Year 2010 in Review, Leading to a New Year...

Last Year started with a lot of this....

Injections, ultrasounds, pills, and LOTS of money spent every month, but we kept seeing this:

Cooper and I decided in September of 2008 to start trying to have another baby... after trying, trying trying and trying, we went to the doctor, and tried some more. Then, we went to another doctor, tried again, and in the fall of 2009, I was diagnosed with PCOS. Normal ovaries should look like this:

Mine on the other hand, look more like this:

The big circle that contains all of the little black circles is an ovary. All of the little tiny black circles inside of that are cysts. I have quite a few... I think the last ultrasound I had that counted my cysts there were about 35 in EACH ovary...

The problem with trying to have a baby while you have PCOS, is that it makes it very hard for your body to ovulate on it's own. That is why we ended up using injectable FSH (Follicle Stimulating Hormone) to make me ovulate. After a few tries of doing that, we stopped and took a break in March 2010.

..................................

While taking a break, Cooper and I started the Atkins Diet and we both ended up loosing some weight! Always a plus! We started a "Low-Carb" recipe blog, called Faux Pasta.

The "baby break" we had was such a blessing... we could let loose and have some fun without the pressure and stress of people asking, "are you pregnant yet?!". We enjoyed life.

Working too hard...

Celebrating Birthdays...

Ben's Birthday, February 2010

Playing with Friends and Family...

Juls, Milo, Katie, Me and Hazel, when Katie was here March 2010

Katie, Me, Kate, and Charlotte Peeking out from the Hallway, Summer 2010

Marcus and Milo at the Dinosaur Museum, April 2010

Minnie, Marcus and Maddi, Disneyland, June 2010

Me, Juls, Katie and Lacey, at Katie's Wedding, Spring 2010

This Year, Melanie turned 23, Cooper turned 27, and Marcus turned THREE!

Marcus and Cooper at the Blue Bayou, in Disneyland, October 2010

And for My Birthday, We added to our Family... A Kitten! We named her Mao (that is how you say "cat" in Cantonese!

Mao, July 2010

We Played in Laguna Beach...

Maddi, Marcus and Grandma Stori, Laguna Beach, June 2010

Visited Sun Valley...

Me and Cooper at the Kneadery in Sun Valley, November 2010

Marcus, November 2010

And Finally Made it to Denver...

Great Grandpa John and Me, Denver, December 2010

Me and Candace in Denver, December 2010

Marcus and his Grandpa John playing on a swing that Grandpa John BUILT him while we were there!

Christmas came and went, We spent it in Sun Valley with Cooper's family.

Cooper, Me and Marcus at the Lights at Temple Square, December 2010

After we came home from Sun Valley, we spent the first New Years Eve at home. Ringing in the New Year in front of our house watching a fireworks show by our next-door neighbor, Rich Goade and we had LOTS to be grateful for...

Good Health.

Great Friends.

Amazing Family.

Fun Adventures.

And the Multitude of Blessings from this year.

Including our newest blessing...

In August, we will be expecting a new baby!

A year ago, we didn't expect we would get this surprise, especially without the injections, ultrasounds, pills, and LOTS of money spent every month ... but we did.

Here is to 2011.

We Love you.