Becoming an Aunt

I was born into the role of daughter, sister, granddaugter, niece, cousin...  The first familial role that I consciously became was aunt.

Adelaide Elizabeth, now age 2 and-(almost)-a-half, is my sister, Brittany and brother-in-law, Mike's baby. She is such a vibrant child, with the cutest sense-of-humor.

For me, Addie's arrival represented a cross roads in my life. I was finishing my senior year of college in Chicago and a month shy of graduation when she was born. At the time, I was still confused on what I wanted to do with my life post college. I was unsure if I wanted to move to Charlotte, NC (where my family lives) or stay in Chicago, a city that I love...


Then Addie was born. And I held her. And the decision was made.


I am the youngest in my family, and had no concept of how much this little being could change everything. Having Addie as a niece has given me a glimpse into what a mother's love feels like. Watching my sister become a mother and my parents become grandparents has been such a privilege.

This past April, I took on a new role, wife. Anyone else notice that as soon as you get married, everyone and their brother asks when you are going to have a baby? I am more than just a womb, people.
 
In all seriousness, as much as I want to have our own children, I am soaking up this brief moment in time where it is just my husband and I. Until I take on the title, Mom- our sweet niece has allowed me to be the next best thing, Aunt B.

A few days ago, I went in to get Addie up from her nap and she greeted me with, "Hi Aunt B. Where's Uncle Jake? Where's your camera?"... Maybe a sign that I take too many photos of her. I will admit, in the beginning it was a bit excessive. I would change her into 14 different outfits and pose her with stuffed rabbits. Now I like to sit back and take my cues from her.

Here are some of my favorite photos that I have taken of Addie recently:

Being an aunt is the greatest. To top it off, our family continues to grow, Jake's brother, Zach, and his wife, Jenna, are expecting a baby at the end of this month. S(he) will be the first grandchild on the Koneman side of our family. I can't wait to meet the little one and become an aunt all over again.