I Twwooo

Warning:  Long Two Year Old Post!!

I love hearing her say these two little words!  Yesterday while she was in the car, she kept repeating them without being prompted!  I think she was pretty excited it was her birthday!  I still can't believe she is officially two.  She has had such great birthday celebrations, I'm kind of sad to see them come to an end!!  Below are some pictures of her birthday dinner at Willie's.  She had so much fun playing in the sandbox and sharing her icecream.  Alexis is quite the little tease.  She loves to pretend she will give you a bite and then take it back at the last minute. 

We started our afternoon off at the doctor for our 2 year shot, which she rocked!  However, A is the only child that I know that hates bandaides!  She rips them right off!  Then we headed over to Babies 'r us for some door locks for the lake house and two new cups with her name to take to the lak!  She also got some new PJs for her birthday because she is 36 inches tall!  Her height and head are in the 95th percentile but her weight, 26 pounds, is still in the 50th percentile.  This is all to be expected for a premie, though.  It is still so unbelievable to think how far we have come from 3 pounds and 10 ounces!  The nurse asked if Daddy was tall.  I was kind of insulted that she didn't think she got her height from me!!  I'm not THAT short!!  Unfortunately we still have to continue the Pediasures.  I was hoping to cut those out of our budget, but not yet!  I have been blessed with one very picky eater and many nights she goes to bed with nothing but fruit, cheese or milk in her tummy. 

Besides the big girl bed, this little girl is learning several words a day!  I am so glad she is finally talking!  I was starting to worry.  It turns out, she is just stubborn.  This week she learned to count to three in Spanish!  She can say yes ma'm and is finally saying please!  We are rocking along with our manners and they are like music to my ears!  She is using her sign language less and her words more.  Alexis doesn't like to perform for other people or be put on the spot, which is ok by me, but it makes it hard to have her use her words when we are in front of other people.  You just have to force it before you give her what she wants. 

She can say the sounds of a dog, sheep, horse, cow and duck.  She also knows that Daddy "pop pops" ducks and makes the gun sign!  We went out to the back to take her birthday pictures and she knows that Daddy goes hunting back there so she started popping as we were walking out there!  Daddy would be very excited if we have ourselves a little hunter on our hands! 

And finally, she knows all of her grandparents names!  We have to go through our "who do you love" game and she says "Mimi, Pappa, Paw Poooww, Gigi, Pops, Mommy, Daddy."  We are still working on Aunts and Uncles!  Hopefully we will get those down soon, but she has so many of them that it's hard on a little girl to keep those straight.  At least she can point them all out! 

Oh, sorry, and she can sing (mumble words, that you can totally make out, to the tune of) Frere Jacques, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, the alphabet (part of, of course) The Ants Go Marching, and Hi Ho from the Seven Dwarfs!  Of course we know what she is saying and not all of these songs are word for word, but she's got the tune down! 

Alexis's favorite show is Mickey Mouse Club House and she loves to do the Hot Dog Dance at the end of the show!  Her dance is more of along the lines of wild jump, but it is very cute!  This is the perfect show for her because it isn't that long, has no commericals and her attention span for TV is still very short.  Can I get a Woo-Hoo for that!!  We will see how long this lasts!! 

She is on the potty train and I'm hoping to have her officially potty trained very soon!  She has mastered peeing in the pottty, but is still having trouble telling us when she has to poop, until after she has done the deed!  Maybe I can strip her down the first week of summer and see how it goes!!

Her favorite toys are anything with wheels, especially if she can ride them, Lamby, of course, and her kitchen.  Thankfully, Alexis is still a book worm.  Her two favorite things to do right now are swing and swim.  So it is going to be one hot, long summer!  But, I'm going to soak up every minute of it! 

 

Big Girls, Jeeps and Beds

It's official!  Summer is here!  Only 4.5 days of school left and, yes, I am counting every minute!  I am so ready to be home with this little munchkin!  We have already had our first official playdate of the Summer!  Aunt Kristi and Uncle Michael came over to borrow some of Daddy's crawfish pots, so we decided to go for an afternoon swim! 

