Oh, I’m right there with you Shelby… you know how much I can relate to all of this. April kicked my booty and I’m still recovering haha. So many sweet sweet moments but it is HARD! We also do the exact same meal thing, I ditched the meal plan a little while back and I do save money and meal time weirdly feels simpler!! We are huge costco fans. Feels so very *~adult*~ to be so excited about the deals and all the great organic options!!!
I also relate on the nursing covering thing. Sometimes I weirdly feel like I’m drawing more attention getting out my little apron cover thing. But my babies are so prone to just pulling off and taking a look around that I am way too scared to ditch the cover lol
Yes something about a Costco card makes me feel more like an official adult 😂 like somehow marriage and two kids wasn’t enough lol. Maybe because I remember going with my mom as a kid? Idk. Glad the no meal planning is going good for you guys too! It’s given me some nice flexibility! And just more mental space. Which is a precious commodity rn as I’m sure you know haha. So glad to be along for the ride with you in all this!
I'm with you on the musings on nursing. Such a condundrum! I'm mostly team nurse discreetly without making it a whole thing. Today I was watching our 4 and 5 year-old boys ride bikes on the sidewalk and had to nurse the newborn at one point, out on our front steps. Trying to cover at least a bit with my flowy open cardigan, one of our boys asked "Why are you covering her? Is she cold?" like the innocent little kid he is who has hardly seen me cover up anything up 'till then. hahaha
Aw the innocence! So sweet! I honestly find covering up/using a cover so much more stressful with a newborn! They still need so much help latching and staying latched that you end up diving under the cover more and then that becomes a whole scene too 😂 not very discreet lol.
also… ground beef rice bowls, homemade peanut butter crackers, eggs, bacon, and sandwiches got me through the no dairy thing! breakfast for dinner was a staple☺️ I was thankfully still able to have butter but other dairy products were not worth the fussy pain triggered in Quincy🥲
Oh Shelby, I remember how awful I felt when I cut out, all at once, dairy, eggs, wheat, and nuts (I would not recommend that). But my baby’s issues were so bad that I felt it was urgent.
Anyway, it’s really hard especially after Brewers diet. I was thinking of you the last couple of weeks as I cooked. Over the past few months I started doubling the meat in soup, casserole, etc. because I realized we needed more. I always portion out a dairy free dish for my allergic son, and then add dairy for the others. I’ll also cook up a couple of flank steaks or pork tenderloins, slice, then take out the strips to eat cold for breakfast. I did a batch of chicken thighs last night, and I’ll probably cover with salsa tonight, teriyaki tomorrow, etc.
I like your Costco meal plan idea, please let us know how it goes in a few months!
Reading this reminds me of my first years as a young mother, 2 under 2, and yes, it was hard. Older siblings make the current mix of young ones much easier, if only by role modeling and distraction! The first years are their own learning curve, and you’re doing such good work!
I’m encouraged by your heart and faith. Praying for you!
Goodness I couldn’t imagine cutting out so much at once! It sounds like the dairy allergy is ongoing but did it take a long time for the other allergies/sensitivities to lessen?
Thank you for the meal ideas, especially breakfast! My husband and I have been doing more meal prep things for breakfast and try to prioritize having some sort of egg or meat involved in any freezer/grab and go things. It’s been helpful in getting the day started easily for both of us!
Thank you for the encouragement and prayers! I think of women like yourself and other I know with large families and keep in mind that the learning curve is only for so long and the payoff truly is eternal. Hard in those nitty gritty moments though.
His issue with the allergens was eczema flare. I do think the eliminations helped. Then I got pregnant while nursing him and said - Forget it, I need calories! By then, he did alright as his solid (non-allergen) intake increased. We did find allergies to all the above except wheat.
Yum I need to revisit those grab/go breakfasts!
Yes, we do go through and get through those stages! When I was in your stage, I was working 24hrs/wk, switching shifts with my husband. Our children watched a lot of Curious George and ate a lot of chicken nuggets. They are now high functioning and very helpful. ;) No it wasn’t ideal but I’m glad I had that stage to adjust my expectations to what was realistic for us at that time. Keep it up!
Oh, I’m right there with you Shelby… you know how much I can relate to all of this. April kicked my booty and I’m still recovering haha. So many sweet sweet moments but it is HARD! We also do the exact same meal thing, I ditched the meal plan a little while back and I do save money and meal time weirdly feels simpler!! We are huge costco fans. Feels so very *~adult*~ to be so excited about the deals and all the great organic options!!!
