Our Gluten Free Kid Of The Week: Jack

The Geislers have been long time family friends of ours for years and years.  Like, 20 + years... So when Jessica Geisler's little guy started to show similar signs of problems with gluten around the same time as our Mackenzie, we mommas connected! So excited to bring to you:

 

Little Mountain Momma's

 Gluten Free Kid Of The Week

 

 

Jack, 5 Years Old 

Describe Jack in three words- Sweet, Funny, Caring

 

How did you discover Jack needed to go gluten free?

When Jack was 3 years old he began to have headaches, losing weight and also having tummy problems. After a few blood tests, a trip to the pediatric GI and a scope/biopsy, it was confirmed that he had Celiac Disease. 

 

What are the biggest challenges you find in having Jack be gluten free?

Our biggest challenges are making sure that we are always prepared when we are out of the house so that Jack always has something he can eat.  Jack's favorite "on the go" gluten free treats are chocolate chip granola bars or fruit snacks!  Walmart is great about keeping a good stock of both these items in their "gluten free" section. 

 

How do you explain what “gluten free” means to Jack?

Being gluten free means that Jack is happy and healthy.  He knows that if he eats anything with gluten that his tummy will hurt. 

 

Do you have a favorite recipe you would be willing to share with other gluten free

families? 
Jack's favorite snacks to eat are gluten free rice krispies treats!  Just make sure you buy the designated gluten free rice krispies-- not to be confused with the "normal" rice krispies which are actually not gluten free (even though they are made with rice).  So tricky!

 

Does your family have a favorite restaurant or bakery that is gf or offers gluten free options?

Jack's favorite restaurant when we go out to eat is Red Robin.  He orders the "chicken on a stick" and can also have their fries since they are gluten free.  We also love a Plymouth, Michigan based bakery called Rummi's Passion where he loves to get their pizza rolls, muffins and cupcakes.  That's where we get all of our birthday treats!

 

Do you have any tips for parents who are embarking on a gluten free diet for their child? 

The best tip I can give for another parent whose child has been diagnosed with celiac or has a gluten allergy is to seek out support from other parents who have been through the same thing with their child (or children). 

 

Do you have any favorite resources (websites, books, magazines etc...) that you can

share to help another parent along this journey?

My favorite resources for gluten free recipes are Pinterest and Google. Some great pinterest recipes are for an awesome gluten free all purpose flour mix and a great banana bread to make with the all purpose flour!

 

Hoping that Jack's gluten free journey has hit home with another one of you mommas out there who is searching for answers for your kiddo. 

Please feel free to email inspiregfkids@gmail.com if you have any questions for Jessica about Jack's gluten free journey or if you know of a child who would like to be featured during an upcoming week.

 

Check back next week as we feature another gluten free kid of the week!

What's Your Purpose?

So, woman to woman, mom to mom, here's my confession for the week: 

Lately I've been struggling so much with purpose. 

Like, what is mine?  I'm at such a strange place in my life. 

For the first time since Mackenzie was born I'm just a mom. 

 

And yes, I know all of you fellow mommas out there are probably doing a large eye roll because obviously none of us are ever "just a mom".

 

We are always on duty. We are cookers and bakers, house keepers, laundry washers, folders, ironers, errand runners, doctor appointment makers..

Heck, we might as well be considered doctors ourselves for how often we are trying to cure the sniffles and diagnose ear infections...

 

Yes, I realize the list never ends. 

 

But hold the eye rolls and stick with me while I do some soul baring for a minute or two.  Maybe you can relate.

 

After Levi was born I had the blessing of working from home for a full year. And let me tell you-- what I learned is this:

Work from home mommas--you should all be graced with shiny gold crowns upon your heads and all of you should be sporting gigantic "super mom" capes.

 

Because...dang.  It. is. HARD work being a work-from-home-mom. The hardest.  

 

I did it for a year before I finally cried mercy.  To you mommas who work from home full time with no end in sight...you have my total respect.

 

This past fall I had the honor and absolute privilege to work with an elderly friend Gale in her home before she passed away.  Those three months were like a breath of fresh air for my heart.  I'm not going to lie-- end of life care is so difficult.  But when you are working with someone you love and doing something you are incredibly passionate about-- it never really feels like actual work. 

