IV's First Birthday Bash - Details

Welcome!

I finally finished sorting through the 400+ images that our photographer snapped of IV's First Birthday Bash! 

I have been planning this party since - oh, October. First up - the invite! 

If you know me, you know I don't like anything "baby" - so this is what I finally came up with. I plan to layout and design his birthday invite for the years to come as well. | address and email blocked out for privacy |

Next - the food. When I go to a party, I hope there are two things: good food and good drinks. Done and done. 

The Puritan Backroom is known for their chicken tenders and greek salad - they are also known for their delicious mudslides too, but we couldn't get those to go - so it was a no brainer and I placed an order.

My Mom makes the best Spinach Pita and my Dad makes a killer Dirty Rice, so orders were placed with them as well. 

For other appetizers, we kept it simply with all of our favorites: chips, cheese & crackers, fruit sticks and veggie cups, pinwheels and cucumber & garlic spread. Oh! And not to be forgotten - POPCORN! 

And, I snuck in a picture of the guest cake and IV's smash cake! We ordered and designed the cake from Jacques Pastries - the same place that we got our wedding cake from. Again, they are known in these parts for their amazing cakes! 

Decor was also a very important party of planning IV's party. I wanted it fun, modern and colorful. All the decor was either hand made or purchased locally.

Top left: party favors for our guest. Seed Bombs purchased from Etsy - Cedar Wood Rustics. Kayla was amazing to work with and she hand dyed 100 seed bombs to match our party decor. I created the gift tags and placed three bombs in each bag. The gift card read: "All Things Grow with Love - simply plant, water and watch it grow - every year"

Top right: card table. I bought the chevron runner also on Etsy - Jennifer Farley Designs. The "Cards" banner, I hand made with paint and burlap. Red and orange tulips were pre-ordered from Nicole's Greenhouse and finally, the photo of IV with matting for guest to sign. See picture below:

Oh! And that adorable shirt - that was hand-made by Megan. Go check out her blog and you'll see some of the cute stuff she makes! 

Ok. Ready for picture overload now? Here you go.

My Dad and IV

Our sweet friend, Amanda and IV

IV, III & Jr.

The reason why we celebrated

Us with Stew's parents and Great Aunts and Uncle

Us with my family - Sister and BIL and my Mom and Dad

Us with Stew's Mom and Dad

The "G" Family

I have plenty more to share - by that is all for today. A big thanks to Laura at Linden Photography + Design as well - for capturing our day. And you can head over to her page to see even more photos! 

Happy Weekend! 

Life is getting in the way...

...of blogging!

I'm still here! We are fresh off IV's 1st Birthday bash - which included 50+ people and one adorable birthday boy.

It's Stew's birthday tomorrow and we are going on vacation next weekend!

Just needed some time to catch my breath.

More about all these things soon...I promise.

Until then - a little sneak peek from IV's party.

365 days - 12 months.

We have IV's big birthday bash on Saturday - and we are so excited. I feel like I've been planning this party since the day he was born! 

Enjoy your weekend, Friends! 

1 year later...

Happy Birthday Peanut Butter!

During your first few weeks home...I would call you peanut butter. I don't know why - but I did and you didn't seem to mind.

I can't believe a year has passed. Well, let me take that back....I can. All I need to do is look at your walking around the living room - and I can see how much you've grown - how much I have grown - how much we all have grown. I think your big brother, Nate has more grey hairs than your Dad and I put together - especially since you started to crawl. But you do love him and now yell "Doggy" when you see him. It's adorable.

I really don't have the words that speak of sleepless nights and stressful "parenting" moments. You were...simply put - amazing these last 12 months. Yes...some days were stressful - but you were and are a rock star. I look back and think of those stressful times - I would laugh at those days now. Those weren't stressful - they were just unfamiliar to me and us.

You have taught me and your Dad so much. I'm a better person as a Mom, than not. You have taught me so many things about myself and life. You are my world. I often say, "Mom" looks good on me...just because you add so much to me and my life.

Every day - things change. You change and we change. We are growing and learning together. Wow, I can remember when we first got you home - you kept peeing through your diaper. The light finally came on and your Dad and I looked at each other and said "He needs a bigger diaper!" It was such a proud moment when we figured it out.

And that time leaving for your first check-up, you were just a few days old. I looked at your Dad and said "Should we bring a diaper bag?" And we did. I carried an almost empty, huge SkipHop diaper bag into your Doctors office - containing a single diaper and container of wipes.  I look back, thinking - what rookies we were! But heck - not anymore, Buddy. We are all-stars now!

Watching the Bruins win the Stanley Cup, watching the Royal Wedding, Pumping at all hours of the day and night, feedings, changing, more pumping, more feedings. Your first time in the pool, our first time leaving you, your first crawl...and most recently - your first step! All these ... memories - good and some stressful - but they are memories we will never forget. I will never forget the breakfast brought to me by my Dad almost every day for the first - oh... 8 weeks or so. The support from my Mom and Husband. The love and gifts from my Sister....it was all a blessing to have them here. I'm lucky.

I don't know how many times your Dad and I have looked at each other and said "he's awesome" and you are. And though you won't remember this first year - we will and we will continue to document these crazy, blissful, beautiful memories...one day at a time.

We did it. We did it together - learning along the way. Here's to another year!

You are amazing.

Your are ONE!

Happy Birthday my sweet, sweet boy.

I love you!

We have a...

...WALKER!

Happy Sunday!

WW: Wordless Wednesday

7 days

In one week - my son will be a year old.

In one week - I will have a one year old.

In one week - I will think about the day he was born.

In one week - I will pat myself on the back for a job well done.

In one week - I will cry.

In one week - I will I will celebrate.