And the winner is...

Well, hello there 2011!  Where did you come from? 2010, we barely knew ye!

What was my favorite memory of 2010?  That easily happened on June 19.  That's the day we found out about our Lil' Shrimp. I realize that everyone who has ever had a baby would probably say the same thing, but I'll always feel like it was extra special for us.

Like so many other couples who have struggled with having children, June 19 started off as a day of defeat.  We'd been trying to have a baby for almost a year and a half.  June 19 was seven days past the normal cut-off for finding out if we were going to get one line or two on that antagonistic little stick.  June 19 was just going to be the confirmation that it hadn't worked.  June 19 was supposed to be the validation for the phone call to the doctor's office on Monday.

Sara could have taken the test any time during that day.  Why put off the inevitable?  We both knew she'd have to do it, no matter what.  But, it's human nature to put off things we find unpleasant though, isn't it?  No one wants to rush into bad news, do they?

To be honest, I don't remember much else about that day.  I just know it was evening.  She had "to go" so she "went."  I wasn't expecting much.  It was the first time I'd had the opportunity to see the results as they appeared and turned it down.  After all, what difference would it have made?  This wasn't really a "test," it was just a compulsory act that the doctors told us had to be done before calling in the bad news on Monday.

When Sara started shouting my name I figured something must be wrong, horribly wrong.  We'd been married almost 14 years at that point, the only time she shouted like that was when she needed help.  As I raced through the house I was thinking, "Weren't things bad enough already? What else could possibly go wrong now?"  I was not expecting excitement.  I was anticipating anxiety. I was not suspecting...surprise!

Two lines...two beautiful...perfect...clearly readable pink lines...that's my best memory of 2010.  You've got big shoes to fill 2011...big shoes...