The Very Hungry Caterpillar

It probably comes as no surprise when I tell you that I have been thinking about first birthday themes for Logan since he was basically placed in my arms at the hospital. I went back and forth between The Very Hungry Caterpillar and doing an alligator theme-CHOMP, CHOMP. I was in love with the color green and both themes fit the bill but in the end, The Very Hungry Caterpillar won out due to all the other vibrant colors that I could play with. This birthday was going to be bold and bright!

I scoured Pinterest and Etsy for months and piled a very high list of ideas and then narrowed them down to what worked for us! His invitation set the tone…

From there the rest was pretty much dictated by the book. On Monday he had one apple, we ate apples. On Tuesday he had two pears, we had pears. Wednesday plums and Thursday strawberries, we had both. We had a cupcake, a pickle, a piece of salami, a slice of cheese, and one lollipop.

Disregard the picture that is still sitting on the floor…sigh. 

Besides the color scheme the thing that sealed the deal on the Very Hungry Caterpillar theme was a little caterpillar made out of cake pops that I saw on Pinterest. It was adorable and I knew I had to have something similar. With the help of Shanna Harris and MoMo Roo (check her out on Facebook) I got exactly what I wanted. How cute is this...

And then you have the smash cake. Again, I went to Pinterest and found the most colorful cake that I could find and again, Shanna and MoMo Roo pulled through…

We only ran into two small problems with the smash cake. First, Kaden. He kind of messed up the backside but just a little. Secondly, my cake banner got sent to the old address and I didn't get to use it. So instead of one candle with a cake banner, we went with five!  

I also wanted some sort of keepsake for his birthday. Something could be placed in his room on display without being obnoxious. Then I found these on Etsy and they just happened to be in the Very Hungry Caterpillar theme, a sign? I think so! 

The best part of the birthday? The 1200+ diapers that our friends and family donated to Operation Breakthrough. We continued the tradition and asked for diapers in size 3 or 4 in lieu of gifts. To be able to provide Operation Breakthrough with something that they are in desperate need of is a great feeling and knowing that our friends and family helped make that possible means the world us. We are blessed to be able to provide Logan with everything that he needs/wants and it is important to Justin and I that our boys learn the importance of giving. That they make a difference in the lives of others and what better way to learn than to start giving back from the very beginning. Thank you to all those who donated, you have all made a difference and we really appreciate your generosity. 

Once guest started arriving we had kids running and playing. Laughter was everywhere and bubbles were right there too. The kids all got sugar highs but hey, its a birthday and there aren't many rules when it comes to birthdays at this house. Logan wasn't shy when it came time for him to dig into his smash cake. Kaden and Colton helped blow out the candles and even before I had the cake on his tray he was reaching for it. In a matter of minutes he had it destroyed…

And it wouldn't be a birthday party without a little mishap. We bought Logan a little trampoline and he loved it. So did his brother. Towards the end of the night after multiple suckers and cake pops and who knows what else, Kaden decided it would be a great idea to start jumping. A few seconds later we watched as Logan looked up at his brother and his brother spewed all over him. Justin rushed Logan to the sink to rinse him off hoping it was just a one time thing with Kaden and as Kaden came over to check it out, he spewed all over Justin's feet. For the next 10 minutes it was total chaos. Both boys went immediately into the bathtub and then it was night, night for Logan. The boy slept like he has never slept before and that is how I know his first birthday was a success. 

Thank you to everyone who came and celebrated with us. It means the world to us that you took the time to come and share in Logan's special day. Wouldn't have been the same without you. 

Come back later this week for a few more outtakes of the party and hopefully some more pictures too. My SIL took pictures for the party and I can't wait to see and to share them!