Shots in arms and Epi-pens in hand… here we come, world!

Happy Tuesday, friends! If you’re here in Minnesota with me, you already know it’s a gray, chilly day… again. The jury is sequestered and deliberating the Chauvin trial. Our city is locked down and boarded up, awaiting justice, outrage, or both. Covid numbers are rising again, but so are vaccination numbers. It feels like we’re on the precipice of something big, but we have yet to see which way the world will go.

Side note: thanks to all those of you out of state who have been checking in as you see Minnesota on your nightly news. We are watching anxiously alongside you.

I’ve been torn about what to blog about, so I’ll share what’s most on my mind as we look towards a rapidly changing figure and city: Reentry into society with my allergy kiddo.

On the one hand (and arm), we’re constantly counting days until we’re full vaccinated (10 days to my second shot!) On the other hand, lockdown with littles has had plenty of perks. Lincoln has not had a single accidental exposure over the past year. Neither boy has had so much as a cold! We’ve paused hospital trials (rice, cashews, and peanuts remaining) and prioritized weight gain, health, and sleep over here.

So as we look towards the future and getting these boys into the world, I must admit, there’s more than one level to my anxiety. As parks have gotten busier and we’ve ditched mittens, peanut butter fingers are a much more real concern. As we go back into friends’ houses, we’ll be sharing snacks and spaces in ways we haven’t since… well, ever? As we go back into stores and classrooms and play areas, the things we’re alert about and watching for will be much different than they’ve been this past year.

So we’re pulling out our somewhat dusty collection of allergy books, refreshing Lincoln and Miles on who is allergic to what around here, and double checking all our medication expiry dates. Perhaps most of all, I’m attempting to mentally prepare for all these new moments. The delicate balance between worrying and anticipating enough to keep my children safe, while letting them live and enjoy childhood, is one I’m ever seeking to find.

I’d love to hear how you talk about allergies and epi-pens with your growing kiddos, and how you slowly begin to share little bits of that responsibility! As always, I love learning from and with you. ♥️all the best, friends.