Minnicks On Their Road To Ever After: It’s Official, Lola’s TWO!

Ok so I feel like this has been an ongoing saga wth my girl turning TWO but what can I say… it’s KIND OF a BIG deal!

Of all the times for my work to pick up, naturally it would be JUST as I am hosting her party, two showers and then her actual birthday week/day which was an event on it’s own…. WHEW!

So here you have it, my girls is TWO!

(and cuter than ever I must say)

It technically all started with her big TWO photo shoot last week so here are our favorites and then some outtakes since we deicded to play around with Aunt Taytay who was in town while we were there!

Isn’t Dezzy amazing!?

Here are some outtakes from Aunt Taytay!

Yes, this is the real life, behind the scenes photo session with a two year old and uncontrollable balloons… how do I always end up doing this to myself!?

She wanted nothing to do with actually holding the balloons either… typical.

So anyway the party continued, or shoud I say started the day after Lolas actual party (that you can read about in the previous post)!

I took one look at all of the presents Gigi and Poppy got her as well as what Aunt Gloria and Uncle John had sent her and said… Um yes that will have to be for a whole seperate “party”… I honestly don’t even think it woud have all fit in the car!

So we left them behind and let the girl open them on Sunday!

She was so excited about everything “Frozen” from Aunt Gloria and she must know her all too well because her favorite thing to do these days is “HIDE” and she got her a new princess tent to hide in with tons of dress up accessories!

Gigi got her a new baby doll, two doll houses and a bubble machine (and a ton more, some that we have yet to even open)!

Lola was so excited to rip it all open Sunday after recovering from her big party (and Avery’s which is still in the works in blog world)!

That evening we went to Taytay’s and Lola was so excited about her “cool” new ride from Tay! Little does she know baby Henley has the same one and we are hoping to bring it back down next time we come for them to go “riding” together!I can’t find the video but I had one of Lola riding and it’s quite hillarious!

Monday we were SO ready for birthday week (even though both of us were EXTREMELY exhausted!

So the first day of birthday week included picking out our birthday shirt to start the week off right and staying at home to catch up on our cuddling!

You know mama gets possessive when she doesn’t get to hoard you all to herself right Lola Winking smile

It was also a good time to start unpacking the FILLED trailer of Lolas Birthday goodies! I don’t even think what Mom or Aunt Gloria got for her was in the picture… what can I say our friends and family spoil this child rotten!

Look how proud she is of everything!

Nothing compares to that nurturing mama heart though! I’m afraid she will grow up to be just as emotional about her own babies growing up as me… she is just one of those “born mamas” ya know!

It’s guna hurt Lola, I feel for ya!

Tuesday was Lolas gymnastics party and best of all it SNOWED!

Not only did it SNOW, they were the BIGGEST snowflakes ever, Lola was so excited!

I love that the snow always has to show up on her birthdays like “hey remember the best night of your life when the three of us met for the first time and got to be snowed in the hospital room for 4 days!”

My little snow bunny, I have a new love for snow storms since I met her!

So snow, donuts and gymanstics birthday class it is!

Lola even talked Mrs. Jennifer into blowing bubbles for her party day! Lola wins the enthusiastic award everytime those bubbles come out!

Stamps, donuts and a triple bonus, valentine suckers!We may have intentionally bought enough for leftovers Smile

Too bad her mama downed the entire rest of the box (about 20 or so within the next 24 hours!)

Hey, I’m depressed, it’s my coping.

Another coping I love to pull out is denial.

So we decided to let the girl stay up extra late and watch her new movie Frozen Gigi had just gotten her for her brithday!

(I must say we have seen it about 5 times since then and it really is captivating- Lola gets so sucked in!)

Reality check.

Naturally she wanted her daddy, as if my heart needed another pounding.

I swear it was like the night before Christmas all over again…. I was up wrapping, decorating and arranging all of her banners and presents so she coud see everything when she woke up!

It is so weird because each stage really is so different…. this year I wondered how I would have all of her presents out that morning (like usual) and keep her from opening them until daddy got home or if i should just wait and not put them out until she got up from her nap…. decisions, decisions..

I decided to risk it and just hope she didn’t ask to open them since she still had so many new ones she had not actually opened from her party….

It worked!!

She was so distracted by everything else (and I did let her have one new item from us that morning that I decided not to wrap (her new baby doll car seat carrier) so that kept her entertained and distracted enough to not even notice the presents!

We played, sang the birthday song while we ate breakfast and then my favorite part of every morning together… cuddling!

She has gotten into THE BEST HABIT ever of cuddling me after she eats breakfast!

I soaked it in extra hard that morning before we were off to meet Daddy Lou, Aunt Kayla and Baby Jadyn for lunch!

Apprently B had tried to call us but we didn’t answer since it was a weird number (oops!) so she must of heard me say that outloud and the next thing I knew she was on her phone… I asked who she was talking to and who do you think she said… B.

A photo shoot for my TWO year old….

