Oliver turned one. And, like most things over the past year, it looked a bit different than we expected.

We opted to have his day be just the five of us (though I may have decorated for 50…).

I was waning and waxing about doing much of anything as it seemed silly to and perhaps disappointing not to.

Ultimately, I wanted Ollie to feel celebrated.

Yes, I know he’s one. But also, he’s one. It’s a big milestone! He may not remember it, but we certainly will. Not making a big to do would make sense, but it wouldn’t feel quite as special as going way overboard.

While we couldn’t have the big celebration I would have envisioned for his day, I still wanted to give him a “party” with as many of the bells and whistles I could gather up.

I’ve Got 101 Problems and Themes are All of Them

For our highly exclusive event, I (finally) settled on a 101 Dalmatians theme. One of my favorite birthdays as a kid was my own 101 Dalmatian birthday (it was year four, ah the good old days).

Now, let me start by saying, this was probably THE hardest theme I could’ve chosen. There is nothing out there. Pinterest is a barren wasteland of ideas when it comes to “101 Dalmatian themed birthday parties.” So, I was pretty much on my own to attempt to create my make believe idea of what a one-year old would want if he could speak: something cute while being clever, boyish while being playful, and themed but original. Yes, I had very reasonable expectations.

I won’t even admit the amount of time I spent scouring the internet for the perfect

Still, one of the hallmarks of my style of motherhood is becoming a bit of a basket-case when it comes to celebrating birthdays—I certainly more than accomplished that.

Let Her Make Cake

As many of you know, I’m a BIG cake person. By “cake person,” I don’t necessarily mean eating (though I do enjoy that too), I mean decorating.

I’ve been known to sink more than 5 hours in decorating a single cake. But, to be fair, that was pre-toddlers.

This cake was different though. I wanted to model it after my own 101 Dalmatian cake that my mom made for me. She topped it with black licorice for spots and little 101 Dalmatian figurines. (I finally found a picture of it in my old photo albums–see below. I mean, come on! Mom killed it!)

I still remember the feeling of seeing those little puppies atop my cake. It’s hard to explain and maybe seems silly now, but I’ve always loved animals and ALWAYS wanted a puppy as a kid.

And, though my mom never folded on the puppy debate, she always made sure to include animals in my life.

My birthday was always a great day, but not just because of the gifts, which of course I loved, but because it was a day I felt celebrated, known, and loved. And, though I may have over done it for a one year old, I always want my boys to feel the same.

So, this year, instead of the regular 5 hours of decorating, I stuck to a store bought cake and found little Dalmatian figurines for my Oliver. It was simple, but it was special.

It was a great day celebrating something neither Anthony or I thought we’d ever see, a surprise baby. Oliver has truly been the greatest surprise. I can’t think of a better way to begin any year than by celebrating our little Ollie’s entrance into the world.