Happy 1st birthday to our sweet girl Harper. Her celebration was so much fun, a labor of love that hopefully she will look back on and smile. It wasn’t a small affair, 80+ people came out to enjoy the perfect Colorado spring day. It was hot- mid 80’s so we rented a snow cone machine so we could keep cool with a nostalgic treat that everyone loves. Since 30ish guests were kids, the jumpy castle was a no-brainier. It was great for them and heaven for the parents who were able to socialize without having to entertain bored kids. We also had a face painter who kept the kids (and adults!) happy by giving them each a unique design they loved.
Her little dress was from Janie and Jack’s Adorable Garden collection. She also had the matching hat, sunglasses, and socks but of course those came and went throughout the day. It was a light weight cotton dress in the party’s theme color of lavender so she could move and be comfortable without any stiff material to worry about. It was also easy to wash so the bits of food and cake came right out.
Speaking of cake, that whole situation was maybe the toughest decision we made. She hasn’t had sugar and Mike and I are both heathy eaters so we didn’t want her to dig into a big sugary mess just for entertainment but we still wanted a cake and singing experience. We decided on an angel food cup with a little whipped cream on top which she squished and played with before discovering it was food. Just a few small nibbles and she was over it and ready to get on with the party. Perfect. We made strawberry shortcake for the rest of the party to enjoy.
I had a whole elaborate menu planned out before waving the white flag and letting Costco do the croissant sandwiches and wraps. This pregnancy has had me on the ropes and I’m just coming out of the fog of sickness I’ve been in for months so we made a few things to accompany the sandwiches for a nice lunch and kept that part pretty easy. The sandwiches were meat so Mike and I (being vegetarians) had little to eat at our own event. Next time it will be different.
So yes, it was a somewhat grand party that she won’t remember but she will see how many people loved and celebrated her on her special day. Learning to be a mom has been such a ride! I think Mike and I were celebrating each other as parents and thanking our supporters as well. It was a perfect day.
Happy Birthday little one. Thanks for teaching us so much.
