Tuesday before Thanksgiving we went back to our pediatrician to check on Owen. He had been sick for almost two weeks. His energy level was zero and he cried when you moved him around. Instead of grabbing his toes during diaper changes, he went stiff as a board and whined. He wouldn't pull to sit up or bear weight on his legs. Instead of insisting on being swaddled and in his crib for naps, he would fall asleep on us instantly and for hours at a time. And he had a fever for 8 days. Our doctor could tell he wasn't acting like a normal 6 month old. He sent us to the ER immediatley to be admitted to Vanderbilt Children's.

We saw lots of doctors and specialists. They did lots of physical exams and asked lots of questions. But, all of them said Owen had a virus lasting a little longer than usual. Our pediatrician insisted this wasn't a virus. His liver enzymes, white blood cells, and platelet counts were all elevated. Owen was uncomfortable and in pain and we needed to find out why.

The Infectious Disease team and pediatric cardiologists decided to do an echocardiogram and an EKG anyway. The echo showed an inflammation in the blood vessels of Owens heart. We finally had a diagnosis. Kawasaki disease. This causes inflammation in blood vessels all over the body, causing the fever and discomfort. The heart being the most critical of these.

Late Wednesday night, Owen was given healthy amounts of Asprin and an immunoglobulin transfusion. Thursday morning, he was standing, smiling, and playing with toys. Since then, we have been home and he's getting back to his old self more and more everyday.

This morning, Owen smiled and squealed when I went into his room. He stood on my lap and talked his baby talk after he ate. He grabbed his toes while I changed his diaper. Owen's back....and I'm falling in love all over again.