2010

If there's one thing that I learned in 2010, it's what a huge difference just one year can make. Just 365 days ago, my life was so incredibly different.

When we bid farewell to 2009, I was somewhat happy to see it go. A good portion of that year had been spent trying to get pregnant, and learning that my body was not going to get that accomplished as easily as we had hoped.

So when the year ended and I was not yet pregnant (or rather, didn't yet know that I was), it felt a bit like 2009 had failed us. There had been a lot of trying times emotionally, and all I could think was that 2010 just had to be better. And so, understandably, I was really looking forward to 2010.

Of course, when we rang in the new year, we didn't know how much longer we would be waiting to become parents. Amazingly, gratefully, fortunately... it was just twelve days later that we learned that our baby was on its way.

From then on, 2010 became a year of incredible joy. We were blessed with a healthy pregnancy, and reveled in the excitement that comes with expecting a baby.

It was in 2010 that we transformed from Michael and Heather into Daddy and Mommy.

It was in 2010 that we received the greatest gift of all time--a beautiful, healthy, happy baby. A girl whom we can no longer imagine living without, because she is now the center of our lives.

So it's weird to think that 365 days ago, we didn't know she existed. Now, we will celebrate 2010 for the rest of our lives, each year when we mark Nora's birthdays. 2010 was an amazing year--the best ever.

I mean, really... what a difference a year makes.

And while we still don't know exactly what the new year will bring us, we know we will cherish every day that we have with our blessing of a daughter, and that our lives will certainly be full in 2011--full of laughter, full of love, full of joy.

I wish the same for all of you.

Happy New Year.