Q: How did you find out that Caroline had food allergies?

A: People often ask how in the world we found out Caroline was allergic to eggs - with this tone of disbelief and awe as if it's possible I was a mystical mom who had a premonition that my daughter was destined for food allergies so had her tested and received a list of foods to avoid. Nope. We found out the easy way: we gave her eggs. I had done all my research and had waited dutifully for her first birthday before exposing her to the common allergens more out of an abundance of caution than any kind of suspicion that she might actually be allergic. And I very gingerly gave her the first bite of scrambled egg and waited with bated breath. Nothing! Whew! We were in the clear! No horrible food allergies for us - our family was safe! Little did I realize at the time that it's often the second exposure that reveals a sensitivity. It was over a week later that I plopped a hard boiled egg down on her high chair tray as a super mom healthy snack chock full of protein. Within 2 minutes I was noticing red streaks on Caroline's face, starting around her mouth. Within 5 minutes even the whites of her eyes were red and I knew that something bad was happening. I was on the phone with our pediatrician and racing to their office in a flash. Luckily it never turned into anaphylaxis, but that experience marked the beginning of our journey.

Q: How are you qualified to give advice on raising food allergic kids?

A: I'm qualified only because I'm doing it every day. I don't have a medical degree, but I am a real mom dealing with real food allergy issues with my toddler every day. I am constantly researching and trying things out to find the easiest and safest way to live our daily lives. I want to share what I've learned with other parents out there who may be facing the prospect of a food allergic child for the first time, or parents that have been dealing with it for years who may be looking for support and new ideas.

Q. What is Caroline allergic to?

A: Well, Caroline has had two blood tests and one skin test and the cumulative answer that we have gotten from those results is the she is allergic to: egg, tree nuts and most probably peanuts.  There has been a lot of information in the news recently about the inaccuracy of blood tests and that misdiagnoses and false positives are becoming increasingly common.  I can tell you that the two blood tests we had done DID show some false positives: most notably it said that she was allergic to wheat and dairy, to which she has never had a reaction.  The skin test backed up my contention that these results were incorrect.  I can also tell you from our experience that the skin test was so much easier on Caroline (and me!) than the blood tests were.  For more in depth info on the skin test procedure including pictures, check out the blog achive from our first appointment with Dr. Ruff.

Q. What's with calling your family "Incredible"?

A: Well, my family is incredible!  But, more than that, this is a reference to the Disney/Pixar move, "The Incredibles."  For the full explanation, read the original post here.

If you have a specific question, please feel free to send it directly to me at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and I will do my best to answer here on the site. Also be sure to check out our ever-growing "Articles and Resources" section for some more in depth answers to common questions. I love to hear from other parents to see what works and what doesn't for you and your kids, so please do write!