Birthday "party" recap

So I had the most epic first birthday party ever planned for Little Dude.  I had hired a DJ and invited basically everyone we know to come over for some fun and food.  I was so excited to have hubby home, celebrate my one-year old, and thought that it would be the first big event for my social circle since we started locking ourselves away for COVID.  

Unfortunately precautions still need to be followed, cases in the Hampton Roads area are on the rise because no one wants to follow the rules, and the Navy has issued very strict guidance about what the sailors are allowed to do (Basically go to work, home, and grocery store) so we had to put the kabash on Little Dudes super extra birthday party....But I wasn't about to let a little thing like a global pandemic stop me from celebrating my baby.  

For starters my mom has had a flight booked to come visit for Little Dude's first birthday for MONTHS, so obviously she is here.   Which is great because I feel kind of bad that she doesn't get to see Little Dude more often.  

We planned to start the day in true first birthday fashion - with a crib full of balloons - but I had to delay that to nap time because Little Dude decides to give me a birthday present and slept through the night for the first time! I woke up about to bust so getting milk out had to take priority over balloons in the crib.  

Then we had a yummy lunch of barbecue and a friend of mine came over to take pictures of our little family and of Little Dude's smash cake experience.   I started to order a smash cake from a bakery but once I realized how simple the cake I wanted was (white icing, lots of sprinkles) I decided to try my hand at making it myself.   The end results were great.   

Little Dudes Godmothers daughter has the same birthday and turned 7 and the other friend who cames’ daughter turned 7 last week so I made each of them a special cupcake to match the smash cake.  

So happy first birthday Little Dude, and we will have an epic party next year hopefully instead.  (These pictures were all taken by me, not my friend - her pictures are way better!) 

Baby Shower!!!!

The season of friends and family members showering me with gifts has begun!!! Today I am heading to my mom's house and tomorrow my best friends in Louisville will be throwing my first baby shower.  I am so excited to celebrate our little one with our friends and family members.  The shower is going to be wonderfully nerdy - the theme is Doctor Who!  One of the hosts and I might be the only ones who understand all the references but it is going to be a fun day.

Next week my mom is going to have an open house style shower at her house so that the people who I grew up with and/or helped raise me can come celebrate our little one.  The party at her house isn't themed but I have no doubt it will be a nice evening with people I don't get to see often. 

All things baby are starting to take place and I can already see how blessed we are to have such amazing friends and family members.  Some of my girlfriends here are planning on breaking into my house while we are out of town (we have a dog/house sitter who will actually let them in) to paint the nursery so that I don't have to. 

I really am so grateful to have so many people who are excited to welcome our little man into the world and who are already showing how much the love him and us. 

Whats the nicest thing someone did for you when you were expecting?  If you aren't a parent what is the nicest thing someone has done for you unexpectedly at another time of anticipation?