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