Dairy-Free Day!!

It is so difficult to know what is dairy-free and what isn't. I've been wondering if baby J's restless nights are linked with somehting that I've been missing (or something that isn't missing) in his diet. Reaffirmed. Walking into Wendy's today, I noted a large chart, about the size of 3 posters, hanging as I entered the front door. It is a new feature and I am glad they have added it. It has a list of the 7 most common food allergens and their presence (or potential presence) in foods offered by the franchise. They are broken into 3 categories, distinguishable by different colored dots. Red means that the allergen is present, blue means that the food is cooked on the same surface or in the same oil as that allergen (and may be cross-contaminated), and green (?? the colors are on the chart, but I don't recall this one) means that the food is prepared or manufactured on the same line as the allergen (and may be cross-contaminated). Wow! What a concept! Just put it out there for everyone to see. So dairy-free at Wendy's is even more limited than I had believed. There were a lot of red dots. But now I know.

This encouraged me to venture into the land of the unknown regarding other fast food restaurants and allergen information. Here is what I've found so far. I will continue to update the list as I learn more. And remember that just like all processed foods, the ingredients continually change and so the facts today may not be the facts tomorrow.



McDonald's (note that the bottom section lists actual allergens- like milk- and what products they are in)

Arby's lists the allergens in red next to the name of the food item.

Burger King

Chipotle makes it easy by only using dairy in their cheese and sour cream. That's why we love you, Chipotle!

Panda Express says milk in the Orange Chicken and mixed veggies, so no more for baby J, but at least the Mandarin Chicken is still okay!

KFC says go for the Original or Grilled with Dairy allergies, but avoid anything breaded or extra crispy.

Popeye's makes you work for any info. They list all ingredients, but only a few allergens that are contained in each. For example, they list "wheat" as an allergen, but not "milk", although the ingredients clearly state that they contain milk. Sigh. Virtually everything has an allergen. Buh-bye.

You've got to love Subway for just putting it all out there. Usually good old non-processed ingredients.

Taco Bell lists the allergens in a great, easy to use chart; but it is only accessible online. It isn't possible to print it.

Wendy's who gave me this idea.

White Castle for those with iron stomachs.

Have fun eating out with the help of my list! These are just places local to me, but if you'd like to review other options, a great resource is the Go Dairy Free dining out guide and the shopping lists.

Still good people out there...

Every once in a while, I am bombarded with a number of obstacles that make me wonder why people can't be a little nicer. I know the obvious reasons, but have always believed in the very essence of the Golden Rule.

Do to others as you wish to be done to you.

But often people reverse that catchy and appropriate phrase making it "Do to others as they have done to you".

This can grow exhausting while trying to constantly combat the same attitude. When cut off while driving, receiving a rude customer service representative on the other line, and becoming the backlash of someone's bad day, it can be very difficult to hold the tongue (or the horn).

Thankfully, I have someone to call on who can always help me. And he always comes through, even if it is making me choke on my own tongue until I remember.

But then there are days when people surprise me in the opposite respect. Today was one of those days. The most outstanding example was an older woman. I had gone to the salon to get my haircut. Baby J was being curiously well-behaved, but still a little antsy. In the mirror, I saw an older woman. She asked me if it was okay if she sat beside him and read him one of his stories. I was silently surprised, but said okay. For ten minutes she sat with him and kept him company all in my view. I could tell that his sweet personality made her day. Little did she know that she was improving mine. As we left, she asked if it was okay to give him a hug. I told her "of course". He gave her a wonderful bear hug! And her eyes watered a bit. Then she told me how much she appreciated seeing such a well-behaved boy, that it breaks her heart a little when she sees children rampaging through stores and parents granting their every whim.

Since become a mommie, I have learned how valuable these pearls of genuine wisdom are. This reminds me that more often I should offer my assistance and kind words to those in vulnerable states. Mommies definitely fit in that category. Thank you to all who continually do this! You now only improve the days of others but genuinely impact the course of their lives!

Attention All Mommies; I'm Calling a Truce

As children, we are always eager to do our best and gain acceptance and approval. When we become teenagers, while we pretend that we want to be individuals and thrive on excelling, it is the security of genuine love that gives us strength. While single, young adults, we have no one to think of but ourselves and feel lost. Then we marry, have babies, and sacrifice much of what we are to offer our sprouting young ones the best.

With this in mind, it is no wonder that we dote, spoil, and place these little replicas of ourselves on pedestals.

Since the birth of our little replica, I've noticed a pattern. I love him more than I ever imagined I could love someone. I know that all mommies and daddies empathize. With all these factors in mind, a competition seems to ensue.

And so, I'm calling a truce. Whether you breastfeed, bottle feed, formula feed, work outside the home, work at home, stay at home, co-sleep or don't. If you have a child who is off the charts, average, below average, silly looking, a Gerber baby, looks like the wrong gender, eats Play-Doh, has shaggy hair, or no hair at all, this is to your advantage.

Let's all just be happy for each other. No more snide remarks or comparisons. Let's all remember that we are in the same boat. We all want our children to grow into loved, well-rounded adults. So, if someone offers uninvited advice, please smile say thank you. Because they're just trying to help.

Happy Truce Day! May we all enjoy these precios moments of child-rearing which will pass much too quickly.

Snow Days Are Fun!

For toddlers, snow days aren't nearly as exciting as for older kids. All they know is that they're housebound. Since papa had a job in Mount Prospect, he offered to let us tag along. This may not sound like much fun to most, but we knew what he intended. So, we headed in the general direction of the job and stopped at the big blue and yellow building along the way. Ikea on a snow day is a perfect solution for mommies and babies. We ate lunch; then papa headed to work. Baby J and I went to Smaland to play in the blueberry ball basket. What fun! Before long, it was time to head out. I fed him his snack, packed him up in the truck, and shortly afterwards, the tuckered out tot was asleep.

Hope eveyone else is enjoying their snow day!

PS- My hubby says hola to all!

A tribute to the most wonderful husband and father.

It isn't nearly often enough that I gloat about my husband. So, let me take a moment to do so.

When I'm feeling faint of heart
With little energy left,
He's the one who lifts me up
And gives me needed rest.

When baby J is fussing
As he has been all day long,
He's the one who assures me
That I've done nothing wrong.

When dinner is cold and chewy
But we've nothing else to eat,
He's the one who challenges me
To not concede defeat.

So while I'm a lot of effort
And sometimes not much fun,
He's reassuring me that
I'm his only one.

While it may seem trivial
To feel so deeply wanted,
He has always done so
And never needed to flaunt it.

To him I am grateful
For the life we three share.
And so I dedicate my heart
To my husband dear.

WANTED: Experienced Weaners

Hello all! I know that you are all here because the job market is slim right now, but this isn't a paying gig. This is a search for experiences from mommie's who have been where I am and want to help.

Baby J is 14 months now. By no means do I want to wean him completely. There are still so many benefits for him to continue as a breastfed baby, but I would love advice on how to help him not to want to nurse so often. According to our doctor he is still a full-time nurser, which we don't have a problem with. However, it makes it difficult for his caregiver when I am at work. Ideally, I would like to make nursing a signal that bed and naptimes have arrived and, if he hurts himself (he's quite clumsy, a trait from his mommie), to provide comfort.

I am prepared, so please, fire away...

Oh, please also note that if I have to choose between a FT nurser and a completely weaned baby, I choose nurser.