Kess' 1st Birthday

Celebrating Kess' 1st Birthday was bittersweet, but mostly sweet. I know I've mentioned this before, but I wasn't sure I was going to survive motherhood. It was so much harder than I had anticipated. I was so sure that I would never get used to having her around, never get used to carting her with me everywhere and most certainly never get used to putting her needs before mine. Then all of the sudden, all of the things I was so worried about became my new "normal." I can't imagine my life without her and I know Matt feels the same way. We often talk about how we don't only emotionally love her, but we love her spiritually as well. What a blessing!

This last year has been the hardest of my life (so far), but it has also been the most magical. I have never known a love like the love I feel for Kess. To watch her grow, develop, learn and change has been one of the best things I have ever witnessed. Being a parent is truly magical.

I picked Kess' watermelon theme waayyy before I should have even been thinking about her 1st birthday. I didn't want to spend a ton of money on her party, even though it's a milestone for our family - I have seen too many people drop way too much money into what should be a simple, yet exciting occasion. We decided on a backyard bbq with our parents, grandparents and siblings. It was great weather! Started out hot, then overcast, then down-poured right after the cake smash - excellent timing.

We had the typical BBQ cuisine - hot dogs, hamburgers, an array of homemade salads (thanks to everyone who brought food), fruit & veggies, and homemade desserts! I decided to make Kess' smash cake and the other sweet treats, mostly because those things add up quickly.

My sister & I made watermelon shaped sugar cookies with royal frosting. It was our first time making and using royal frosting - trickier than it looks, kids! I think they turned out great & we only had one toddler/cookie incident - bonus! ;)

I made the cupcakes, (my favorite) buttercream frosting and the cupcake toppers. The cake was just a box cake, but split into 3 pans and dyed different shades of hot pink. I had never done an ombre cake before, so that was fun to try! The toppers were super easy, just scrapbook paper, cut into two different sized circles, glued together & cut in half! I used the same paper to make her "ONE" banner, using this printable template.

Kess girl was totally spoiled by all of her family - so many toys (as if she didn't have enough already.) I actually kept some packaged up and stuck them in the closet to pull out later. I am trying to rotate her toys. Little babes seem to get bored of their toys quickly, so I figure if I have a rotation going we can avoid that.

Kess' cute watermelon dress is from Alligator Lane. This was the only thing I couldn't make for Kess - I mean, I could have tried, but I figured I would save myself the frustration & buy something well made. This dress was perfect, so adorable and she will still be able to wear to church or out and about.

Thanks for all your party detail inquiries, I love being able to share this stuff with you all! I really enjoyed keeping Kess' party low budget, intimate and fun! It was the perfect day! Have a great weekend you guys!!