HFMD

Ben got a new toy to keep him (and me!) entertained. So far it's been a hit because he can crawl through it and stand by it to play, so it's keeping him busy. Thank goodness I got it last week because it looks like we'll be spending the next week cooped up at home - Ben came down with Hand, Foot, and Mouth disease over the weekend. It hit several kids in our playgroup last week because unfortunately the kids are most contagious before they show any indication of being sick, but on the plus side, I can talk to other moms going through the same thing and find out what to expect. It's pretty much a couple of days of fever and a week of rash, mostly on the hands, feet, and inside of the mouth (hence the name). Ben's rash was becoming pretty evident by bedtime so I hate to think what he may look like tomorrow morning and I hope the blisters in his mouth don't keep him from eating. Poor little guy...I just hate knowing he doesn't feel well and there's not much I can do about it but I can't believe he's made it this long without ever really catching anything!


So here's what we did last week before he got sick! Ben had a great time playing at home and was happy to share his enthusiasm.


Thanks to his latest growth spurt, Ben is able to reach lots of new surfaces and check them for interesting items. I just think it's hilarious when he's scavenging our bathroom counter and all I can see in the mirror is some fingers and the top of his head.


Yesterday was beautiful and we enjoyed a bike ride at East Coast Park. It's definitely something we'll do again. Ben loved having his seat in the front of the bike because the view was great, but Mom and Dad didn't so much like having to pedal with our knees out to avoid bumping his seat!


Here he is getting his first ride on Dad's shoulders...he absolutely loved it!


I figured out why Ben takes so long to go down for his naps - he's too busy in his crib! He has two toys that play music and he loves to run back and forth keeping them both on at the same time. It's definitely better than crying, though! You can see him jump to restart the one on the left as soon as it quits. This was after his nap one day but he was still enjoying his private concert.