Introduction

If you told me a few years ago that I'd ever have a blog, I'd probably call you crazy. It's not that I don't enjoy talking (if you know me, you're laughing right now) or that I don't have a lot to say (I do!) I've just always been hesitant about jumping on board with the newest technology. I don't want to be connected 24/7, which is why I don't have a smart phone or a twitter account. I'd much rather be outdoors than watching television and I despise talking on the phone.

However, when I got pregnant with my daughter Layla, I found myself glued to the computer, tirelessly surfing the internet for message boards, articles, products and blogs related to parenting and children. Since all of my friends fell somewhere on the single/dating/newlywed spectrum, I had nowhere to turn to answer my endless questions about becoming a mom. Despite my background in child development, my hunger for all things baby was insatiable.

After Layla was born, I thought that my days of compulsive Googling were numbered. After all, I had a newborn who needed around the clock attention. Yet every spare moment (mostly after those daily 3AM feedings when my little girl had a fully belly and was sound asleep, and her sleep-deprived mom was wide awake!) was spent searching for the hottest new toy, the best deal on diapers, and an exciting new activity to fill my long days as a stay-at-home mom.
When we suspected that Layla had food allergies, my search turned to articles on treating her reactions and later, when our suspicions were confirmed, allergy-free recipes. Having no personal or family history of food allergies, this news came as a shock. My husband and I would have been lost, had it not been for the wealth of information available to us on the net.

So why am I starting this blog? Well for one, after twelve waking hours spent with a fourteen month old, when the Wiggles theme song finally gets out of my head and I'm finished cleaning peas off of the wall, it's nice to sit down and talk to other adults (even if it's about, well, how catchy the Wiggles theme song is and the best ways to clean peas off of the wall!) Secondly, after reading my friends' blogs, I have come to realize what a nice way blogging is to document these fleeting days of having a toddler. Before I know it, Layla (and hopefully, someday, her siblings) will be off to school and I can resume my career as a school psychologist. When I take off my stay-at-home mommy hat and my days are filled with meetings and reports, I will be glad that I kept a record of my crazy days at home.

Finally, and probably most importantly, I'd like to share with others what I've learned about raising a child with food allergies. I don't claim to be an expert by any means. There are many moms and dads who probably have a much better handle on it than I do. However, I know how scary it can be and how much it can change a family's lifestyle, so I'd love to talk about what I learn as we nagivate this unfamiliar territory. Unfortunately, when I have talked about my daughter's allergies, the responses have ranged from complete understanding to downright ignorance. Hopefully, by talking about this topic, more people can become educated and develop both tolerance (when I ask for the tenth time if that cookie has nuts in it) and understanding.