Tia's At Katma's

It is actually quite strange how quickly I miss Tia when she is not home with us.  My brother is moving his family to Chicago over Memorial Day weekend and we were set to drive up to help them make the trek.  So we arranged for Tia to spend a few days at Grandma Kathi's house.  With summer, it is a perfect time to get out the fun shorts and bows and I think they did just that.  We were lucky enough to get some cute pics of Tia on our cell phones of how she was doing.  After church on Sunday, we started to make our way up to Springfield, IL to meet my brother, but were stopped as he explained they were not quite ready and needed a couple more hours to prepare. So we turned around and went home, started taking advantage of Tia not being there and cleaned.  A couple hours turned into a few and before we knew it my brother let us know we may not need to come up at all. They were probably going to wait until the morning to leave.  We were disappointed, but if they had it all under control then that is all we could ask for. We wanted to be there for him and the girls.  So we decided to hit dinner and a movie and call it a night.  We thought we'd pick Tia up on Memorial Day but a problem with the house surfaced and we needed to take care of it...we literally spent the entire day cleaning the house and getting the problem rectified.  It was great to know that Tia is safe and having fun at Grandma's house. Boy did we miss her though. We just kept thinking about her.  I still haven't seen her and I have to say that it is awfully hard to go more than a couple days without seeing her little personality. I'll be happy to see her after work tonight.  Can't wait!

Having Fun with the Schultz's

Tia had her first Wagon Ride and loved playing with Gabby, the cat (although she called her Pawpee).

Tia is Getting So Big

This morning was the first time, I picked Tia up and thought, 'wow, she's getting heavy' and then I just kept looking at her and how much she's grown. Boy has she gotten so big.  The Director of Tia's daycare is also my sponsor in Thirty-One and at our big meeting this week, Jill brought her newborn Marley.  Marley just seemed sooo small and tiny.  She looked so fragile and her sounds were so cute.  Jill reminded me that Marley is 9+ lbs and Tia weighed only 6.5 lbs when she was born.  It really was hard for me to picture Tia that small, let along a third smaller. Wow...Tia has gotten so big and she is growing so fast.  She is a year and a half and time just seems to be flying by.  They say that they grow up fast and boy are they right.  What is funny about Jill/Marley is that Tia loved Jill for the first 6 or so months that she was going to the daycare. She'd light up when she saw Jill and she become one of the only people Tia would gravitate to.  But as soon as Jill got pregnant...Tia became snobbish and wouldn't have much to do with her. The other day Jill brought Marley in to daycare and Jill said Tia just gave her a look of disgust, almost like she'd be saying 'what is that! a baby!'. I just laugh because I wonder what is going to happen when we have baby #2 (no I'm not pregnant), but once we do get pregnant and have another baby, will Tia become territorial OR love the baby sibling like a Big Sister should..it should be interesting.  All I know is that she has grown so much!  Crazy!

Fun Weekend

Tia had a fun weekend with 'Aunt' Leslie and 'Uncle' Ed on Friday night and with Katma on Sunday.  The weather was pretty nice and Tia was able to go on her first wagon ride through south city, eat at Onesto, and just have a ball.  Sunday she went to the park and had a blast in the cutest outfit ever.  On Saturday, she drove her motorized car throughout the house and played with her toys.  She was in a great mood all weekend.  Of course, I'm sure she is thinking the same thing as mommy...weekends aren't long enough!

She Loves Poppies

What is a poppie? Well Tia says Poppie, pronouced Paw-Pee all the time.  Besides Kee-Ka (cookie), Poppie is her other favorite word.  Well as most babies do, that is a dog or puppie.  She loves them!  She lights up when she sees one in person, hears a dog bark, or even sees one on TV. She knows exactly when the one on Barney is going to appear, because she'll start saying Poppy right before.  She also calls other things Poppy too, like she called Leslie's cat Poppie and when I showed her some other animals, she said Poppy.  I think she is just a natural animal lover just like her 'Aunt' Liza is.  Tia will pet puppies the entire time if she could and chases them around the house when we are in the presence of a puppy or dog.  I wouldn't say Chris and I are pet lovers. Maybe because we are bit selfish with our time. I've just never been really big into pets.  If I had to choose a pet, I'd would want a cat for sure. They are loving and cuddly. They are self maintaining if you are gone for a bit and they are in your face every minute...they also don't slobber.  Growing up, we had outdoor pets. In fact, when I was born, my dad was a dog trainer and had 20 or so baby doberman puppies. He kept the mom (Babe) and one puppy (Louger).  I loved Louger and he grew as I did.  I hated when I accidentally let him out of the gate as I was so in trouble, but he was a great outdoor dog.  I loved pets at that time, but you know how the stories go...a childhood traumatic experience always changes that.  I was 4 or 5 and my parents were having a block party. My dad would take me around the neighborhood. He'd stand at the foot of someone's sidewalk and watch me walk up and put the paper in the door or knock and hand them the invite.  There was one house that had to big dobermans and I wasn't scared at all. I walked in and I saw them barking and running around the house.  I was so excited.  I realized as they approached that they didn't have that loving demeanor like Louger did. I started to run myself into the door. One doberman was too quick and sunk his teeth right into my butt cheek.  He wouldn't let go. I screamed out and my dad ran up and got me. He was shocked because they weren't mean to my dad, only me...a kid. So ever since then, I've been a bit on the 'not sure I'll ever be a dog lover' side of things.  Later we did get a puppy named Sam who was a chow/mutt from my 7 years old days through I was 16.  Great dog! My mom had a dalmatian named Woody. He was the smartest dog ever - he could really count and he was a lover.  But I only saw him when I visited which wasn't that often. Later in life, my mom got two cats Sassy and Mikey.  They were great cats.  So I lean more towards cats and if I were to get a dog, it would be an outside one.  You never know though - one day down the road a pet will most likely be in our future. I'm thinking more of a hamster like I had growing up, lol  Either way, when you hear Tia say Poppy, she's is telling you she loves dogs!