 

So, fast forward to now-- for the first time since Mackenzie was born, I am "just" a stay at home momma. Again, I use that word very lightly. And it's not that I'm not grateful.  I know mommas who would give anything for this opportunity. I am so grateful and thankful that I'm able to stay at home with my babies.  But if I'm really being honest-- I'm really struggling with how the Lord is going to use me next.  I am in a place of waiting and I believe He has called me to wait on His timing. 

 

I have such a passionate heart for blessing and encouraging other mommas and I pray that my honesty is refreshing and encouraging to even one single other momma out there who needs to be reminded that she isn't alone.  So, in one sense that is why I'm writing.  Because maybe I'm not alone.  Maybe one of you is waiting like I am. 

 

And the struggle is not bad.  I really believe that it's in this place of waiting and wrestling, while I'm waiting that God is preparing me for how and when He will use me.  If life was always an easy ride, there would be no refinement, no chipping away at the parts of me that need to grow and learn. 

 

And so here's one thing I am learning--If in fact I am not actually waiting on another sweet little old lady to need me, then that is okay. If I never lift another finger outside of this house then that IS okay.

 

Two weekends ago I attended the Mom Heart conference put on by author Sally Clarkson and several other wonderful mommas.  I didn't honestly know what I was in for when I signed up.  I didn't know any other mommas who would be there so I felt very much like a nervous junior high girl on the first day of school. I didn't even know the theme of the weekend.  All I knew is that I was certain God has told me to go and that it would be worth it. 

 

Well, the theme ended up being "Own Your Life-- Living A Legacy of Faith". 

 

And what I came away from my weekend with was this--

 

 These beautiful babies I've been gifted to raise-- they are my legacy.  They are my calling.  As their momma, their well being and their eternal souls are my responsibility. And man, what a calling that is.  What a privilege and an honor.

 

I'm not saying I won't still struggle with a sense of purpose.  I'm struggling today actually, which is why I am writing. 

 

It's very easy for me to forget my purpose when the laundry pile starts to resemble the mountains along the Denver skyline and when I haven't showered in a day or two. 

 

 But know this momma (as I remind myself too)-- if you never, ever work another day in your life outside of the home-- your purpose is worth it because your purpose is raising your babies to be good, kind people. 

 

Your purpose to raise your little man to follow after the heart of God. 

 

 

Your purpose is to teach your little girl to be compassionate and to dream big. 

 

 

Your purpose is found in the heart to hearts you have with your babies each day.

 

It is found in the pajama clad kitchen dances you do with them on the cold snowy days when all they want to do is run outside and play.

 

  Your purpose as a momma matters the most because your purpose is in helping to build the hearts of the little people who are going to go out and change the world someday.

 

Your purpose matters.



A Little Bit Of Coffee...And A Whole Lotta' Jesus

Last night I sat bleary eyed on the living room couch, my husband next to me holding our wailing toddler.  This midnight rendezvous was certainly not what I had in mind when I put the kids to bed at 8 pm and soon followed myself.  But yet, here we found ourselves at three different points last night between 10:30 and midnight. Our franticness went something like this:

(Insert baby screaming)
"Is it an ear infection?  He's tugging his ears!  It has GOT to be another ear infection.  Quick, grab the garlic oil and the lavender!
(Minutes pass...)
"Oh babe, he's rubbing his belly.  It must be his belly.  Put some of the Digestzen on his belly.  No?Not your belly Levi? Baby, what is wrong?" 
(Screaming escalates...)
"Ohhh, he's hungry!  Yeah that's it... gotta' be it..."
(As I begin to fumble through our cabinets and refrigerator searching for something quick to shove at the little couch tyrant...)

Sometime after midnight we finally sunk it to bed.  I laid there for what seemed like hours just listening for the faint sounds of Levi's stirring that might send us right back to the couch begging for answers. 

At some point I realized as I was lying in bed that I was so tense that my fists were clenched into tight, little balls. As I lay there trying to relax, trying to breathe out the tension and allow myself to sleep, I began to pray, "PLEASE Lord, please. Give us answers.  Heal my baby.  Help me to know what to do for him."  I just prayed and prayed and prayed.

