And life begins.

"Hello Rhonda, this is Dr. Sudhir. I am sorry to wake you, but I wanted to share with you that your transfer just took place, and that you both are pregnant until proven otherwise." These were the words we awoke to at our 3:30 a.m telephone call this morning. All 12 embryo's fertilized, and in Dr. Yash's words, 'they are all beautiful Grade A embryo's.' What amazing news! 3 of those were transferred into Rekha and 2 more are to be transferred at the blastocyst phase in just 2 days. We were both awake with excitement at the wonderful news. Rekha was doing fine, and on her way to the clinic to rest. We sent along our love and hugs to her. Dr. Sudhir was there for the entire transfer. Dr. Yash said, it was sad not to see us in the waiting room and missed watching Gerry pacing back and forth as he did with our first transfer, while I was in with the surrogate holding her hand. Our second transfer, he was able to be in the room while I was the one left to pace. So, thanks Dr. Sudhir for taking over with the pacing in our absence. So needless to say, all day was pretty much spent on cloud nine and sharing our great news to anyone who was within ear shot and willing to listen.

Thank you all for your wonderful words of support and encouragement we thank you from the bottom of our hearts and only hope to share those 3 perfect words sometime soon...'We are pregnant!'

Christmas vacation is over.

We are literally hours away from embryo transfer to our surrogate...Mumbai time that is. It is so exciting. We can't wait for the results of how many embryo's fertilized and what the end results were/are.

We have been passing the time with a 4 day weekend holiday of just family and fun. Gerry and I decided to take a day road trip down south towards Tucson area and ran into SNOW! We don't get to enjoy that much anymore since moving away from Canada. It was kinda neat. We love Arizona and have no regrets with our decision to move here 2 1/2 years ago. The mountains never cease to amaze us. The scenery and peacefulness is incredible. We are truly blessed to live here and be able to enjoy this beauty every single day.

The Docs will probably call us late tonight, if not tomorrow. We will surely keep you posted as soon as we get the results of our day 2 transfer. It's back to work for both of us tomorrow.

Beautiful snowy mountains


Prickly Pear Cactus with snow...don't see that too often.


Almost home Frankie Girl, remember you wanted to come for a drive...

A DRUM ROLL PLEASE...

WE GOT EGGS...12 EGGS!!!!!

We were on the computer last night and Dr. Sudhir came on and chatted while our transfer was being done. It was really a neat feeling to know he was right outside the lab and retrieval room and keeping us up to date. Early this morning we got a wake-up call from Dr. Yashodhara saying that we have 12 EGGS, 10 mature, 2 immature. The 10 mature eggs were ICSI'd and put in for incubation. Dr. Yash the gem she is, smuggled her camera in to take a few photos for us and then had to pretend she was text messaging so not to be caught. She is too cute! Gerry's little guys looked good and we're hoping they're doing their job after being frozen in time for over 9 months now. Gerry javascript:void(0)told Dr. Yash to make sure that Dr. Pai and the team 'work their magic' just like they did in November with all the positives pregnancies with SI clients. She said the whole center knows they are Gerry and Rhonda's eggs and are all really rooting for us. What a great feeling that is! Rekha our surrogate even called up Dr. Yash to ask 'where we were' and wanted to visit with us. For confidentiality Dr. Yash told her we were not there and were using frozen embryo's. WOW Rekha is a wonderful lady who we have grown to adore and love. We have a very special bond with her and have been able to keep in touch although not even being pregnant. That in it's self really says a lot about this amazing woman! Her 2-day transfer will be done on Monday, where they will transfer 3 embryos. Then if all goes as planned on day 5 they will transfer another 2 blastocyst embryo's to her. She is looking forward to it, and we know she is the BEST girl for the job!

Our parcel is still MIA but we are hopeful it will arrive very soon. Once it left the U.S we were unable to track it, so we gave Dr. S the info, so he can check on his end to locate it.

WOW, those feelings are back! Nervous, excited, worried, happy, scared...so many feeling rolled into one. Although we are not able to be there in person, it is feeling all too real again and nothing and no one person can take that away from us!

Frankie opening her Christmas Gifts

We had a wonderful Christmas with family and friends. Santa spoiled us all rotten again this year. We hope that everyone had a very Merry Christmas as well. We were able to talk to both of the Docs on Christmas morning in India, and Dr. Yash was actually out enjoying some Christmas Day shopping since Christians are still very outnumbered in India and it was considered just another day by the majority.

We are anxiously awaiting the news of our retrieval tomorrow. This cycle is so different than the last 2 as we are using an egg donor and Gerry's frozen "boys" and are so far removed from it all. We are trying to stay as connected as we can, and are hoping that photos and a video will help us with that. We both feel so out of touch with the whole process. It's so different when you are actually in Mumbai, in the thick of things, at the hospital, sticking yourself with needles, and being a part of the transfer to the surrogate. Those are the things that make it feel so real. In the end though, the outcome remains the same...just wanting a beautiful bundle of joy to call our own.

Getting caught up...

FINALLY added our photos from our trip to Jaipur, India.
See post Sept.2nd, 2008

Medical Photos Trip #2...

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.

Busy, Busy, Busy...

At the hockey game


Gerry and Dad working on Mom & Dad's place


Frankie helping with the lights


Our Christmas lights

I love Skype. We have been chatting with the Docs via web cam and it truly feels like we are right next to them. What a wonderful feeling. We even got to meet (well via web cam) 2 of the couples that are cycling in Mumbai right now.

We are busy, busy trying to prepare for Christmas and I am SO bad!!! I haven't even sat and wrote out Christmas cards this year. With trying to put together all our gifts for Mumbai, working and keeping up with the support group and certainly spending time with Mom and Dad, time has truly flown by. No excuses, just truly doesn't seem like there are enough hours in the day.

We did manage to take some time for an NHL game. My team Toronto Maple Leafs played the Phoenix Coyotes last Thursday night. My wonderful military man got the 4 of us 8th row seats from the ice with his military discount. WOOOHOOO! We had a blast! Unfortuneately the Leafs choked in the last few minutes and lost, but it was a great game and so much fun to go with a Die Hard Leafs Fan...my Dad!

So much work, So little time...

Everyone has a purpose.

Took me a long time to grasp this, but I realized very recently that by having started this blog it has brought so much joy, help and inspiration to others then I could ever have imagined. I go back to one of my first posts about 'Biting the bullet with hesitation' for fear of publicly dealing with failure and look how far we have come since then. Has it been hard?...for sure, but I can't begin to tell you the overwhelming amount of support and love we have received, as well as 'thank you's' from people literally all over the world. Who would have thought that by pouring our hearts and souls out on the computer that others would follow along and actually get something out of our blog? Certainly not me!!! We truly are just simple and plain people struggling like many others to have a family. It is amazing at the impact we have had. I am constantly blown away! Never in a million years would I have ever imagined the number of people we have helped in their own journeys either here on the blog or on our Support Group Forum. It kind of just hit me the other day when the Docs and some other people along with my hubby said, 'Look at all the people who look to you for support and guidance, and everyone you have helped.' I just kind of let it roll off my shoulders before and their comments really hit home. I am humbled by all these people and never intended to be a 'Pioneer' as others have called me. It has made all of this entire crazy, roller coaster of a ride I call a journey all worth while.

Whatever the outcome, I have had a purpose and it feels good.