I Wove Woo

Tia is so conversational now. Her vocabulary is up to at least 50 words. She even says some full sentences and doc says she is at a 2 year old level already as far as that goes.  I just love interacting with her and understanding what she wants and needs.  Of course, everything is a bit changed up, but we know what she means.  Lately, the cutest thing is 'I Wove Woo'. It is adorable. If you say I love you to her, she'll respond with 'I Wove Woo' right back.  Others are Mammy means Lamby. Keekee means binkie.  She says please, thank you, baby, all done, more, bath all with sign language at the same time she is saying it to you. She says I see you when she is trying to hide. She said Bye Daddy the other morning when we were leaving without us saying anything to her. It was plain as day and so cute. She repeats what you say too. I just love hearing her talk. It is adorable.  Can't wait to hear more.

Miss SUPER Sensitive

Last night we found out that Tia is not just sensitive, but she is SUPER sensitive!  She had an incident last night where we told her in a very stern voice how disappointed we were in how she threw a temper tantrum over nothing.  She must have really had her feelings hurt or realized she disappointed us, because she was hyperventilating crying. It was a hard sight to see and it took us a while to calm her down. After almost an hour, she calmed down and was back to her old happy self.  She couldn't catch her breath and she was just so upset. She gave us these looks of sadness, but more so of trying to gain our approval again. It is so darn amazing that a 1 year old can be as emotional as she is. I know she is going to be a passionate, competitive, analytical one and it shows.  Chris and I both are very sensitive, wear our heart on our sleeve types and she has it double force. We felt bad for Tia and talked that we'll have to watch our tone with her.  We can still discipline, but we'll have to say it in a more calming way.  She really does understand when we are disappointed.  I know how hard it is for all kids wanting their parents approval and I'm here to say that even at age 1, they are in tune to what is going on with our feelings.  She is at that stage where we don't want to give in to her every whine, and we don't want to say no to everything.  However, we know that discipline is important and we have to stick to a good routine of teaching her yes/no/okay/what not to do/etc. She's doing great so far, but every now and then when we try to leave places (friends houses, stores, establishments), she goes into a temper tantrum like it is the end of the world. Then she won't let us put her in the car seat. She'll arch her back and make it super hard for you to buckle her in.  It can be frustrating as a parent, but I guess as long as we continue to follow what we feel is a best practice, then that is all we can do and hope that Tia picks up good habits. It was painful for all of us last night and emotionally draining for all of us, but these are growing pains that will help us know how to handle situations.  She is so darn sweet and loving, so it doesn't surprise me that she is emotional. I know I have always been the emotional type and I'm extremely passionate. So hopefully because I know how it feels to get your feelings hurt, I'll be a better parent in handling the situation.  The hard things is knowing that she doesn't understand WHY she can't do or have things, so trying to tell her no is probably hard for her to understand. She probably thinks we say no constantly, and we do. But hopefully soon she'll understand why.  She was in a great mood the rest of the night and really playful. This morning she was happy and back to her loving self, so hopefully she is over it. I just want her to be happy!

Reverse Psychology

A little reverse psychology can be a good thing right?  Well, I've already begun to use it on Tia and surprisingly, it works.  She didn't want to do something at home and so I said 'Tia can't do that' and Chris looked at me and said 'yeah right is she going to fall for that' and low and behold, she did. She ran over and proved us wrong.  We were both amazed.  So we have used it a few times from  getting her to lay down to put on her diaper to trying something new.  She doesn't fall for the trick every time, but she does respond.  I can tell she is going to be a competitive one which I'm sure is not surprising to any of you since Chris and I are both the competitive, athletic types.  I think Tia will excel in sports because she is already so muscular and strong.  The girl can run faster than any baby I've seen and now that I've seen this little competitive streak, I can tell she'll try her best at sports or anything for that matter. She is a do it yourself kind of girl. When we walk, she doesn't want us to hold her hand. When she swims, she doesn't want us to hold her.  When she is sitting in a big chair all by herself and we don't want her to fall so we put our hand on her leg to  hold her, she moves our hand off so she is doing it all by herself. And of course, she's a little copy cat so everything a big person does, she has to at least try and sometimes do.  Crazy, but amazing at the same time. She is so sweet too and has this big ole grin when she accomplishes something. I'll continue the reverse psychology for as long as I need, but she seems to be much smarter and will probably catch on sooner than later.

