My poor little girl has her first fever today, which was bound to happen after her older brother brought it home from school. It breaks my heart when babies are sick – more so than with big kids – because you can’t explain to them why they feel so crummy! She just wasn’t her usual self, with no smile on her face, and no interest in her favorite textured and crinkly toys.

Times like these, I reach for toys that light up, ideally ones that are easy for a baby to grab and hold onto at this age. The added visual element seems to perk up even the fussiest baby, which is also what makes light up toys great for when you’re on the go and a child is stuck in a car seat or stroller. That’s why our light-up puppy is Veronika’s go-to when we’re out and about.

Indeed, the colorful elements on this little doggie rattle caught Veronika’s eye today, and she was enticed to reach for it despite feeling ill.

The look on her face in these pictures just breaks my heart, but she’s trying!

As a happy ending, here she is playing with the rattle once she was feeling much better in the afternoon.

And the changing red and green lights still caught her eye.