O-Boy(s)!: Bowling Birthday

Monday, August 1, 2011

Bowling Birthday

Today Michael turns 9!! We celebrated at the Student Union Bowling alley at the University of Utah. Perfect indoor party for the most stormy day of the summer. Michael had the great idea to use gum balls for the bowling balls on his cupcakes. We had fun making these together this morning. The bowling pins were made of fondant - a first in this kitchen. Mikey put all the red lines on the pins for me.

We started by eating pizza for lunch.

It was fun seeing friends in the middle of the summer.

Scotty rolled a STRIKE! The ball was inching its way down the lane....and STRIKE! Very exciting.

Jacob also rolled a STRIKE! I love these photos of Tommy and Jacob as they watched in anticipation and then exploded in victory!!

Michael - you are a good friend, I loved seeing you with your buddies today at the bowling alley. They were excited to be there, and you were gracious, inclusive and kind to each person (especially to the ones I made you invite!!). Your brothers loved celebrating with you today. Jacob said he loved you because you were funny, a nice big brother, and that you & he both love "little things" together. Scotty said he loved you because you shared toys with him. Daddy said he was proud of your ability this year to change from very angry, to thoughtful and mending. I said I loved your continually inquisitive and curious mind. As you commented to me tonight - you are "not a waste of space"! We love you. We are so grateful you are our first and oldest son. A perfect day.

No comments:

Post a Comment

What is FPIES?

I have 2 children that are recently healed from FPIES - Food Protein Induced Enterocolitis Syndrome. Scotty is 5 years old - and fought this disorder for about 3.5 hard years. Colin is a 20 month old baby - and had a quick recovery. He is recently cleared of all of his symptoms, calling him FPIES free!

FPIES is a severe delayed food allergy of the gut, it is understood to be a T-cell mediated response in which food is considered a foreign invader and the body “fights” it until it can violently expel it; although the exact mechanisms are still not well understood.

Symptoms include: profound vomiting (often to bile), diarrhea and/or constipation. These can lead to: lethargy, low body temp or fever, hypotension, and in severe cases, sepsis and shock. Reactions to food are often delayed - a couple hours or even days.

Many children also experience a combination of discomforting symptoms while the body "fights" this reaction and these can include: extreme stomach pains, gas, runny stools with or without mucous or blood, persistent hiccups, acid reflux, rashes, sleep disturbance, and agitation. Other atypical symptoms I see in my own children are persistent runny noses and ear infections. Sypmtoms can last a couple hours or even weeks after the initial ingestion of a trigger food.

FPIES is a clinical diagnosis (based on symptoms), there is currently no test for it.

FPIES common trigger foods as listed in the literature include, but are certainly not limited to: Dairy, Soy, Rice, Oats, Barley, Green Beans, Sweet Potatoes, Squash, Chicken, Turkey, Corn, Eggs.

Safe foods for these children to eat are determined by food challenges either at home or the doctor's office, as directed by the child's physician.

Children diagnosed with FPIES are treated in part with a strict elimination diet - keeping all trigger foods 100% out of their bodies. It is hoped that this will give their gut time to "heal".

Read and learn more in Joy's collection of articles:
FPIES File Cabinet

Also see her great collection of articles at The FPIES Foundation:
Medical Resource Articles

Check out this new great website with tons of FPIES info:
International Association for Food Protein Enterocolitis