Trusting HIS Plan

(photos courtesy of William Good Photography)

Wow. It has been awhile since I last posted. We have been busy but also trying to enjoy this holiday season with our girls. We are trying to de-emphasize the gifts and the hustle and bustle of Christmas and remind/teach the girls that Christmas is about God's gift - His most precious gift to us.

Among the craziness of our lives - we have been dealing with some health things. In the grand scheme of things, it could be worse. To start with, Daphne is abnormally underweight. About 2 months ago (at 21 months of age), Daphne only weighed 19 pounds. She was average when she was born and has just slowly moved down the charts. She has never been a huge eater (nor are her sisters) and she isn't going to be a big kid - it probably isn't in her genes. She also had regular messy diapers. All. the. time. I always used the excuse that it was because she was teething or because she eats TONS of fruit. Still I questioned the doctor. Finally, the doctors wanted to do some weight checks and do a full blood work up and check for food allergies. Thankfully, the full blood work up showed that everything was normal, but the she is allergic to eggs and peanuts. We didn't know how serious yet so the pediatrician said we should stay away from peanuts and eggs - and anything containing either food - until we see an allergist. While I was concerned, I assumed it wasn't a huge deal.

However, our time at the allergist proved me wrong. The results of the scratch test show that on a scale of 0-4+, Daphne's peanut allergy is 4++ and her egg allergy is 4+. We are shocked, but after about a month on an egg-free diet (side note: she had only actually had peanut butter one time and ended up with a rash), Daphne's diapers have been totally normal and her eczema is gone completely (we didn't even realize the eczema might be related). She has also gained 2 pounds - 10% of her weight in a month!! She is sleeping better and is much happier. We went through a stretch of time with a very unhappy toddler who NEVER slept.

At this point I feel slightly overwhelmed. I know that we will make the needed changes, but there is more fear in knowing her allergies are so severe. The idea of having to show everyone who might watch Daphne how to use the epipen - the idea that we have to have the epipen on us all the time - sort of freaks me out a little. The allergist told me multiple times that this is a deadly allergy and that we have to take this very seriously. The idea of leaving her makes me incredibly nervous. Some how I think that I have more control when Daphne is with me. And then the Holy Spirit nudges me and reminds me that God is in control. He has a plan.

On Sunday our pastor said that we can't be anxious in our own weakness or inabilities, but we have to TRUST in HIS ability.

As I said earlier, we have thanked God that she is really sick or anything, but this is just a lifestyle change for us. Peanuts/peanut butter and eggs are everywhere, in things we didn't even realize until we had to pay attention. Kevin is sure that in no time - this will all seem normal to us. I sure hope so.

For now, though, I am going with this, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." Philippians 4:6