It’s already been a few weeks since C’s first birthday party and I am still feeling grateful for all of the support and love that surrounded us. When I was first thinking about a party theme for him, my mind kept drawing blank. I feel like a theme for the first birthday party can be tough because it’s hard to really know what your little one is really into. And let’s face it, most first birthday parties are for the parents and the family to celebrate.
Since C has gone through so much in his first year with his cleft journey I really wanted something that was simple and focused on celebrating him. Sure there are a lot of cute ideas out there, but when I was getting inspiration a lot of it didn’t feel right.
You all know I love a good Pinterest inspired party, and putting parties together is kind of my thing, or at least something that I enjoy. We still had an amazing little celebration for him but I decided to take a less is more approach and focus on things that we already have and making the focus be about how (w)onederful he is.
Most of you know that we have a little tree farm (if you can consider it that) and these trees have been an integral part for our family. I thought it would be cute to take some of the tree clippings and make a little banner out of it to give the decor an extra touch. I picked up this one balloon that was perfect to hang above it.
I mentioned a few weeks ago that we went to a local flea market where I scored a few finds. This little wooden crate I picked up that we used for his first birthday shoot, and this old paint ladder I got that was perfect to highlight his monthly pictures. I’ve also turned it into our advent calendar for the season, so stay tuned for that.
This little table was a piece that we’ve had for awhile that we originally had our tv on in our bedroom. Over the years my style and taste has changed and I really wasn’t feeling it for my bedroom. I didn’t want to get rid of it because I knew it would come in handy again. We used it for C’s baby dedication back in July and it happened to be the hottest day, ever. No really, it broke a bunch of records and was beyond hot. Anyway, this little table had some wear and tear to it and almost melted that day. You can probably see some glue dripping on it in those pictures. I decided to give it a little tlc with sanding some areas down, giving it a fresh coat of paint, and using drawer pulls from a previous house that we renovated that was part of the original kitchen. It became the perfect little piece to display his cake on. If it was long enough, I would consider keeping it as a buffet in my dining room.
Who doesn’t love a good sweet treat at a party? I always thought donut boards were so cute but I didn’t want to spend a lot of money on them. What’s the next best thing? You make it yourself. And in all honesty, would it even be a party if I didn’t give Eric a project to do? The answer is, no. I gave him the direction, dimensions, what I was going for, and the amazing guy that his is executed it for me. My sister hand painted the lettering for us and I love how these came out. We also had to break out the cupcake holder my father in-law made for A’s first birthday, because at this point, it’s now a tradition to use.
Since C has a November birthday the weather around here is already cold at that point. I love having an outdoor party, and maybe one year we’ll get lucky, but more than likely his parties will be indoors. It was funny to see all the changing light in the room throughout the day and it was already dark outside by the time we sang happy birthday to him.
My sister made his cake for him which I was so happy about because she is amazing at making cakes. She says she doesn’t enjoy it, but she’s so good at it. I was very thankful she was on board with making his. And guess what? He LOVED it. Here’s the proof. He cried when we took it away to cut up.
I couldn’t resist getting him this little crown and adorable onesie. I think he looked just as handsome as ever. I was so thankful he got in a great nap that day and was so happy after he woke up. It was so cute to see him with all the attention on him celebrating this amazing milestone birthday. Motherhood has a tricky way of allowing us to feel so many emotions at once. I’ve said it before that it can be such a joy and a struggle to see our little ones grow. I am so incredibly proud of my little guy and so thankful for everyone who celebrated with us both near and far to share in his special day.
