Name: Juno (1)
Location: Centerville, Utah
My 3rd daughter Juno has hip dysplasia, which means her hip socket is too shallow. We spent much of her first year treating it, including two different hip braces, surgery, and a body cast for three months. Her hip is finally showing improvement, so I wanted to celebrate that at her party. Hence the theme of her first birthday party: Hip Hip Hooray. Get it? HIP HIP Hooray!
Her party was a cross between a carnival inspired party and the quintessential children's birthday party. I decorated with paper lanterns and pom poms and memoribilia from her first year, including her body cast.
The food was all carnival inspired finger foods: pigs in a blanket, homemade soft pretzels, caramel apples, and chocolate covered peanut butter crackers. I made funfetti cupcakes with personalized Juno face toppers.
We try to do a service project at each child's birthday party, and so at Juno's party we asked everyone to decorate blank cards with crayons and stickers for patients at the children's hospital where Juno had surgery earlier this year. Along with card decorating, I had a photo booth set up for the guests to take silly pictures. I called it Juno's Sillybration Station and provided a basket full of props and a hand-painted chevron backdrop.
As our guests left, they each took homemade cake batter bark full of sprinkles as a favor. I packaged the bark in clear plastic bags and nestled them in a vintage child-size suitcase that belonged to Juno's grandmother.
Juno's party was the perfect way to celebrate a hard first year!
Thanks Kate! Readers, say hello to Kate on her blog, My Kids Eat Off the Floor. :)
(Images: Margaret Evans)
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Really awesome!!!
LOVE it!!!
Perfect!
I love how the theme is personal to your family!
I love the silliness of it all! Juno sounds like a girl who knows how, and deserves, to have fun! Lots of great ideas. Happy birthday, Juno!
great job. im happy to hear juno is doing well, and i think its really special you all made cards for other children in the hospital! happy birthday juno!
I had hip dysplasia when I was born too and had to wear the braces, etc. I never really thought much about how it affected my parents back then. If it makes you feel any better, I remember nothing about it at all. (No, I just remember the horrible braces to correct my pigeon-toed feet later on. Ugh.)
Anyway, it looked like an awesome party... Simple enough, but with a really clever theme. Best of both worlds. :)
What a fun party! The theme is so clever and I love the decorations and color scheme!
I hope her hip continues to improve. We thought my baby had hip dysplasia and I was so scared, just the thought of him in a body cast made me cry. We got lucky and he is fine, so I can only imagine how difficult this past year was for you. Good for you not losing your spirit and throwing a great party for your baby girl!
Go Juno! I, too, had hip dysplasia when I was a newborn. I only vaguely remember the therapy (it's gotten a lot shorter over the years, I was in braces until grade school) and have very little trouble as an adult. I do remember one time my Dad insisting on my doing my therapy exercises despite a huge temper tantrum that I was throwing. Hang in there, it's worth it.
CUTE party (I like the masks and the 'make a card' station best).