Life
The first few months of motherhood seem to last forever. They're full of change, joy and sadness, fear and excitement, and as us parents do our best to adjust to our new lives and survive life with a newborn. I spent most of the first few months of motherhood worrying and, well, taking pictures. And then, just like that, my baby turned 1 and all of my newborn worries disappeared. My picture taking, however, only accelerated. Hence, I may or may not have taken every picture you must take at your kid's first birthday, multiple times.
I've always enjoyed taking pictures, and I want to say that when you spend your time worrying about another human being, at the very least you can do yourself a favor and document the moments when everything seems totally fine. OK, fine. I document all moments, fine or not. I'm only slightly obsessed with photographs. At the end of every year, I have to sort through tens of thousands of photos in order to make a yearly photo album. I have a love for looking through my photo albums, remembering moments long forgotten and reliving moments that were fleeting.
When my kids turned 1, I was a tad heartbroken. Yes, the first few months of motherhood were hard, but my babies' first years were also full of love and milestones. Both of my children have seemed to grow so damn quickly, so magically, and their first birthdays hit me hard. I cried the night before they turned 1, and I prepared for that day for months. I put more time and energy into their first birthdays than I did for my own wedding, actually. I chose every detail, every cupcake, planned every song, and facilitated every activity. I wanted it to be perfect because my babies were turning 1 and, honestly, what is more important than that? (I know, many more things, but during those moments my kid's first birthdays were all I could think about.)
For my daughter's first birthday I didn't have the money to hire a professional photographer, so most of the pictures were taken by me. But five years later, for my son's birthday, I was finally able to find someone to take photos of our special event and, well, those photos are priceless. So with that in mind, here are a few photos you need to take at your baby's first birthday party. Trust me when I say, you'll want to remember that day forever.
The "Number One" Photo
The first photo in your "First Birthday" photo collection has to be your child with the number "one" somewhere in the shot. Some parents choose those stickers they adhere to the baby's outfit, while others write on a chalkboards, among many other creative ideas. I'm not quite as creative, so I used the huge number "one" candle to commemorate my baby turning one.
The "Stereotypical Family" Photo
During the frenzy of capturing every cute and adorable moment, don't forget to take a photo of your entire family together. I mean, without the parents, there would be no first birthdays, so jump on into that photo and let someone capture you all together.
The "Smash Cake" Photo
Who doesn't love a cake smash photo? That moment that your now-toddler grabs a handful of cake and smashes it into his or her adorable little mouth is the moment that is worth all of the memory on your phone.
The "Birthday Baby Doing Nothing" Photo
This goes without saying, but the birthday child is really the center of attention on his or her birthday (which, I guess, isn't really a deviation from every other day of their life so far). So take a ton of photos of your baby doing absolutely nothing at all. Trust me, they won't be a baby for long. (And toddlerhood is brutal, you guys.)
The "Dessert Table" Photo
Whether you bake your own cake or order from a bakery, you should definitely take a picture of the cake and any other surrounding accessories. I was lucky enough to have a friend who made custom cakes, so she did an amazing job on both of my kids' cakes. They were definitely worth capturing.
The "All The Guests" Photo
Make sure to capture all of your guests in both candid and posed photographs. The guests are what make your party and your experience and it's always lovely to look back and remember those who shared your special occasion with you.
The "Details" Photo
I created all of the accessories for my kids' birthdays. I used Pinterest and other online influences and spent countless hours perfecting my vision. So, after all of that work, I had to have photos of all of the details of the party. It was a must.
The "Parents Kissing The Child" Photo
You know those cutesy little photos where the parents both kiss the child on the cheek and everyone is adorable and smiling? Yes, that is the one you must have.
The "Sweetest" Photo
There is always a candid shot of something super adorable and lovely at every event. At my son's first birthday, the photographer caught my grandmother feeding my son. It is a memory I cherish so very much, and it is one of the most beautiful photographs I received from that event.
The "Family Blowing Out The Candle" Photo
I didn't quite get this one right, but I just love the photos of parents helping their kid blow out the candle, especially since most 1-year-olds don't exactly understand the concept of blowing out candles.
The "Child Sleeping" Photo
Finally, make sure to snap the photo of your baby sleeping after his or her first birthday bash. I love photos of my kids sleeping, but their "I had way too much fun and I'm exhausted" sleeping photos are truly the greatest.
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