No More Moo Juice for Lindsey

This past week we've been struggling with an on-again off-again tummy ache for Lindsey. She was home from school Thursday afternoon and all day Friday, and then Monday and Tuesday of this past week she didn't want to go to school at all, which we weren't quite sure if it was related to a tummy ache or other non-health reason why she may not want to go.

Wayne started noticing that her tummy ache would show up when she ate dairy products. She had a dairy allergy as a newborn but she outgrew it at age 1, and we haven't had to watch what either of our kids eat since then (from an allergy standpoint, it's not like we let them fill up on cookies and cakes).

After several days of no tummy ache and no issues, I let Lindsey pick out a dessert tonight that I knew had dairy in it -- mascarpone cheese. She didn't know it was cheese, it certainly didn't taste like cheese, and she began scarfing it down. I figured this was a good test to see if this was really a dairy thing or perhaps a bit of drama. Because, after all, Lindsey has been known to be dramatic.

She stopped eating halfway through.

And twenty minutes later, she was in her bedroom, crying in pain with an obviously bloated belly.

Bad mommy. Bad.

I tried to comfort her best I could, but she didn't want anyone near her. She didn't feel well until she let loose the largest, biggest burp I've ever heard in my life, from child or adult. Picture Homer Simpson's lips flapping in the wind from his belch, that's what this belch sounded like. She looked a bit surprised after it came out, instantly felt better, was exhausted and went immediately to bed.

I feel badly that I didn't believe her. She has been known to complain of tummy aches when she doesn't want to go to school in the past, so we had precedence for doubt. But this was the real deal -- she was truly reacting to what she'd eaten, there was no doubt about it tonight since she hadn't realized it was dairy.

So it looks like we will be in for an adjustment for our family -- no more pizzas, no more yogurt, no more milk, no more casseroles with cheesy toppings, no more ice cream. Ice cream, people. She's already been tempted in that they served a Dairy Queen cake at her school today to celebrate a staff member's birthday, and she turned it down.

Turned it down, I tell you, TURNED IT DOWN.

I can only think of one reason why she'd do that -- because she knows if she ate it she would feel MISERABLE.

This will be an interesting change...for all of us.