birthday
Mio’s First Birthday Party: Part III
Smash That Cake!
Continuing from Part I and Part II of Mio’s birthday party posts, here’s the finale portion of Mio’s first birthday celebration — the smash cake! While we had made plenty of cupcakes to go around for our guests (in lieu of a birthday cake), we had a dedicated birthday cake all for Mio to enjoy! For those who are not familiar with a smash cake, it’s a common first birthday tradition where the child is encouraged to attack the cake with her fingers, fists, or face — no utensils required! It typically makes a huge mess on both the baby and the surrounding area, but it’s a whole lot of fun for the grown-ups to watch and get a good laugh out of it. And I’m sure most children don’t mind digging into a sweet dessert without restraint, so it’s a win-win for all!
Because we haven’t really exposed Mio to anything with sugar in her diet yet, and would like to avoid giving her sweets for as long as we can manage, I did some research before making her smash cake, to see if there were any wholesome cake recipes that didn’t contain sugar and artificial sweeteners. Thankfully, it seems that there are many other mothers out there who feel the same, and I was able to find some helpful resources and recipes! After going through various recipes, I decided on making a carrot cake that used applesauce and apple juice concentrate as sweeteners in place of sugar, and that used whole wheat flour instead of enriched white flour. (I took a taste of it when it came out of the oven, and it actually still tasted pretty sweet, thanks to the natural sweetness of the apples and carrots!) The frosting was the toughest part, as most frosting depends on sugar to achieve its thickness and ability to crust, and many of the sugar-free recipes I found on the web used artificial sweeteners and sugar substitutes like Equal and Splenda, which I think are just as bad (if not worse) for a baby to ingest. I ended up using a stabilized whipped cream recipe, which used gelatin to help it hold its shape, and added some meringue powder as well to help with stiffening the frosting. I then added icing colors to achieve the hues I wanted as I frosted roses onto the carrot cake. Even stabilized, the whipped cream was melting down the sides of the cake (see picture) while I was frosting it, and I had to keep it in the freezer until right before the party began to make sure it held its shape. I guess something’s gotta give when you are working with limited ingredients! I am just happy that I was able to make a cake that was pretty healthy and wholesome and still enjoyable to eat.
Mio went to town with the cake and really worked the crowd (she’s quite the entertainer!), but you can see for yourself here in the video, or scroll further down to see the cake demolition step by step!
Afterwards, Mio changed out of her caked dress and we gathered around to open presents.
Because Mio had been up from 6:45 am, and didn’t take her morning nap due to all the excitement, she was noticeably cranky and tired by the 3 o’clock hour when we were opening presents. I can’t believe she was able to stay up that long!
In all my busy-ness running around during the party, I lamely didn’t take many pictures with our guests! I have what little photos I have with them from pulling them off of friends’ Facebook and phone uploads. Thank you to everyone who shared their photos with me, and if you have any more photos from the party, please feel free to send them on over! 🙂
See below for a slideshow of all the photos taken at the party! (We couldn’t post all of them on the blog without crashing your browser.)
Thank you so much to everyone who came out to Mio’s birthday party to celebrate with us! It was definitely memorable and we will treasure these precious memories for years and decades to come. Our first year as parents was definitely a challenge and had its fair share of ups and downs, but it is thanks to the love and support of our family and friends that we’ve been able to come this far. We look forward to many more great memories together with you! 😀
Mio’s First Birthday Party: Part II
Issho Mochi & Erabitori
For Mio’s first birthday party, we wanted to incorporate a Japanese traditional element into the celebration, and decided to have her carry issho mochi, followed by erabitori. Here’s a little background information on these two customs…
ISSHO MOCHI (一å‡é¤…)
A common Japanese first birthday custom is to have the toddler carry piggyback a large mochi (rice cake) weighing 1 sho. The word for the volume unit issho (一å‡), roughly equivalent to 1.8 liters, is a homophone for issho (一生) meaning “a whole lifetime,†and the issho mochi (一å‡é¤…) symbolizes the parents’ hope that the child will never go hungry throughout her lifetime.
The discomfort brought on by the sudden yoking of the child to the rice cakes can also be said to signify an introduction to the future challenges which lay in store for the child as she grows older. It’s like saying, “this is what life is like, kiddo!â€
When the child falls down on her backside after having stood for a second or two, it is said that the child’s impurities are washed away. The heavy weight making it difficult for the child to stand has another significance as well — it is an expression of the parents’ desire that their child not grow up too fast.
