On October 5, my countdown began: 30 days until my 30th birthday. In honor of this, on each of the 30 days leading up to my birthday I will recount one memory from the past 30 years… either one that has helped define me, one that makes me laugh, one that makes me think, one that encourages me…  or maybe a little of everything. If possible, I will post a photo to go along with the memory.

It’s my 30/30/30 Project: 30 years. 30 memories. 30 days.

Here is my memory for Day #28:

The other night, Brian and I babysat for my brother Adam’s three kids. He and my sister-in-law were going to a Halloween costume party, so we got to spend a few hours with my niece and two nephews.

While we were there, I was looking at a photo album of the day my niece was born. I couldn’t believe it has been 9 1/2 years since that day. I was so honored that my brother and sister-in-law asked me to be in the delivery room with them to photograph them welcoming their first child into the world.

I remember getting the call in the middle of the night that Aimee was in labor, two weeks earlier than her due date. I had just seen her a few hours earlier and while she definitely looked like she was at the end of her pregnancy, there was no indication that just a few short hours later we would be where we were!

My beautiful little niece entered the world early in the morning on April 28, 2001. I will never forget seeing her literally being born – what an amazing experience. And now, to see her almost 10 years later, this lovely, sweet, bright, talented little girl… I am in awe!

Here she is with her little brothers, modeling their Halloween costumes for me and Brian the other night: