This week marks a particularly joyous occasion for Katherine Schwarzenegger and Chris Pratt as they celebrate a significant milestone in their family's life. On Saturday, November 8, the couple joyfully commemorated their son Ford's first birthday, marking an entire year since his arrival into the world. Katherine, a well-known author of children’s books, and Chris, celebrated for his role in the Marvel franchise as Star-Lord in Guardians of the Galaxy, have been happily married since 2019. Together, they are the proud parents of two daughters, Lyla, aged five, and Eloise, who is three years old. Additionally, Chris is the father of a twelve-year-old son, Jack, from his previous marriage to actress Anna Faris.
To mark Ford’s special day, Katherine, who typically prefers to maintain a sense of privacy regarding her children's faces on social media, made an exception. She took to Instagram to share a heartwarming series of photographs that capture Ford's first year of life, including moments from his birthday festivities. The first image featured a beaming Katherine holding Ford closely to her chest, radiating love and joy.
The next photo showed the little boy proudly donning a felt crown, a nod to the celebratory theme of the day. More delightful snapshots followed, showcasing Ford engaged in various activities such as snuggling with his dad, Chris, strolling around the house in charming swimwear, and building with colorful wooden blocks. Katherine expressed her heartfelt sentiments in the caption, writing: "One! Happy 1st birthday my boy! I love you to the moon and back my little prince."
Fans of the family quickly flocked to the comments section to share their warm wishes, with many expressing their delight over the sweet images. Comments ranged from enthusiastic greetings like "I hope he has a wonderful birthday!" and "Happy birthday little buddy" to endearing acknowledgments such as "A perfect angel! Happy Birthday, Ford!" One follower even mused, "How is that even possible?! Happy Birthday, Ford," while another remarked, "Happy Birthday to one lucky little boy who has beautiful humans to explore his journey with."
In conjunction with celebrating Ford's birthday, Katherine also highlighted the release of her new children’s book titled Kat and Brandy, which hit the shelves on November 4. This book draws inspiration from her childhood relationship with her beloved horse, Brandy, and it provided a wonderful opportunity to glimpse into the family dynamics of the Pratt-Schwarzenegger household, particularly around storytime.
Katherine shared insights into their family traditions during storytime, revealing that her two daughters have recently developed a flair for theatrics when it comes to reading. "As of late, my two girls are really getting into the, I guess, theatrical component of storytime," she shared with People, explaining how they dress up in costumes and put on performances. She also praised Chris for his enthusiastic participation, stating he immerses himself in different voices and brings an element of drama, making it a sweet and cherished experience for all.
Reflecting on her own childhood, Katherine reminisced about her bedtime story rituals with her parents, Maria Shriver and Arnold Schwarzenegger. "Growing up, storytime was always something that we did as a family, and something that I always looked forward to — my mom or dad reading a story to us as we were getting ready to sleep, or even just during the day," she recalled fondly.
Katherine expressed her surprise at how much she enjoys leading storytime for her daughters, saying, "I didn’t really know how much I would enjoy it," but added, "Watching them absorb new stories, concepts, characters, and illustrations is truly thrilling for me."
Elaborating further on the family’s current storytime practices, she noted, "Both of my girls are now at an age where they eagerly invite people to read stories with them. They enjoy reading sessions with my mom, my dad, and their aunts and uncles." In addition to Katherine, her parents, Maria and Arnold, who were married from 1986 until 2011, also share three other children: Christina, aged 34; Patrick, aged 32; and Christopher, aged 28.
