Sunday, March 18, 2012

Levi Update!

In the car
So, Levi just keeps getting older. Funny, that. He is now past the 18 month mark!

I finally feel like we're reaching a new normal since his allergies were diagnosed. It's been just about 6 months, and thankfully grocery shopping and meal planning is less time consuming. People ask me "what do you eat?" I say, "we're like vegans . . . who eat meat."

Levi loves to eat:
  • Apples, applesauce, and pears 
  • Teddy grahams (all flavors are safe, yess!) 
  • Fruit smoothies (with extra spinach mixed in) 
  • Popcorn (air popped, almost as easy as microwave)
  • Pasta (gotta check for egg though!)
  • Hot dogs and sausage (gotta check for milk)
  • Taco meat (seasoned ground beef mixed with refried beans -- that's how we do, round here)
  • Flour tortillas
  • Bunny bread ("that's what I said" -- seriously, that's their slogan)
  • Popsicle's Mighty Mini's (his default dessert if we're all having cookies or ice cream)
  • Animal crackers (double check for milk, again!)
  • Fruit based desserts (like those apple turnovers I made yesterday!)
  • Stretch Island fruit leather (yummy, healthy, rather expensive)
  • Cereal + Soymilk (Life, FiberOne, Cheerios, Chex, Kix... he likes them all)
  • Grapes ("graaaaaaapes!" he growls for them)
  • Homemade pizza (no cheese, no toppings, just tomato sauce)
  • Baby food vegetables (he's not interested in steamed, cooked or raw, only pureed. ha.)
  • Juice (also known as "joooo!")
  • Hummus + crackers or tortilla chips
Anyway, this isn't a comprehensive list of what he eats, but these are some faves. Formerly, eating out was a temptation when I didn't want to cook. Now, it takes just as long to look up and parse allergen information as it would to look up a recipe. Before our last trip down to St. Louis, I found a great place though! "Great" meaning they have more than 3 meals on the menu he can eat, and some options he actually likes! It's . . . Steak 'n' Shake!
Not so sure about the hat (at Steak 'n Shake)

So happy!
It is so fun to watch him grow. He is running around outside these days, with the nice weather. Indoors he likes to run and then pratfall. He'll roll around on his belly for a bit and then do it over again. I'm so excited to be teaching him Kindermusik this summer -- he's ready for it.

kinda goofy lookin' -- Jan 2012

In general, he takes some time to warm up to new people and situations. Frankly, I love it because it means he doesn't run off. (At this age Benjamin was opening the front door and heading out into the wide world.)

He's doing well in nursery. As of today I haven't left him in there much, though, I must admit.

Two weeks ago was his first week, and I brought snacks to share that I knew were safe. I stayed with him throughout and at the end trained his teacher on the Epi-pen.

Last week I stayed with him through snack time and singing time, then stepped out for the last hour. His teacher let me know there would be a sub next time.

So, this week I stayed with him. Seriously, he doesn't even say "milk" -- let alone know how to explain that his allergy even applies to baked milk in crackers. Turns out I was needed in there anyway, as there was no sub (though 1 of the 4 usual nursery leaders was there at least - thank heaven). It got a little crazy when four kids needed to go to the bathroom at once. Two made it in time.

I'm hopeful that next week I can catch some Sunday School. He quite loves the play dough they do at the beginning of the class (so glad he's not allergic to wheat -- we count our blessings!) and he is a big fan of the "jump up and down" verse in "If You're Happy and You Know It."
My Most Favorite Picture of Levi
Weight: 27 pounds
Height: oh . . . about yay big.
Favorite Word: "No!"
Favorite Song: Jump Down Spin Around by Laura Veirs
Favorite Toy: anything that can "blast off!" -- including his own fingers.
Favorite People: "Mama" "Dada" and "Da-too-ah"
Favorite Animal: prrrobably cats.

Three cheers for Levi!

Over on Everead:
and two graphic novels for grown ups.

4 comments:

Cami said...

Adorable! I was just remembering that it was at this age you named your little sister "Jubilee" and called her "baby Juby" for short. I took pictures of you as the "angel baby". Your children are as charming as you were. xoxo

Crys said...

He is a cutie and it's great that things are getting a little easier with his allergy. Have you considered getting him an allergy/medical alert bracelet? Or for church maybe a tie that says, "Don't feed me unless you want to see my face swell up!" Just trying to keep it light but him safe :) Can't wait for Hunger Games next week!

Ashlee said...

Oh cute! I loved this update! What a little sweetie. I'm glad that you have adapted so well to the allergies. So much to learn but it sounds like you guys really are doing great! And he weighs 27 lbs? Truman is 28. Woah.

Christie said...

Sounds like you've found your new normal with all the allergies. Props to you! It also sounds like you'll be getting a calling in nursery pretty soon;) Glad things are looking up & seem to be manageable.