For once, I think I’m inspired by Christina Aguilera.

Forgoing the over-the-top birthday parties that some celebrities choose for their children (Tom and Katie reportedly spent $100,000 on little Suri’s 2nd bash), Christina and her husband, music executive Jordan Bratman got together with friends to celebrate little Max Liron’s first birthday.

Since Christina gave birth just one day after her good friend Nicole Richie delivered her daughter, Harlow Winter Kate, the ladies decided to celebrate together. Together with their beaus (Richie’s boyfriend is Joel Madden of Good Charlotte), the starlets invited a conservative 40 guests to the party.

Rather than $15K worth of butterflies and flowers (only the best for Suri), Christina decorated her Beverly Hills backyard with pink, green and blue balloons tied to the trees. And they decided to forgo the Wolfgang Puck catering in favor of a more kid-friendly spread (as in, peanut-butter and jelly) by Along Came Mary.

But really, I think my favorite part of the party is that the theme was lifted from one of my favorite childhood books, Where the Wild Things Are. The big surprise came when costumed characters from the book arrived!

Now, to be fair, it would be cool for little boys to have the kind of personalized mini-cars that Brittney Spears had at her boys’ joint party. But I think a book-inspired theme is more my style (and in my price-range). And since I am rushing headlong toward my own baby’s first birthday, maybe I’ll keep that in mind. I might skip on the catering and make the sandwiches myself, though.

Christina Aguilera and Jordan Bratman welcomed their son Max Liron Bratman on Saturday at 10:05 p.m. Their new bundle of joy weighed in at 6 lbs., 2 oz. and measured 20.5 inches. This is the first child for the couple. Baby Max was born hours after Nicole Richie and Joel Madden welcomed their new daughter at the same hospital in Los Angeles.In a message posted on her official Web site on Sunday, Aguilera said, “Today is a very joyful and special day for Jordan and I as we welcome our first son into this world.” The singer also included a special video to thank her fans for their support ,which included snippets of their wedding from their personal wedding video.

Both mom and her new baby boy are reportedly doing well.

E! Entertainment reports Singer/Songwriter Christina Aguilera and her husband Jordan Bratman welcomed their first child on Friday, although no official announcement has been released yet. The couple reportedly announced the birth in a quick text message to family and friends around 4pm: ?Baby has arrived. Mom and dad are doing well!? The gender of the baby and the name has not been released. Aguilera, 27, officially announced her pregnancy in November to Glamour magazine. Since then she has kept hush about the due date and gender of the child. Aguilera, 27, and Bratman, 30, were married in November 2005 after three years of dating.

Celebrity News sources US Weekly and Access Hollywood are both reporting that Nicole Richie is in labor at Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. Richie?s boyfriend and father of her baby, Joel Madden, and his brother Benji were spotted walking through the delivery area Friday afternoon. Sources say Richie entered the hospital through a secret entrance late Thursday evening. Later in the day, Richie?s mom Brenda was also seen with two others being escorted by security to Richie?s room.

The Simple Life star and Madden, member of the band Good Charlotte, first confirmed the pregnancy during an interview with Diane Sawyer last summer after weeks of speculation.

To add even more excitement, sources are saying Christina Aguilera is at the same hospital giving birth via planned cesarean-section. The singer is expecting her first child with her husband music executive Jordan Bratman.

Other Celebrities expecting in 2008 include Nicole Kidman, Halle Berry, Jessica Alba and Jaime-Lynn Spears.