Alexis is in complete baby mode right now!  If she even sees a baby carrier, she wants to run over and see the baby!  So, as soon as Aunt Kristi pulled up, she wanted to hold Brinkley!  She patiently waited for us to get inside and on the couch.  Once she had B in her lap, she was ecstatic to hold her.  Of course Alexis was all smiles while Brinkley wasn't and once we finally got a smile out of B, A was being stubborn!  Go figure! 

I have totally forgotten to blog about the big girl bed!  Alexis has officially been sleeping in her big girl bed for two weeks now!  She started crawling out of the crib on a Monday night and the next day Daddy converted it for us!  I will admit that this transition has been the worst thing in the parenting department that we have done!  Thankfully it only took about five nights, not two weeks, of holy terror screaming.  But that first night was a LONG hour of crying and screaming for both Alexis and Mommy!  I went to bed feeling terrible!  By the fourth night we were down to about 20 minutes, fifth night lasted a little less than 15 and now we are onto a five minute routine!  She has to crawl out of bed immediately and wants to be tucked back in.  I think she just needs to know that I'm there.  Unfortunately the big girl bed has also brought on a couple of middle of the night escapades.  But, if she doesn't fall back to sleep, I just have to go in there, calm her down and put her back to bed.  Alexis is VERY proud of her big girl bed!  Everyone that comes over gets the tour of her bed!  You will actually probably get the tour more than once because she loves to show it off! 

This weekend is our first lake trip since the transition and I'm extremely nervous.  We have a full house, which means she will have to sleep on the floor, or with us!  Alexis is just like her Mommy, she doesn't like to miss out an a minute of the party!  So, as long as the kids are up, she is dying to be with them!  Our bedroom is off of the back porch, so I'm sure she will hear everything.  Plus, we have the long door knobs, not the regular round ones, so I have no idea how to keep her in the room.  So, wish us luck, it may be a very long weekend! 

 Thanks to Mr. Nathan and Mrs. Alyssa for getting Alexis her first Jeep!  She loves being in control!

 I think she likes being the big girl now!

 Sweet smiles finally from Brinkley!

 Look at my big girl bed!

 Brinkley is so funny!

 Ohhh, fresh meat!  I just want to squeeze and pinch her!!

Sweet and drooly!

Rainbows and Friends

I can't believe Alexis is going to be TWO in just two days!  In the last couple of weeks she has just astounded us with her learning as well as her stubbornness!  I will post more about her later this week, after we go to the doctor for her two year check up.  But, this past weekend we celebrated her birthday with our family and friends.  I want to thank everyone who came out and helped!  It truly was a great day and we feel so blessed to be surrounded by people who love us as much as they do. 

We started off the weekend in the pool on Friday morning.  While Mommy finished power washing the pool area, Aunt Deanna and Ryder came over for a swim.  We ended the morning with lunch on our new picnic table, courtesy of Gigi and Pops!  Friday evening we played a little more outside when Aunt Tracy came to spend the night!!  Then Saturday was a FULL day of cake, family, friends, swimming, swinging and sliding!  To say she was exhausted was an understatement!  We didn't even get through half the presents before she moved back onto the swing!

I have been planning this party for months and after weeks of cleaning and putting my ideas together, I couldn't have been any happier with the way the party turned out.  I will say this, I am NOT having her party at noon next year!  So, for all those kids that have to nap later, I'm sorry!  I just can't do it!  It is way too stressful to run around in the morning!  I didn't even get a picture of the table all decorated with the cake because I was rushing around and I didn't want the icing on the cake and cupcakes to melt!  But it was still a blast to hang out with our friends and family!  Thanks again for everyone joining in this year, it wouldn't have been the same with out you all!!

 The one and only picture of Ryder not crying!  Apparently, my firm voice scares him!  I'm OK with being the bad cop, though!

Loving life and lunch at her picnic table!

