Non-dairy creamer anyone?

What started as a little patch of dry skin on Jack's arm a few months ago has blossomed into full-blown eczema. It's on his arms, legs, chest, tummy and back. It doesn't look red or raw, but it's definitely pink and looks horrid and dry and scaly in all these little spots all over him.

His pediatrician saw the rash last week and said it's probably from something he is eating. Josh and I have scoured the internet and my degree from Dr. Google says it's probably caused by dairy.

I was trying to pretend it could not possibly be a food allergy. Neither Josh nor I have any allergies -- so how could Jack? Oh how foolish I have been.

I looked at his food chart and he started eating yogurt a week before the rash started to get bad. I should have known, considering I could not drink milk or eat ice cream for a few months because it would cause terrible gas in him and he would howl in pain when I ate those things.

Of course, the last two months I have gotten very cocky and went back to nightly ice cream runs to Dairy Queen or Baskin Robbins, as well as eating an absurd amount of chocolate chip cookies last week (Jack was also bothered by chocolate for a while).

So Saturday we eliminated dairy from my diet again and took Jack's beloved yogurt away from him. I feel terrible. This kid lives for yogurt. I am so sad I have to withhold it.

I am going to give it two weeks, which is what they say it can take dairy to clear from your system. If it doesn't get better, then we know it's not dairy and we can start trying to find the cause.

Already though, I think his skin looks better. We've been oiling him up with Aquafor after his baths and my, don't my hands feel supple as well. Bonus!

So wish us luck. I had some dairy-free sorbet last night. And a piece of apple pie tonight. I cried a little when I realized I couldn't put ice cream on it.