Bye Bye Binkie

What is Tia going to do without her binkie!  I remember when we were pregnant and we said we weren't even going to give Tia a binkie. We tried really hard, but of course it is never as easy as you may think, especially when the nurses in the hospital gave her one from birth. So Tia has been addicted to her binkie for the past years.  She doesn't have it during the day aside from nighttime, but only when she goes to bed and when she rides in the car. So we are going to spend the next 4 months trying to crack her of her binkie habit.  I know it will be hard because she has had it since birth but like other things, I know she'll kick the habit.  I'm starting with the car ride to school. I've been waiting until I get all the way to 141 to give her the binkie. She asks for it continuously until then, but I'm going to do the same thing every day, then move it until the next stop light next week, and so on. Hopefully before you know it, she won't even need it anymore. When we get to her school, she throws it in her bag on command and doesn't have it all day long until the car ride home.  So we'll see how it goes. Doc said to cut a tiny hole in the end to deflate it, which we might try. I also read a good article about cutting off a small piece at a time until they just don't want it anymore. Whatever we need to do, we'll do it.  So hopefully by the time she is two, she either doesn't need a binkie or at least is only using it at night which we'll do our best to ween her off of at that point.  She doesn't need it as much as before, so that is a great sign.  It will be some work and diligence on our end, but I know it is for the best!

18 Month Doctor's Appointment (Although She is 20 Months)

First off, we were not up on when we needed to take Tia to the doctor.  We finally called and they said 18 months and we were like 'oops' so we got her in asap.  She is 32.5 inches long which is in the 50th percentile. she is 24.25 lbs which is in the 40th percentile. Her head is 48' which is in the 75th percentile.  She is developing at the age of a 2 year old, so she is definitely showing great signs of growth and knowledge.  Doc did say that Tia was one of the strongest babies she has ever met.  Tia fought Dr. Graham tooth and nail and Tia almost won. Doc said Tia is stronger than most of the boys that she has had too. One thing is for sure...I think it is just as hard on me when Tia gets shots.  I will have to say she recovered really well and we snapped her out of it faster than I thought. She was so upset and I hated seeing her in pain. Especially the flu shot one that stings a bit. Poor baby. But it seems that Tia is growing right along and is getting big fast!  But we all knew that!  One thing is for sure. She does not like Dr. Graham. When Doc was leaving the room, Tia gave her the stare down with the lowered head, eyes fixated on her as she was leaving, and very mean expression. It was powerful stuff, lol.  Doc said she won't like her until about 3ish. 

Is She Spoiled?

The past week or so, Tia has become a bit whiny and cries out when she doesn't get her way. We tend to not react most of the time because we just do not like the whiny demeanor we see from time to time.  She gives up after a while, but of course we do give in when it is reasonable because we know she is trying to communicate her needs. One thing is for sure though. The girl knows exactly what she wants and if she doesn't get it, boy is she mad.  We were over at Lisa's this weekend and she loves swimming. In fact, she didn't even want daddy to hold her, she just wanted to swim around without him and be free.  Of course, she doesn't realize that she does not float all by herself. She kept sticking her head in the water and just acting like a fish. When it was time to go, she became very outraged that she couldn't swim anymore. We figured (1) she was getting tired and cranky and (2) she had been swimming for more than 2 hours or more.  She was so mad that when we put her in the car, she was kicking and screaming.  It took both of us to put her in her car seat. She was arching her back so it made it tough. She was so upset.  As we drove away, her arm was outreached towards Lisa's house. It was secretly so darn cute, but of course we had to stand our ground and leave. She just looked so bummed all the way the home, but of course it didn't take her long to turn her frown upside down. Then the next day, we were at another BBQ and there were about 5 other kids there who ranged from 2 years old to 10 or 11.  Tia along with all the kids got in many fights over toys. But it was more the swing that Tia loved outside that set her off again.  We had to go inside and eat and she didn't want to get out. I think Tia had been pushed by daddy for over an hour but she was content. Everyone went inside to eat and she was not having any of it.  So I went out and did a countdown. That was well received and she even said 'all done' her self. When we took her out, she realized what was happening and got mad again. When we left the party much later, she was not happy to be leaving. It was almost 9pm and the girl just wanted to stay and play. So it looked like to me, that all the kids had the same demeanor of spoiled versus discipline. I guess we can just hope we are doing the right thing and continue to discipline when we know she needs it, not give in when she is being whiny and unreasonable, and understand when she is whining that she wants something that is reasonable. I'm telling you though. Sometimes, it is soooo hard not to cave to her sweet smile and innocent face. She is stinking adorable.

