You've been a new parent for 45 weeks! 👏

Medically reviewed by Karen Richardson Gill, MD, FAAP & Adda Bjarnadóttir, MS, LN

Month 11: So I put my hands up, they're playing my song

The next few weeks are all about looking forward and thinking about the many good things to come for you and your family. First up — your baby's first birthday!

Get out that notebook — it's time to start planning

Your baby's birthday is still a few weeks away, but it's a good idea to start thinking about what you want to do to commemorate the special day.

Do you want to throw a whole shindig and invite some family and friends? If so, do you want to host it at your home or do it somewhere else?

The bonus of doing it at home is that your baby has everything they need right there (including their crib for nap time.) The bad part is… the mess. But if you keep things relatively low-key, doing this party at home is totally doable.

Cruise around online for birthday planning inspo

You know what they say — great artists steal, so look around online for some fun birthday party ideas.

Don't worry about doing anything too fancy or elaborate. People will want to celebrate this momentous occasion and they won't really care if you carried some complicated theme throughout the decor, cake, etc.

Plus, your baby is going to be 1 — not 13. All they’ll care about is getting the chance to stuff some cake into their mouth with wild abandon. (Don't forget to snap a pic of that priceless moment).

Did we mention that this party is actually for you, too?

Some people say that a baby's first birthday party is really about the parents and those people are RIGHT.

This party is for your baby, of course, but it's also a celebration of the parents who gave birth and then guided baby through that first year of life successfully and all without losing their minds entirely.

This is a good reason not to go too overboard with the party itself — don't create a ton of work for yourself. Allow yourself to relax and celebrate without running around all day. Maybe even consider having some of the food catered, so that you have less to worry about.

Make this a party that you can enjoy. You deserve it!

Eat

Fruit Wands. If there will be any toddler or preschool-aged kids at your party, these wands are a sure-fire hit.

Mexican Pinwheel Recipe. Pinwheels are a crowd-pleasing and easy to make party food. Try this Italian Sub version or this pizza version too.

Lion Vegetable Tray. This appetizer looks really impressive, yet is super simple to put together.

Do

Think about a first birthday photo. There's no need to book a photoshoot or anything, but give some thought as to whether or not you want to snap a special photo on your baby's big day.

Scroll through Pinterest for birthday party ideas. While we do strongly caution against getting caught up in Pinterest-inspired perfection, you can find some fantastic party ideas there. Instagram can be another solid source.

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Your baby at 45 weeks

Is your baby talking up a storm, but making very little sense? At this age, that's all completely normal — and pretty funny too.

Baby’s trying their hardest to connect words and sounds to objects and they won't succeed much in the beginning. If you notice that they’re close enough at pronouncing the name of an object that they’re pointing to, gently correct them by pronouncing the word correctly yourself. They’ll get it eventually and talking to them is the best way to help them out.

Your baby is also starting to catch on to the idea of "no." Specifically, they’re catching on to the fact that when they do something naughty, you’ll pay attention to them as you tell them no. And, boy do they like it!

This is why they may start pushing your limits and doing things that they know are wrong. They may even do it with a little smile on their face the whole time.

Baby’s not trying to be bad, they just like that they get all your attention when they do it. The best thing to do is to distract them with something else and move on.