Sunday 29 December 2013

A lesson of love


BEST STORY THAT WILL MAKE YOU CRY One young man went to apply for a managerial position in a big company. He passed the initial interview, and now would meet the director for the final interview. The director discovered from his CV that the youth's academic achievements were excellent. He asked, "Did you obtain any scholarships in school?" the youth answered "no". " Was it your father who paid for your school fees?" "My father passed away when I was one year old, it was my mother who paid for my school fees.” he replied. " Where did your mother work?" "My mother worked as clothes cleaner.” The director requested the youth to show his hands. The youth showed a pair of hands that were smooth and perfect. " Have you ever helped your mother wash the clothes before?" "Never, my mother always wanted me to study and read more books. Besides, my mother can wash clothes faster than me. The director said, "I have a request. When you go home today, go and clean your mother's hands, and then see me tomorrow morning. The youth felt that his chance of landing the job was high. When he went back home, he asked his mother to let him clean her hands. His mother felt strange, happy but with mixed feelings, she showed her hands to her son. The youth cleaned his mother's hands slowly. His tear fell as he did that. It was the first time he noticed that his mother's hands were so wrinkled, and there were so many bruises in her hands. Some bruises were so painful that his mother winced when he touched it. This was the first time the youth realized that it was this pair of hands that washed the clothes everyday to enable him to pay the school fees. The bruises in the mother's hands were the price that the mother had to pay for his education, his school activities and his future. After cleaning his mother hands, the youth quietly washed all the remaining clothes for his mother. That night, mother and son talked for a very long time. Next morning, the youth went to the director's office. The Director noticed the tears in the youth's eyes, when he asked: "Can you tell me what have you done and learned yesterday in your house?" The youth answered," I cleaned my mother's hand, and also finished cleaning all the remaining clothes' “I know now what appreciation is. Without my mother, I would not be who I am today. By helping my mother, only now do I realize how difficult and tough it is to get something done on your own. And I have come to appreciate the importance and value of helping one’s family. The director said, "This is what I am looking for in a manager. I want to recruit a person who can appreciate the help of others, a person who knows the sufferings of others to get things done, and a person who would not put money as his only goal in life.” “You are hired.” This young person worked very hard, and received the respect of his subordinates. Every employee worked diligently and worked as a team. The company's performance improved tremendously. A child, who has been protected and habitually given whatever he wanted, would develop an "entitlement mentality" and would always put himself first. He would be ignorant of his parent's efforts. When he starts work, he assumes that every person must listen to him, and when he becomes a manager, he would never know the sufferings of his employees and would always blame others. For this kind of people, who may be good academically, they may be successful for a while, but eventually they would not feel a sense of achievement. They will grumble and be full of hatred and fight for more. If we are this kind of protective parents, are we really showing love or are we destroying our children instead? You can let your child live in a big house, eat a good meal, learn piano, watch on a big screen TV. But when you are cutting grass, please let them experience it. After a meal, let them wash their plates and bowls together with their brothers and sisters. It is not because you do not have money to hire a maid, but it is because you want to love them in a right way. You want them to understand, no matter how rich their parents are, one day their hair will grow gray, same as the mother of that young person. The most important thing is your child learns how to appreciate the effort and experience the difficulty and learns the ability to work with others to get things done. Try to forward this story to as many as possible...this may change somebody's fate.

Xmas in India with babes from around the world

I have spent many a Christmas in India trying for a baby and this year I was able to hold my own.I am still crying each time I look at her, as I begin to realise that she is real and this is not a dream where someone wakes me up.I don't think anyone could begin to appreciate how precious this baby is,except of course the marvellous doctors at the Kiran Infertility Center,in Hyderabad India and parents who have had a similar journey.Surrogacy in India has made this possible...we are now parents and our lives have been touched and changed by this little baby! I remember my mum saying how having children was the best part of her life.I also now understand why my parents were so protective and tried to cushion me so much in life...for all the times I fought with you dad,I'm sorry because now your actions seem so reasonable!I know Gary's mum was the same.
We are so happy to be  in the clinic's apartment  with other couples from around the world who are also celebrating the birth of their babies over this festive period.It's great to be around Saly as she gives us all invaluable advice on how to care for our newborns and it's good to all be in the same boat,as new parents!!We have had the best Christmas ever and thank KIC and our amazing surrogate mummies who have made our dreams possible.
Here is Dr Kiran with her granddaughter Babasha and Angela (the daughter of a nurse at the clinic) and Satvinder   the case manager for the clinic.The Kiran clinic is family based,which makes it very personal and allows intended parents build strong links with the clinic as they are dealing with the same doctors on a daily basis.In my experience this is not the case in many clinics around the world,particularly the UK.
Our best Xmas ever with Tracy and Gary(UK) Sonia and Ramon(Spain) and Swapna and Sabarish(India) all sharing a delicious cake compliments of KIC...THANK YOU GUYS! XX
As you can see our sleepless nights are paying off and Heaven is growing fast! She's already out of her first clothes and is into 0-3 months.She is so strong and is almost rolling! She has definite preferences and dislikes having her arms covered.I love it when she wakes,as she's all toasty and scrunched up and  when she looks into my eyes and holds my finger,I know she's everything and more.We love her to bits!!! X


Wednesday 18 December 2013

Our beautiful baby is 1 week old today

Our little Heaven is doing well.She had to return to hospital a few days ago with jaundice,but is now on the mend.Our life has changed so much over this last week all thanks to our wonderful surrogate mummy here in Hyderabad,India at the fantastic Kiran Infertility center.Heaven is already developing her own personality and is really active and aware when she is awake.She is amazingly strong when we feed her and lifts her head and turns it from side to side.She is beginning to drink more milk ,but lets us know when she's had enough as she shuts her mouth firmly and has even used her hand to push the bottle away!

