The Blairs: Hand Foot and Mouth

One day before Emily turned two weeks old, my parents left. I cried and felt sad and overwhelmed all day. Then the next day, things seemed better and like I would make it. Then on Wednesday, Abi showed her first signs of Hand Foot and Mouth, and then the longest 2-3 days of my life occurred. Even though it felt like one long day... probably because I didn't really sleep.

What is Hand Foot and Mouth Disease?
According to the CDC's wedsite: "Hand, foot, and mouth disease is a common viral illness that usually affects infants and children younger than 5 years old. However, it can sometimes occur in adults. Symptoms of hand, foot, and mouth disease include fever, blister-like sores in the mouth (herpangina), and a skin rash"

What does it Look like?

Skin rashes, with blisters, normally found:

Around the mouth

Inside the elbows (or on hands)

On the backs of knees, and on the feet.

A side note: Abigail has become very hard to take pictures of lately.

How do you get it?

Again from the CDC's website: "It is possible to get infected with the viruses that cause hand, foot, and mouth disease if you swallow recreational water, such as water in swimming pools. However, this is not very common." Umm, except we live in Texas where to survive in the summer we swim alot, and kids swallow swimming pool water. And so every year Hand Foot and Mouth goes through our Nursery at church. This is most definetely where Abi got it, and it's not really surprising as she always has her hands in her mouth

And so I stayed home (and am still staying home as we are not quite out of the contagious phase), quarantined with an itchy, fevery, miserable two year old that only wanted to be held, and a 2 week old that only wants to be held and fed. My tasks? To care for Abi and Emily, and to keep Emily from getting sick. Both of which seemed impossible. The fact that Emily has not shown any symptoms, (yet) is a miracle, because Abi loves Emily and it is impossible to keep her away.

We made it through Wednesday and Wednesday night, and then came Thursday. The rashes had gotten way worse and Abi scratched every blister until they bled all day long. And then she didn't go to sleep until about nine o clock at night, complaining of itchies, and then awoke at 12:30 and screamed until 3:30, when I finally got her to calm down, and held her until she fell asleep, and then Emily woke up to eat. As I lay down at 4:00 I realized that I had been up for 24 hours without any rest, and then I cried. But then I slept for 3 hours, and surprisingly felt much better. And so it goes.

Jeff was able to stay home on Friday (as he didn't get much sleep the night before either) and my sister and her husband Joseph arrived and we spent a fun day together, eating breakfast at I-hop, catching up, taking care of little girls, and take a long nap in the afternoon.

I am grateful for priesthood blessings, which Jeff and Joseph gave to Abi and her rash is much improved.