First birthday party?

direy25

For those of you with babies over a year, did you end up throwing a big 1st birthday bash?  Griffin is 2 months away from his first birthday so just curious what you all did.  Part of me wants to go all out to celebrate how far he's come, but I have that fear that it's going to be an emotional day with all of those scary memories coming back to haunt me...

Tylynngrace

I'm kind of torn as well. DS turns one in October and I'm thinking I just want to it be small but my family thinks otherwise. My whole family likes to make a huge deal out of turning one but like you I'm afraid I'm going to lose it. I think just do what your comfortable with.

Missa_g

I'm not a huge party person. We take the day as a family and celebrate it our way. Since their birthday is also my husband's birthday what we do is largely up to him for now. When they're older and want to have a party we will throw one. Otherwise our parents come over the day after for a little celebration.

KTZ17

My dd turns one next month and I've already started crying about it! We're going to do a family party with about 15 people, and that's just my parents, brother, SIL, FIL, MIL, SILs, and 2 friends who are like family. I'm thinking in June around the anniversary of her homecoming we'll have a big BBQ and invite friends as well.

flerlgirl

For DS I did a small party with just family and our preemie support group. It was a hard day but it was going to be hard for me either way so the party helped me stay distracted. We're planning on having a big BBQ in June to say thanks to everyone who helped and supported us.

Pips09

We did a party with just family and close friends. But my family is pretty big, so it was still a lot of people. We didn't have a blow out or anything crazy, just food and cake at our house. It is definitely an emotional day, but it's also a day to celebrate, and I'm really glad that we did.

direy25

Thanks for all of the replies ladies, I appreciate it!

gault530

When the twins were born, they had to be baptized right away and I missed it because I was too sick (they weren't even 24 hours old).  For their first birthday, we finished their baptism in the church, then had dinner and cake at my house after.  We would have invited the same people to both (grand parents, SIL and family, godparents and close family friends), so I just combined them. 

To celebrate how far they've come, I made video's of both of them from their first year and put it to music...that was a tear jerker.

KatFCo

We didn't throw a huge bash, but we did have several family members come in town for the occasion. It was very low-key--especially since the birthday girl came down with croup that day! That aside, I enjoyed just being able to visit with family, have dinner and open presents without a big to-do.

Throw3ks

My LO is 8months actual and I am planning the biggest damn celebration I can possibly come up with. I am going to celebrate with everyone. I see post NICU life differently then some. I don't dwell or think what if or such. I look forward and count my blessings. Looking forward to me is doing what I would do if LO was full-term.

Soon 2 be Lockhart

I had a big birthday party for my DD. It was very emotional but I was so proud of how far she had come I wanted to celebrate it. I choose a theme of A Year of Firsts - I had her invite with a copy from her ink print of her feet when she was born and then listed all of her first and the dates she achieved them i.e.: her first breath, first time being held, first day home ex.. I had a video of her first year of life repeating on the tv for everyone to see and a large wall of photos showing all of her first during the year along with other decorations. I personally found it harder when she turned 2, not because of the past but because of how fast the time has gone.

direy25

Thanks again ladies, I really appreciate the replies!

thishappyhouse

We did a big party about 3 weeks before her birthday as to avoid the start of RSV season and be able to host the part outside.  In hindsight it was great to do it that way so that I could still process the emotions of her actual birthday.