All about Mason (and maybe a line or two about Brody!)

A couple weeks ago we had a horrid appointment down at Children’s. We’re on the hunt for a new allergist, but I’ll save that long, dreadful story for another day. Mason had some blood work done to check the status of his allergies. The results were not what we had hoped for. His milk and peanut allergy got worse. His egg stayed about the same and he tested positive for citrus fruit allergies. Goody. Add those allergens to the list of things he won’t eat (meat and veggies) and that leaves us with few options of foods to feed the poor guy. Thank goodness for soy milk, soy yogurt and vitamins. His environmental allergies still remain all the same (positive for dog, cat, grass, trees, horses, pollen, mold, dust mites…I’m missing a couple…). Ever seen the movie Bubble Boy??? Poor kiddo! The doc said that most kiddos in his situation have a “jump start” in their immune system by age 5 and we should start seeing better test results as the months/years go by. I sure hope so! It’s a difficult and frustrating lifestyle all around.

All of that magnifies a big milestone he’s coming up on! Mason starts pre-school next week. We met his teacher today and he loved the school. He walked in like he knew just what to do and had a blast playing and getting familiar with the environment. I’m so happy for him. He’s an independent little guy and school will be great for him.

Unfortunately for momma, this means added stress. All snacks in class come from other parents. And while I’ll be packing Mason a special snack every day, it still makes me nervous. But we’re being proactive and I’m trying not to freak out completely. I know he’ll be fine.

Mason and Brody both started gymnastics at Flip and Twist last week. They loved it. Brody is very clingy to mommy and even he walked right in and had a blast. You can get my boys to do anything for a sucker and a stamp on the hand. Brody is a natural at gymnastics. He’s built for it. He’s lightweight and small framed. Mason, on the other hand has to work a little harder. He’s a thick kiddo…dense and just built big (thanks to that Shoemaker gene!). He still has a ton of fun and does great, though. It’s os fun to sit and watch them get so excited about the equipment and learning new tricks!

And I can NOT believe it’s September. That means that in 10 short days (on the 11th!) my “baby” turns 4. Time has gone by so quickly. I love these boys more than anything and they are truly the light of my lives! I’m so blessed to have them!!!