I wrote a note to my family and friends. Just to explain a few things (slightly different from the original version)…
Dear Family / Friends,
Maddie will be ONE in ~2 weeks, can you believe it?!? Seems like she was born just yesterday (cliche, I know, but oh so true)!!!
Madison turning one is a huge deal for us! It’s a major accomplishment for Mario and I, as new parents, having “survived” an entire year “working” the hardest, most rewarding “job” we’ll ever encounter with absolutely no experience (for all the non-parents out there – being an aunt / uncle / god parent / babysitter, etc. has nothing on this 24 / 7 gig)!!!! It’s a major accomplishment for the little lady who is now transitioning from a baby to a toddler like a pro, and has “survived” a year with two crazy people who didn’t have a clue! We, as a family, have also “survived” a year on one income, which called for a lot of sacrifice (and a lot of hard work from one incredible man) but has been well-worth all the effort!
So, although we are choosing not to throw a big, glamorous party (which we have nothing against being done at this age), we still wanted to be sure that everyone is aware of how special / important / major / exciting this day is for all of us and we’ll be treating it as such with just the three of us from the moment she wakes up on the 26th!!!
For those who have asked about what to get her, feel free to gift as you please. However, if you’re unsure, we suggest an age appropriate book with a handwritten note on the inside to the one year old Maddie! We don’t expect a thing, but welcome what you bring!!!
We look forward to the adventures to come as the parents of a toddler and will continue to be the obnoxious baby picture “posters” throughout social media that I swore I’d never be, lol! So get ready for more, more and more of Maddie’s cute little face because we don’t plan to miss a moment of all the fun this next year will bring!
We love you, love you, LOVE you!!!
~The Pharr Family~
~The Pharr Family~
How did you (or plan to) go about celebrating your child’s first birthday?!?
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Happy 1st Birthday (almost) to your sweet munchkin! We had a family party at home and I made the cake and "smash" cake myself 🙂 Such a fun milestone!
Thanks, Krista, it's beyond exciting!!! I'm making the cake myself as well and plan to do a little at home mini-shoot of her smashing it! I can not wait!!!
Emma just turned 1 earlier this month and I was going to crazy about a party and stuff and my family brought me back to reality! So since she was born during Super Bowl weekend last year we had her mini party during our Super Bowl party! She had cake and a few gifts and she was happy and we saved a bunch of money. Now there was one family member that was upset we werent spending a bunch of money and having a big party but she was simply spending the money in our pocket because she didnt even come with a gift for Emma. And shes known for getting nice cakes but told us since we werent having a party she wasnt doing anything…the nerve! But we never asked for anything just wish her Happy Birthday!!!
It's crazy how vocal (or upset) people can get about that first birthday as if the decision (and everything involved from the planning to the cost, etc.) isn't the parents (and theirs alone, basically). I don't think it matters whether the celebration is big, small or not at all, as long as the child feels special and loved wholeheartedly that day!!! It's that simple, in my opinion!