Figures

Just when I think everything is going hunky-dory, and it's smooth sailing...what happens? Oh yeah, I've got at least 2 kids with some kind of milk allergy. Not a huge problem, not really. Ice cream socials and any processed food will be an issue, but not an unavoidable one. But it is a HUGE problem - like 800 lbs worth - when you have a DAIRY COW in the backyard. There's NO WAY we can use or drink 10-15 gallons A DAY of milk, and somehow explain to a cranky toddler and baby why everyone else can have it and NOT THEM. Friggin' a...So, now we're re-evaluating our farmyard strategy. We're gonna try raw milk again to see if they react at all (ANY pasteurized dairy causes severe rashes for at least a week, and inevitably leads to some kind of yeast infection after the week is up from the messed up gut), and if we can get by on no reactions with raw milk, we'll keep the cow. If not, she's getting sold. Ticks me off to no end, mostly because of the irony involved - we get a cow to have fresh milk and now the kids we bought the cow to get the milk for can't drink it. Irony at it's most ironic, if you ask me. I've got my feelers out for some dairy goats and I'm talking to a guy about trading our sheep for his trio of milkers. I'm picking up some goats milk again tomorrow from a local dairy to see if my toddler reacts (so far, so good) and to see if one of my babies can tolerate it. I made the mistake of not reading a box of crackers lastnight before giving him some. Today we're dealing with a raw rash and a massively cranky boy. Gotta nip this in the bud so we can have our happy babies back. Keep ya posted.