Pins and needles...

Andy and I are trying really hard to be patient.  We have not gotten Elijah's celiac test results back yet.  It's so hard to wait...and wait....no matter the length of time.  Waiting for test/medical results ranks up there with waiting to hear if you got the job, passed the exam, got into your school of choice, if the plus or minus sign will show up on the little white stick, or if you made the team.  These results could make me sigh with relief or could shake our household up even more than it already is.
I keep thinking about how when you have little kids and they get cranky or feisty, giving a small snack can really help calm the mood and keep them "busy".  I am worried that if Eli has to go gluten free, that we will have less options out at restaurants for a pre-meal snack (crackers, dinner roll etc), and we'll have to spend a lot of money to have those gf snacks (instead of cheap-o fish crackers that do the trick) that most likely will end up on the floor, in his car seat or all over the church pew instead of in his mouth. ahhh.  I worry that I will become more of a control freak than I already am-making sure I worry JUST enough that someone isn't giving him something he can't have and also stress that he will be the odd one out at the birthday party and at 21st bday parties-I would hope he wouldn't have to CHEERS "the guys" with a glass of wine.  I know I know I know that things are different these days-there are gluten free beers etc.  But it's OK for me to worry about these things.  I know it is. And any mother in her right mind would.

It's been almost a week. 6 days.  That's how long my EGD results took to get to me too.  But my lab work did not take more than 2 days.  Therefore I'm on pins and needles.  Just waiting for the voicemail from the doctor or the nurse.  This weekend I relaxed about it because I knew I wasn't going to get a phone call on a Saturday or Sunday.  But tomorrow is (the dreaded) Monday, and I could get a call. Or maybe I won't.

Good news, bad news...I just want NEWS.

Highlights from the weekend:
-Peggy made me gluten free white cupcakes (my favorite). They were pretty good.  The flavor was good but the texture of the cupcake felt like cornbread-a little grainy. Very dense.  But loved it. Peggy gave them all to me to take home-unfrosted so I can freeze them and just pull one out on a rainy day. VERY special.
-Did you know that Ore Ida tator tots are gluten free?  Oh my gosh-these are a 1 in every 3 month treat and we enjoyed them tonight!  We never buy potatoes, but now that potatoes and rice will be used more, we have a 10 lb bag of potatoes on our counter.  Now it's time to be creative.
-I went to Outpost tonight.  I still want to hit up Trader Joe's and the Gluten Free Bakery to see what I can find.
-If anyone ever sees the Progresso Brand Cream of Mushroom Soup (it's gluten free!) on sale-let me know.  We only bought 1 last week on sale for $1.  Today they were $2.80.  The gf cream soups are all over 3$ so finding it on sale is awesome.  I will use these in casseroles etc.
-I made my first loaf of gluten free bread.  To be honest-yes it was from a bread mix (though I had to add some ingredients to the mix) and I used a bread machine.  When it comes down to it, it was probably just as expensive as Udi's, but my goal was to find a mix that I liked-and mimic that with the special flours.  There are so many I'm confused: white rice flour, brown rice flour, arrowroot flour, buckwheat flour, corn flour, bean flour, millet flour, potato flour/starch, quinoa flour, sorghum, soy flour, tapioca flour etc etc.  Many recipes from scratch use 3 or 4 as a mix.  First problem-I forgot to look at Whole Foods to see if they have these-but Outpost didn't.  I need to know when I go back to Whole Foods-which combinations I will want to use.  The mix I made used 4 different flours and it turned out ok so I would feel comfortable buying those specific ones. Making my own bread from scratch should save us some money. Andy and I shared a warm piece.  It was dense but tasted ok.  From what I've read, you have to toast gf bread or it falls apart.  Our slice didn't fall apart but seemed rather moist and dense.  We'll see what it is like tomorrow. 
-I bought a few other items: Guar gum, xanthem gum, cider vinegar, yeast, gelatin, and flax seed. 
-My Goddaughter Lily also gave me a little bag of goodies-a gravy mix, mac n cheese, curly pasta and some snackies.  So sweet of her. 
-I haven't ventured to a restaurant yet. I picked up some gf chips and salsa at a Mexican restaurant and while I waited I almost asked the guys running the register if they had a gluten free menu. I chickened out.  They were young and I was nervous. I don't know why. Maybe I thought they wouldn't know what it is.  I later found out that they actually DO have a gf menu.  I shouldn't be so scared.  At all the grocery stores I've been asking where the section is.  I always wonder if people think I have Celiac disease or if they think I am just "trying" something new.  Most people probably don't think about it at all when someone asks.  They don't really care if it's a choice or a lifelong restriction.  Being a dietitian I don't want that label either.  I think all dietitian's understand this-people looking at what you order, what is on your plate, in your shopping cart etc...There are people who judge us-no matter what we eat.  Some think we eat too healthy, some think not healthy enough.    I don't want to go to functions, parties etc and have people think I'm THAT dietitian that won't eat anything.  I always try to eat everything so that people can't put that speculation on me-that I eat too healthy or not healthy enough etc etc. I'm open to new things but not a snoot about "healthy" foods either.  Now I feel that I could get labeled more "dietitian snooty" if people don't know that I actually have celiacs disease.  I foresee this helping me in the future to be assertive at restaurants and asking for a gluten free menu "Because I have Celiac's Disease."

Looking forward to our appointment with Dr. S.  It's not until the middle of February. I hope he can answer all our questions.
Praying and hoping for E-bug's results tomorrow.