The first birthday fiasco

 

It's almost Mini's first birthday and I feel like a failure. Not at being a mother but at knowing how to handle the birthday shenanigans. Every year birthdays with the bigs have become more complicated what was once presents, take out, and cake has turned into  multiple celebrations to accommodate everyone's schedules and custody agreements. Add to that googling or hitting pintrest for first baby party ideas and seeing what other people are doing the next thing you know you know you feel like a failure of epic proportions.

 

I understand if you have the means and desire to rent a location, hire a dj, custom cater a formal event by all means do it. Just the thought of that feels all sort of hollow and empty for me. More like a party for the parent than for baby.

 

So here is where I am at we are going to celebrate birthday with the bigs, cousin, grandma, aunties and uncle before his birthday. He will be sharing the celebration that grandma is hosting with his other scorpio cousin who is being gracious about sharing. There will be cake, presents, family, and that will be enough of a party for his birthday. On the actual day of his birth we will do presents from me and dad, dinner and I will bake cake number two. We will not be breaking the bank on presents or expecting anyone else to. Mini is turning one all of his needs are met. There are things that I would like him to have but nothing that he needs. Being the boring mom that I am its some clothing, books and hopefully a new interactive toy to replace the bouncer he outgrew (I say hopefully because Costco sold out of the one I liked at our local branch so we need to make a grand adventure because it was less than 50% cheaper to buy it there than on Amazon). No it's not really exciting but it's enough and than some.

 

I feel horrible that for a moment there I almost bought into the competitiveness that is birthday parties for babies. He's going to be one and while it is a big mile stone it doesn't require catering and I need to remind myself that I am not a bad mom for keeping it simple and focused on baby. In fact I might be kind of a genius.