First Birthday Party!

Since we couldn't do a celebration on her actual birthday, we held a relatively small birthday party for Gemma the following Saturday. For the most part, the kids played together while the adults talked.

 

Autumn

 

Alison and Nora

 

Carrie Lyn and Gemma

 

Snuggles with great-aunt Pam

 

Amanda, Tom and Ray

 

Laura, Livia, Jason and Adam

 

Lala, Nora and Uncle Ben

 

Alison, Grandmommy and Kyran

 

Riley

 

Kahlan

 

Leo

 

Marley in the grass

 

Isabella. If you recognize this guest, there's a reason. She is almost like Kyran's and Karyssa's other little sister, since I kept her from the time she was three months old until three years old!

Then we did her cake smash, which she loved! I do have to explain one thing, though. This is the photo I gave to the baker of what I wanted her cake to look like. She did tell me that she couldn't do round, but I thought that rectangle would be ok too.

This is what the cake actually looked like. I've never cried over a cake before, but I did that day.

Fortunately, it tasted delicious and Gemma never knew the difference!

 

First touch...

 

This feels weird...

 

...Let's see what it tastes like!

 

Yummy!

 

Making progress!

 

What if I put my hand here...

 

...and squeeze?

 

I love cake!

 

She was very serious about her cake eating, but we did manage to catch a few smiles!

 

...and DONE!

It was very funny to see how she ate the cake. She actually ate the entire thing without making much of a mess. Kyran devoured his smash cake and got it all over himself. Karyssa picked at hers and barely at any at all. Gemma, as in so many other things, was a great mix of her two older siblings.

Then she opened her presents (with some help, of course).

My favorite part of the party was her time with her friends Nora, Carrie Lyn, and Livia. As I took this picture, I could just imagine the four of them recreating it at her Sweet 16. The parents of these other babies are people who are very special to me, and I'm so excited about these babies growing up together!