Miss Sensitive

So lately, we've noticed that Tia gets her feelings hurt easily.  We have noticed that if we raise our voice to her when she isn't listening or eating, she will give you a big wide eyed look, look down for a second, and I can tell she is trying everything she can not to get upset, but all of a sudden the water works come out and she screams out in sadness. Quite honestly, it is one of the hardest things as a parent to see. I have always been the sensitive type and I definitely wear my heart on my sleeve...even more so now that I'm older.  Chris is also (my opinion) a sensitive type too. No, he doesn't cry, but I do know that he does get his feelings hurt easily as well.  So I guess the Norris clan is an emotional bunch.  I don't mind it at all because that is who I am and what helps make me the passionate person that I am.  I know that Tia is just acting out as a reaction to our actions and thus we'll have to just know that we have to be a bit more calm when we are trying to make a point with her. It is so amazing how 'grown up' they are even at a year and 15 months (17 months today)...just the interaction and deep thought I can tell Tia has is miraculous. Although, we absolutely hate it when we hurt her feelings, but I do love seeing her personality really shine out. Truly amazing and sweet!

Congrats Uncle Brandon!

Tia's Uncle Brandon is graduating from high school on Friday.  Although, me nor Chris are attending, Tia is going to be there to cheer him on.  I have to admit, if there is one person that she just lights up when she sees, it is Brandon. None of us know what makes him more popular than the rest of us, but is is the cutest thing ever.  As if she just saw a movie star, she starts to get really excited and happy. She has a big grin and she gives him a big hug and lots of kisses.  It is so stinking sweet. Tia has lots of Aunts and Uncles since I have 6 siblings and Chris has 3 siblings. Not to mention all the other 'faux' Aunts and Uncles Tia has that support and love her.  She's one lucky kid!

He's a Natural Dad

I have to boast on my amazing husband for being an amazing dad. He's natural with kids and they seem to flock with him.  I think Chris has a playful demeanor around kids and they are drawn to that.  We always talk about how Tia can spot other kids and I always say it is the innocence that she recognizes in them. Chris is a genuinely good person and when it comes to playtime, he brings out his innocence that kids love.  I think time becomes endless when he's playing, not matter what or who with. Whether it is an adult game or playing hide and seek with Tia, he's got that.  I envy him in that regard because I think my seriousness hinders me from letting my innocence shine through at times, although I do know the other day at my work teambuilding event, I was playing like a kid when we were playing dodgeball and laser tag. I loved it.  I think all of us adults deserve playtime from time to time.  But I just love this picture of Chris with Tia, Brooke, and Peyton...so darling and speaks volumes to him being a natural dad!

Daddy's Girl

What a Great Dad Chris is...he can always make Tia laugh and I'm talking the belly laugh!  He threatens her with, I'm going to get you and then he runs after her. She loves being chased and just laughs up a storm. Then Chris will get a hold of Tia and put his chin full of scratchy hair in her neck and she just laughs up a storm. It is the cutest thing. I love hearing her belly laughs too.  I can tell she just loves her daddy.  I am more of the security blanket that she runs to when she is down or tired or cranky or scared. Daddy is the fun daddy and she knows it means play time.  I know that they'll grow a very strong bond as she gets older. I love that she's a Daddy's Girl!

Happy Mother's Day

Yesterday was another great Mother's Day.  Tia made me the cutest flower pot at school. It had a fake sunflower with her face on it and the pot had her thumbprints and fingerprints as Ladybugs and bees.  Seriously, the cutest thing ever.  There was also a note of appreciation.  I thought that was pretty cool of her class to do for Mother's day. It wasn't just a picture they painted, it was something we could use for a long while. It was just another great Mother's Day.

She's Getting So Big

Is it just me or does Tia look so big here.  She is 16 months old, but I think she looks like she is about 3 or so.  When we were over at Marci & Chads visiting with Maria & Craig, Marci's daughter's Brooke and Peyton just played with Tia and dressed her up in costumes.  They had a ball. So cute!

She's Becoming a Mommy's Girl

Tia is starting to become a mommy's girl where she barely leaves my side when we are in public. Even when I drop her off at daycare, she has not wanted to leave my side and cries before I even set her down. We basically have to bribe her with food in the morning to get her to let me leave. She even has a hard time going to daddy at certain times. When she is hurt or sad, she wants mommy. When we are out in public and there are new people talking to her, she wants mommy.  I will say that once she has warmed up, she is just fine going to different people.  I really want her to be more on the outgoing side and I think she will be. I think because she was sick the past couple weeks, she gets her security mode.  Speaking of security, she LOVES her Lamby.  Melissa got Tia a small pink blanket that has the head of a lamb attached to it. It says Tia on the bottom and Tia is inseparable.  She does not want to let it go, ever. I even bought another one so she'd have two.  In the morning, she'll hold onto it for dear life.  She'll I'll put on her shirt, she'll hold onto Lamby with one arm and stick her other arm through the shirt. Then when it is time for her other hand, she'll pass Lamby to her other hand and once it is secure, is when she will put her other arm through the hole. So cute.  She's definitely going to be a lover!!