Owen's 1st Birthday Party

I LOVE 1st birthday parties!  I really do.  I think it is such a fun celebration of completing that first sweet year of a baby's life.  Soooo much happens in that first year - the good, the bad, and the ugly.  It is fun to celebrate that you made it through - that you kept this tiny being alive and thriving for a whole year.  :)

That being said, I know that I tend to get carried away with my kids' parties at times.  Having a project (their party) to focus on helps me not to be so sad that they are another year older.  Also, I want them to feel really special on their birthdays.  I want them to know that we are glad that they were born - that we feel like they are worth celebrating in a big way.  Plus, planning parties (showers, birthday parties, church parties, etc.) is so much fun to me!  :)

I started dreaming about Owen's party months ago.  Thanks to good ole Pinterest, I saw the Pottery Barn Kids Very Hungry Caterpillar party and thought that it was just perfect for my sweet little caterpillar.  Hence, the theme was born.

With just a little fabric and some scrapbook paper, I was able to make the invitations, party hat, shirt, table cloth, and birthday banner (with his monthly pictures).  I really enjoyed making everything for my sweet O.  He really has been the very best baby - so good to his Mama!  The least that I could do is throw him a fun party, right?  I think that he enjoyed himself.  ;)

The Invitation- Wade used his mad Microsoft Publisher skillz to do all of the graphics.  ;)

I bought Owen a hardbound copy of the Very Hungry Caterpillar and all of his guests signed the inside as a keepsake.  :)

I got some paper lanterns super cheap online and my Hubs (bless his sweet heart!) hung them for me in the shape of the caterpillar.  He was explaining the process to his buddy earlier in the week.  His friend said, "So, basically, when it comes to this party, she is strategic, and you are tactical."  Ha!  That was a pretty good description.  I come up with hair-brained ideas, and Wade makes them happen.  He's the best.  For real.

My favorite pictures of my sweet baby...

The Smash Cake - I ordered it way too big.  For the record, an 8" round is too much for a baby.  Ha!  Lesson learned...  I ordered just a plain white cake.  I made the little bunting flags and added Skittles to give it some color.

For the food, we served most of the things that the Hungry Caterpillar ate in the book.  That made it easy to come up with a menu.

 On Monday, he at through one apple.  On Tuesday, he ate through 2 pears.  On Friday, he ate through 5 oranges...

On Thursday, he ate through 4 strawberries...

On Saturday he ate through one slice of Swiss cheese, one sausage,

one pickle,

one ice cream cone,

one lollipop,

and one slice of watermelon.  That night he had a stomachache!

The next day was Sunday again.  The caterpillar ate through one nice green leaf (salad), and after that he felt much better.  :)

 

Let the cake eating begin!  Our little fella took his sweet time digging into his cake and had to be coaxed quite a bit.  Maybe he was intimidated by the sheer size!  Ha!  ;)

I know that I am his Mama, but....  Oh my word - he is cute!

                                      

Thanks to all of our friends and family who came to celebrate our boy!  It meant the world to us that you chose to spend your Saturday with us!  We are so grateful to have the support of our friends and family as we raise our 3 sons.  Birthdays remind me of just how very blessed we are!

I hope that Owen will look back on these pictures one day and realize how crazy in love with him that his parents are!  He is so very precious to us.  I look forward to many, many years of celebrating his life!  :)