Logan’s first birthday was Tuesday. I know, if this were my first baby, I’d already have a letter written to him and pictures up. But this is my third baby, so I went to sleep on Monday night full of anxiety because maybe I didn’t do enough for his birthday. Maybe I wouldn’t have enough time for him on his birthday (I had a night out planned with some hockey-mom friends). I knew that my one-year-old didn’t need a large birthday party with guests and decorations and a clean house.
The holidays are over. I spent the weekend taking down the tree. My maternity leave is over (and so is that steady paycheque). I’m doing my best just keeping my head above water. If Logan will never remember his first birthday then stressing out about throwing a party should be (and was) low on my priority list.
Except, Logan is likely maybe probably possibly my last baby.
I did not have a vehicle at all on Monday, the day before Logan’s birthday. When Dan got home, too late for me to venture out and “plan” some last minute birthday surprises, I noticed that I was feeling incredibly anxious.
“We have nothing for Logan’s birthday tomorrow!” Emotional and dramatic. That’s me.
“Laura. He’s one. He won’t understand it. He doesn’t expect anything. He won’t remember anything. He’ll be fine. It will be a good day.”
“But I want him to feel special. I want him to understand that it isn’t like every other day. And plus, this is likely my last baby.”
Oh, those last baby feels. When your (likely maybe probably possibly) last baby turns one, it feels like a door has been slammed in your face. The baby years, no matter how hard and exhausting they were, are so close to being over. You look at your oh-so-mature five-year-old and your oh-so-big three-year-old and realize that your baby is going to be just like them sooner rather than later. You realize that this is it. This is (likely maybe probably possibly) your last chance to experience these firsts. Firsts begin to feel like lasts, because sometimes they (likely maybe probably possibly) are.
I did manage to make his birthday special. Dan and I cheered for Logan when we went in to get him from his crib on Tuesday morning. We said “Happy Birthday”. We clapped with him. I had old baby toys from storage sitting in the living room floor surrounded by balloons. Gavin and I each picked out a present in the middle of the day with Logan there, watching us, and spoiling the surprise. We purchased a grocery store cake and I insisted we eat it immediately before dinner so that I could watch him experience his cake before needing to run out to my social event. (Dan appreciated that I filled the baby [and brothers] with sugar before leaving him to manage dinner and bedtime alone.)
I’ve officially parented three children for a year. Parenting is full of learning experiences, but I think what I have recently come to understand is that sometimes you can make something special without going all out. Sometimes something is just as wonderful, if not more when Mama hasn’t lost her mind trying to make it happen. Sometimes a quiet day with family where cake comes before dinner; and clapping is the most exciting part of the day, sometimes that trumps a stress-inducing birthday party for a nonverbal baby who doesn’t even have friends yet (apart from his brothers).
{{Giveaway Closed}}In celebration of my (likely maybe probably possibly) last baby’s first birthday, I want to celebrate on the blog by giving away a couple of presents. They’re products that have helped me find special moments without much hassle.
Today I am giving away a $100 President’s Choice gift card because PC Organics Baby has seen me through this first year (or, at least, the last six months) with good food that is high in quality but low in the effort required of me to serve it to my baby. It has provided a lot of great first foods for Logan.
To enter, please comment below* to let me know what types of cake you served your baby for their first birthday(s). If you do not have a baby, you can still enter. Let me know your favourite kind of cake!
The giveaway will close on January 25th and the winner will be chosen by a random number generator draw. The giveaway is available to Canadian residents only.
*if you are reading this on anything other than www.mommy-miracles.com, please make sure you jump on over to my original blog post to enter. Your comments for entry will only count there.
Today’s giveaway is sponsored by President’s Choice Organics Baby, who has been gracious enough to provide you with the $100 gift card and me with some goodies for the past few months. Thanks!{{Giveaway Closed}}
Marshall had black bean chocolate Cookie Monster cupcakes! So much work
Laura I love your posts. As you know we have a multi generation house. Last year we had just moved in before G’s second birthday and there want much time or money for celebrating. It was quiet and simple and there was love. Will had his first birthday coming up in March, and G turns 3 in a few weeks. We will have carrot cake with cream cheese icing. We all love it. It’s the love. Not the time or the frivolity. I can’t believe Logan is one already! Cheers
This is obviously not for an entry, as I’m in good old America, but I just wanted to say that I still can’t believe he’s ONE! But man, he’s still just as adorable as he was the day he was born. I could look at that sweet face all day. <3
When Abby turned one I made her homemade carrot cupcakes. She loved them. Now she has the superstore pound cakes every year since – loves them too. Mmmmcake.
