I now understand why baby showers are best celebrated while one is still pregnant.  Once that baby is roaming the earth, your party planning productivity falls off a cliff and plummets.  Due to our hospital stay, Mike and I cancelled our baby shower but once the dust of a ‘new baby home from the hospital’ settled to a semi manageable level, Mike and I decided to throw Atlas a Welcome Home party instead.   Riddled with exhaustion [a feeling that carried over from day 1 of hospital admittance through to the NICU days], we almost decided not to do anything.  However, as I sat there looking at the box of baby shower favours, balloons, decor, and other party items that would be going to waste we figured we may as well put them to use.

Disillusioned by my non swollen pregnant state and the ability to enjoy wine during the festivities, I talked myself into thinking hosting a party would be great and forgot about the extra work required with a baby in the mix.  So with all the energy Mike and I could muster up, we began to plan a party.  I was in charge of desserts and decor and Mike in charge of food.  Though the goal was to keep it all simple and easy [I’m not sure we know the meaning] we still managed an exhausting week and a late night/early morning on the day before the event; Mike prepping fruit and veggies and me arranging flowers and making Rice Krispie squares.

I tried my hardest to bake as organized and efficiently as possible.  My usual 2-day prep timeline had been meticulously dissected and scheduled over the course of a week and itemized based on baked goods shelf life.  While Atlas took his morning naps I baked but, of course, during this baking week he decided that he needed to be held at all times.  I did what I could with Atlas strapped onto me in his carrier but once he grew tired of it, I enlisted the help of my trustee baby holders; God Bless for amazing friends.

I successfully completed baking all my planned desserts [barely] and our friends pulled out all the stops killing it on the decor front.  With time running low I couldn’t do all the baking and decorating solo – *once again enter said baby holders now also party decorators*.  I solely handed them a bag of balloons, some pathetic dollar store hand pumps, and a blog tutorial of the balloon installation that I had originally wanted to make.  Several hours, bottles of rosé, and slices of pizza later, I walked into a once standard condo party room transformed into a whimsically magical condo party room.  My friends had made an unbelievable piece of balloon art.

As to not have this blog turn into an hour worth of reading, I have decide to share the baking and DIY details in separate posts; instead a collective hour worth of reading.  So, here’s the whole shebang.  Stay tuned for more party details and recipes coming at you over the course of several Atlas morning nap breaks aka ‘mommy get sh** done’ time.

My completed dessert table [cakes +  Rice Krispie square pops + meringues + macarons -recipes to come]  framed by the unbelievable balloon display

Our baby shower turned sip n’ see party favours [DIY details to come]

Our crying baby

Our pretzel bar with 3 savoury dips -an easy + affordable spread that went a long way!  I highly recommend setting one up for your next party especially if you are on a budget and have lots ppl to feed.  

Our sleeping baby

Once clean-up was complete and the party room emptied, Mike and I were in a zombie like state; soooo tired.  It was the cherry on top of the exhaustion sundae we had been crafting since day 1 of hospital life.  I don’t know how we did it but I do know that the party would only have been half as great if not for the help of our amazing friends.  Thank you!  Feel free to hold this over Atlas for the rest of his life.

Stay tuned for more party details!