More about my tardiness in publishing updates … in the next update.
You’ll probably remember that our son, C, has a number of food allergies. It’s especially easy to recall this fact if you’ve ever had us over for dinner. Broadly speaking, one of those allergies has been tree nuts, which includes things like cashews, pistachios, pecans, and more. We’ve know for several years that he is not, however, allergic to pecans in particular. He was tested specifically for this because we had two large pecan trees in our backyard in Texas. That could’ve been awkward.
Our boy has been through a number of tests with an allergist here in Germany. Some of them have been better experiences than others; Katherine would be the better storyteller on that score. But in the latest round, the allergist encouraged Katherine to do some testing at home as a result of low, low numbers in C’s blood tests (IgE levels). Home is more comfortable.
The test subject was to first try chopped hazelnuts baked into food. (Eating something baked, versus raw, can reduce the possibility of a reaction.) 
Then we were to watch for the usual symptoms. So the test preparer, namely Katherine, prepared something delicious with hazelnuts bought in the shell. And then the test subject ate said delicious somethings. We watched, and watched, and watched, but he did not react to the nuts. He did react to the deliciousness, though, but not in any way that would concern an allergist.
Over the span of a few weeks, C was to keep eating things with hazelnuts in them. Poor boy … so many yummy muffins and cookies, and so little time. Now he eagerly cracks them open himself and pops them in raw, and we now have a new source of protein (and much-needed fat) for him.
He’s been through the same routine, successfully, with almonds. We’re equally happy for that, too, but almonds are terribly expensive here.
Whether you’ve ever had to prepare food for our son or not, please be thankful to God with us for this change in C’s life. He is, and he has the crumbs to prove it!
