Let the Parties Begin!

As much as I've dreaded it and even though I knew it was inevitable, somehow my "baby" is just days away from turning one.  How is that possible??  Where has this year gone??  I can clearly remember, exactly what I was doing just a year ago, waiting and waiting for Miss Ava to make her big debut in our lives.  I spent my days walking and walking and walking, trying to coax her out but she was clearly quite  content to stay put.  Now here I am, ordering a cake, wrapping gifts and trying to wrap my mind around having a toddler.  Everyone told me this year was going to go so fast and of course, they were right.  If I wasn't 3 1/2 months pregnant and about to do this all over again, I think I'd be in tears about letting this first year go.  I've loved every stage we've shared with Ava, but there is something very sentimental and hard about letting them pass you by.  I've said it a million times, but I just wish I could stop the hands of time and savor these days a little longer.  I wish I could go back to that hospital room and stare into the eyes of my brand new baby girl all over again.  

But, I can't and so here we are.  It's happening.  Ava's birthday week has officially arrived and we are off and running in the party department!  We celebrated with my family last week, while all three of us were in town, but we have a few more parties ahead as well.  Ava of course had no idea what this was all about, but I think she could get used to the present thing!  

Our big girl!

Lots of fun presents...None more fun than the tissue paper however!  

A little cake my Mom ordered to match our theme :) 

I found the lady bug stuff online and had it shipped to my parents' house...Ava has no fascination with lady bugs, I just thought it was cute! 

Our little spread :) 

Rather than trying my hand at a lady bug cake, I opted the next best thing.  Cupcakes.  

Because they're easy :)   

Maybe if I wasn't pregnant and totally impatient I would have done the Mom thing and made the cake.  

But I doubt it.

I did buy really cute, handmade fondant lady bugs to go on them however!

I think I scored some points for that find, right??

The bakery where my Mom ordered her cake gave us a little smash cake to take with us.  

Which was good because I really didn't want her to smash the lady bug one!

Singing to our little birthday bug!

And blowing out her candle!

And then waiting for her to do something.

Anything.

Like touch it, or smash it, or even eat it.

But the most we got out of her were a few frosting licks :) 

She mostly just stared at us and wondered why we were all staring at her!

But even with just a little frosting, she still managed to make a mess!  

And really, that's all we were going for.  

The classic first birthday look!

Maybe by her 3rd of 4th party, she'll get the hang of it!!