Poor Sammy

For those of you that don't know, our boy has it rough. He was born with twelve fingers and a stork bite on his forehead. Easter Seals just concluded their work with him for feeding and speech. He's shorter and has a bigger head than his brother and most people at school probably consider him Benny's little brother. He is allergic to eggs, milk, gluten, and numerous other ingredients in the tastiest food you can find along with cats and some seasonal thing too. He can't have chocolate, cake, or cheese. When all the cousins are digging in to Benny's Thomas cake(see picture below), he is content eating some Nilla Wafers instead. He's almost three and for a year has been able to recognize foods that he can't eat. Don't get me wrong, he is a playful, silly, fun loving goofball that will play with the best of them. Renee and I just find ourselves saying, "Poor Sammy" over and over.

There is a picture that I can not locate at this time of course, but it shows a very cranky Sammy protecting a cupcake from his younger cousin Danny's reach. I remember that day so well because it was a shared birthday party for the two of them and I noticed that Sammy would not eat his cupcake. We told him he could and planned on giving him Benedryl when the itchy red patches started forming on his face. He was so stubborn about not eating his cupcake and making sure that no one else did. It was his, he couldn't have it, and he was damn sure no one else would. He just sat there looking at it while Renee and I told him to try it. Apparently a dose of allergy medicine would not be relief enough for that brief moment of joy one would expect from a soft, moist, yellow cupcake with the perfect amount of frosting. Since then he has been very aware of what makes him sick. He will often state, "I can't have that 'cause it will make me sick."

Fast forward to tonight. Renee is in the suburbs at a wedding(?) shower and an Autism walk tomorrow and our shower/bath routine is all out of whack. Usually I am in charge of washing the buddies and getting them wrapped in their towels and sent down the hallway to Renee who gets them in their jammies. Benny has a frog towel and Sammy has a dog towel. Sammy loves to walk out of the bathroom and say, "Look mommy, I'm a doggy." He then sticks his tongue out and pants and it makes your heart melt at how adorable he is. Yes, by the way, I admit that I think my kids are more adorable than yours. That's because they are. Anyway, tonight Sammy was wrapped and instructed to wait for Benny to get washed. He obliged and when Benny was done and wrapped up the following conversation took place:

Sammy- I'm a doggy and you are a froggy, Benny.

Benny- Yeah. I don't like frogs though.

Daddy- You don't like frogs? What kind of animals do you like?

Benny- I don't know. (shoulder shrug)

Daddy- Do you like kitties?

Benny- Yeah, I like kitties.

Sammy- I like kitties too.

Daddy- But cats make you sick Sammy.

Sammy- Yeah, I can't eat them.