We're 2/2 with peanut allergies

We found out today that Elizabeth is allergic to peanuts. It was confirmed by her allergist. So her total food allergies at this point are peanuts and sunflower seeds.

I was so hopeful she wouldn't be allergic to peanuts. I didn't eat one peanut product my entire pregnancy or nearly the entire time I was nursing her (I had one peanut butter brownie that entire year). With Nathan, I ate lots of peanut butter while pregnant so I thought maybe that had somehow caused it in him? Therefore, I did the opposite with Elizabeth with high hopes. Nope. She's allergic too.

We gave her an Easter peanut candy on Easter. It was her first try with peanuts. She had no reaction. We were hopeful she would be ok. However, we do know that the first time someone has a food, they will not react as their body has had no exposure.

Then, at preschool on Thursday, snack was a peanut/chocolate granola bar. I made sure Nathan didn't get one, but allowed Elizabeth to have it. After a few bites, she broke out in hives all over her mouth. That's when I knew. It had to be. It was quite discouraging. Thankfully (at this point anyway) the allergy is not anaphylactic. If she has more and more reactions they may get worse, but if we keep her away from them, hopefully any future reaction will just be hives on her mouth.

So now we'll be carrying Epi-pens galore! Right now, it's not a big deal. I keep 3 or 4 in my purse at all times and the kids are with me at all times. When they head off to school, I suppose I'll send a few with both kids. When they get to school, they'll get to eat lunch together every day at the allergy table! I'm not sure they'll appreciate that as they get older, but hopefully they can look out for each other and inject each other with epi-pens if needed. There is one plus.

Nathan's been doing really well with practicing with his practice epi-pen. He takes off the lid, sticks it on his leg, waits for it to click when he's pressing hard enough and counts to 10. So it's good he's figuring it out. I hope when he gets older, he'll be able to recognize if he's having a reaction and give himself the epi-pen. He doesn't remember ever having a reaction because we are so careful with food.

At least Elizabeth's new diagnosis doesn't really change our lives any at this point. I remember how much of a HUGE change it was with Nathan when we found out about all his allergies. Although now I have to worry about 2 kids having reactions instead of just the one. I guess my worries double.