20 Months Today

Tia is nearing the two year mark. Amazing how time flies. I can't tell you how much she weighs or how tall she is, but she is getting big..that's for sure.  She wears 18 month clothes and size 4 shoes. She still has barely any hair although from time to time, school is able to put them in tiny little pigtails which is the absolute cutest. She can say pretty much anything and knows about 20 words in sign language. She loves doing things herself.  In fact, last night, after I changed her, she went over to the wipes, pulled one out and went around to everything and started 'cleaning' it. She'd make a funny 'farting' noise with her mouth, almost like she was spitting on it, then she'd wipe it up with the wipe. It was really funny. I already knew she liked cleaning, but now that sealed the deal.  She hates when I leave her at daycare and she definitely has her moments, but 20 months today and growing like a weed. She hasn't grasped the concept of a baby in my belly or do you want a little brother or sister. She says yes, but I don't think she quite knows what it  means.  I am sure she'll meet her little sibling and after a month or so want them to go back where they came from...but after she gets used to them, I know she'll be a great big sister.

Riding with Daddy

Although Chris thinks Tia is a mommy's girl, I think he is mistaken. I love how she acts when she sees Chris. She reaches her hands out to hug him.  So sweet. Today, I am working from home so Chris is taking Tia to school today.  I stood in the doorway of the garage to watch them as they boarded the car.  He let her climb in all of her own and I watched her as she even got all the way over to her carseat, climbed all the way in and turned around and sat down.  She clapped because she knew that was a big accomplishment and of course we were clapping too. It just shows how big she is.  She waved good bye to me as they backed out of the garage. So stinkin sweet! As I keep saying, she is getting sooooo big.

Loves to Write

Every time Tia sees a pen, crayon, pencil, or marker she literally dives for it and wants to write on anything in sight.  So I decided to get her some of those markers that only write on special paper. They had some Dora the Explorer markers and coloring book, so I decided that would be perfect.   She has a cute little student desk in her room that she loves to sit at and so I put her on there and had her start going to town on her writing skills.  She picks up the marker and puts it in her left hand. I take it out and put it in her right hand.  She takes it out and puts it in her left hand.  We did this for about a minute until she finally gave up and used her right hand.  Every now and then I'd see her using her left hand, but she would use her right hand too.  So I think it is a toss up whether she'll be a lefty or righty.  It is told to me that I was a left when I was born and up until the age of 5, my dad worked on me to be a right handed person. Well it worked because I am dominately right handed, but what is really funny is that I do favor my left. I have always been a bit ambidextrous but I still write with my right. I have HORRIBLE hand writing and I have always wondered if I wrote with my left hand most of my life would it look better. I can write with my left hand, but backwards - you just have to see it to know what I mean.  I kick with both my feet when playing soccer and when carrying Tia, I will only carry her on my left side. So we'll see what she ends up being.  But right now, the kid loves to write with writing utensils - I can't wait to see if she is creative like me and loves to draw. I think Chris drew a bit when he was young too.  It is amazing how she can take the cap off and put it back on the markers. She does get mad when she can't do it, but I just talk her though it. 'Turn it around honey' and she does and slips the cap back on, looks up at me with a ginormous grin on her face pleased with her accomplishment, but the cycle continues.  I tell her to be calm and patient and work through it. Surprisingly, she does listen, even at age 1, and she gets through it.  Her little temper of frustration does come out once in a while, and I know how that can be - as I'm sure we all know. Regardless, she is growing up and FAST!

