Updates

Haven't been online much what with all the doctor visits, sunshine, and hectic chaos that has been life lately. Do have lots to share though!

After several visits to the pediatrician we were referred to an allergist and found kiddo is sensitive to milk, egg white, soy, cats and dogs. We've spent the last week keeping all dairy, eggs and soy out of her diet and the hives and swelling have nearly disappeared. We also scrubbed the house down and gave the cat and dog a bath. We go back to the allergist tomorrow and I believe we'll add back one food item at a time to see what the culprit was. I am hoping we can add back some dairy, its been hard not cooking with butter or cream. Thankfully I have a supply of rendered bacon fat and coconut milk, but it just doesn't taste the same to us grown-ups. Kiddo hasn't seemed to mind though.

Kitty is getting older and crankier and has been refusing to let us brush him or clip his nails for months. We finally gave in and went to the vet for a sedative. Everyone at the office loved him (helps that he's roughly the size of a St Bernard puppy-this cat is huge!) and we got a prescription for Ace. A couple of those and he was one relaxed feline-which was good since his nails were atrocious. He probably lost a pound of fur and after a bath is back to his sleek, shiny self. Wolf-dog also got a brushing and a scrubbing, its amazing what a good brushing can do at this time of year. He was getting a very dull, yellow-ish tint to him but now he's silvery again.

I gave up on my pepper and tomato seedlings, they're dead and no amount of coaxing and watering will bring them back. Hubby surprised me with big plants from Bi-Mart to replace them and suddenly my garden is looking green and bushy. I also transplanted the lettuce, broccoli, and cauliflower seedlings-it actually looks like a garden now instead of a mud pit! I waited on the corn, squashes and melons since those seedlings are still rather small but did plant a ton of wildflower seeds and bulbs. Hopefully in a couple weeks the house will be surrounded by color and scent.

Hubby has taken off for a work trip so I'm a single mom/work widow for the next two weeks. Since its just me and kiddo (and she doesn't exactly complain about what I cook) we are buckling down to a more Whole30 menu for me, with more carbs for her. Over the past couple weeks with all her health issues I've found hubby and I slacking more and more-to the point I caught myself inhaling Dove chocolate squares last night (and saying with each one that THAT'S IT, only to start unwrapping another piece). Time to nip that in the bud and get back to steak, steak, and more steak!!* I've got a ton of green, leafy stuff in the fridge and a freezer full of meat. Long live fat!

Incidentally, if anyone has an awesome recipe for chicken thighs I'm all ears. I've burned through all of mine and I think the birds are multiplying, every time I think we've finally finished all the chicken thighs I find another 4 or 5 packages hiding behind a roast LOL!



*We probably aren't being as bad as it feels but when you have as much weight to lose any slip-ups feel like complete failures