The Year in Review

2010 was a year of highest highs and lowest lows for the Irish’s. Here’s a little peak back at some of this year’s highlights.

In January, we found out that we were expecting our first baby. We hadn’t planned on getting pregnant so quickly but were thrilled when we found out. We couldn’t wait to tell our parents who we knew would share equally in our excitement. We had my parents over for dinner one night to share the news. Dave was surprised I kept it a secret for the first few days and trust me, it took every ounce of willpower in my body not to pick up the phone and call my mom. They were beyond excited, although Dad did keep saying they were too young to be grandparents. We took Dave’s parents to lunch at Olive Garden to tell them the news they’ve been waiting for since their first child got married. Leave it to the baby of the bunch, and the last to marry, to finally give them the grandchild they’ve been waiting so long for. They too were thrilled.

Our excitement lasted just a few short weeks. On February 8 we went in for our first visit with our doctor who after an ultrasound told us that the baby didn’t look to be quite as big for the 8 weeks we thought we were at at that point. She said it could be nothing to worry about and said that she’d monitor my hormone levels with blood work over the next week and we’d come back for another ultrasound in a week. The day after my 24th birthday we went back to the doctor and another ultrasound confirmed our worst fears – the baby had stopped developing and there was no heartbeat. My body was waiting to miscarry. A day later, on February 17, the physical pain was over and we left to deal with the emotional aftermath. To this day, I still believe that was the single worst day of my life. And I still pray that our baby girl is not born this February 17th because that day will always hold memories of our first baby.

Dave was given an exciting new opportunity to change jobs in March. He’s really enjoying his new job with WE Energies and he’s found the position to be exciting, challenging, and full of opportunities to grow. His job allows him so much flexibility which will be great with having a family and his boss has been fabulous to both of us – opening his home and family to us. We were fortunate to sneak in a visit to Dave’s grandma in Arizona this month before he started his new job. It was so nice to spend some time with his grandma in the warm sunshine!

April and May were rather uneventful months for us. We were still grieving the loss of the baby while trying to move forward and start again. We agreed we would let nature take its course and didn’t stress over getting pregnant again. We threw ourselves into house projects as Spring came – painting bedrooms, finishing bathrooms, and digging up some of the old landscaping. It was a welcomed distraction at the time.

June was a month full of changes and surprises to say the least. In mid-June I left my job with the American Cancer Society and found out that I was I was pregnant the very next day. I was relieved to be done with a job that I miserable in and company whose mission I didn’t believe in or support. Admittedly, I was overwhelmed at the thought of starting over at a new job with a baby on the way. Unlike the first time I found out I was pregnant, when Dave was there with me, this time I was home alone and absolutely frightened when that little stick said “pregnant”. I remember calling Dave and then my mom and just crying to both. I was thrilled, anxious, and completely terrified all at once. The next few weeks after that were filled with lots of doctors appointments, a lot of blood work, weekly ultrasounds, and two incredibly anxious parents-to-be!

July brought our worries to an end (for the most part) as we learned that this second pregnancy was not only viable but progressing beautifully. We were able to breathe a few sighs of relief before all those nasty little first-trimester pregnancy symptoms set in. I’m not sure Dave was adequately prepared for all the joys that a successful pregnancy were about to bring him :)

In August, we celebrated our first wedding anniversary! I still can’t believe how quick the first year went. The fact that we experienced one of the most challenging and devastating moments of both of our lives together, during our first year of marriage, made us feel like we could survive the next however many God will bless our lives with. I also had the privilege of celebrating one of my best friend’s marriages in August as Miss. Katharine Nelson became Mrs. Katharine Suwalski. I absolutely loved every minute of her wedding and felt so honored to be a part of one of the most important moments of her life.

In September, after toying with a few job offers and Social Work career paths, I finally started my new position in adoptions with Children’s Service Society of Wisconsin. I’m not sure I fully understood what my position would be at that point in time but I loved the idea of doing something adoption-related. As any Social Worker will tell you, a career in Child Welfare is not for the faint of heart and I am learning that very quickly. So far I’ve experienced an overwhelming mixture of emotions as I’m learning more about Milwaukee’s Child Welfare System, foster care, and special needs adoptions. It’s been a test of my emotional and personal strength and has caused me to take a good long look at where I really want to be in my career and personal life as I prepare to enter the world of balancing motherhood and career. Of course I can’t forget that this month we also found out that we were having a baby girl and the color pink officially began to invade the Irish household!

October again was a rather uneventful month for us…we began getting baby’s room ready and really started focusing on everything that needed to be done around the house before baby’s arrival in just a few months.

November brought Dave’s grandma for a visit from Arizona which made Thanksgiving extra-special this year. Dave headed off to Vegas for a work trip which ultimately served as his last little vacation before life becomes all about diapers, pretty little dresses, and sweet little “Daddy, I love you’s”. We also began our birthing classes this month. I feel like November was over before it even began and we moved onto December. December served as the start of the last trimester of the pregnancy and a clear reminder that baby girl’s arrival is just around the corner. I officially began nesting this month and we’re completely in baby mode at this point. We enjoyed the holidays with our families and a visit from Dave’s sister as the year winds to a close.

I look forward to 2011 with much anticipation. Obviously having a baby is at the top of our list for this upcoming year but there are likely to be many more highs and I’m sure even a few lows to come our way in 2011. Regardless of how the next year plays out, our little family of two will grow and our lives will never be the same…and we couldn’t be any more excited!