Monkey See Monkey Do

I have to admit, Tia is so funny. It is almost everything she does makes me laugh or smile. Her belly laugh and little giggle are so cute. She is constantly smiling and waiting for you to respond. I just love it.  The other night, Lisa watched Tia and when Chris and I got home from our family dinner, Tia was showing off all the stuff she learned from 'Aunt' Lisa.  She started running around in circles, but she had her head looking at the ceiling. At first, I was wondering what she was doing, but she kept doing it. I said, what are you teaching her?  Tia just kept doing it and she even ran into the sofa and walls a few times. We were laughing so hard that I was crying from how funny it was.  Apparently, Lisa and Tia were playing follow the leader and let's just say that Tia caught on real quick. If there is one thing I have noticed is that you can't do anything without Tia mimicking it or repeating what you say.  We really have to stay on top of what we say around her because she picks everything up.  I have heard her say poopy many times and last night Grandma Katma said she said I poopy and pulled on the back of her diaper. I know she was happy for Lisa to change her poopy diaper on Friday too.  Thanks Lisa for changing your first dirty diaper! But regardless, Tia is so funny. Her belly laugh just confirms that she is loving life. I love it!

Turning the Corner on Sickness?

I'm almost 15 weeks along and I am knocking on wood as I'm writing this because I've had 5 pretty solid days in a row without being sick.  I do have a moment here or there, but all in all, the horrendous non-stop 24/7 sick feeling is gone.  I am soooooo tired that I can't even comprehend sometimes, but at least I don't have the sick feeling this week. I am praying this is a sign that I'm over that stage and onto a clear middle trimester.  I started getting a baby bump this week. Monday, it was barely noticeable and by Friday (today) it is large and in charge.  So none of my clothes are fitting very well and I'm going to have to pull out the maternity clothes sooner than later.  So keep me and baby #2 in your prayers that I'm over the sickness for good. Now, if I could just get over this tired stage - wfew, it is killing me some days. All for a great cause though, right?

Mommy Brain is Back

As I had with my first pregnancy, I have already had many glints of mommy brain with this pregnancy. It is amazing how dumb I feel when I do something that seems trivial.  But of course it has happened.  This morning was the worst though and a danger to Tia.  Boy have I been beating myself up over it. We have about a 30 to 35 minute commute from Arnold to Tia's daycare in Fenton.  Some days it is a lot quicker and some day it is a lot longer, but overall it is an easy drive and we've been doing it for a very long time that it is just a habit.  My normal routine is to pick Tia up and carry her in the garage. She pushes the garage door button and then I put her in her car seat.  I comb her hair and put on her sunglasses and put her school bag on the floorboard. I'll put my stuff in the passenger side and then I'll get into my side.  Well, I took off, closed the garage door and came up the subdivision. On the last street this girl in a blue car came screaming down her road. She never even looked to see if anyone was coming and she avoided the stop sign all together.  Finally at the last minute, she sees me on the main road and I do have the right away.  She almost pulls onto the road I was on at the exact time I would have been perpendicular to me.  But she caught herself and slammed on her breaks in time. She must have been in a hurry though, because she was on my butt the entire way out to the highway.  I didn't brake as I saw her because they have a stop sign and I just figured she was going to stop like normal people do, but I have a feeling that she seldom stops but just makes the turn hoping no one is coming. I pray for her safety!  Got all the way to daycare and of course I look back at Tia along the way from time to time. She cracks me up with some of the things she does and I just always think, wow - I have a kid, even though she is almost 20 months old.  We got to daycare and I got out and opened her door, grabbed her diaper bag and pulled her out of the car seat. However, my eyes got really big because I realized I didn't even buckle her in. She was just sitting in her car seat.  OMG! I said out loud that I'm a bad mommy and she somewhat repeated it.  I was just shocked. How could I not remember to do that. I have done it for so long and why now. Is it mommy brain kicking in?  Oh wow. Luckily, God was watching over us and we made it safely to our destination, but wow how bad could it have been.  So as I know I'll do many mommy brain things over the next months and years for that matter, but I pray that it never harms any of my family.  So it is safe to say that Mommy Brain is Back!

