A year of growth and being gluten free.

(Caleb, baking his favorite gluten free peanut butter cookies!)

Caleb's crown (aka his coolmetaltooth) was pulled by our dentist last month, because the adult tooth underneath wasn't tough enough to push all that metal up and out of the way. Caleb had this crown put on when he was six, along with four other fillings, and his cavity ridden mouth is the reason my kitchen doesn't have a white subway tile backsplash. Though I am glad we had kitchen remodel money available in July of 2005, to pay the dentist, (and I love my less expensive tin backsplash) I still looked at that baby tooth in it's little red plastic box and shook my head-really? $1,500?! Okay, I guess Caleb's ability to chew food the last four years WAS pretty important...!

At the time, I was so confused and anxious over why Caleb was suffering from so many cavities, when his brothers didn't have even one tiny cavity (and they still don't!) Was I lax with the third child? Was it because we are on well water with no fluoride? 9I still believe THAT is a blessing)The pediatric dentist tried to reassure me (as he took my check) that "some kids just get more".

But I wasn't convinced...

Besides the cavities, Caleb has always gotten canker sores in his mouth, too, and his brothers are yet to ever experience that inner mouth malady. For years, I bought Anbesol and asked him if he had a sore, before offering orange juice. Last year, when we were trying to diagnose gluten intolerance in Caleb, these were the two symptoms that helped confirm it for me. He had SO many symptoms but they were the type that could be contributed to a thousand issues.

Fatigue. Irritability. Stomach cramps. Slow growth. Picky eating. Dark under eye circles. all of these made me think "Hmmm....Maybe?" But when I read that gluten intolerance often produces an over-acidic mouth, contributing to canker sores and dental problems and cavities? It was the one thing that made me go-okay, let's try this path....his cavities and canker sores were actually a gift, because they were what convinced us to test for gluten intolerance.

Here we are, one year later. Did we make that right choice, taking away all gluten despite no "official" diagnosis by the medical community? The proof is in the changes of the last 12 months:

Caleb hasn't had even one cavity this year (a first!)

He no longer lays his head down in exhaustion during school but easily (if not always willingly!) does his work, bright and alert.

When is playing with friends he no longer sits down after 10 minutes to "just watch" the other children play tag. He is always up and running too, now!

When he gets "glutened" it takes 48 hours before his body reacts but when it does? We all (even Caleb, who so wishes he could eat regular cinnamon rolls!) know his body doesn't like wheat because he is in so much pain.

He grew 2.5 inches taller this year!

Most of all? He is healthy. I praise God today! He was faithful to answer our many desperate prayers last year, prayers for wisdom and discernment to show us what was wrong with our little boy. It hasn't been easy, (for Caleb OR the cook!), to adjust to this lifestyle but it's been oh-so-worth it.

We have our son back!