So many similar prayers have been echoed from my lips since I began my motherhood journey.  There were the days and nights after bringing Mackenzie home to our teeny Chicago apartment.  I remember her as a ticking time bomb.  You never knew when she was going to sleep or for how long.  I prayed deliriously for answers then.  There were the years of feeling helpless when we didn't know how to help heal her little body from the food that was causing her so much pain.  And those months after Levi was born where I fought so hard through the pain of feeding him and I prayed and prayed that God would make a way for me to feed my baby the way I so desired to feed him. Then there was last winter when he had ear infection after ear infection and he just cried every single day for hours. 

So much of my motherhood journey has been filled with questions and unknowns and exasperated middle of the night teary prayers.

I find it no coincidence that last night as I was at my lowest point I came across this instagram post from Gina Zeidler and the timing was just so dead on that I felt like I had to share:

"Hardest part of motherhood.  The uncertainties. The millions of could it be this?  Or this?  Or that?  I know in my head that I have a God in heaven that is certain and doesn't change, but on days where I am completely sleep deprived and am fighting not to just fall into a puddle.  I get so mad and just upset at my failure.  My body and heart want to run to being hard.  I find it hard to see or hear JESUS.  Tonight off to the doctors office to rule out some more what ifs and trying to praise God for even the smallest of wins. , even though I feel like the ripped up paper on this table.  Lord use this brokenness.  Help me be ok with these hard days.  Help melt my heart of stone into your arms.  I just can't do it on my own.  I often hesitate at sharing hard things because I am afraid that I'll be judged or people will think I am not capable.  But the truth is I am human.  Made to need a savior.  I just need to proclaim that no matter how life looks on social media...alone I am not enough.  I don't have it all together.  I physically, emotionally, spiritually cannot do anything of any good without Him.  Trying to burn these impossible days into my mind as road signs signaling to where I need to fill up my tank.  The only place it can truly be filled.  Every hour I need thee.  Lord help me see this as such a blessing not a failure. No problem I have is too big for you."

Can I get an Amen?  Thank you Gina for such beautiful honesty and for sharing your heart.  Such a great testament to how our words can bring light for others in the darkest of places, which is what I'm pretty sure Gina and I were both feeling last night.

My friend Kristin recently encouraged me by sharing that the blessing of parenting is not always that it is easy or enjoyable.  The blessing is in that it makes us more holy, more like Christ. 

All the exasperated midnight prayers-- they've drawn me closer to Him.  They've made me rely on Him.

That anger I hashed out as I walked through 18 months of postpartum depression--that anger was healed by HIM.

Those tears I cried in the months after losing our second baby-- those tears are what drew me to Him and to His word and to His promises for my life and my little family's future. 

I love deeper since giving birth to my babies. 

I have experienced more joy than I ever imagined possible since becoming a momma. 

I am daily seeking peace and healing of my hurts and wounds because I know that they directly affect my kids. 

Man, Have I ever learned to be more patient since having kids.  It's a fruit they are always helping me to prune and grow.  While I'm impatient and inconvenienced by the woman in front of me at the grocery store, so are they.  But it is my job to teach my kids what it means to be patient.  And so, I learn too.

I'm not perfect, I'm not always kind.  But I pray that I can be an example to my children of what kindness and faithfulness to others and to my own self looks like.  Because its the example from me that they are going to take out into the world and live out in their own lives. 

To have self control.  It's a practice I preach daily but don't always get right.  I scold my kids for not having enough of it.  Meanwhile, I'm learning with them what it means to have it. 

The blessing in parenting is in that it makes us more holy, more like Christ. 

While I'm incredibly grateful for friends who have "been there" and for books and websites that help me to navigate all of the unknowns of parenting-- I just might be more thankful for the moments on my momma journey where I'm just completely and utterly lost.  When I'm at my wits end and I'm left to surrender.  Because it is in those moments that I really turn to Jesus--that I let Him be my portion and my strength.  A strength that I know is the most sustainable.

Our Gluten Free Kid Of The Week: Kaylee

The Harms family were some of our first friends when we moved from Denver to Chicago so when we discovered Mackenzie's gluten allergy we immediately turned to them for support.  This week I'm so excited to introduce:

 

Little Mountain Momma's

 Gluten Free Kid Of The Week
 

 

Kaylee, 4 years old

Describe Kaylee in three words- Energetic, Feels Deeply, Inquisitive

How did you discover Kaylee needed to go gluten free?

