A vegan who eats meat

We recently learned through a little google searching and talking with our pediatrician that Felix is intolerant to cows milk proteins. What does this mean you ask? Well it means that mama can't eat ANY dairy or it will pass to Felix and make him crabby, spit up, sleep less etc. At first I thought this wouldn't be too hard because frankly I don't even like to drink milk. I have since realized it's nearly impossible and that there is dairy in just about everything! So I thought it would be best to blog a little about this so I'll always remember this time in our lives. After going grocery shopping a few times and reading the labels on everything I buy I'm trying to see this as a blessing in disguise. Going dairy free really just means that aside from avoiding the obvious foods (oh cheese how I miss you!) all you have to do is avoid processed foods with a million ingredients!

So our dinners are back to the basics; meat, veggies, breads and pastas. Snacking is a totally different problem though because most chips, cookies, crackers etc all contain some sort of dairy (see above, processed foods). Did you know that salt and vinegar potato chips contain dairy? Neither did I. Dining out is less appealing because I have to ask if there is dairy hiding in everything (is there butter in this? do you use milk in your bread?) but there are other things keeping us from dining out so that is less of a problem ;)

Foods I can't eat:
chocolate
caffeinated beverages
dairy
eggs (seems to be OK if they're baked into something but he gets hives if I eat a whole egg so I avoid baked-in eggs whenever I can just to be safe)
soy

So what am I eating? A lot of rice based foods. (Rice milk has replaced regular and soy milk.) A lot of meat and veggies. For snacks I like this brand because their foods do not contain any of the top 8 allergens. Our co-op carries vegan baked goods which are delicious (dairy and egg free). So far he seems OK with the other 5 top allergens, peanuts, tree nuts, wheat, fish and shellfish.

Take one day and look at everything you eat, I bet there is dairy in almost all of it. (most packaging lists allergens in bold print at the end of the ingredient list e.g. "Contains Milk, Egg, Soy" but for a full list of hidden dairy click here or here) Needless to say I have a whole new respect for people living with food allergies. Let's hope Felix grows out of this!

Why do I do it? This is why:

One Month

It has already been one month since our family became complete. On November 18th at exactly 1pm central time Felix Jack Mogg came into this world. He weighed 8 lbs 5 oz and was 22 inches long (nearly a pound bigger than his brother and an inch and a half longer!). He has brought us nothing but joy and love from the moment he arrived and we feel so lucky to have him in our lives. Everything people had told me is true, your heart makes infinite room for your kids and you love the second just as much as the first. We never felt like anything was missing from our little family of three but now that we're four we realize we needed Felix to feel complete.

Halloween pics!

The evolution of art

Henry has always enjoyed coloring and painting and his designs have often been quite abstract. Very recently his art is beginning to take on shapes and through no prompting from us he has decided that faces need eyes and monsters need heads. So without further ado I present his latest works:

Swimming

I realized it has been awhile since my last swimming update. Henry loves the water and has absolutely no fear. He just switched from his class called "Little 1" up to "Little 2" and he's moved from singing songs and using floaties to actually swimming! He can now back float on a noodle on his own for the length of his teacher singing the ABCs and can swim forward with his face in the water. It is so exciting to watch him progress from week to week. We're so proud of him!
Here is his back float:

Swimming forward with "scoops" and kicks:

Showing off his "power pack:"

Happy Birthday Lil Man!

To Henry on his birthday,

You are strong and you are brave. You know you who are and what you want to do.

You are fast. So fast that there I times your pregnant mama can’t even catch you!

You are sensitive and caring. You notice when mom, dad, grandma or anyone that is important to you is feeling down and reassure them that it will be OK.

You are funny. Your timing is impeccable even though you rarely realize it. Your laugh is infectious and can cheer anyone up in seconds.

You are creative. Your imagination runs wild while you play. I hope you never stop telling us your stories that never end.

You are smart. You remember, repeat and understand nearly everything. You can count and you know your ABCs but it’s more than that. You know the way home from Monica’s and you know if someone takes you the “wrong” way. To you “yesterday” and “last year” are interchangeable and I love that about you. You ask really interesting questions and challenge us to find the answer. You teach us at least as many things as we teach you.

You are curious. You always want to learn more about absolutely everything. You ask why the clock can tell us what time it is and how planes get into the sky. You ask where you were at my and dada’s wedding (complete with follow up questions accusing us of leaving you home alone that day). You’re always thinking.

You share your toys and appreciate your friends and family. You say thank you without being prompted because you’re truly grateful.

You are three and everything that comes with it. I know you’ll be the best big brother anyone could ever ask for and you’ll teach your little brother or sister everything you know. When you asked me what your new little brother or sister would be like I said I didn’t know but that I was sure they would be awesome just like you. We’re all extremely lucky to have you in our lives and await each new day and each new stage with excitement.

Overheard

Henry (looking at Bill's bowl of cereal): "Dada I want some cereal too"
Bill: "You already have a waffle, why don't you just share some of mine?"
Henry: "No, I want my own bowl"
Me (from the other room but on my way out the door): "I'll get him some"
Bill: "No, I'll do it, you go ahead"
Henry: "No dada!! I want mama to get it"
Bill: "Why? I'll get it"
Henry: "Because mama is the bestest mama I've ever seen."
Bill: "What am I, chopped liver?"
Henry: "Yes"