I also relate on the nursing covering thing. Sometimes I weirdly feel like I’m drawing more attention getting out my little apron cover thing. But my babies are so prone to just pulling off and taking a look around that I am way too scared to ditch the cover lol
Yes something about a Costco card makes me feel more like an official adult 😂 like somehow marriage and two kids wasn’t enough lol. Maybe because I remember going with my mom as a kid? Idk. Glad the no meal planning is going good for you guys too! It’s given me some nice flexibility! And just more mental space. Which is a precious commodity rn as I’m sure you know haha. So glad to be along for the ride with you in all this!
I'm with you on the musings on nursing. Such a condundrum! I'm mostly team nurse discreetly without making it a whole thing. Today I was watching our 4 and 5 year-old boys ride bikes on the sidewalk and had to nurse the newborn at one point, out on our front steps. Trying to cover at least a bit with my flowy open cardigan, one of our boys asked "Why are you covering her? Is she cold?" like the innocent little kid he is who has hardly seen me cover up anything up 'till then. hahaha
Aw the innocence! So sweet! I honestly find covering up/using a cover so much more stressful with a newborn! They still need so much help latching and staying latched that you end up diving under the cover more and then that becomes a whole scene too 😂 not very discreet lol.
Also, I had forgot Helen was on the MMM podcast. Need to listen!!!
Yes! She’s a refreshingly nuanced voice!
also… ground beef rice bowls, homemade peanut butter crackers, eggs, bacon, and sandwiches got me through the no dairy thing! breakfast for dinner was a staple☺️ I was thankfully still able to have butter but other dairy products were not worth the fussy pain triggered in Quincy🥲
I’ve been eating lots of thick sandwiches! And homemade burgers and buns have been a go to as well. Thanks for the ideas!!
Oh Shelby, I remember how awful I felt when I cut out, all at once, dairy, eggs, wheat, and nuts (I would not recommend that). But my baby’s issues were so bad that I felt it was urgent.
Anyway, it’s really hard especially after Brewers diet. I was thinking of you the last couple of weeks as I cooked. Over the past few months I started doubling the meat in soup, casserole, etc. because I realized we needed more. I always portion out a dairy free dish for my allergic son, and then add dairy for the others. I’ll also cook up a couple of flank steaks or pork tenderloins, slice, then take out the strips to eat cold for breakfast. I did a batch of chicken thighs last night, and I’ll probably cover with salsa tonight, teriyaki tomorrow, etc.
I like your Costco meal plan idea, please let us know how it goes in a few months!
Reading this reminds me of my first years as a young mother, 2 under 2, and yes, it was hard. Older siblings make the current mix of young ones much easier, if only by role modeling and distraction! The first years are their own learning curve, and you’re doing such good work!
I’m encouraged by your heart and faith. Praying for you!
Goodness I couldn’t imagine cutting out so much at once! It sounds like the dairy allergy is ongoing but did it take a long time for the other allergies/sensitivities to lessen?
Thank you for the meal ideas, especially breakfast! My husband and I have been doing more meal prep things for breakfast and try to prioritize having some sort of egg or meat involved in any freezer/grab and go things. It’s been helpful in getting the day started easily for both of us!
Thank you for the encouragement and prayers! I think of women like yourself and other I know with large families and keep in mind that the learning curve is only for so long and the payoff truly is eternal. Hard in those nitty gritty moments though.
His issue with the allergens was eczema flare. I do think the eliminations helped. Then I got pregnant while nursing him and said - Forget it, I need calories! By then, he did alright as his solid (non-allergen) intake increased. We did find allergies to all the above except wheat.
Yum I need to revisit those grab/go breakfasts!
Yes, we do go through and get through those stages! When I was in your stage, I was working 24hrs/wk, switching shifts with my husband. Our children watched a lot of Curious George and ate a lot of chicken nuggets. They are now high functioning and very helpful. ;) No it wasn’t ideal but I’m glad I had that stage to adjust my expectations to what was realistic for us at that time. Keep it up!
Sending hugs, going dairy free is way way harder than one would expect especially for us cheese and milk girlies
🫶🏻🫶🏻 life certainly feels less full without butter! 😭
a good read as alway! I relate deeply❤️
❤️🫶🏻