 The only picture we got of her in her outfit because she was ready to get in the pool!  Thanks Pappa B, Mimi and PawPaw for coming!  She now says "Paw Paaww" and it is adorable.  I have a feeling she might have a little East Texas accent in her dying to sneak it's way out!  A special thanks to Bentley's Bows for hooking us up with this cute bottlecap bow!

 Aunt Tracy and I made these supercool cupcakes!  I guess I should thank pinterest for all my awesomeness!  Please follow me to see even more of my party ideas!

This is her "I want it my way" stance after she was tired of the outfit and done with all the asking to get into the pool!  I'm going to have to do a photo shoot later this week just to get some pictures of this super-cute outfit!  I have to thank Aunt Lissa for making the tutu and the wreath (below) and Amanda Tabor for making this awesome cake at the last minute!  (FYI-this cake was what made the rainbow idea come alive and I was a tad bit stressed that I wasn't going to get it made.  And, no, there is NO WAY I could have made this myself!).  And finally, thanks to Lily Lou Designs for the onsie (pictures to come) and these A-DOR-ABLE bloomers.  If you need anything for your upcoming party, these ladies would love to help you out!  Just click on the links and it will take you straight to their page!

 How cute is this wreath?  Every little girl needs a wreath made just for her birthday!

 LOVE.LOVE.LOVE the cake!  The colors were gorgeous and the cake and icing were DELISH! Contact Amanda Tabor on Facebook if you need a cake for your upcoming party!  I promise, you won't be disappointed, unless you are like me and can't stop eating it!  Plus she is in the Katy area!

Yep, I made that banner!  Actually, Aunt Tracy strung it together, but I cut and glued it!

 Not only does she make wreaths and tutus, but she also sales Scentsy and makes cotton candy (not for hire)!  Scentsy has a new yummy product, Velata, a fondue warmer!  The chocolate, which comes in several tasty flavors is perfect for a kid's birthday party!  The kids and adults had a good time dipping their fruit and pretzels into the warm chocolate!  It will definitely be a hit at all our summer parties!

 Brian and I worked all week with Alexis on blowing out her candles.  I was surprised that she actually understood when we were signing to her.  She lit up like a Christmas tree as soon as everyone started singing "Happy Birthday!"  It was the cutest thing!  I can't wait to sing Happy Birthday to her again on Thursday because with all the hustle and bustle, I forgot to videotape it!  I love to see that big smile!!

 Her friends had so much fun swimming and playing!  Ryder and Margo, right before their smooch!  I wish we had caught that on camera!!

 Asher and Caige!

 Cole with no hands!

 Cole, Noah and Evan enjoying the playhouse!

 Marlee pushing Alexis!  She is such a big help!  And so pretty too!

 Brenna got in on a little swing action too!  She even went for a swim with Aunt Deidra and loved the water!

I think it is safe to say that Alexis is in love with her swing set!  Thanks again Mimi and Pappa B!  We got her the baby swing, but I'm afraid she won't like it now that she is a "pro" at the big girl swing!  The guys worked for three days to get this set up in time and unfortunately it wasn't finished.  But, the kids did not seem to mind one bit that they had to use a real ladder!!

 I love this little girl!  Keely finally likes to smile for Aunt Deidra's camera!

 Uncle Jeff and his silly girl!

 Anna and Alexis ready to slide together!

 Keely wanted a picture with Anna too!  They are such sweet girls!

Of course the party wouldn't be complete without a little fence climbing! 

Mannion's Memories is Going Public

It’s time to make it official! As many of you know, I’ve been in the process of starting my own photography business. I will continue to teach but during the school year, I will be doing evening and weekend sessions. Photography has been a hobby of mine since I learned how to use a camera! I was always that kid in school who documented every event and sported the camera wherever I went! As photography took the turn into the digital world, my hobby developed into more of a passion! After a couple of years of encouragement from my family and friends, I have finally decided to take the plunge, learn a little more, and turn it into a little side business! Who knows, maybe one day this can be my full time job? For right now, I will continue operating under my current blog so please visit me for updates in the upcoming months.

