Diagnosing Coeliac Disease And Living Gluten Free

Coeliac disease is an autoimmune condition. It is not to be confused with a gluten intolerance or a fad diet. People with coeliac disease have an immune response when they ingest gluten. Continued exposure to gluten causes damage to the villi in the intestine. The villi are finger like structures that usually stand upright and help the body to absorb vitamins and minerals from the food we eat. In those with untreated coeliac disease the villi become flattened and can no longer perform their function.

Living Arrows | Smile and Wave.

 

'You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth' Khalil Gibran. 

Parenting through this pandemic has been harder than I ever imagined. I'll admit that I've been jealous of those without children. I've thought about how if we didn't have Iris we would barely have left the house, how we'd have curled up and binge watching tv in peace. How much writing I could have done, how much more creative I could have been, how much tidier the house would have stayed. I feel so guilty for having such thoughts but I know I’m not alone. Being a parent is hard. We need play dates, soft plays and library sing-a-longs. Coffee dates, visiting relatives and sleepovers at Grandma’s are the fabric of our everyday life. It’s what keeps us sane. They say ‘it takes a village’ and they aren’t wrong. We’ve survived 10 long months without that village and that is something to be proud of. 

Living Arrows | Much Needed Magic

'You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth' Khalil Gibran. 

It's been a very tough few weeks for us as Grandad was diagnosed with Covid. It was completely unexpected as he's been very vigilant, has followed all the rules and hasn't really ventured out all that much. He didn't show any of the typical symptoms, he simply felt achey and off his food for a few days then he was hospitalized with chest pains. Fortunately he is now back home and is on the slow road to recovery. There's a lot I have to say about how his case was handled, and I'll do so in a separate post but for now all that matters is he's still with us and he's managed to keep the virus away from my Nan whilst still providing her with the daily care she needs as she's disabled following two strokes. It's so difficult being away from them, caring for Nan isn't an easy job for him when he's well so I am in awe of him doing it when he feels so ill himself. I hate how powerless I feel. 

Books | The Best Interactive Books For Children

It's no surprise that we love books in our house. Reading has been such an important aspect of my life and is an activity that the family regularly enjoy together. It's easy to think of books as being just bedtime stories but books have so many other valuable learning and playing aspects beyond just getting a child to sleep at night. Below is a small selection of our favourite interactive books.

*please note this post contains gifted items, all opinions remain unaltered by this. Words and opinions are my own.  Affiliate links maybe used. These may earn me a small commission but the reader will incur no cost. Thank you for supporting my blog.

Living Arrows | Girls Best Friend

'You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth' Khalil Gibran.  

Here they are again, my two babies and the two bestest of friends. The media give Staffies a bad reputation and in a way I understand why, it seems that staffies attack and cause serious injuries more than most other breeds but I think it's more to do with the fact that they can more easily cause more serious damage rather than staffies being more prone to attacking. In my experience I've seen exactly why Staffies are often referred to as 'nanny dogs'. 

Living Arrows | Getting Outdoors

 'You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth' Khalil Gibran. 

This is one of my absolute favourite pictures for so many reasons. Firstly it was taken at Rufford Abbey which is my favourite place and wedding venue of choice (when Covid allows!). Secondly it's a picture with both my babies, something that never happens because neither one of them is ever still long enough! We only managed this one by chance as Iris was bombing down a hill shortly after this was taken.