Right Time, Right Place

This morning, I was walking to the elevator to head downstairs to begin my day. I was going to have breakfast in the hotel dining area. There were so many thoughts going through my head about what my day was going to be like and what I would get done. I was thinking how I had gotten more sleep in the last 24 hours than I had in a very, very long time. I was refreshed and ready to go.

As I stepped off the elevator, there was a couple a few feet ahead of me. I instantly recognized them as friends from our last trip here in the summer. They stayed at the same hotel (Novotel) as us in June. Talk about right time, right place. I called over to them and they turned around to greet me. She had sent me an email a few days ago asking when I would be back in Mumbai and where I was staying. Due to the craziness of Monday, I did not get a chance to see her response. She knew we were staying at the same hotel. It was such a lovely surprise to see them both today. They are here on baby pick up. Their SM is in the last stretch of the pregnancy and I wish them nothing but the best of luck for the upcoming weeks. I secretly hope that I am still here when their SM gives birth. I just love seeing babies here, it really brings the trip full circle while here.

So, we sat for breakfast and we caught up. We talked about last time, this time, the in between time, moving, India, work, and then being first time parents. They will be great parents. They are so kind-hearted and patient. They seem nervous, as any first parent would be. It is funny how your instincts kick in when a little baby is in your arms.

They really understand the culture here and I feel like you almost have to embrace some of it eventually. This is my third time to Mumbai and I feel like I understand it more and more each trip. I am familiar with the customs, the head bobble, and I'm really good at converting the money from Rupees into USD. Haha.

Later, in the afternoon, I had a meeting with the doctors. I have been to their clinic/office now three times and each time it has been decorated differently. It is very evident that their business is expanding. They have many people on staff and many clients to keep happy. It was a pleasure to see them today. We had some small talk and then then a quick exam. My blood was drawn very quickly and my ultrasound results look very promising. My largest egg was 11 mm, so it has a while to go. I go back to meet them on Friday for a second check.

After returning to the hotel, I walked around a bit. The pool was closed today due to some maintenance, but will be open tomorrow. That is where I may spend a good amount of time on this trip. The temperature is hovering around 90 degrees each day and it feels great. I love to feel the warm sun on my very pale skin. I may just be the whitest person the Indians have seen lately. ;)

Dinner was my usual cuisine here in Mumbai. If you have followed my previous trip(s), you know what we eat. There is a Domino's right next to the hotel, literally. Way to go, Amit!! We also requested a microwave in our room and brought lots of snacks along for the trip.

Overall, I had a great first day. Tomorrow I am going to have breakfast with my friends and lay out by the pool. I miss home terribly and it is twice as hard to be here without my hubby. I can't wait for him to arrive here and finish the trip up with me.

Thanks for reading!

Last Minute Switcheroo

Well... I am already in Mumbai. It all happened so fast, I can't believe it myself. I was checking my flight Monday afternoon and it said it had been canceled for Tuesday night. Stephen helped me and immediately got on the phone with Continental. They said due to the storm, the flight had been canceled. They were not able to rebook me until later in the week. Or, I could fly another airline Tuesday night, but she couldn't guarantee that it would still go. So, we did the next best thing and booked me for the Monday night flight. Talk about craziness!! I had about a half hour to get my stuff together, and get on my way to the airport. It was such a whirlwind of events, I can barely remember it. I do remember being upset because most likely, I will be away from my little man another day. It is so tough on him at this age. If he only knew what we are going to accomplish here!

So, here I am at the beautiful Courtyard Marriott. Much thanks to Amit and his colleague, Gangadharan. They were able to arrange a room for me a day early and provide a personalized pick up at the airport. Once I was settled, I was able to speak to Stephen (back at home) with the help of Amit, to let him know I had arrived safely. I will never be able to speak enough about Amit and his colleagues and how easy they make this travel for us. He is truly a fantastic person to work with!

Anyway, back to the hotel. The lobby is gorgeous! I feel like I am back at the Intercontinental. I believe that they are on the same road near the airport. My room is just lovely and I can't wait to see the view tomorrow when the sun is out. I will take some pics and post them for all to see in case other IP's are considering staying here.

I received a beautiful floral arrangement from the docs. I am assuming that I will be contacted by them tomorrow in the morning to set up some schedules and such. It feels nice to be back in Mumbai and I am looking forward to a very, very successful trip this time!!

Thanks for reading and talk soon!

Busy bees

I don't know why our life is so often like this, but it seems that we like to do major things in a short amount of time. In the next four weeks, we will: leave a job (me), start a new territory (Stephen), fly to India, get a ton of eggs that will fertilize, fly home from India, move all of our stuff out of storage, drive to NC, close on a new house, get "the call", unpack, paint, and enroll Stephen in a new school. Plus hold back the tears when I leave work, leave my son to go to India, and when I say goodbye to my family and friends. Not really sure why life is like this for us. Maybe we could've tried to spread things out a little more, but we are used to life like this!

