Tots and Me... Growing Up Together

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Linky Follower Party Hop March 28th

Have you tried the NEW awesome tool–Linky Followers

I have and I am once again participating in this great Linky Followers Party Hop over at It's So Very Cheri. Here is her post and rules, but you can link up right here at Tots and Me at the bottom of this post.

It has so many amazing features (that GFC never had). If you have not signed up you should. (yes you can have both.) I love the new tool so much and want everyone to enjoy all the new features.

…and did I tell you its super easy and FREE!

Wednesday Blog Hopping: March 28,2012

It is the middle of the week already and I am finally getting some blog hopping done. We have had sick children and an extended stay in the hospital with the baby. For some more details you can check out this week's Wordless Wednesday post.
If you would like to do some blog hopping today head on over to my "Blog Hops" page to see the Wednesday Blog Hops I have found. Also the new Linky Follower Party Hop is now open. I just found this one recently (this is a great one to join if you are looking for something to replace GFC).

If you are visiting from a blog hop, welcome! I am glad you are here. Take a look around. I'd love it if you would follow me via GFC, Linky Followers and subscribe to my emails. I also have a Facebook page and a Twitter you can follow, along with a Google+ page. And if you don't mind, I would love for you to vote for me on Picket Fence Blogs. If you let me know you voted, I will return the favor.

And on Friday night I invite you back to link up to my Lovin' the Weekend blog hops (you can also link up giveaways).

Speaking of giveaways, have you checked out mine recently.
I have been given the opportunity to offer my readers another chance to win a Personalized set of Flashcards from Goosie Cards.

ends 4/3

And check it out, my Baby Shower Celebration has begun. I will be bringing you reviews and giveaways for some great baby/mommy products.

Enter to win:

A Nursing Mom's Prize Pack featuring Bamboobies and Undercover Mama

ends 3/31

And stay tuned for more fabulous Baby Shower Celebration giveaways!!

Because of sick children and hospital stays I am going to have to extend this into April.

Easter Basket Phonics Hunt

I had this brilliant idea (okay, I think it is a brilliant idea) for a new phonics hunt game. A while back I shared with you our Great Phonics Hunt. The other day I was looking at an Easter basket and thought that the grass would be fun for some sort of sensory activity. But what could I have the girls hunt for. That was when I remembered the Phonics Hunt. This is what I came up with the

Easter Basket Phonics Hunt!!

What do you need for this fun activity?

An Easter Basket filled with grass

12 plastic eggs with letter stickers

12 small objects to represent those 12 beginning sounds

Label the eggs with the letter stickers.

Here is a close up of objects.

I then hid the objects in the grass:

And the girls got to find them.

First I reviewed the letters on the easel, making sure they could tell me the name and the sound. I figured they could, they went beyond what I was asking for by adding a word to go with each sound. Then I showed them the eggs in the egg carton.

They took turns reaching inside the basket for an object.

They told me what it was.

And found the correct egg to place it in.

After we filled all the eggs the girls put the objects back in and they told me what to find (with my eyes closed). I had to tell them the letter and the sound. I tell you, some of those things are hard to find in that grass, especially when you are searching for a specific one.

The girls seem to think it is a great new activity. The were upset when I had them get out their workbooks because I couldn't keep looking for objects when the baby needed to nurse.

Linking to:

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Wordless Wednesday (w/linky)- March 28, 2012: The Hospital Saga

Sunday March 18th 2012

1st trip to the Emergency room we saw a double rainbow. It wasn't until later in the week, when I saw someone else post pictures of a double rainbow on Facebook, that I remembered this one and was reminded that our God is a faithful God.

Admitted Sunday night for observation, diagnosed with RSV and pneumonia.

Arriving home after being discharged Monday evening.

Back at the emergency room Tuesday afternoon (March 20th) after being told at our follow up visit with the doctor that she couldn't let us take him home because his O2 stats were too low and he was retracting, stuggling too much to breathe.

This time we had the privilege of being admitted to ICU. He needed supplemental oxygen.

And he got all his sensors again.

March 21st

March 22nd

March 24th

We tried giving him some sugar water to help hydrate him better. He hadn't been having very many wet diapers and we were attempting to get him feeling better as the day before they had started weaning him from the oxygen and he started struggling with his breathing again and his numbers dropped. At this point the doctor also upped his nebulizer treatments with the Albuterol.

Brother spent a lot of time visiting before and after work.

Had to share Sunday dinner (lunch). Looks a lot like a Thanksgiving dinner...

Down to the pumpkin pie. A reminder that we have a lot to be Thankful for.

A little Chest PT (or beating up the baby)

They were slowly weaning him from the oxygen again, then finally came the time for it to be shut off all together. Doesn't this make a nice headband?

Unfortunately, he was a bit sensitive to the tape.

I finally got some sleep Monday night when brother offered to babysit. The problem all week was that Harold would not let me put him down in the crib. When he fell asleep I would hold him in my arms, making it impossible to sleep myself. The times I did try putting him in the crib, he would sleep for a little while but as soon as I hopped into bed he would cough and fuss and wake up. So, brother offered to come by and hold him from midnight to 4 am. We decided a little supplemental formula would be acceptable.

Then I got a few more hours sleep by putting him in the car seat, Funnily enough, when he coughed in the seat he fell back to sleep.

March 27th

Got the okay from the doctor to go home.

Notice he is wearing the same going home onesie as 5 weeks ago. Thing is, he still weighs about the same because he lost weight being sick.

Our welcoming commitee was adorable, Tabitha and Amelia ran out sceaming, "Mommy!" As Hannah ran out daddy was pulling Harold from the car. So Hannah screamed, "Harrow, Harrow!"

Just wanted to share one more thing. Notice the difference in Harold's face in these two pictures where he is staring at the ceiling.

First was taken 3/24, the second was taken 3/26

And this is the source of facsination:

Sorry, that was far from Wordless, but I wanted to share. Thank you to all who were praying. Our God is an awesome God. Please continue praying, for complete healing and for him to get rid of this cough for good.