I will be posting prices in the coming weeks, in the meantime, please email at mannionsmemories@gmail.com for current pricing packages. All sessions will last between 45 minutes to 1 hour and because I’m new to the business, you will find that my prices are very reasonable. Your session will include a prior consultation, an outdoor photo shoot, and a CD with 15 to 20 digitally edited photos along with a print release so you can use your pictures as you choose.

I cannot thank all of my friends and family enough for pushing me into this little adventure! I’m scared to death, but I know that this is what I’m supposed to be doing right now! Thanks to all my friends who have given me open access to their families over the last couple of years for the sake of practice. Without you, I would not have the faith and confidence to move forward.

I look forward to working with you and I appreciate your business.

Almost TWO

I can't believe that in just 19 days we will be celebrating Alexis's 2nd birthday!  I absolutely love how these invitations came out!  I've been planning this rainbow birthday for a little over three months and I can't wait to see it all come together!  I have tons of ideas just dying to come alive!  Hopefully my craftyness doesn't fail me now! 

Stay tuned!!

Easter 2012

It's crazy to think how far our family has come in the last year. A year ago, Brian and I were cooking jambalaya, our attempt at bribing the doctors and nurses at Texas Children's to take extra special care of our miracle baby, Kynlee! This year we had jambalaya again on our back porch just celebrating our family and Jesus! We are truly one blessed family and I thank the Lord daily for all he has given us! Nothing beats a celebration with family, friends and great food. Especially when you aren't in a hospital!!

We had a fun filled Easter! Complete with swimming, fishing, Easter egg, dying, hunting/shoving and it wouldn't be complete with out a photo shoot! Jamie picked up some baby chicks for our shoot last week. One died before the end of the first night and then we lost one Sunday afternoon. I'm not sure if he died at the foot of Alexis or the nice toss that Daddy gave him, but either way, he didn't make it through the day. I do feel bad, though!

She could be outside all day long!
Aunt Chelle and Carter came down for the night Friday! We had a GREAT visit! We haven't seen much of each other over the last two year, and when we do, it is always in big groups. So, it was really nice to just enjoy each other like the HLP we are!!

I got a cute picture of the three of them even though A was fighting it! She'll do anything for a handful of goldfish!

Carter loving on Bandit!

Jennifer and Kaylee came down for Easter!!! I was so excited to see them! It has been WAY TOO long! Hopefully they come back sooner rather than later! All the cousins enjoyed being together! I'm so mad I didn't get all 6 of them together!

Alexis glittering her first Easter egg!

I'm not sure if she liked it on her hands or not! This is her new shocked look these days!

The kids weren't too into the dying this year because there were fish to be caught, but they all managed to color a few!

Brody really loves Alexis!!

Brody, Kaylee and Bryce

We let them play with the chicks for a little while on Easter Eve. Alexis was just excited to see what was in the doggy's cage.

She is so sweet!

The Easter Bunny was good to everyone! Alexis was more interested in what the boys got than her own basket! They got this ball popping game and she would make this face every time Daddy popped the ball out!

How handsome is he?

Pay close attention to the gigantic bunny! He will be making an appearance for the next 18 Easters! What the heck am I to do with a bunny this large!! This is a prime example of a Diana Barak miscommunication!

Laureli was so happy even though she just woke up!

The "best" picture of the four of them together.

Her first Easter Egg hunt. I forgot how much I loved her basket!

Watch how she quickly changes expressions!

Scared!

To full of kisses!

Kynlee was so happy to see the chicks, until one of them crawled up under her dress!

Not a fan of them pecking at her bum!

Three sweet girls!

Laureli is such a relaxed and happy baby!

This might be my most favorite picture of the day! Alexis was excited to see the boat go by and Kynlee thought it was just hilarious! We topped off our day chowing down on some cupcakes!!

Laureli was too tired for cupcakes!!