On the road to a gluten-free, artificial-coloring free, dairy-free life

Goodbye, Wheat Bread! 

I've known since E was 2-weeks-old that lactose was not a friend of his stomach. For the first year of his life I abstained from any lactose digestion for the sake of nursing and my desire for sleep at night without a screaming baby with a squalling stomach.

But in the last year, it's become apparent that E's stomach not only doesn't like lactose, it doesn't seem to like processed, gluten-filled anything or artificial colors and preservatives. I think in the last month, we've had maybe 2 days where he hasn't complained about his stomach.

HOW DID THIS HAPPEN?

I guess our time has been coming for a while now. E never gets sick. He's never had the flu, strep-throat, or even an ear infection.

So it's not surprise that his issues come in the form of food allergies and their influence over his ability to have a happy stomach and to be calm.

I won't complain about it because I've been reminded so recently about the fragility of life and how thankful I am for a healthy, capable child.

However, we will face challenges as we enter into this new era of dietary restriction, and I'd be lying if I said I looked forward to it, especially when it comes to going out to eat and dining with other families and friends. Don't forget the lunch box. Packing a lunch box can be a difficult thing on a gluten-free diet.

Any suggestions? I've been scouring the Gluten Free Girl blog and A Girl Defloured blog.