            Her dad, Phil, has celiac and has been GF since 2007. When Kaylee first started eating solids, we kept her diet gluten free. As time went on (and baby #2 arrived) we started introducing gluten to see what would happen. At first we didn’t notice any significant changes. Then 2013 began (Kaylee was 2 ½ at this point). We battled cold after stomach bug after cold after cold after stomach bug. Within 6 months, Kaylee was sick around 11 times, resulting in a hospital stay for dehydration. At one point she was put on amoxicillin for an ear infection. Within an hour of the first dose, she broke out in hives that covered about 80% of her body. To counter-act the amoxicillin, she was put on steroids, which we discovered she is also allergic to. During these 6 months we also thought Kaylee had juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. Her joints were in such excruciating pain that she refused to move and when lifted or carried, she would scream in pain. We took Kaylee off gluten and within just a few weeks, she was a new, happy, energetic toddler!! Kaylee’s symptoms range from mouth sores to joint pain to GI issues and intestinal cramping. Her younger sister, Teagan, is also gluten free and in addition to the symptoms above, also develops eczema.

 

What are the biggest challenges you find in having Kaylee be gluten free?

            Since our house has been mostly gluten free since 2007, eating at home is easy! The part that I struggle with is parties, especially birthday parties. I either prepare and bring food, including GF cupcakes or treats. I try to always have some kind of GF snack with me, which means being prepared with groceries and food and having the foreknowledge to have them with me.

How do you explain what “gluten free” means to your kiddo?

            I explain that gluten will make them very sick and remind them how they will feel. I tell Kaylee, and Teagan, they are allergic to things with gluten. It makes it easier that daddy is gluten free and that I have several food allergies that I cannot eat.

Do you have a favorite recipe you would be willing to share with other gluten free families?

            We’re thankful for gluten free pasta. I don’t love giving the girls “white” (rice) pasta regularly (its really about as “healthy” for you as regular white pasta), there are other options like quinoa, non-gmo corn pasta, and brown rice pasta. My girls love chicken noodle soup, quesadillas, grilled cheese. I make GlutenFree Goddess’ Sweet Potato and Turkey Enchiladas often.

Does your family have a favorite restaurant or bakery that is gf or offers gluten free options?

            Chick-fil-a is probably our favorite place! We love Pizza Doodle here in Denver. They have a dedicated gluten-free oven and a huge play room for the kids. Chipotle, Qdoba, Garbonzo, Noodles & Company and on rare occasions Rodizio Grill (Brazilian BBQ). We eat Mexican food quite frequently. Most Thai restaurants offer a gluten free option now as well; just ask them if they have GF options and if they look at you like they don’t know what you’re talking about, find a different place.

Do you have any tips for parents who are embarking on a gluten free diet for their child/children?

            It can seem overwhelming at first, but have a positive attitude. Try using positive language and talking about all the food that CAN be eaten instead of things that can’t. Read labels! Gluten-containing ingredients can be hidden in long lists of (mostly questionable) ingredients. Better yet, eat foods as close to their natural state as possible. Meat, veggies, fruit – all gluten free (do be careful with marinades and sauces).

Do you have any favorite resources (websites, books, magazines etc...) that you can share to help another parent along this journey?

            I love the Gluten Free Goddess. When we first went GF with my husband Phil, I got a year subscription to Living Without’s Gluten Free and More.  It has super helpful ideas for flour blends and substitutions as well as support and encouragement for what to do at school, while traveling, at camp, etc.

If you would like your child to be featured as an upcoming highlighted gluten free child of the week, please email to inspiregfkids@gmail.com. Check back soon to meet next week's gluten free kid of the week Jack!

 

More Than A Sunrise

 

I've always been a girl with vision.  I dream something up, whether big or small, right down to every last detail of the way it should look or go.  And while, this isn't necessarily a bad thing... the problem is that this is real life and real life has a way of sending your ideals crashing down around you. 

 

My momma is probably smiling as she reads this, because she knows I'm that kind of girl.  She recalled to me recently a story about 4-year-old Brittany who had a meltdown at a baby shower because I was convinced a baby shower was suppose to be a party where everyone gave the new baby a bath.  Imagine my surprise when I showed up to a shower where the baby wasn't even born!

 

I think this is why becoming a momma was so hard for me.  For anyone who is a parent, you know that you have these dreams and visions of what parenting is going to be like from the start. From the way your pregnancy will go right down to your birth plan.  And well, kids just have a knack for blowing our plans right out of the water. 

