Fabulous First Birthday Party

Tina Rupp

The first anniversary of your child's birth is an occasion to celebrate! You've survived the newborn challenges, you're getting more sleep, and your child is growing by leaps and bounds. When joined by family and friends, a first birthday party becomes a joyful get-together that can spark traditions that will last for years to come.

Recently, Tori and Jonathan Legge of New Canaan, CT, hosted a birthday celebration for their daughter, Stirling. "It was an emotional day," says Tori, "culminating an amazing, exhausting, and thrilling year with our precious daughter."

To announce the party, Tori glued an oversize candle in the shape of a number one to a sheet of pink card stock, a sweet and easy way to state the occasion's theme. (Mail it in a padded envelope, and preserve one as a keepsake in a shadow-box frame.) When planning your guest list, try to make sure your 1-year-old won't be overwhelmed. Time the party to begin right after your baby's usual naptime, and don't overdo the number of guests.

In addition to an attractive color scheme (here, a pink and green palette marks spring's arrival), personal touches make the party special. You can enlarge and frame favorite photos from your child's first year and place them around the party area. Or choose one to blow up to poster size for guests to sign.