BEST PURIM EVER... AND OTHER STUFF

We knew a year ago that this year's Purim theme would HAVE to be the Peanuts. I mean, I know they're not Disney, but it's not like we had a choice. The theme pretty much chose us. It was just going to have to be Peanuts.

I started working on the costumes months ago and as Purim got closer and closer, Coby got more and more excited. After all, this was going to be his first free Purim in seven years!

This picture is actually from a year ago when he realized that come Purim 2018, he'd be free and safe to eat whatever he'd want! He freaked out screaming with happiness.

A couple of weeks before Purim we went into the city to see a show and for the first time ever Coby was able to go into the M&M and Hershey's store AND eat the free samples. It was so exciting!

M&M'S STORE

                                                            





                                                          
                                                             HERSHEY'S STORE

He also posed with a bunch of Reese's Pieces items. In fact we even bought him the Reese's Pieces car! Let's differentiate between pre-OIT and post-OIT.

3 years ago.... thumbs down                                                        And now thumbs up!

Though he still is hating the taste of peanut butter.

Actually the doctor agreed that we should switch Coby from peanut butter to PB2 powder. She said since it's extremely allergenic and basically peanut butter, it would be able to take the place of peanut butter. We would need to build up slowly and if his body could get used to it he'd be able to keep his 'free eating'.

She started him on half a teaspoon and said every 4 days we were told to increase by half a teaspoon. (Each half a teaspoon is equivalent to 1 and a half peanuts.)
While Coby doesn't like the taste, he tolerates the taste a lot better than peanut butter since this gets mixed into applesauce and he is able to down it much faster than peanut butter.

That's not to say it's been a 100% smooth ride. When we increased to 2 and a half teaspoons...

Just a mild reaction, but still a reaction. Slept with the baby monitor that night.
Thankfully the rest of the 3 days at this level did go smoothly.

We then increased to 3 teaspoons. At the 2 hour mark he was still fine. Woot woot!
BUT...
3 and a half- 4 hours later (WELL after the mandatory rest period), Coby danced like crazy in shul celebrating Purim. He was sooooo happy and excited, but when we got home...

SIGH

Once again slept with the baby monitor.

Obviously we still have some kinks we need to figure out.

In fact, I just realized the other day that if this is not kosher for Pesach we are screwed! Once Coby reaches the full dose of 4 teaspoons and is on that level for several days, he will need to keep eating it every 2-3 days or will lose his desensitization to the powder.... He probably wouldn't be able to skip 9 days over Pesach and maintain his full desensitization. And we've spent weeks working up to this level. I so hope it ends up being kosher lipesach.

Anyway---- Purim.

Insert the music of the angels singing here...

Our shalach manot even had actual peanuts in it. Who would've ever thunk???

And of course we had to dress to the occasion as well.

After megillah reading at night we were able to partake in the meal at our shul too. Bagels. Pasta. Cookies. Coby ate it all! No questions, no fear. It was wonderfully freeing...

For the first time in 7 years we were able to go back to Brooklyn for him to spend time with both sets of grandparents and many of his cousins too.

I never in a million years imagined that this day would come. That Purim would turn from the scariest holiday back to the happiest one it was meant to be.

The best part was still to come... all the past Purims we had to sort through all the shalach manot into safe and unsafe piles. The unsafe items we got out of the house immediately. Coby was always so sad to see that huge pile of yummies being taken away from him. We had many teachable moments on Purims through the years...

2012- we thought Coby would be
too upset, so we waited til he
went to bed before we sorted. I remember
being soooo mad when things with actual peanuts
were in our shalach manot.

2013--- let the lessons begin

2014- thumbs down on the nips

more teachable moments in 2014

2015- boo on the BOOM super snacks

grrrrr to snickers and reeses pieces

2016--- thankful to those who went out of their way to make Coby safe shalach manot

2017--- sorting once again and hopeful that this would be the last Purim we'd ever have to do that.

 Which brings us to 2018...

This year we decided to sort through it again, one last time, just so we'd be able to 'ooh and ahhhhh' over the dozens of unsafe items that if not for OIT we'd once again need to get rid of.

But he did OIT.

And he did persevere.

And we no longer need to take his candies away from him.

What can I say?

I'll let the picture do the talking.

A picture is worth a thousand words.