Happy Birthday Logan and way to go Laura – you are a mom that I look up to :)
My first grandson, Malakai, is turning the big 1 in March and we are in the process of deciding what to do for his cake. My daughter is a chocolate fan so she’s on board with a chocolate cake with a marshmallow frosting!
I made normal white cupcakes with blue icing and a Swedish fish on top for Maisie’s birthday, but she wouldn’t even touch it. A couple months later she devoured a piece of chocolate cake I was eating, so I think I should have gone the chocolate route haha. Or ice cream cake!
We did a cupcake cake in vanilla for her first birthday. That way she could blow/spit all over one piece and not ruin the whole thing.
Caleb had a beach ball cake with blue and yellow frosting, cupcakes and a monkey cake which I insisted on making myself; we did Curious George as a theme and invited at least 20-30 people over. It was nuts! Brae had a simple strawberry shortcake. We had my immediate family and my grandparents over–that was it. It was way more relaxing!! Now, they tend to get cakes with funky icing and action figures placed on top because Mom is getting lazy (ie smarter). Brae got a store bought cake last birthday and I put frog and lizard figures on the sides :)
My baby isn’t one yet, but I think I will probably do something with pink frosting (for some cute pics😊)!
We always serve the kids chocolate cake with mil chocolate icing for their first birthdays. It seems to make the biggest mess!
I did an organic carrot cake for my first daughter and a vanilla cake for my second both done in the shape of number 1’s!
Chocolate cake! Who doesn’t love chocolate or cake?!
His first birthday cake was plain vanilla with a little icing. (a farm theme)
Both of my girls had marble cakes, but Olivia (who just turned 3) had hers as a mini cake.
I wish I could say they were home made but, oh well, no complaints from the little ones!
No kids yet, but I can’t wait to share DQ’s Chocolate Explosion cake with them. Mmmmmmmm ice cream
I, like you, didn’t manage to do a Pinterest worthy first birthday for my (now 14 month) twins. I, like you, worried that it wasn’t special enough, even though they won’t remember it anyway. As the mamma of twins, I’m constantly playing the balance game of making it special vs keeping my sanity. The one thing I did manage for their birthday was a cake. I made my mom’s traditional birthday cake, a dense vanilla cake called a hot milk cake. I did a big version for the adult guests and two mini cakes for the kiddos to explore and stuff in their little gobs. Love this post…. so much of it resonated with me. My babies are my first, and my last. And I am continually trying to enjoy the moments, knowing that they will never be this little again, and that I’m never going to be this particular version of mamma ever again.
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my son’s first birthday my mom made him a smurf cake he devoured it fast
I made two homemade cakes for my girls first birthdays. My favorite was a duck shaped yellow one. My youngest loved it!
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I don’t even remember with Charles! I think mom made him one. I know Ellla had a homemade funfetti one :) I don’t remember about James either because I’m the worst.
Superstore pound cake for all three of mine! Love your writing and relate to so much of it, as a mother of three young kids as well!
This is exactly how I feel about Birthdays, making them feel special is all that really matters. Keep it simple while you can because once they get older they will be asking for the more elaborate parties.
For each of my babies first birthdays, my husband made (and decorated) a homemade chocolate cake.
But now that my kids are older, the only cake they want are my homemade ice cream cakes. They request the flavours and fillings. one thing I’ve learned is not to use marshmallow fluff in an ice cream cake, it hardens like rock!
I’ll never complain about eating ice cream cake 4 times a year!
Chelsea had a two tiered Super Why cake… chocolate and vanilla with an edible Alpha Pig figure on top ;) I didn’t make that one :P
Carrot cake with cream cheese icing is the best thing ever! Even better with sultanas and pecans.
No kids, but my favourite cake growing up was Angel food Cake. My Mom made is from scratch and we just loved it. Always had it on my birthday.
Thanks for the chance.
Lovely words, Laura. Not sure what kind of cake we will have when Arianna turns one (in two short months!) or whether we will have a party for her. It would be for us, not as much for her, but still a nice excuse to get people together. Thanks for the reminder to make sure the day is special and happy for her- the reason for celebration.
Honestly, I’ve always preferred the low-key quiet birthday celebration. I always feel overwhelmed when it comes to finding big party ideas for kids. It’s usually too much. Happy 1st Birthday to Logan! xoxo
It was a chocolate cake with white icing.
A vanilla cake and the whole family was there.
It was awhile ago…my “baby” is now 12…but I think it was most likely a strawberry shortcake (her birthday is in July)
We just celebrated our first 1st birthday with my little guy on Monday! We had a homemade healthy cake with banana, apple sauce and Greek yogurt. Also did some carrot cupcakes with cream cheese inside. (All made possible with the extra helping hands of granny watching our little man!)