ERABITORI (é¸ã³å–ã‚Š)
Another part of a Japanese first birthday tradition is an event known as erabitori (é¸ã³å–ã‚Š), the literal translation being “to pick and keep an item.” The following objects were set before Mio. It is said that the first object that the baby selects will show her calling, or a tendency towards a specific career field.
WRITING BRUSH: Artist / Writer
CALCULATOR: Merchant / Good with calculation
MONEY: Blessed with an abundance of wealth, property, and other material goods
SCISSORS: Skillful hands / Fashion
MEASURING RULER: Methodical / Own a big house
CHOPSTICKS: Chef / Never go hungry
DICTIONARY: Scholar / Academic Excellence
BALL: Athlete / Outstanding motor reflexes
How did Mio fare with these birthday activities? You can see a play-by-play with the following photos further down, or just watch the video:
Mio successfully carried the issho mochi, and we got a peek at Mio’s destiny when she picked the scissors during erabitori. We’re excited about the possibility that she will be crafty, like both of her parents!
(Special thanks to Megumi for the video footage and some of the photos taken on her phone that we used in this post!)
We have yet to post about the finale activity of Mio’s birthday party, so keep an eye out for Part III! 🙂
Birthday Bubbles
Since we already had a comparatively grandiose birthday party for Mio last Saturday (on which I will post soon, I promise!), we went low key for Mio’s actual birthday. During the afternoon, though, Mio and I took a trip over to the park to have a birthday picnic and playdate with Mio’s friend Sofia. Sofia is Mio’s best friend in the neighborhood, but she couldn’t make it to Mio’s birthday party so it was nice to celebrate together! Here are the cuties among some bubbles I blew for them at the park!
Thank you Sonya for taking these adorable pictures! 🙂
On Your First Birthday
Dearest Mio,
Today, you are one year old.
It’s a strange feeling to look back on this year — in a sense, it seems like we’ve had you in our lives forever, and yet at the same time, I find myself stunned that it’s already been a year, wondering where the time went. I’m reminded of the quote, “The days are long, but the years are short,” because that’s exactly how it feels. Each and every day seems to move slow, but when I take a step back and reflect on the collection of those days, it seems to have flown by. As a new parent, there are so many moments when I was just in survival mode, making sure that I was getting everything done, that it’s difficult to find a moment to drop everything and reflect on the now and savor the present with you. But on this special day, on your first birthday, I’m going to sit down and do just that.
As I look back on these past twelve months, my heart is so full that it feels like it is going to burst, and tears spring to my eyes. It has been such a joy to watch you grow and reach all of your milestones. Since you were born, life has been more joyful, more trying, more delicate, more scary, more fulfilling and more breathtakingly beautiful. You’re like a rose-colored lens that shows us this world in a new, fresh, and different way.
Mio, before I met you, I was just breathing. Inhaling and exhaling. I didn’t realize it, but I was. Of course I was content with my life alone with your Daddy, just the two of us, and was comfortable in it. But then you came along, and showed us just how much more love we were both capable of. We are everything we were before, but better — deeper in our convictions, stronger in our passions, more devoted in our journey together for a happy life. We’ll never forget those moments when we first met you and we all stared at one another — you gazing up at us with those big, chocolate eyes trying to make sense of your first blurry vision of the world, and us trying to wrap our brains around the fact that this pink little person lying on my chest was equal parts both of us. Our little girl, our responsibility, and the beginning of this very real and often daunting journey. Now I savor every moment with you. I breathe you in and squeeze you tight, knowing that before I know it, you’ll be wriggling away and running off. I love watching you play, watching you learn, watching you grow.
I have so many wishes, hopes, and dreams for you, my sweet daughter. But, the most important hope I have is that you always know how loved you are by me, your Daddy, and your family. I am in awe of who you are and who you are becoming, and so thankful for the mother you’re making me.
When you smile at me, you light up my entire world. You are my brightest sunshine and you complete me, and it was you who made me realize that I have always wanted to be your Mama. I love you for all that you are, all that you have been, and all that you’re yet to be. I love you to the moon and back, and feel so blessed and lucky to be your mother. You are, and always will be, the daughter I always wanted.
I love you with every fiber of my being, with every breath I take, with every beat of my heart.
Mama
