Erythema Multiforme

7 trips to the doctor, 3 rashes and 1 freaked out Mommy.  That's what it took to finally figure out what is wrong with our sweet little Lulu.  Erythema Mulitiforme.  Seriously.  You'd think that since our kids our so sick, all the time, God would at least give me easy names to remember!  On Thursday Lainey's "penicillin hives" quickly went from bad looking, to downright nasty.  For lack of a better comparison, she looked like a burn victim.  I didn't even want to take any pictures of her (and didn't, besides a few on my cell phone to show the doctor) because the image will forever be burned into my memory.  I couldn't look at her without crying because I felt so sorry for her. 

Erythema Multiforme is a skin disorder that results from either a virus (which we had a few weeks ago) or an allergic reaction to penicillin (which we also had).  We're not sure what caused it, and therefore will probably have to do some extensive allergy testing once all of this is over.  We started steroids on Thursday and she has been responding really well to them.  This afternoon will be Lainey's last dose of prednisone, and then we wait. We wait to see if she continues to get better, and if this is the case, she will be completely healed in 2-4 weeks.  If the rash comes back, it could start to blister, and she would eventually need skin grafting to repair the damage.  Of course, the doctor told me not to think about that.  OK doc.  Tell me exactly how not to freak out and worry about my sick, helpless baby, covered in red splotches!  She also told me not to google  erythema multiforme.  Right.  If you are a Mom, you know that would be the first thing you would do when you got home!

So far, Lainey is doing much better, and we're hoping and praying that she stays that way. 

Still trying to be her happy self, despite it all.

Waiting for the doctor. 

Before steroids.  Believe it or not, it got even worse than this.  So bad, that I didn't want to take her picture. 

After 2 days of steroids. 

Big sister Hailey has been a good helper!

Lainey was laughing at Hailey, because Bug was dancing around "trying to make Wainey silly!"

It's been hard trying to give Buggy the attention she needs since Lulu has been so sick.  Fortunately, she took a nice long nap after Bug got home from preschool, so we could play.  She liked showing me how she could twirl like a ballerina, since she was wearing a shirt with ballerinas on it!

Showing off the valentine she made at preschool.  Buggy passed out treat bags to all of her classmates.  I asked her that morning who she was going to make a valentine for, thinking she would say Mommy and Daddy.  Instead she yelled "JOSHUA!"  Her preschool crush!

Lounging in her bean bag after a tiring day at pweschool. 



Buggy goes to pweschool + Buggy sucks her fingers + Buggy comes home and mauls her baby sister = our entire family is infected with whatever cold/virus that's going around



I can hand wash and use "magic soap" all day long, but I just can't keep these two apart!