Six Month Smile

Most of you know that I've had braces for the past six months and although many of you would say 'wow, that was fast' when seeing me get them off yesterday. I would beg to differ.  It wasn't the braces as much as these buttons they put in so I could not close my teeth together.  Yes, the braces were painful and scratchy, but these buttons were placed on my canines and kept me from closing my mouth. Basically, I couldn't chew for 6 months.  How would I eat? Well, I'd cut all of my food up into small pieces and throw it back on the left side of my mouth. I'd savor the taste and take it down. Over time, I was able to figure out how to move things around and chew slightly, but if I ever bit down. My top teeth and bottom teeth would crunch this button that was between them. Have you ever had an old metal cavity fall out and you crunched down to an annoying and painful feeling of grit. Well, that is what it felt like. So for me, 6 months seemed like eternity.  Every month when I'd get them tightened, yes it was painful for that first week and oh the wires that scratched my cheeks were even worse.  So onto the good stuff though. This braces system is called Six Month Smile and I have to say that it is awesome.  I needed braces for an overbite when I was young, but since my teeth looked straight and our finances were low, I never got them. Over time, stress caused me to grind my teeth and I started to slowly shift my bottom jaw backwards. In the meantime, I started wearing down the enamel on all of my back teeth.  Then the spaces started to form between my front teeth. What was happening was my bottom teeth were starting to push my top teeth outward.  It was so gradual over time that I didn't notice until these past few years. A space between my front two teeth that was not there a year ago, started to be big enough where I couldn't even floss because it wouldn't matter.   During early college, I met a guy named Numpal Diejti.  I dated his roommate and they were in Med school together.  Ironic thing was that he was Thai.  We hit it off from the moment we met. Like an instant brother sister bond.  Even after the year dating his roommate, we remained friends.  During his time in Dental school, he would tell me that I need to wear a mouth guard to protect my teeth from grinding. Of course, he made me some lovely hard plastic, annoying mouth guards and I'd wear them for a bit, but then forget about it. We lost touch after a while....just both onto serious relationships and different cities.  I had dentists tell me through the years that I needed to wear mouth guards or I'd have dentures one day. It wasn't that I didn't want to, it was just that they were painful to wear. They put so much pressure on my teeth plus they were like gigantic mouth pieces so I couldn't close my mouth. If I can't close my mouth - I don't sleep.  I'm sure I've spent at least $1,000 on mouth guards that I'd wear a few months and then 'lose' them.  A few years ago, I was eating at Jimmy Johns when I hear 'OMG, Angie' and it was Numps. We hadn't seen each other in probably 7 or 8 years.  He told me that he had a Dental practice just down the road and I told him I worked just down the road. He told me to come in and be his patient. Because I'm a creature of habit, I never called to make that first appointment until December 2010, almost 3 years later.  But I'm glad I did.  The spaces in my front teeth were getting worse and I knew it was time to get a mouth guard I'd actually wear or figure something out.  Numps instantly told me I needed braces to fix my teeth and then he'd custom make a mouth guard that I'd wear every night.  So goes the past six months of braces. Because of my overbite, my top teeth would push my bottom brackets off, so he put the annoying buttons in my mouth. I called them fangs because that is exactly what they looked like.  I got my braces on February 7th and I got them off yesterday on August 8th...almost exactly 6 months.  This system is for adults. It is an aggressive system with higher pain, but faster results. They use clear brackets and clear wires so they are hard to see. I will have to admit that even in pictures, you couldn't even tell I was wearing braces up until that final month when he put a metal wire on.  Regardless, they were great and I'd recommend that Six Month Smile System, as well as Dr. Numpal Deijti (O'Fallon, MO) to anyone.  He is the kind of doctor that takes the extra time to make sure your cavities look like teeth. Or the extra appointment to make sure you are comfortable. I'm not just saying this because we are friends. I've referred people and they said the same thing.  He is a great doctor.  His staff is great too. All of them always asked about Tia and baby #2.  They were fun to talk to and be around.  It is a great office. So check out Monticello Dental online and tell Numps I sent you his way!