For our last 1st birthday, I served a chocolate cake! My little bunny loved her cake and ice cream.
Our (not-so) babies both had chocolate cake with pink icing and OMG they both devoured that first taste of cake!! Happy belated birthday to Logan!!! Adorable pictures in this post of your three wonderful children :)
My sons first cake was vanilla with a bear on top :D
Thanks so very much for the opportunity!
We bought our kids vanilla mini round (like 6″ round) cakes for them to smash/eat and then a small slab marble cake for family.
This post was so well-timed for me. My last baby is turning 1 in 2.5 months and my first baby is turning 5 in 1.5 months. I have been going through the same anxieties about how we don’t plan to have a big birthday party for our baby girl because the preschooler doesn’t want to share his party and this busy (already back at work) Mama isn’t organizing 2 parties in one month. We will have some family over for supper on her birthday. :)
For my older child’s first birthday we had a big “monkey” themed party. I made him his own cake because he was allergic to dairy back then (since grown out of that allergy). I made the cake with coconut oil instead of butter. He loved it! His first taste of sugar!
My daughter’s first cake was vanilla decorated with flowers on it.
I made a french vanilla cake for my little ones first birthdays!
#1 had lemon cake. Red Fife wheat, organic everything, no dairy, no icing… it was her first taste of wheat, ever. I actually don’t remember #2’s first birthday cake (ah! I fail!), but it was probably my fall back recipe, which comes from a birthday book Maren got for her second birthday (“It’s my birthday and I’m going to make a cake! I need some flour.” “I’ll get you some flour,” said the pig….). I ate ice cream cake in the dark of the night while waiting for babies in the birth center, on the first anniversary of our third child’s birth. We’ll see, for wee Ira. ;) Funny how your priorities shift a bit with consecutive babies, hey?
we made chocolate cupcakes
Vanilla with chocolate icing
Happy Birthday to your son! In our house the first birthday cake is always a chocolate cake with chocolate icing.
I *think* the first birthday cakes were vanilla, but it’s been awhile since those first birthdays. Big will soon be 11, Little will soon be 9. And now they request which flavour/shape/style of cake they’d like! :)
Chocolate! It’s a family favorite!!!!
this post made me cry every time I read “likely probably maybe last baby” as I have my first who is 7 months and I have all those feelings about treasuring every moment as he may be our only! thanks for your honesty :)
And his first cake will be chocolate so he can become a chocoholic like his momma
I made my son a carrot pancake cake for his first birthday :) with blueberries on the top.
I’m in my third trimester with my first baby but I’m already planning (more like dreaming) of his first birthday. I think a banana cake in the shape of a monkey face with chocolate icing!
Can’t believe Logan is a year old already! Glad you had a lovely, low key birthday with him! I have no littles, just the furry kind, mine loves peanut butter grain free pup cakes! :)
A1- his personal cake was an all organic, sugar free vanilla cake an I had made a 3 tired cake for his birthday party complete with outrageously over priced birthday decorations.
A2- sugar filled chocolate cupcake from superstore. The lady I had hired to make her birthday cake forgot to do so…imagine my surprise when I went to pick it up. 😡 So PC saved te day as even iced the cupcakes is a pink as close as they could get to the balloons we had for her.
Last baby moments are so hard. Hang in there momma!
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For my neice, we served a light carrot cake with cranberries / shredded coconut. It was sooooo good.
For my granddaughters first birthday this summer we got her a smash cake in vanilla with pink icing.
We closed on buying our home for Carden’s first birthday. I asked family to ensure he had something on hand.
Banana muffins with frosting and Goldfish colourful crackers on top! He didn’t eat them…he’s 2 and a half and still won’t try anything that looks like cake!
the first had a homemade vanilla cake with sprinkles on top and it was just the 3 of us. The second I can’t remember, but I’m sure homemade. The third (most definitely our last) had a cherry cheese cake because yes mama wanted it and she wouldn’t remember anyway.
Both kids had a delicious homemade chocolate cake decorated with a rice paper picture of them, and lots of icing!
Chocolate is always my favorite. No baby…. yet!! We are expecting our first this year. :)
My first child is due any day now. I like to think I’ll make a chocolate cake with boiled icing which is one of my favourites but it may just be a Superstore cake. Which is yummy, especially with ice cream!
Does my dpg’s 1st bday count? I can’t have kids. Carrot cake…well cupcakes actually w cream cheese icing.
I baked my oldest son a chocolate cake for his birthday. For my second son, I picked up a small smash cake for him. My two boys share the same birthday so I didn’t have time to bake one :)
I don’t have a baby yet – but I love cheesecake! However, I would bake my first born’s first birthday a delish rainbow cake for him to eat, smash and eat!