 

Take Levi's birth for example:  After a C-section with Mackenzie, I had planned a natural birth.  I had it all typed out and I even signed and left a place for my midwife to sign.  I laugh about this now.  Boy, I didn't know what I was in for.  After 40 hours of active labor and two full nights of no sleep my midwife had to gently let me down.  There was no way I was delivering my son without an epidural.  I was going to be stuck in that bed, lying flat on my back, eating ice chips and hooked up to a catheter.  And, a gigantic ugly cry ensued.

 

I write all this because I still have so much to learn. I hold so tightly to these dreams and these visions of mine that I think should go and look perfectly and when they don't go as planned I feel deflated.  Sometimes I get downright angry.

 

Last night my husband and I packed all of our things and placed them by the door.  We had blankets and coats for each of the kids, lawn chairs we put in the car.  Our plan was to drive to the mountains and watch the sunrise.  I had this idyllic vision of what the morning was going to look like.  We would stop for coffee along the way, make it to the mountains just before sunrise and then hike to the top and plant ourselves in those two lawn chairs, each of us holding a snuggly kid, just in time to watch the sun burst over the city.  It was going to be glorious. 

 

But instead, one of us grumbled about being low on gas and the other got grumpy about running out of time and before we knew it, the sun was sending light over the horizon and we were snapping back and forth at each other and I was thinking, "No. No. No. This is not the perfect family morning I had envisioned!" 

 

At one point through tears I wailed, "I can't blog about this!  No one wants to know that we fought all the way to the mountains and that our perfect morning wasn't so perfect!" 

 

To which Jeremy then looked at me and said, "Brittany.  Yes, you can.  People want to read about the real stuff.  They want honesty."

 

And that made me laugh.  Because that's exactly why I  began blogging in the first place.  I wanted to write to other mommas to be a breath of fresh air.  So they would know it was okay to have these imperfect moments.  So that they could relax a little bit and let the messiness of life take over and guide them throughout motherhood.  Sometimes birth plans go awry and some days you'll fight with your husband over a silly thing like not filling up the gas tank.  Most days your sink will be piled high with dishes and inevitably your grocery store trip will entail some sort of toddler meltdown.

And well, that's life.

 

 

As a momma, I want my Mackenzie and Levi to grow up dreaming BIG dreams, taking lots of risks and watching dozens of sunrises. As they grow, I know that they are watching me to see how I react when my own visions and dreams don't go as planned.  And I hope and pray more than anything they are learning that sometimes messiness can be absolutely beautiful.  That often times mistakes lead to breakthrough and growth.  I hope they will learn to show themselves and others grace. 

 

I hope that they will know that life isn't about perfection. 

Sometimes its about stopping halfway up the mountain instead of making it to the top. 

Sometimes it's more important to hug and make up and say, "I'm sorry" than it was about creating that picture perfect moment to begin with.  Sometimes its about teaching your babies to embrace the messy and just enjoy the ride with all of the highs and lows that life brings.

 

The Gluten Escape

One thing I've tried very hard to do since having babies is to invite my kids into my normal daily activities.  This has in part been a selfish effort of mine to somehow avoid sitting on the floor and making Paris Hilton look-alike Barbies talk all day.  But really, can you blame me?

 

More than anything though, I've felt very early on that, if my daughter is pulling on my pant legs begging me to play with her, and I'm in the middle of cooking dinner, then why not ask her to help make dinner instead?  It can become a special time where I teach her to crack eggs and measure out the cinnamon.  It can be an experience that allows her to beam with pride when her daddy walks in and she can say, "Daddy!  Look what mommy and I made you."  I could spend my days annoyed with my children because of their never ending attempts for my attention and then stressing about all that I didn't get done for the day.  Or I could spend my days inviting them to help me and learn from me and experience life with me.

 

After Mackenzie was diagnosed with a gluten allergy, I found this approach to parenting even more important.  Learning to cook gluten free foods was a special way that Mackenzie could learn to own her allergy-- and she has!   At a recent parent teacher conference Mack's kindergarten teacher remarked to us that she is, "Pleasingly surprised at how Mack is the only child in the class to really own her allergy.  She knows what she can and can not have and unlike the other kids, she doesn't ask for treats that she knows she can't have."  Man, this made a momma's heart so incredibly proud.

