Happy 1st Birthday, Paisley Grace

     The day came and went all too fast. Months worth of daydreaming about what décor would do it justice, what venue would be worthy enough, what outfit would be cute enough and how could I ever make it perfect enough to measure up to it's significance? Nothing I imagined seemed to be special enough for her day. Paisley's Birthday is so much more to me than just another birthday, it marks the beginning of a new way of life for me. Up to the moment I had her, everything in my life had been taken for granted. It's like something within me woke up that day and I suddenly had this acute awareness of life and what it meant to be truly grateful. There were things I had been thankful for and I knew what being grateful meant, but I never truly FELT it until I had her. Knowing that my prayers were answered and God really did let me keep her...it's still so amazing to me. I've always been a positive person but now I appreciate things more, I have more compassion, more sympathy, more love...I'm seeing life through a new lens and it's been so refreshing.

     Anyway, back to her birthday. After weeks of thinking about the theme, and knowing that I didn't want to do the average Disney character party or standard party store décor, I settled on butterflies. I thought about the life cycle of a butterfly and how they start out as fuzzy caterpillars... not cute, not pretty at all, and with no resemblance what so ever to the beauties they become once they emerge from the chrysalis as gorgeous, colorful winged creatures. It reminded me so much of Paisley. She emerged a beautiful baby girl, nothing at all like the images from the ultrasounds and nothing at all like they told me she would look. So I began making butterflies... lots and lots of pretty patterned cardstock butterflies. I traced a stencil on the stock paper and cut each one out individually (talk about some major hand cramps!) I began to buy random butterfly stuff online and while I was out shopping. My mother in law was picking up random butterfly décor here and there and my mom (who was just as excited about Paisley's party as I was) was also in full butterfly party mode calling me daily with ideas and thoughts.... and by the time we got everything together to decorate for the big day (which was the day before her party because it actually took us a whole day to decorate) we were drowning in butterflies!!!  It was every bit of the perfection I had dreamed of.  A butterfly garden party fit for my little angel!

 

 

    Originally.the party was planned at a venue with botanic gardens and a gorgeous lake, but as the date grew closer, I realized that I didn't want to go through it. I wanted the party to be at my mom's house. The one place that we have all of our family get-togethers, where our family has already made so many memories, I couldn't imagine celebrating this day anywhere else. Nor could I imagine celebrating this day without the family and friends who came. Talk about being blessed! We were surrounded by our families, friends and a few great people who I had become friends with through sharing Paisley's story. It was such a special day. Looking back, I can honestly say it was better than anything I ever imagined, one might even say it was perfect!




 

Happy 1st Birthday Baby Girl