Allergy Mom Thoughts Yet Again

So this weekend starts our journey of having 2 children with food allergies. Embry was officially diagnosed with dairy allergy last week which actually was a relief. We've treated him as if he was dairy allergic for awhile but when he tested negative a few months ago, I was frustrated. I had eliminated dairy from my diet early in his life which seemed to make a huge difference in his fussiness. He became completely non-fussy and every time I ate something with dairy, he would scream out as if in pain. Then when we introduced milk based formula, he would throw up immediately which is exactly what Ashton did when he was a baby. So he's been on soy and done fine. I tried to feed him cereal with milk formula once and he broke out around the mouth so I knew that it wasn't just a milk intolerance he was facing. Anyway, when he tested highly positive last week, I felt like I wasn't crazy finally! OUr allergist who is becoming a good friend was actually surprised and told me he was so sorry and he was curious when I told him I knew all along. He just acted so much like Ashton when he was a baby and his skin is so sensitive that we had to change to chlorine free diapers just like Ashton. And, I really feel like God is allowing Ashton to have a buddy now. He didn't seem to think it was a big deal on the way home when I kept telling him, "Now Embry can't eat the things you can't eat." I guess it's because Embry is so young that he doesn't eat all that we eat yet anyway. And, we all eat the same thing Ashton eats so he doesn't feel left out at our home anyway. But when we went to ChickfilA after the appointment, and I realized I had forgotten Embry's spoon for his food, Ashton said, "He could eat part of my bun" which was so sweet and Embry liked his first ChickfilA bun!
Some day when Collin reads this, I want him to know he had his first Happy Meal this weekend. I hate McDonalds so we never go, and can't with Ashton anyway, but Wes took Collin to the hardware store on SAturday and then out to McDonald's. Just now as I was carefully packing Ashton's lunch  for school in all his specific containers with his labels that my mom had printed with his allergies, Wes was telling me how crazy it was to walk into a restaurant and know your child can have anything on the menu, get your food and sit down and eat it without worrying about what's been on the table or his chair before you sat down and wiping off everything or making sure his fry doesn't touch the tray or asking the person to change their gloves and pray they actually do change their gloves and watch like a hawk to make sure they don't scowl at you when you ask them. These are the things we have to do when we occasionally eat out. But Collin enjoyed his time alone with daddy and his chocolate milk and fries from McDonalds. Wes said he didn't care much for the cheeseburger (that's my boy!) but he loved his transformer he got as a toy!!Oh, and Ashton got a new train leappad game at home with me while they were out if you were worried he felt left out! (He is engrossed in the leap pad lately he got from my parents.) And little Embry...had his first hempmilk today and seemed to like it. I feel sad as I pack up your epipen tonight and pray over it that it never has to used but also thank God for it. Dear God, please protect my babies.