Better Late than Never: H's First Birthday Party

This is way overdue (what isn't in my life these days?) but I still wanted to share how we celebrated our little guy's first birthday.

The past year had left us a lot to celebrate, and preparing for this party all of the sudden felt like a way of expressing my love of him and to him: which is probably why I went a bit overboard.  I couldn't help myself!

When Henry was first born, I loved the idea of taking monthly pictures, so I picked out these cute stickers from Etsy.  At the time I wasn't thinking first birthday theme, but 11+ months later when I was beginning to plan, I realized ties would be perfect!

A few pinterest searches later, and the idea of a tie-themed little man birthday was born...

My in-laws hosted the big day and we were overwhelmed with gratitude for all the family and friends who came to celebrate with us.

The inspiration:  Henry's Monthly Baby Pictures

Favors

Necktie Bag Favors for the kids

Chocolate Mustache Lollipop Favors for the Big Kids (and let's be honest, the little ones, too)

Dessert Table

The cupcake stand kind of fell apart in transit, oh well

Yes, that would be Necktie Cake Bunting 

Food Table

Drink Table

Complete with Mustache Straws

Homemade House Wine

And the Birthday Boy!

No doubt about it, the kid likes his cake

Fascinated by the mustache straws

Thank Yous

Everyone says it, but now I understand what they mean when they say babies grow up so fast.  I still don't know how his turned a year old so quickly, and so much has even changed since his party we just to cherish it all while we can. We love you Henry!!

Sources:

Invitations:  Little Birdy Prints

Necktie Onsie:  Leo and Lyla

Signs and Thank Yous:  DIY on PicMonkey

Monthly Picture Banner, Cupcakes, Cake, Cake Bunting, Favors and Tie Banner:  DIY

Linked up:

 It's Overflowing,  That DIY Party

Happy Easter!

He is risen, indeed.

This.hair.

Highlight of my day

Why yes, that is a UNC shirt #raisinghimright

41 Weeks

How far along?  41 weeks, 1 day.  I really never imagined making it this far, much the opposite. I was convinced that if we didn't have everything ready for this baby by week 36, we were doomed.  So that would be 5 weeks of thinking I was going into labor any day, not good for my patience.  But tomorrow I'm scheduled for an induction so this baby is coming very soon, like it or not.

Total weight gain?  +33 pounds

Maternity clothes?   Still anything comfortable

Stretch marks?  No

Symptoms?  Like I said this waiting game has not been good for my patience, but I find myself impatient not only about being pregnant, but about EVERYTHING and with EVERYONE. And I'm super emotional, too.  So I just want to take this opportunity to apologize to anyone who may have been harmed as a result of my condition.

Sleep:  I've had a couple mornings this past week where I woke up at 4 and despite all of my efforts I could not fall back to sleep.  I'd eventually just get out of bed because lying there in discomfort for an hour wasn't working for me.

Best moment this week:  One last child-free weekend with the hubs. 

Miss anything?  Just about everything I've listed in the past.

Movement:  Yep, and it is more uncomfortable than ever.  There is no more room at the inn.

Gender:  TBD.

Labor Signs:  Just Braxton-Hicks contractions.

Belly button in or out? Out.

Exercise:  I retired from shuffling last week so it's just been walking when the temperature actually goes above freezing (which unfortunately was not much the past week).

Looking forward to:  Obviously meeting this little one very soon, but also seeing my family.  My parents and two of my sisters are coming up tomorrow and I cannot wait to see them!  Tomorrow is a BIG day.

Nurspiration Revisted

I shared my original inspiration for the baby's room a little while back here, but that was put together month's ago, and of course reality hit and the plan has well, evolved since then.

Behold nurspiration, revisted:

Crab Themed Nursery and Guest Room by tarheelcharm on Polyvore

And why:

Reality #1:  We live in a 2-bedroom rowhouse.  The baby is going to get a lesson in sharing early, starting with its room.  

Hey, both the hubs and I shared rooms growing up, our kid can learn to do it, too.

The second bedroom has been serving as a guest room up until now, and it didn't seem right to just scrap the extra bed and sleeping space just so a little thing who won't know the difference anyway could have its own room.  So the nursery idea soon became guest room slash nursery.  We figure when we do have overnight guests, the baby can just rough it in the pack and play in our room with us.

Reality #2:  Too much of a theme was too much for me.

So I could have gone crab-crazy on this room, with every little crab knickknack I could find in a 50-mile radius (and in Maryland, that would be a lot), I just didn't really want to go there.  Less is more.  So the inspiration board became more of a color scheme for the room than anything. The crib bedding was set, and I went from there.  Plus there were so many other fabulous little nursery features I had seen out there that I wanted to incorporate.

Reality #3:  I wanted make sure I was bringing some North Carolina up in there.

This Tar Heel couldn't go completely straight Maryland after all.  And while it didn't make it to the board above, I definitely have some NC touches in the room that I hope that this child can learn to appreciate as much (or more, that's fine too) as his or her mother does.

So I might not have stuck to the original plan, but now as I am continuing to learn, being a week past my due date after all, that everything isn't going to go to plan and you can't plan everything out.  

But it all will work out the way its supposed to.

Can't wait to share how it's all worked out for us.