 

With all of that said, one of the ways I want to continue to help Mackenzie (and Levi) own their gluten allergy is to visit local restaurants and bakeries in our area to try new foods, rate them "thumbs up" or "thumbs down" and then bring some special treats home for later.  I plan to blog about each of these adventures as a way to hopefully be a resource for other parents in the Denver area who are looking for allergy friendly places to eat out.

 

Our first trip to a local gluten free (and partially dairy/nut free) bakery was this past week.  As a family we visited The Gluten Escape in the Denver Tech Center.  If you are a Denver local you'll likely know this area.

 

Here's the scoop on The Gluten Escape:

 

 

Located at 4403 South Tamarac Parkway, Denver, Suite 103

The outside atmosphere of this little bakery was just so-so.  Located in a small strip mall, it wasn't exactly quaint or charming like a little downtown bakery would be.  But we were more interested in the food than what the parking lot looked like.

 

Once inside we heard lots of "oohs and ahhs" from Mackenzie.  There was a row of cupcakes to choose from with flavors like Vanilla Champaign, Chocolate Chocolate & Red Velvet.

 

There were brownies with sprinkles, brownies with powdered sugar and my husband's choice favorite-- the Black Forest brownie. 

There were many types of cookies as well as pumpkin scones & muffins. 

 

This bakery was certainly not lacking in quantity of goodies, that's for sure!  There was a stand filled with freshly baked bread (all their food is made in house) as well as a cake cooler.  Many of the desserts were also dairy free and were marked special by a little orange sticker.

You can check out a more detailed menu here.

 

 

 

Here she is trying her Powdered Sugar Brownie.

 

 

 

Then she went and stole a bite of my Red Velvet Cupcake-- this was a gluten & dairy free cupcake and you would have never had a clue!

 

 

Little man woke from his slumber just in time to try a Snicker Doodle Cookie...which we all agreed was amazing.

 

We left for home with a blueberry muffin for the next day's breakfast as well as with a freshly made ball of pizza dough for our Friday pizza night (the pizza dough was under $5.00 so we considered this a big score)!

 

Thanks Gluten Escape for a wonderful first experience!  It won't be our last visit!

Gluten Free Kids

One of my goals for this year was too add more "fun" stuff to the blog.  While I love writing pieces to and for mommas, our little family has a lot more going on than I usually get a chance to write about. One being that both our kids are gluten free. As a parent of "g free" kids, I can say two things honestly:

1. I knew positively nothing about gluten, what it was or how harmful it could be before our pediatrician said the word.

2. Nearly, three years since removing gluten from our kid's diet, I still find myself wanting to pull my hair out some days because of the complications it causes.

But this is meant to be a fun post!  Ideally what I would like this to become is a resource for other moms (and dad's) to turn to for encouragement and support as they also seek a gluten free life for their kiddos.  Each week I plan to highlight a gluten free kid and post an interview with or about that child and his/her parent as a way to remind readers that they aren't alone-- there are many, many kids out there with an allergy (or allergies).  Sometimes it's important to remind them of how special they are and that their allergy doesn't have to be a bad thing-- it makes them part of who they are. 

So without any further babbling on my end... I started with one of my absolute favorites.

 

Little Mountain Momma's

 Gluten Free Kid Of The Week

 

 

Mackenzie, 5 Years Old

 

If you had to describe Mackenzie in three words what would they be?

Mackenzie is joyful, passionate & fierce.

How was it discovered that Mackenzie needed to be gluten free?

Mackenzie has had digestion issues since she was a newborn and it has only gotten worse as she as grown.  My husband and I can remember her as a baby, being out in public, and the screams, thrashing and wailing that would take place in public when she needed to "go".  To a perfect stranger you would have thought we were torturing her.  To put it mildly, it was awful.  We often remark to one another that these are the things you are never ever told you might have thrown your way as a parent.  Sleep issues?  Sure.  Nursing problems?  Of course.  But never did we read a thing about a baby who might scream uncontrollably every time she needed to use the bathroom.  This one wasn't even on our radar. 

