My sweet baby girl has Hand, Foot & Mouth disease. We had a really rough night last night. She refused to take her bottle and wouldn't settle down to sleep. She kept screaming and carrying on and I had no idea what was bothering her. Finally at two o'clock in the morning, I gave her a bath to soothe her. That is when I noticed the bright red bumps on her bum. I slathered on the Desitin, but she still wouldn't completely settle down. Finally, feeling defeated, I strapped her into her carseat and took a little drive. 30 minutes later she was fast asleep. I came home put her in her crib and snuggled into my own bed...60 minutes later she was screaming again. This time, I was able to sing her back to sleep and climb into bed again about 4:15. 5:45 a.m. she was up again. This time for good. Poor thing, had less than six hours of sleep! Normally she will sleep 12 hours straight, so I knew something was wrong.
This morning, I had to cancel my plans to drive to Chicago with my best friend to visit old college roommates. Instead, I spent the day trying to keep her comfortable before getting in to see the doctor. I had suspected that she had Chicken Pox, but as it turns out she has another nasty disease call Hand, Foot & Mouth. This consists of sores all over her body, but especially noticeable on her feet and in her mouth. This is a very contagious disease that spreads during the warmer months. I would encourage you to read more about it. My sweet baby girl is thankfully sleeping comfortably right now. Hoping for a better night tonight now that I am more prepared!
