A season of giving.

Got news today that our egg pick up is a little ahead of schedule. We are now on for Saturday December 27th. We are awaiting our results from Dr.Yash on the scan (number of follicles)and how our surrogate and egg donor are doing. We will talk to them tonight, it is our Christmas Eve and their Christmas Day.

On this,Christmas Eve, we would like to take the opportunity to wish all of our friends and family and those of you who are following along on our blog with love and support, a very Merry Christmas and the happiest of holidays, and a very productive 2009 (no pun intended!)

Mom, Dad, Gerry, Frankie and I are here home safe and sound in front of the fire and awaiting to open our gifts from Santa tomorrow morning. To our surprise, we received some hand delivered gifts today from a client who just returned from India. Special delivery from our Docs. What a beautiful and unexpected surprise. They are truly one in a million! Unfortuneately our parcel that we sent to the Docs and our surrogate and her family hasn't made it yet, we are still hoping that it arrives in time for Christmas day. We hope that they all know that we are thinking of them all on this very special occasion and send lots of love and well wishes their way.

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!

Countdown to Christmas!

What a fabulous day of listening to Christmas carols and wrapping, wrapping, wrapping gifts!

We are anxiously awaiting our Docs to receive the parcel. They promised to go to our surro's home and hand deliver everything and translate our card to them. I sure hope it makes it on time.

We should also be receiving news and photos on our egg donors scans. It's all very exciting especially during this time of year.

I just love Christmas!!!

Right On Track!

Its a difficult time of year for childless couples like us. Going to the mall shopping and seeing tons of kids with their families shopping and waiting patiently in line to see Santa. Christmas is my favorite time of year, but it still feels like something huge is missing for us. I suppose that's why the saying goes, "Christmas is for children."

Got news from Dr. Yash the other day that both our surro and egg donor have started their cycles right on time. We shall be expecting news on our egg donors stimulation update and number of follicles any day now.

Here we go again...hoping and praying third time is our charm!!!

Just my opinion...

I am very hurt with some peoples perspectives of India and specifically Mumbai after some of their most recent surrogacy trips. They truly sound like spoiled, snobbish Westerners who have lived a life with a silver spoon up their butt. I fully agree with people having their own opinions and views, and know that they will greatly differ then mine, but when it offends and it is completely over exaggerated (in my opinion) then I don't think its fair.

I live in America and I am proud to do so, I am even prouder to say I am Canadian. If anyone were to insult Canada I would not only be completely offended but hurt.

The people of Mumbai are extremely proud people and love to share everything about their culture and city with others. We were told by our friends from Mumbai prior to going, 'It is very different and all we ask is that you go with an open-mind.' Before these last 2 trips to India I have never traveled outside of the safe and comfortable surroundings of North America and its Westernized culture. So in all reality I should be the first person to be in shock and disgust with the poverty and dirt of Mumbai. However it was quite the opposite. I was in awe with everything in a wonderfully enlightening way. I never looked down on the people or their city, but became enthused with there smiles and laughter and different way of life. Never did I frown upon these people or look down upon them. I stared in amazement and took every little bit in. I saw the poverty and dirt, but I also realized it is a city with the population of all of Arizona and a third world country, not my comfortable clean little home. I asked questions and learned as much as I could from our Doctors who have truly become like family to us now(I suppose that it one of the reason's I am upset, because I know for them, reading others comments will be hurtful to them). I smiled and giggled with joy at the children bathing in the streets outside there small little huts they call home while they laugh and play. I asked about a million questions and educated myself in culture, religious beliefs and just a completely different way of life then I am accustomed to. I never felt bad for these people or pitied them. I did however appreciate how fortunate I am to have all that I have and live the life that I do, but never once felt or acted like I was better then anyone. I never once was scared or felt intimidated, felt dirty or appalled with what I saw.

This is the country where my child will be conceived and I will be proud to say this and share this with them. I want them to learn like I did and appreciate the diversity in the world and what amazing, gifted, happy individuals the people from Mumbai are. No city or country is perfect. No culture is ideal. No one group of citizens are faultless, but these people are one of the most kind and loving generous, giving societies that I have come across in my lifetime. Their love for their city and all its idiosyncrasies is totally apparent when you see them. I am proud to have been apart of it and can say that I will have a life long tie to this culture and the awesome people of Mumbai. I can't imagine being apart of this emotional roller coaster and not having this kind of attitude towards the country or the people. If I in any way looked down upon this city and its culture I myself would be wondering why people wouldn't think I was even considering having my child being born there if that's the way I felt.

I know I will get some very harsh comments to this post from people I truly consider my surrogacy support group buddies, however I am somewhat disturbed at some of their views of this place I call my home-away-from-home.

I feel it is an unfair and embellished view of a place I have first hand knowledge of experiencing not once but twice. My journey is a journal of sorts to share with family and friends and our soon to be child and I want it to be as accurate as I can, but it is also a place for others to come and have a little light shed on a sometimes dark situation. I can't in all honesty scare others away from a hope that is often the last resort to the light at the end of the tunnel.

These are strictly my views and my honest opinion in how I see Mumbai. I am not ignorant to the facts but merely look at it with 'an open-mind' and positive attitude. It is certainly not meant to judge or question anyone else's intentions or their own opinions or stories.

Differences of opinion are what makes the world go round.

Santa's little helpers!

We made it!!! After 3 hours of waiting in line and 2 trips to the post office we FINALLY got our parcel off to India. It was a chore, but it is SO worth it when we think of the smiling faces of those who will be receiving gifts from America this Christmas. So many gifts... 40 plus pounds! Goodies for our amazing Docs; Dr. Sudhir and Dr. Yash, her sweet little girl Megs and of course our wonderful surrogate and her entire family(even Grandma). Complete with a small Christmas tree to decorate and stockings for all. We hope we didn't forget anyone.

Now we can concentrate on buying for family and friends here at home.

Today we took Frankie to visit Santa too and get her very own photo with Santa Claus.

The lights are up, the tree is trimmed and we are enjoying the beautiful weather while we await the BIG day!

On the surrogacy front: Our Egg Donor has her cycle start any day now and in the coming days we should be receiving news of how many follicles she has for retrieval. We are hoping and praying for some very happy news of a bundle of joy(or two)in the new year.