I am breathing deeper than I have since June 10, 2005 – the day my 19-month-old was diagnosed with a peanut allergy.

The reason: We learned Thursday morning Maria has outgrown it. She has defied odds and landed in the 1 out of 5 group who outgrows peanut allergies, a condition that ranges from the inconvenient to the fatal. And, one that while affecting more and more children each year, continues to be misunderstood. 

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"I'm glad to see you've gained some weight this month!" my doctor said at my appointment earlier this week.

I silently congratulated myself on my steady diet of ice cream and sugary baked goods.

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A few months ago when Jack started salivating whenever I put any kind of food in my mouth, I decided I would try making my own baby food. EVEN THOUGH I had previously declared people who made their own baby food to be INSANE. I mean, were they TRYING to make their lives harder? Didn't they know they could just go to the STORE and buy a JAR and be DONE? Of course, that was before I knew that mashing up a banana or an avocado, or throwing some peas in the blender qualified as making your own baby food. The devotees were swaying me with their talk of "less expensive!" and "healthier!" and "easy, we swear!" So I bought some fruit and some vegetables and steamed and boiled and blended and mashed and made myself enough pureed baby food to last over a month. I KNOW! I was proud of me too. Read More

According to the pediatrician at Bean and Buddy's three-year checkup, these two are gluttons for food. In more technical terms, Bean's BMI puts her in the "at risk" category and Buddy's makes him "overweight." He is approximately one-visit-to-The-Wiener's-Circle away from "obese." (We believe his very large cranium accounts for 50 percent of his weight, but I guess we're living in a fool's paradise.)

According to the pediatrician, if they continue gaining weight at a rate so medically disproportionate to their height, we are going to have some concerns at their next visit.

To be honest, G and I are a little bit surprised. I mean, I know that, being our kids, Buddy and Bean seem the most perfect specimens of little boy and little girl to us, but...really? They're 3. Do they need to have their BMI scrutinized already?

When the pediatrician asked us if we gave the kids juice, soda, potato chips, or candy, I shook my head and quickly — defensively — replied, "No, no, no, no." Then he asked if we made healthy food choices like fruit, vegetables, chicken, and fish, and I replied, quickly again, "Yes, yes, yes, yes."

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