Dancing Queen

We've known for a very long time that Tia is a dancer. She has rhythm and has had it for as long as she's been alive.  I used to play guitar while I was pregnant with her and of course I have music on every chance I get, but she has more than what I played for her. I remember when she was a few months old and sitting in her high chair, a song would come on that was slower and she'd sway slowly from side to side to it. Then a song would come on that was faster and more upbeat and she picked up the rhythm swaying to match the beat. I was amazed then and she never ceases to amaze me.  Every chance she gets she is dancing at home to the music on the TV or on her toys. She just loves dancing. This weekend she was extra cute because she was pulling out a dance we've never seen before. She had her hands moving up and down and she was bending at the waste moving up and down then side to side.  Seriously, she looked exactly like Elaine from Seinfeld. In fact, several people made that comment. Of course, she looked so cute and with that big smile from ear to ear...how could anyone not just glow watching her. She continued this on all weekend.  We went to several family gatherings this weekend and she was hamming it up with her dance moved. When we took her from Sunday School at Church they said 'there was a dance party and Tia was the leader' - it just went right along with the theme of the weekend. I can say with certainty, this girl has rhythm and she LOVES to dance.

Fainting Spell

As most of you know, I've done modeling for the past 10 years here and there.  I started out when I was about 22 and quit my agency a few years back to have Tia.  I do have one client that still calls me up to do photo shoots which is for Harley Davidson apparel. I can never say no because they are like family now and they don't mind if I've gained a few pounds, have a different hair cut, even that I have braces, and better yet when I'm pregnant. So yesterday I did a photo shoot and I felt fine in the morning and showed up at the gig. They gave me about 10 shirts to shoot in and I started going through them. The first several outfits seemed perfectly fine. Then I got that weird 'in your head' thing where it sounds like everyone is in a tunnel in your head.  It was driving me crazy and it wouldn't go away.  Then about the 4th shirt I was shooting with two other girls with a Harley in between us and the flashes started giving me that poof poof poof feeling almost so loud they sounded like gun shots. I started getting hot and had a weird feeling.  I snuck off the bathroom, tried to see if I was going to be sick, but it just seemed like I was a bit light headed. I headed back and this time I was in more of a long sleeved zipper sweatshirt so I was a bit hotter than other outfits. In fact, the next several were going to be me with this same sweatshirt over different colored shirts and long sleeved shirts...about 8 in all.  About the second one, I was shooting and I was trying so hard to concentrate, but every time the flashes would go off, it felt like when people faint in the movies - that is exactly what I was feeling.  Finally, a flash went off and I blacked out. I was standing, but I couldn't see anything. I put my hands up and said 'hold on, I'm not doing so good here'. Then when my vision started to return, they were telling me to go sit on the couch. I started to make my way over there, but didn't quite make it. I felt light headed and sweaty and then I felt myself feel weightless and started to fall. I blacked out. It was like I saw myself being caught and put on the couch, but I didn't really do anything to help. I was in a daze.  They got me some water and a fan.  I was so embarrassed. Luckily, I've been doing these shoots forever and these people were like family now, so it wasn't so bad. We made it through 5 more outfits with each having 15 or 20 shots each. I sat down in between and I just took it easy. They didn't make me do anymore long sleeved things with the sweatshirt on top.  Even after wards, I sat over to the side watching some the other models shooting and every time that flash would go off, it would get me. So weird of a feeling. These flashes are the size of posters and there are 4 of them surrounding where the model stands.  It is a dazed thing for me as a pregnant person. However, I did this shoot when I was pregnant with Tia, but never had this feeling. Maybe because it is 100 + degrees outside didn't help. Plus, I've been sick with this baby. It is just craziness.  After I ate lunch that they provided, I started to feel even better. Driving to work was a bit of work as I didn't feel 100 percent, but I didn't feel like I was going to faint or anything. I was just eager to get to my destination. I did tell them at my last doctor's appointment about having a ton of dizzy spells and they told me it is most likely a mixture of being sick from this baby and a bit dehydrated.  Wfew! I can stand to go without any more of those!  I had a Thirty-One Party after work yesterday and had to drive an hour to this small town. It went well. I sat the entire time and it went well. So after working basically my full time job and two part time jobs in one day...plus my fainting spell - I crashed hard to bed last night.

