So I swore last year that this would be my 2nd annual 29th birthday and I would not turn 30! Well I’ve decided to gracefully accept the fact that I am no longer a twentysomething. I”m not going to wallow in misery instead I’m going to have fun and celebrate a new chapter in my life! I have a new dress, I’ve lost almost 10lbs (thank you Weight Watchers) and I’m having a birthday party at the local pub. Instead of drowning my sorrows I will be celebrating with friends and family with whatever hard cider they have in stock 🙂 I plan to laugh a lot and try not to end up with a hangover. I’m crossing my fingers for lemon cake with lemon icing because it is my favorite! In honor of my 30th birthday I’m posting a montage of photos of me through the years. I am leaving out the really heinous ones because hey it is my blog and I can do that 🙂 I am totally including some photos of my little sister when she was a baby just so when I post them to Facebook I can tag her! I’m sure she will be thrilled, lol!!! Forgive the quality on some of these photos, they were scans from a couple years ago.
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- So here I am on my first day in this big world. I think the photo on the right was at six months or so.
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- How cute is this, my parents when they first brought me home. They were so young, my mom was 20 and my dad was 25. I’m starting to think I got my reddish hair from my Dad.
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- I included this photo because I am so darn cute here. My eyes are huge! I’m being held by my Grandmother who is a faithful reader of my blog so I’m sure she will get a kick out of seeing this photo 🙂
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- Again I included this because I’m just so darn cute and my Dad looks so young! Seriously though look at those chubby thighs I just want to pinch myself!
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- So I’m about 3 or 4 in these photos, the photo on the right was Easter Sunday and I totally remember that doll that I’m carrying.
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- So here I am at 5 on the left with the broken arm in front of my Dad’s old Model A. On the right I think I’m about 6 and look how excited I am that Santa ate the cookies I left for him and left me a Barbie house as a thank you!!!
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- Total cuteness on the left and on the right oh my god I think I have the same haircut as I do now!
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- Yes I look like a complete dork here but I’m including this because there is my little sister next to me and I can’t wait to tag her in this on Facebook!!! hahahahahaha
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- So yeah there is a big skip in photos as you can see, the photo on the left is from 6th grade when I first started playing volleyball. On the right we have my senior class photo, I’d have to go dig up my yearbook but I don’t think this is the photo that ended up in it. I liked exactly one photo and of course it was not the one that made it to the yearbook.
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- Here I am in Normandy France doing what I love, taking photos of something.
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- Engagement photos with my husband David in downtown Alexandria. You can see one of our babies in there Sadie Mae! photo credit: David Ng
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- Here is one of those important moments in life, my wedding day! I loved that dress 🙂 photo credit: David Ng
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- And here I am 30 years old, I don’t look 30! Do I? photo credit: David Jeffcoat
Melissa Arlena is an award winning lifestyle newborn photographer in Charlottesville and Richmond, Virginia who has earned her Master Photographer Certification from NAPCP in maternity, newborn and family photography. Her natural and simple work has been featured in magazines and online blogs worldwide. She has been named Best Maternity and Newborn Photographer in Richmond and Charlottesville, VA in 2024.
Happy birthday Melissa! 🙂