I sat on this post for a while now because all my pictures are still loading in dropbox – I took over 300.  So finally, here it goes.

Well, it’s taken nearly a week, but I feel that I have finally caught up to life again, that’s why it’s taken me so long to post this.  So lets start at the beginning.

Last Saturday (Sept 24th), Kahlan and I took a trip to Willamsburgh, VA with our friend Heather and her son Oliver.  The grandma’s had a free week and gave it to me, so since Brian couldn’t go, I thought I would make it a fun trip with a friend.

The ride down went surprisingly well, arriving around 9pm, making the trip down a little over 12 hours for stops and meals.  We talked a lot in the car and by the time we got there my voice was starting to disappear.  More on that later.

So we took it easy on Sunday, eating at a local pancake house, getting some groceries and then hanging out at the condo area.

Monday we went to the Virgina Beach Aquarium and Kahlan had a blast.  I mean anywhere you walk up to the building to find seals and a place to eat lunch is good in any book.  The thing she (and frankly I) liked most was the gigantic sea turtles.  Though any turtle in the building seemed to catch her attention.  Then we went to the beach.  I figured since she loved the sand in Flordia and her sandbox at home this would be a huge hit.  Not at all.  She would get out of her stroller for a minnute or two, then start to cry and get back in.  And as for putting our toes in the ocean, nope, didn’t happen.  But I got as close as I could.

Tuesday we went swimming at the indoor pool and she had a blast.  She loved jumping in, and for some reason thinks she can swim on her own already.  Then dinner at Red Robin, where the best part was the red balloon at the exit and of course some Oreos for dessert.

Wednesday we went shopping at the Merchants Square on the William and Mary University campus.  So cute and fun to see, and a lot of great shops too.  I may have gotten some Christmas gifts even.  Then lunch on the green and off to the biggest Yankee Candle store I’ve ever been in.  She really liked the animated show in the center square, and was not a fan of the snow in the Christmas section until she realized it was foam and had bubbles in it.

Thursday we went to the Richmond Children’s Museum and I’m so happy we did.  Besides the fact that two minutes before we got there Kahlan vomited.  (She was acting normal and progressed thoughout the whole day like nothing happened.)  That place was so much fun and Kahlan just kept going and going.  If it was local, I would have gotten a membership right then and there.  It made me think about checking the local one out here once it reopens again.  She really loved the apple tree, and freaked when she saw the carousel inside.  She kept pointing to the chicken and signing for it.  I kept telling her it only ran at certain times, and thank god that time came quick because she started freaking about riding the chicken.  So I got us tickets, and she was so ecstatic it was hilarious.

Friday we kept it calm at the condo, did some more swimming and just relaxed knowing we had a long drive the next day.

And long drive it was.  Kahlan vomited 4 times on the entire ride home.  I didn’t know what was happening.  The first time I changed her I noticed red spots on her torso.  And then I started to rack my brain about seeing them earlier in the week maybe?  But I just wasn’t sure.  So as the day progressed, the spots spread.  By the time we got home she had a fever of 101.7 and spots were starting down her arms and legs.  I slept beside her that night, and she woke me up with a kiss and she was on fire.  She wasn’t crying or complaining so I didn’t check her temperature, and she went back to sleep.  By morning the fever was gone and the spots were everywhere.  She was sad and clingy and by monday morning some of the spots had turned to little blisters.  So we went to the doctors.  Hand, Foot & Mouth Disease,  yay.  Turns out that my voice disappearing was actually a virus.  See it wasn’t until about Thursday or Friday that I started to talk and feel normal again.  And it turns out Brian was having the same issues at home.  We had both gotten a virus, and gave it to Kahlan, and it turned out to be the same virus that causes HFM.  So yay us!

So the past few days have become a blur, and it wasn’t until yesterday (Oct 5th) morning that I realized I am missing my precious breastmilk necklace.  And frankly I’m devastated.  I’ve had moments of vowing to never take another trip again.  It just ended horribly, and frankly there were some not fun times during the week too.

But we did it, we survived it, we’re home.  Kahlan is on the mend, her little blisters are nearly gone.  I suspect she should be normal again by the weekend.  And her appetite started coming back today too, so that’s a great thing, as she doesn’t have the weight to lose.

UPDATE:  Brian had a resurge of HFM to the extreme.  He ended up with blisters everywhere, couldn’t walk and even took some days off work!!!  Now his skin is peeling from where all the blisters were.  He had it way worse then even Kahlan, and was told he had the worst case the doctor had seen in an adult.  He’s so special.