Everett's 1st Birthday Party!

Happy Friday, friends! I hope you have lots of lovely plans in store for your weekend. It's been a really, REALLY busy week in our camp, with our upcoming move and lots of family events taking place, but I will have lots more to share about all of that on Monday. I wanted to take a moment today to share something super special that happened this past Saturday:

My son turned ONE YEAR OLD.

After sneaking into his room to watch him sleep every night this past week (that's not weird, right?), I am still in disbelief that my itty-bitty baby has developed into the most effervescent, beautiful, strong little boy over the past 365 days. The day of his birthday was especially peculiar for me, with my emotions oscillating between extreme excitement for his future and overwhelming sadness that my baby has outgrown himself day by day. I kept replaying videos of him over the past year, everything from his first grunts to his first smiles, first laugh, first crawl, first solid foods, ahhhh it's getting me all over again.

He is so sweet, so good, so infuriating and funny and fanatic and vibrant - I am overcome with gratitude. I am so lucky to be his mom, I am so lucky that he came into my life and surprised me with his joyful presence. His nocturnal, ever-teething, probably forever nursing (ah!) presence. Before I go completely emo-mommy on all of you, I'll cut myself short of all the reminiscing (since I already did that here) and just cut to the chase.

We threw him a pirate pool party with 45 of his closest friends. You can spot my immediate family members because we all wore pirate bandanas. You can spot me because my hair increasingly swelled with humidity every moment of the party. And you can spot my babe because he wouldn't let me put a bandana on his head; instead we had to settle for him wearing it around his neck like a bib. So he looks kind of like a cowboy while the rest of us experienced some rather excruciating head sweat, all in the name of committing to the theme. Honorable mentions go to my mom, who drew a mustache on with eyeliner.

My family is nuts. In case you needed the disclaimer.

Cousins with the she-pirate.

Super mimi!

My best creation.

Watermelon pirate ship. Perhaps my second best creation.

A special smash cake, all for him!

Happy Birthday, Everett Lee!

You can see the progression. He didn't dig it. Well, he dug in, but he didn't dig it.

Sweet boy. It was just such a big day for him, with all the people around him fussing and making a big deal. He really didn't know what to make of it. And he didn't even try to eat the cake. Which is a shame, because Publix really does make a mean birthday cake. THAT BUTTERCREAM FROSTING.

Sometimes a boy just needs his dad. Especially when everyone is staring at the icing on your face.

My little nephews decided to take up their cross and bury their faces in the cake since Everett didn't quite understand the fun in it. These little guys have my heart.

A dip in the pool, to wash away the crazed cake memory. And that stubborn red frosting...

Boom boom. Heart snatchers, both of them.

We had a special present opening on the porch. With Everett's girlfriend. AKA my future daughter in law.

Everything she picked out was his favorite. Of course. Because she's perfect.

Stacking cups for the win.

To all those matchmaking dads who try to make their babies kiss each other goodbye... GET A LIFE. Okay fine, I might have had the camera poised in hopes of capturing the epic moment. Alas, a kiss never came. #theresstilltime

Happy Happy Day.
And just like that. My boy is one. I am dumfounded, caught up in the fleeting wonder of parenthood and childhood and life. Any advice for this mama of a 1-year old, entering the toddler stage with a busssssssy boy? I'm all ears!

More up here next week on the party planning elements - how I made a pirate ship out of fruit, festive food for kiddos and adults alike, and the awesome photo booth that we kind of forgot to use. Oops.

Happy weekend to you! XOX

Psssst - In honor of his birthday, I am hosting a giveaway with Freshly Picked to gift a pair of babe moccasins (our favorite shoes) to one lucky winner! Do yourself a favor and enter here - it's the best kind of birthday favor, I promise!