My favourite kind of cake is shortbread cake with pink icing and sprinkles.
Ooo… I love most cakes! I have a soft spot for golden & spice cakes though.
I try to do home made, but it’s usually ridiculously simple. Like a chocolate bundt cake with some candles popped in. I opt for flavour over style. I do confess we’ve done store bought for basically every other birthday.
My first child got chocolate cupcakes with suns on them (and it was the VERY FIRST time she had chocolate), my second had a chocolate cake that looked like a frog pond (but he’d been eating chocolate for months lol). We like chocolate round these parts.
Lauren had a baby Superstore cake all to herself to smash her hands and face in it – took forever to clean up but worth every second
My personal favourite is chocolate cake with boiled icing! A real maritime cake.
I can’t remember if I made my son’s first birthday cake or not I would have to look at pictures. But one of my favorite cakes is chocolate cake with boiled icing. or white cake with jam in the middle and icing on the outside.
First birthday cakes actually all came from superstore! Even got their smash cakes there :)
Yummy pound cake with buttercream frosting!
Just had one Tuesday for my sons 13th birthday too
Donica had a special carrot cake and Breton had a traditional white cake although neither of them liked sweets much so it was more for show. The guests sure liked them though!
AWW :) Laura you are amazing!!
My daughters had homemade cakes for their first birthdays. Made by my Mom who is an amazing baker!! We made them each a little one that they could completely enjoy and destroy on their own, and had another larger one for all the guests.
It’s kinda funny now, cause none of really like traditional cake. We can eat a little piece, but we don’t love sweets.
I made each of my boys giant cupcakes to destroy on their first birthday. Vanilla with vanilla icing. I loved watching them dig in and destroy it.
No babies yet. My favourite is a toss up between carrot cake and ice cream cake. This is leaning more and more towards carrot cake as I get older, as my body hates dairy more and more every year…
I also have 3 children. My youngest is 8 months, I have a 5 year old and a just about 3 year old ( his birthday is Thursday). On my daughter’s first birthday we made chocolate cake pops, On my son’s first birthday he had a polka dot cake with different color cake pops baked inside a vanilla cake. And for my little guy whose first birthday is in may, I’m not sure what I’ll make yet. Probably something colorful and messy, the messier the better!!
Oh Laura, this was me when the twinsies turned one! We were living in a rental house because we were in the middle of a massive renovation, I was hanging on by a thread, and thank goodness my step-mom was visiting because she saved the day. She went to the store and bought a box of PC Organics cake mix and made cupcakes for my girls. We sang, ate cupcakes, opened a present or two, and then just tried to survive the day :) XO
My fave cake will always be the one that’s on a plate in front of me!
I’ve never given Maria a proper cake, and she’s now old enough to make me feel bad about it. Though I’ve made cupcakes and cookies, she’s informed me nothing substitutes a cake and this year she will have a chocolate cake haha. I don’t know if I have a favorite cake, really depends on my mood!
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For my first baby’s first birthday cake I made him an organic blueberry quinoa cake with vanilla yogurt icing. He barely touched it.
Haha!
My favorite type of cake is vanilla pound cake with butter cream icing !
Chocolate and vanilla cupcakes from superstore for Lila, then a homemade rainbow cake at her first bday party. Lucy got homemade chocolate candy cane cupcakes this year at Xmas for her first!
Your boys are beautiful! I hope I meet them in person one day!
We had a monkey cake.
http://eastcoastmommyblog.blogspot.ca/2011/06/monkey-themed-first-birthday.html
Home made chocolate cake with sprinkles for Scarlett, “hole in one” cake that looked like a putting green for Nash, DQ ice cream cake for Violet.
My fave is cherry cheesecake!
Great read Laura…don’t feel so badly…we celebrated Nash’s first birthday when he was 16 months old. Oops.
I make my daughters cake every year because she has a dairy allergy. She loves chocolate cake with pink frosting :)
My sis & I made LJ chocolate (jumbo) cupcakes with green icing & dino sprinkles for his first birthday.
Happy belated, Logan!
Hi Laura! I tend to like Black Forest cake, because all of the kids can agree on it, and the grocery store version is still very tasty. :)
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Hey Laura!
For both my boys I bought the 1/4 slab cake from superstore, from the one where they can put a ‘picture’ on it. For their 1 year birthdays we did Toopy and Bingo for our first boy and Bubble Guppies for our second boy. Always tasty :)
I had a regular vanilla cake with icing and he didn’t like it.
I made a carrot cake with cream cheese icing for my son’s first birthday. He loved so much I made it again for his 2nd birthday.