Your baby's first year will fly by! At least it seems to with both of my boys! Planning that first birthday party is so much fun! It can become stressful, but personally I think it's best to keep things simple -- so you can enjoy the party as much as everyone else!
With both of my boys, we kept the first birthday party small - just close friends and family. I think to many people can be overwhelming to a one-year-old who has no idea what's going on anyway! Stick to people they already know and are comfortable with. Worry about inviting same-age friends when he/she is a little older and realizes what's going on. (Another benefit of keeping it small - is there is less expense and food to prepare!)
After deciding on your guest list - you get to choose a theme. This is the funnest part to me! And for the first birthday it's all up to you because your child really has no clue! Later on, you'll be stuck with Cars, Wiggles, Blue's Clues, etc when your child is making the decisions! Choose a theme you like or just stick with a color theme. For my second child's (Keaton) first birthday I choose a sock monkey theme! It turned out adorable and made for some really cute pictures.
Carefully picking the time of the party is also very important. At one years old - most children are still taking naps twice a day. You definitely want to plan the party for a time when your child is usually up. In addition, I recommend keeping the party short. An hour worked fine for us. It was enough time for a couple activities, presents, and cake and lots of photos! I think anything longer than an hour and half and your going to have a very grouchy baby on your hands!
Finally....the cake! Get a smaller cake for your baby to dig into and enjoy and a larger cake for the guests. Nothings cuter than the pictures you will get of your little one enjoying cake for the first time.
Have fun planning your baby's first birthday! I'm already thinking about ideas for my next child's first birthday and he's not even here yet! :)
