Kelly Bowie/KCB PhotographyHow can Riley Mesnick be 1 year old already?!
Presumably Jason and Molly Mesnick are asking themselves the same thing, but the onetime Bachelor couple aren't sweatin' it. They made the most of their little girl's milestone last weekend with a big birthday party at their house attended by about 100 family members and friends, including former Bachelorette Desiree Hartsock and fiancé Chris Siegfried.
"I loved seeing Riley interact with all of our friends and family during the party," Molly exclusively tells E! News. That many guests "can be quite overwhelming for a kiddo, but she handled it like a pro! She was eating up all of the attention that she was getting!"
She and Jason had just celebrated their fourth wedding anniversary on Feb. 27 and they obviously weren't all partied out. With the help of online home décor and furnishings retailer Wayfair, which Molly calls a "one-stop shop" for busy working moms such as herself, they hosted one heck of a bash—even though the guest of honor may remember it the least.
But mommy and daddy planned ahead.
"We set up a faux-photo booth and had every guest stop and take a fun photo with props," Molly explained. "And I know she won't remember this party, so I thought the photos would capture great memories from the day and she can see everyone who came out to party with her!"
And of course, this was really a party for the adults, as first birthday parties tend to be.
"Since most of our guests were adults, I wanted the party to be more classy than childish," Molly said. "There were definitely touches of 'girly' and the food had an adult twist on kids' classics, like mac and cheese cups and mini grilled cheese, and the dessert table took the shape of an ice cream shop.
"There wasn't a formal schedule for the party...We didn't do games or open presents with everyone...Instead, I just wanted everyone to enjoy a gathering at our house! It was exactly how we wanted it to be."
From the looks of the party pics, including the one of that dessert bar, it seems like a good time for kids of all ages, including the 21-and-over crowd.
Molly also dished to us about watching her baby's first year fly by, and how she's changing so much every day—not least of which during the last week before she turned the big 0-1.
"Even just in the week leading up to her first birthday, I can tell that Riley is a new kid," Molly said. "She is gaining a silly side to her personality and she makes us laugh constantly! It sounds so cliché, but I just love watching her grow and change as a person.
"She's not quite walking on her own just yet, so I'm looking forward to the days of chasing her around and running through the yard together!"