideas - ha!) and home reno stuff (removing carpet and subfloor or painting or such), sprinkle in the usual suspects of cooking and cleaning and life feels Busy. But all very low key and lovely.
When I feel frustrated that we are so busy but aren't doing even More (cuz we really aren't doing that much:) I must remind myself how much time goes towards food prep and the resulting cleaning. While I can't imagine a life of Lunchables, I sure as hell can see the allure of easy to grab grub. After almost a year and a half of working to figure out all of Z's allergies, there are still so many unknowns. Poor Z's skin has been a mess for the last two months and I am working my ass off trying to figure out what the triggers are. It started unraveling when we went back to Kansas (yeesh, I guess that makes it 5 months...) I added lots of foods then, travel is tricky. I've since dropped all of those foods and a few more, trying to piece the puzzle together while simultaneously swearing to not cut corners and add foods too quickly when traveling again. Her sleep and skin got to an all time low for a while with her waking dozens of times each night, screaming. That's when I drastically dropped foods and things improved. Florida threw it all off again. I think we are finally back on track, her skin is, while not healed, not getting any worse this week :). I'll list what we are actively avoiding as triggers below, but there are still gads of good eats I haven't even tested yet that Z and I still aren't eating:
Beans - except pinto. This includes lentils and green beans (newly avoided) and peas.
Nuts - all nuts are a no.
Seeds - all seeds - sesame, chia, pumpkin and sunflower. (Sunflower oil is in everything!)
Extended Squash family. Cukes, acorn, zucchini, watermelon, you name it.
Potatoes, yams and sweet potatoes.
Corn. This one yields the greatest complexity, as it is in all vitamins, baking powder, vanilla, oh the list is endless, really.
Citrus. This is the newest realization and why I think things are finally clearing up.
Oats.
The list doesn't look that bad, really. Some days it feels insanely limiting (like if we are out and want to just grab a bite - which is absolutely impossible), but most days it doesn't seem too bad. We've been doing this long enough that making our own everything from scratch is second nature. Not eating out is now the norm. But this type of living, it eats time up!
So how are we, other than lame-yet-busy? ;)
P, though down with our post-flight cold today (thus the blogging during nap-time!) is doing really, really well. He seems happy and adjusted here. So much more so than in NYC, but that could be an age thing. He spends scads of time making lego creations. He absolutely adores his yard. And digging into long books with me during nap-time. He has made some really sweet friends that come over each week and share his various loves. (He is responding really well to friends coming over to our house to play - which is kinda new for him and a freaking blessing for me (since watching Z in other people's non baby proofed homes can be a nightmare for all involved - lol!)) His gut seems to finally be balancing back out (we've been working hard on that for the last year) and his foods are expanding again and his cravings are gone. This has directly corresponded with his intense separation anxiety dissipating (a side effect to candida overgrowth for some kids), which is a boon to all of us, but especially him. He's even noticed that he's not as nervous that I'll disappear :). And to top it off, he and his sister are becoming serious buds. He told me last week that he's decided it, he really likes her. Phew ;)
Superman has been, as Superman always is, working his butt off. He gets up in the dark to meet his NYC hours, biking home 12 or more hours later and coming through the door ready to rumble with the kids. Well, sometimes it's less rumble, more relax, but the kids don't seem to get that hint ;). But he, too, seems so much happier than in NYC. The commute there wore. him. down. He visited the NYC office for meetings a couple weeks ago and was happy to report that he didn't pine as he walked the Brooklyn Bridge (we seriously, seriously, seriously pined last time we moved away from Brooklyn.). Portland feels like home for him. Especially now that family is here (can you say soooo awesome to have sweet family as neighbors?!?!?!?).
And me, I'm content, too. All of the "should I be doing this, should I be doing that?" seems less loud (though not *gone*;) these days. Days are so busy, all of the time I spent in my head (or reading) for the first, oh, 36 years ;) isn't available and I'm finding the non-stop action harmonious as a type of living meditation. That's not to say that a rare, quiet nap-time like today isn't still fab ;). But I'm really enjoying being in the moment and all of the moments being filled, whether by something wonderful or even just the dirty dishes. It all seems good.
And Z, well, she really should get her own update. Four months at her age is a lifetime ;)
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