I have often heard people say that they don’t understand the hype of a first birthday party. After all, the baby will not remember it and in the big scheme of things, does it truly matter if you have the perfect cake, decorations and invitations?

In a word, yes. For me anyway. When I went into labor with my son at 28 weeks and when I had him 5 weeks later, we did not know what shape our son would be in or if he would be able to survive in the outside world as a preemie. Thankfully, he did great and is now thriving, but we know not all babies are as fortunate. So to me and to us, the first birthday symbolizes not only the obstacles that we have overcome, but also the thrill, the wonder, and the absolute miracle of bringing a new life into this world.

And, let’s be serious (and a little less mushy), with as needy as babies are and as clueless as you once felt about raising one, it’s amazing that you kept the child alive and well for a year, no? 🙂

On The Bump, I have met many girls who have babies the same age as Jax and many of them are so on top of things that they’re already ordering their first birthday invitations. Me, I have yet to settle on a “theme” for his party, but that could be because I am a teeny bit in denial about my sweet tiny boy becoming a toddler.