I'M ONE!

The much anticipated, much talked about Stella Is Turning One celebration is now over. It was seriously so much fun and the best part about it was that Stella seemed to be having the best birthday party of her life! I decided on a cupcake theme a while ago, and it was seen throughout the house. I bought cupcake birthday hats, and was surprised at how many people were actually willing to wear them without complaint. They really added to the festivities. I wanted over-the-top decor, so there were streamers and paper lanterns everywhere. The best decoration was the 4-foot inflatable cupcake that greeted the guests...hilarious! On top of that, you can't look at these pictures without admiring Stella's birthday hat. It was super cute, and she kept it on most of the night. (Side note: both the inflatable "First Birthday" cupcake and the "1" hat were not recommended for children under three, which I couldn't help but find a little bit silly.)

We had a small dinner (all recipes courtesy of my friend Bree, that I stole from all of her kids' birthday parties) including pulled pork sandwiches, a pasta/green salad, and some fruit (brought by Ashley). We then watched a video we had made featuring pictures from the first year of Stella's life. (You can watch the video by clicking HERE.) After the video it was time for the big Happy Birthday song, cupcakes, and then finally presents. We forgot to videotape us singing Happy Birthday and Stella having her first cupcake so I thought I had better share some details here so I don't forget them. It was so cute as everyone sang--Stella looked around at everyone in the room and wore a sly grin. When it was time to check out the cupcake she was hesitant since she wasn't hungry, and she starting offering pieces to me, Ashley, her dad, and then anyone that would take some. Finally, I gave her a bite and she was hooked on cupcakes from then on. It was all simply adorable and I have to say I found myself surprised at how emotional I got as we sang to her. I was so happy, and couldn't believe my tiny baby was turning one.

It was really a fun night for us, and I was so thankful for all the people that came to show their love for our little sweetie. My thoughts for the night were that if I had to let her turn one, we might as well have some fun (as seen on the invites) and I think we succeeded. Many thanks to Krisi for taking some of the pictures so I could actually be in a few.