It's My Party

Arman's First Birthday Part Two: Clubbin'

We decided to make the first party an intimate affair; just immediate family and close friends for a birthday luncheon at the Elmira Country Club.

We're so blessed to have the best family and friends who traveled to join us for the afternoon.

The Birthday Boy and his Aunt Medina

Soon-to-be Mr. and Mrs. DuBois with Dad

I don't know how my parents did it. Look how many we are!

Aziza, Faheem and Sameena. Aren't they snazzy pants?

The gorgeous Trimarchi Family. Aunt S, Uncle Jeff and our favorite cousins!

The Buffalo Crew (and honorary uncle and aunts) Dennis, Teresa and Shortie.


Totally feeling the love from Mr. and Mrs. Piazza. They spent the entire day driving, just to see us.

Lovely Aunt Aziza fills our tummies with the most delicious treats. She pulled out all the stops for this occasion. She's so talented and ambitious. When I told her I wanted to do a cookie buffet for the favors, she was giddy. When I asked her for the names of the cookies so that I could make the labels for the jars, she sent me the following list:
"1. Buttery Pecan Cookies 2. Chocolate-dipped Orange Cookies 3. French
Chocolate Macaroons 4. Lemon Zest Shortbread 5. Brazilian Coffee Cookies"
Seriously? I told her those sounded really difficult and maybe she should consider chocolate chip, sugar, peanut butter. She said: "Have some faith". So I did. After all, it's Aziza.

This is what she delivered:French-chocolate macaroons


Beautiful and delicious!

Of course she also made the birthday cupcakes. We took her tried and true strawberries and cream cake recipe and modified it a bit. The result: vanilla cupcakes filled with strawberries topped with freshly whipped cream and fondant ladybugs. Yum!


We arranged them on the "cupcake tower" that Riz joyfully built without questioning or hesitation. False. Actually, I had to promise that this was THE cupcake tower that we'd continue to bring out year after year, birthday after birthday.


While I did my best to arrange the party around his schedule, I knew we would ultimately run into Manu's afternoon nap-time. He handled it like a champ and Uncle Faheem's shoulder provided the perfect resting spot until he caught a second wind.


They say you shouldn't make a big deal about a baby's first birthday because they won't remember a thing, but I'm glad it's documented. In the future, I'll show him these pictures as proof of my love when he decides that he hates me or wishes so and so's mom was his mom too. God, I'm not looking forward to that. For now, he's still my little baby and I'm wrapped around his tiny, chubby finger. I'd do absolutely anything for him (including being his horsey while he uses my pony-tail as reigns) and I'll continue to make a big deal whether he remembers or not.