Our trip to Mumbai is creeping up on us. I start meds on Friday and fly out next Tuesday. Stephen will join me later that weekend. So many have asked if I am ok to fly to India by myself and I think I definitely am. I feel very comfortable with our doctors, their drivers, and our travel coordinator, Amit. He makes traveling to Mumbai a breeze. I will admit, it will be so weird to be half a world away from my hubby and son for a few days. I will be communicating with them through Skype and email, but it will still be tough.

I have fallen asleep a few nights watching The Secret on youtube.com. I can't find my dvd (it is probably in storage), so I watch it any way I can. I also just purchased The Law of Happiness. It is a book about spiritual wisdom and modern science. It looked great when I flipped through and I am excited to read it. I'll keep you all posted on how it is.

Check back for posts next weekend once the meds begin. Oh, how my hubby loves those meds ;)

Thoughts in My Head

Within the past two weeks, the topic of visualization has been circling around in my life. A few weeks ago, Stephen and I were talking to a pastor about our situation and how we should continue to stay positive and wish for the best. He told us some advice that we have taken to heart. He told us to tell God that we are ready. Meaning, ask him for what we want... another child or two. We have prayed and prayed for years for this to happen, but we have never asked for it to happen. The pastor said it is like putting the ball in God's court. So, here we are, asking and putting it in God's court.

Then, the other night, while watching Oprah (thanks to DVR), Bob Greene was talking about having the life you want. That you need to know what you want (a baby or two) and then visualize this. I have been doing this with more concentration every day since then. This really focuses on a book that was brought to my attention when we began this journey and one of my most supportive friend quoted to me every day while we were together while we were in Mumbai. She was there on baby pick up and we were there on baby making. The book I am talking about is The Secret. I have read this book so many times it is worn through. I have watched the movie when I didn't have time to read the book. I have really made changes in my life to be more positive and visualize our dreams and make them realities.

I am just putting it out there, for everyone to see and read and visualize with me. I am making it super clear to the powers that be of the universe and God that we are asking for another baby (or two). We want a sibling(s) for little Stephen to grow with and have a great bond with. Please, whoever is out there listening, let this be in our future this year. Even little Stephen is asking when he can have a brother or sister.

Moving... again

That's right, you read it. We are moving back to NC at the end of February. Stephen was assigned a new territory after his company was bought out by another company. Since there are already regional sales executives in the Tri-state area, we are getting bumped on down the road. We will be moving to a different part of NC, which will be closer to my parents and a few hours from his. We have already bought a house and we close at the end of next month. Here is a picture of our new house:



We are really excited to get back into our own space. We have been living with my parents since July. While it has worked out very nice, we are ready to be back on our own. I am kinda upset about leaving my job. I found a fantastic school district that I have been working in since September. The staff is great, the kids are great, and the parents are supportive. I was really able to spread my wings a bit there and I enjoyed it.

Moving onto the million dollar question: We are going back to India in about 2.5 weeks. I am very confident that this will be THE time it all comes together for us. I've had good numbers, good scans, and a great, positive attitude. We decided we would pick a SM that was young, had two kids or more, and was experienced as a surrogate. Guess what! We got all three requests. We couldn't believe our eyes when we read her profile. But here is the best part, she shares the same birthday as our son. Once we saw that, we knew for sure that she was the one to help us grow our family. We are very excited. I am nervous to leave my son again because he had a tough time while we were away, but he will continue to go to school while we are gone and hopefully that will keep him busy. Also, I am arriving in India earlier than Stephen. He is going to stay behind until he has to be there to deliver his goods.

There has been a big baby boom and BFP's all over the place lately. Congratulations to all of you who have picked up your bundles and those who are watching them in the scans. I wish for you all a happy road with your children. Please keep us in your thoughts over the next 4-5 weeks. We have a lot going on and we want the best outcomes out for all situations!


Christmas Eve in our new pajamas ;)

Thanks for reading :)

Where Is the Time Going?

Time passes so quickly lately. I can't believe that it is already December and 2010 is about to come to an end. There is not too much to update. We are still living with my parents. Stephen's company was bought out a few months ago and we are riding out the wave to see if his territory is going to change. The company that bought his has a few reps in this area again. Time will tell! Funny how sometimes it feels like days fly by and sometimes it feels like they aren't moving at all.

Congrats to all my surro friends that have had their babies in the last few months. What a big sigh of success!!

We have plans to travel over the holiday break and I am excited to get into some warmer weather. Now I remember why I wanted to move to NC, because the winters in Jersey are horrendous! It was 8 degrees today with the wind chill. That is freezing! That is beyond freezing! I wanted to hop on a plane to the Bahamas today. Hint, hint, honey!!

Hope you all have a happy holiday (or have had a happy holiday already) and a very festive New Year!! Here's to 2011, a year for lots of babies!!

Just For Fun

Just wanted to try this for fun and see what was displayed!