Tia's First Playdate

I have a friend named Trina who I met through our bowling league.  She and I were pregnant at the same time and both bowled up until the very end. We even played each other in a championship game which was comical because we were huge with big bellies trying to bowl.  I think she kicked my butt!  Her daughter Kayla is exactly one month older than Tia born on November 19th.  Tia and Kayla have met several times but we finally decided to do a play date over at their house.  I have seen Tia interact with her friends at school and she is loving, she shares, and I had never seen her really get angry over toys. But let me tell you, I saw a new side of Tia the moment we walked in the door. It was like two adult women checking each other out, looking each other up and down, and staring at each other. Kayla and Tia just looked at each other with wide eyes and we weren't sure what was going on in their heads.  We finally got them to go play with some toys, but then it was game on. Kayla followed Tia around and Tia wasn't having any of it. I think she thought Kayla was going to take the toy she had out of her hands, but Kayla just wanted to hang out with Tia.  Tia would run from her and scream out like Kayla was a monster.  This went on for about an hour. We had to hide certain toys from them because they'd fight over them and the moment Kayla got near Tia, Tia would scream.  I was amazed. I guess I thought they'd instantly hit it off. We ate dinner and hung out for a while and I think Trina and I just thought - oh well, we'll just have to keep doing this so they get to know each other.  Finally, a little later, they both were climbing up onto the couches, then back down. They started interacting and laughing with each other. They were communicating and seemed to finally be getting along.  So Tia's first play date wasn't a big disaster, but we decided we are just going to have to do this at least once a month so they get to know each other better and won't have the diva looks when they see each other.  They even sat together and watched So They Think They Can Dance, or whatever that is called, which they seemed to enjoy. 

Tia Has Her Own TV

When we are at  home on the weekends, our typical routine involves Tia watching a lot of Barney DVDs on our ginormous big screen.  As much as Chris I love hearing and seeing these DVDs over and over and being able to sing every song, we've decided we needed to come up with a good solution. The biggest reason is because we love our big TV and really want to keep it from burning out quickly.  The other reason is just for sanity purposes for us.  We don't have cable nor do we have an antennae hooked up to watch regular TV.  We only use the big screen to watch DVDs that we rent.   We have our awesome iPad that we use to watch a few shows on the ABC Player like the Bachelorette, Extreme Make-Over, Shark Tank and a few other things here and there.  Last weekend we moved Tia's room from the front room to the back room. Basically, it has the double bed in there, her crib, a small shelf and all of her toys. This has made for a great place for her to play and we can keep the living room less 'daycare' looking. Tia is a smart cookie and can turn off the big screen in the living room and turn it back on. She understands what it means and how to do it.  So we figured, wouldn't it be great to put a tv/dvd player in her room and just teach her how to turn it on and get it going. We have a very small tv/dvd combo that was just sitting in our basement and we thought, what the heck. Might as well use it. So we put it in her room. We color coded the two buttons that she'll need. We showed her how to turn it off and on and hit play, and viola!  What was so cute, is that she has this cute Elmo chair that she sits in to watch her tv.  We watched a movie last night on the big screen and I could look over and see her sitting in  her Elmo chair watching her own movie. Perfect! Yeah, she is only 1, but I remember seeing my nieces stay over and turn on/off/play DVDs on that little TV a few years back when they were 2 and 3.  Tia is really analytical and picks up whatever you show her, so we figured we'd give it a try.  Now we can stop hearing 'I love you, you love me....' every 10 minutes, lol.  Chris and I laugh all the time because on cue, we'll both start singing a Barney song, realize what we are doing, and then crack up at each other.  Chris laughs because kids no matter how small can come into anyone's house, figure out how to turn on and off the tv and even watch movies. But adults spend hours trying to figure it out on their own equipment.  The irony just cracks me up!