Throughout her first three years pediatricians suggested lots of things to resolve. Add some water to her bottle. "Try giving her prunes."  "Maybe it's a dairy allergy?  Put her on soy." "No, don't try soy...that can be harmful to kids."  "Try a light laxative." "Laxative causing the opposite problem?  Let's send her to a specialist."  "Try no dairy again." Good grief.  This all went on until right around the age of potty training.  And then, as a parent, I'm sure you can imagine that everything just got worse.  While Mackenzie had mastered the potty for peeing, she was scared and refused to go the latter.  She would usually go on average 1x a week and when she did go, she would hide from us and go in her underwear.  And then we would find our sad and ashamed girl trying to clean her underwear out by herself in the bathroom.  At the age of three. It was just way too much. 

And then one day her doctor finally mentioned gluten.  We left the doctor's office that day feeling even more overwhelmed and not knowing where to begin. But that was the day that we finally got an answer.  We went home and started reading labels.  Dumping entire boxes of cereal and dry goods.  We made multiple trips to whole foods and our local fruit market and our grocery budget was blown out of the water that week.  But within 48 hours our girl was using the bathroom without pain.  No bleeding, no screaming.  She was even going in the middle of the night without her knowing.  She'll kill me for mentioning that (or any of this), but I have to mention it because her little body was finally regulating itself.  It was finally healing. And to us, this was a huge answer to prayer. 

How do you explain what being "gluten free" means to Mackenzie?

Mackenzie was old enough when we removed gluten from her diet that she remembers how bad gluten made her feel and how good it made her feel when she stopped eating it.  I think this has been a real key to her understanding her allergy and to her embracing it for herself.  We've had many conversations with Mackenzie to explain to her that some kid's bodies just work a little differently and that this is nothing to be sad or ashamed of.  We remind her that foods with gluten made her tummy hurt and made it hard to go potty and we try to be as encouraging as possible at all times.

What has been the most challenging part of integrating a gluten free diet into your child's life?

 I would say the biggest challenge for us continues to be going out to eat as a family.  Many restaurants we use to love are off limits and even the ones who do offer a gluten free menu don't offer much.  Usually the only thing our kids (yes, Levi is gf too...a post about him later), can eat is grilled chicken skewers or a cheeseburger and fries sans bun.  It can be pretty disappointing.

Does your family have a favorite gluten free restaurant or bakery that you would like to share? 

Our absolute favorite Denver area restaurant for a gluten free option is Snooze A.M. Eatery (check out their site for other US locations).  Snooze has, hands down the best breakfast/brunch food we've ever tried (and we lived in Chicago, so that's saying a lot).  We LOVE Snooze because most of their menu options can be made gluten free for a very small extra charge.  Mackenzie loves to get the flight of pancakes (usually chocolate chip pancakes & the pineapple upside down pancakes).  And of course, our "go to" fast food option is Chick-fil-A because the kids love their grilled chicken nuggets and fries. For burgers we love Larkburger.  Kid's eat free on Mondays with an adult meal purchase (a gluten free bun is $1, so it isn't completely free).  The burgers are to die for. 

Can you share a favorite gluten free recipe that your family makes at home?
One of our favorite gluten free recipes is The Gluten Free Goddess Chicken Enchiladas.  I have never included the artichoke hearts and I usually use less spice because it is otherwise too hot for kids but we love this meal and it is a family favorite!
 

What tips would you share for a parent who is embarking on a gluten free diet for his/her child/children?

First of all, your kid can have lots of meats, fruits & veggies and dairy (if he or she is not also dairy free).  So don't be discouraged-- it's actually a healthier way to eat and in time, finding meals and food options does get easier and less overwhelming.  Second, the very best thing I think you can do for your child is put a positive perspective on it.  If we as parents have a negative attitude so will our children.  And I don't know about you, but the last thing I want is for my kids to grow up feeling like something is "wrong" with them simply because they can't eat the same foods as their friends. 

Do you have any favorite resources (websites, books, magazines etc...) that you can share to help another parent along this journey?

YES! One of our very favorite books is called The Gluten Glitch written by Stasie John.

 

 

 

The Gluten Glitch (click the link to order your own copy) is an excellent resource to teach about his/her allergy and to encourage kids who are gluten free to embrace it and know they aren't alone. For any parents who are looking for a great book to read to their gluten free child (or any other allergy), this book is a must!

 

If you would like your child to be highlighted as our gluten free kid of the week please email to: inspiregfkids@gmail.com

 

Visit back next week to meet gluten free kiddo Kaylee!