one year old birthday party

After much consideration and back and forth discussion, my husband and I decided not to have a party for our soon to be one-year-old. Don’t get me wrong. I’m still planning on giving him cake and making him wear a silly hat. We just won’t be sharing the experience with all of our friends.

Why? Well it boils down to these reasons why I’m not throwing my one-year-old a birthday party: 

  • Both sets of grandparents will be coming to town from out of state. My husband and I want them to be able to have as much baby time as possible without the added pressure to share the baby with anyone else.
  • We weren’t really sure who would actually come if we did have a party. As pretty much the first in our group of friends to have a baby, we honestly didn’t want to have other people feel obligated to come sit at a party for a one-year-old. I know we have nice friends who would no doubt do just that, but I didn’t want to feel bad about it.
  • We really didn’t feel like having to plan things. After a year of taking care of a new baby and planning and paying for him, we are tired. We just don’t have the desire or energy to plan out some crazy Pinterest party for our one-year-old. You know the kind; the cupcakes are custom to some theme, there are homemade photo booths, and there is not just one smash cake but two!
  • He’s going to be one. He won’t remember anyway. I mean I’ll take the obligatory picture that he will eventually look at one day. Let’s be honest, other than that he won’t really care. Why? Because he’s one.
  • We know we have many years ahead of us where he WILL care. One day, in the not too distant future, our son will want big over the top parties. The way we see it, we are giving ourselves one last year off from that crazy world.

If there are any other mamas out there who feel like I do, don’t let the pressure of social media get to you. As a new mom I often feel pressure to keep up with the Jones’s and do all of the “required” things for my baby too. But then I remember what a good friend once told me; you do you. You do what’s right for you.

Veronica DeSantos Ryan
Hi Austin mamas! I am Veronica DeSantos Ryan, a mama from Round Rock. My husband and I moved to the area in 2014 and love every minute of it. Our baby Oliver (May 2016) is the light of our life and we are enjoying every minute with him. After spending seven years teaching, I decided that I wanted to be a stay at home mom and teacher of life to my little boy. As a family we love running with Ollie in his jogger stroller, having picnics outside, playing with our two dogs and exploring all the the Austin area has to offer! I am also a performing princess for Lexi's Little Princesses Princess company, a teaching artist at The Georgetown Palace Theatre, and a member of the singing group The Vintage Dreams. I am an avid reader, piano player, singer, and occasional actress in community theater, and have recently been published in Chicken Soup for the Soul: Miracles and More.

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