We Belong In Italy

Life has been nothing short of a circus side show over here. All I know is that school starts in two days and I will breathe a bit differently in the hours I have to myself. I am in such desperate need of quiet time and privacy. I may decide to sit on the toilet the entire first day, with the door open, just because I can.

In the three months we have been living here I have come to the definitive conclusion we are a really LOUD family. You can't miss us when we enter the grocery store, shopping mall, park, car wash, etc. We are the family who all talks at once, has very strong opinions and is persistent about getting an answer. And never mind the fact that my 3.5 year-old is severely hearing impaired, wears hearing aides and practically screams when she speaks (bless her little heart). We had to take my dog to the vet the other day and I had the sudden feeling we were being peered at from behind magazines as all the patrons watched our chaos.

We should really live in Italy where loud is the norm, talking with your hands is equivalent to moving your mouth and being fiercely passionate is the only way to exist. This is not a justification for our behavior rather an answer to where we seem to fit. A trip to Italy was not even in the cards with Hayden's allergies, but as he continues to eat more wheat every day, we know a trip to Rome and Venice is not that far out of reach!

Our good Dr. believes in rewarding the kids she sees with big prizes when they complete a food they were previously allergic to. Soooooooo, since we are entering the "maintenance phase" of egg he got his first prize today, a PSP3! What a victory ~ A celebration that seemed so far out of reach, but here we are, after only 12 weeks of hard work!

Hayden continues to eat dairy and wheat daily, albeit very small amounts. The good news is we have had minimal "processing" and are increasing his doses every 24 hours. Dairy is typically the toughest one to work through and will take the bulk of our time here. Wheat however should be just a few more months. We start sesame this week as well. Whew, that's a lot going on for one little person, but he smiles for each serving and we celebrate the daily milestones. His sister Ava is truly the most compassionate, loving, cheerleader of a sister who has brought abundant sunshine to this entire process. She has not once questioned this move or all the sacrifice we have endured to be here, she simply smiles and hugs him with a joy & purity that is indescribable.

We thank God for this constant blessing of healing and for the love and support from all our family and friends. We are blessed beyond measure.

Amanda

Changing So Much More Than Allergies

Yesterday my kids received the name of their teachers & a list of all the children who will be in their class. Our initial excitement quickly turned to confusion and curiosity. Confusion over how to pronounce many of the names and curiosity about how they would approach these kids if they were so challenged by their first name. I am talking about the kinds of names that have 15 consonants in the first name alone. With every attempt I made it was obvious this would not be an easy task. Lexington public schools are ranked some of the best in the state and many Asian and Indian families flock here to get the best for their children. Their school is an international school in many respects as there will be families from 22 different countries, many of whom are here for only one year, as their parents work at Harvard or many of the big hospitals in the city.

I am beyond excited for my children to walk the halls, eat lunch and play outside with kids of all backgrounds and colors. We came from a town that was too vanilla & in many ways did not challenge any of us to grow culturally. This school represents what my family has so needed, to get out of our comfort zone, our little bubble and see how big the world really is.

Hayden is now consuming egg, small amounts of dairy and wheat every single day without any "processing." This is a continued blessing for our family and a commitment that is not always easy, but we are seeing as an adventure and a journey that we will NEVER forget. It has made us so much stronger and closer as a family.

As I type this, my three kiddos are upstairs building a fort in my son's room. Prior to moving here the two older ones would have been off playing at a friend's and my little one would be terrorizing our dogs. Not that there is anything wrong with playing at a friend's, but this situation has forced my kids to redefine their relationship with one another and to love each other in a way they had not before. I see the change in them, the patience and compassion that was less apparent before. Our evening bike rides and walks are also more special than ever because instead of being outside chatting with a friend I am getting to know them more & REALLY listening to what they are saying. This is a summer (as hard as some days were) that will forever hold a special place in my heart.

The past 2.5 months have also been a time to redefine my marriage. Although my husband has always traveled for work, living across the country from each other is not even comparable. We are already growing tired of this arrangement, but know it is without question we see it through for our son. We have rediscovered long phone conversations (like when we were dating) and cherish even the smallest amounts of time we have together. We know in the end it will all be worth it and we will look back when our kids are grown and gone and smile at the thought that this was ever difficult.

The Hanson Family is changing and growing in so many ways and we are very blessed to even have this opportunity!

Amanda