She was SO excited to see everyone!!

I think she had two bites of her nuggetts before daddy caved and got her ice cream…

As soon as daddy left she literally jumped out of her chair (to try and see him) saw two little girls head for the playground, had them hold the door open for her and she was GONE!

Sister is smart.

It was SO cold and I had told her NO ten times previsouly to going on the layground BUT I couldn’t resist to snap these after chasing her out there and pretending to be mad!

I was telling her how cold my hands were so she held them and then walked to the door so we could go back inside… I have never been more proud of a heart than I am of hers…

After lunch we did a little last minute shopping at Whole Foods since Lola is obsessed with their carts and we had to pick out cupcakes for her birthday!

Naturally the cupcakes are located right next to their Gelato stand and we were sold on that too!

My child never wants anything for meals but home girl can snack like nobody’s business! She’s like the epitomy of the saying “don’t go grocery shopping hungry”! Well she gets to a grocery store and suddenly is starving for EVERYTHING (even if it’s the same thing she just refused at home)!

Nap time before party time!

While Lola was napping we had a special delivery again this year…. Gigi and Poppy sent this mommy and Lola flowers!

I guess Gigi knows the bitter sweet part that comes with each birthday because these fowers on her birthday always put a smie on my face (and a tear in my eye)… Aren’t they beautiful (and a balloon for Lola)!

Lola was still asleep when daddy rushed home so we got to wake her up together but first he had to contribute “his own” card and an entire package of Reese hearts-her favorite!

I told him the night before to write in the card I got for her form us and he refused saying he wanted to do his own card… So i brushed it off and when he got home I reminded him again to sign our card… He said “Oh i got her one, I just wrote “Love daddy” in it”…

I wasn’t buying it… When Lola came down to open her presents I opened it and balled (right in front of Lola)…. It was the sweetest letter all about his love and desire to protect her and keep her and I safe. He wishes every day that her and I stay best friends forever and that she grows up to be just like her mama….

Yes, I was a mess.

I love even more now that i have all of her birthday cards in a super special birthday card box inside her Hope chest that her sweet daddy Lou made her last year. She will love reading all these cards one year!

Naturally my phone died just as we were opening presents (wahhhhh) so we did a quick birthday candles and cupcakes and then headed out to dinner!

We were Off and might I add dinner was a “Hello TWOS” type of dinner! Lol

No really it scared us!

I will say it wasn’t in a bad way it was just in a WILD way… We are usually pretty used to our girls wild and free spirited heart but girlfriend must have known it was her birthday because she was PUMPED!

The chocolate I’m sure didn’t hep but we had to, it was her birthdy! Smile

Not only did we have our baby doll, carseat and carrier… We had to have a high chair for baby doll because well…

I thought the older she got the less I would have to carry….

Not with the way this girl accessorizes!

Oh yes and Lola, I should be one with the look of exhaustion after that nights dinner!

I can’t believe it, we just celebrated our baby girls SECOND birthday. I don’t know how we got her or why we deserve to be here but we are and I am SO very thankful for every spilled mess, blown out diaper, “mama” cry, toys everywhere, bubbles poured all over and snoty nose kisses than I could have ever imagined (and I imagined BIG).

I will coninue to celebrte you EVERY SINGE DAY baby girl, because your mine and we are forever yours.

Naturally I refused to sleep that night… I think I stayed up until a little after 4am looking at pictures of her and I realized something… Perhaps the reason I panick and push away EVERY SINGLE MILESTONE (most that are probably not even considered milestones to some parents) it’s because I’m afraid, deathly afraid.

You see Lola, mommy isn’t scared of much actually the only things I have ever actually been afraid of are the people that I love being taken away from me or me taken away from them.

When I met you that changed a little. Actually it changed with even the thought of meeting you over a decade ago which is why I put off having you for so long (and I have noticed that I am already doing that to your future siblings).

Although I have never been scared of getting older or birthdays and they seem to be the most careless yet highly celebratory things to me.. each one of your reminds me of the millions of little things I have already cherished with you that are done and over.

I have the memories, the videos, the blogs and God knows how many pictures so if I have all of this and truly cherished, lived and breathed in each moment why does it still hurt so bad that it’s over- even more perhaps?

All I have ever been able to conclude is that this is it, I only get one you, one time.

I only get to be snuggled up meeting you in a hospital bed once, I only get to celebrate you being one once, learning to walk once, yelling mama (non stop) once, rocking you to sleep at night once, being my only child once, laughing every time I blow a bubble even if I blow them for 30 minutes- once.

You see Lola, it’s not that we have a fear of getting older it’s that we have a fear of those wth you that we have waited many, many years for, being over.

It’s a constatnt struggle to anticipate each and every tomorrow, season holiday and future dream I have for you that makes me overly giddy while holding on to the present with every grip of my finger.

Needless to say this mama didn’t sleep a wink that night… I did turn that anxiety into something productive and made a cute video for you baby girl!