Heaven enjoyed her first bath yesterday with Auntie Sally.Sally is part of the wonderful Kiran team and is a nurse who lives in one of the clinic's apartments in India and is fantastic with the babies.Sally has years of experience with newborns and is a real comfort to have around for parents beginning parenthood!

Sunday 15 December 2013

Heaven Mia 7 pounds 4 oz

OMG sorry last few days been a little busy here's a few pics to keep you going until we have a little free time lol.





 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 

Tuesday 10 December 2013

The baby wants to meet us x

Hello Gary and Tracy,
your wait will finally be over tomorrow morning at 10 am.
our Doctors have decided that birth will happen tomorrow morning at 10 am at lotus children’s hospital and the baby is ready to come out into this world.
please come to first floor at 10 am and meet Dr.Samit
 
We have been in india 24 hours now ,we went to the clinic this morning and spoke to the Drs and staff and they thought it would be a day or 2 before the birth.
 
We just got this email followed by phone calls to confirm the arrangements for tomorrow.
 
so in14 hours we get to meet our precious little bump !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tuesday 19 November 2013

Added protection lol

Our last purchase before we meet our little one,so we can sleep without worrying.Saying that I'm sure we will be up all night just watching him or her sleep.My niece says that she wakes up when her newborn doesn't and then waits until she wakes up lol
This lovely gift was bought for us by our good friends Nicola and Mark Hancock.Thank you guys x

Sunday 17 November 2013

Boy or Girl mmmmmm

Sorry its been a few days we have been busy buying nappies milk blankets etc etc.

Is it a boy or is it a girl ?




or





our poor baby will be dressed in white and cream until we get back from India as we dont know if its a boy or girl yet. Tracy does like to google this lol each time we get a scan tracy googles the test results how fast its growing etc etc but until our little one is born it will remain a secret to us all.

Thursday 14 November 2013

Children in Need-such a great cause x







At Lindt, we’ve run 10k races, half marathons and organised office raffles. What are you doing for #CIN this year? Let us know for a chance to win a £100 donation top up from Lindt!

Wednesday 13 November 2013

An insight into India...






This is a common sight in India.We saw many rangoli patterns on the doorsteps of peoples homes.They are a beautiful way to welcome guests during festivals and celebrations and are made from coloured paint.Please click on the link below to see more of incredible India
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HrrW3rO51ak

Tuesday 12 November 2013

We think xmas will be early this year.










Never give up ... on your dreams









One day a farmer's donkey fell down into a well. The animal cried piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do. Finally, he decided the animal was old, and the well needed to be covered up anyway; it just wasn't worth it to retrieve the donkey. He invited all his neighbors to come over and help him. They all grabbed a shovel and began to shovel dirt into the well. At first, the donkey realized what was happening and cried horribly. Then, to everyone's amazement he quieted down. A few shovel loads later, the farmer finally looked down the well. He was astonished at what he saw. With each shovel of dirt that hit his back, the donkey was doing something amazing. He would shake it off and take a step up. As the farmer's neighbors continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he would shake it off and take a step up. Pretty soon, everyone was amazed as the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well and happily trotted off! MORAL : Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds of dirt. The trick to getting out of the well is to shake it off and take a step up. Each of our troubles is a steppingstone. We can get out of the deepest wells just by not stopping, never giving up! Shake it off and take a step up. Remember the five simple rules to be happy: 1. Free your heart from hatred - Forgive. 2. Free your mind from worries - Most never happens. 3. Live simply and appreciate what you have. 4. Give more. 5. Expect less from people but more from yourself. You have two choices... smile and close this page, or pass this along to someone else to share the lesson

Sunday 10 November 2013

Love you Dad xxxxxxxxxxxxx


My Dad died 5 years ago today.We were in India at the time and he was so happy that we were trying to have a baby.He would be delighted to know that we are almost there now and our bundle of joy is almost with us! He would have been a wonderful grandad! I love you Dad and miss you so much xxxx I so wish I could have shared this time with you xxxxx

Friday 8 November 2013

Our first auto ride in Hyderabad...

An auto or tut tut ride in India is a must.Gary and I had so much fun.At first it's rather scary,because there is so much traffic,but before long we sat back,relaxed and enjoyed the ride!We walked or travelled everywhere using autos and soon learned to barter for our fare.Close you eyes,you are about to experience a wonderful ride....




Thursday 7 November 2013

Week 33



Week Thirty Three: Lanugo is disappearing
You are 33 weeks pregnant. (fetal age 31 weeks)
  • The baby inside you is now about 4.4 pounds (2 kg) and around 17.5 inches (44cm) in length.
  • The diameter of the head is about 8.5cm.
  • The baby fuzz, lanugo, is disappearing.
  • Your baby drinks about a pint of amniotic fluid a day.
  • You may gain a pound a week (500g) for the rest of your pregnancy.
  • Half of your weight gain will go directly to your baby.
The baby is using it's lungs to practice breathing by inhaling amniotic fluid. Your baby is drinking about a pint of amniotic fluid a day now and urinating the same amount. The early baby fuzz, lanugo, is disappearing now and being replaced by actual hair. The nails of your baby are now long enough to reach to the tip of the fingers or beyond and may need trimming as soon as they are born. They may scratch their face even before birth.

WOW WOW WOW 

Today's random picture 


VISAS

Today first we would like to say a BIG  thank you to our two case managers Anjani Kumar and Ranbeer Singh they have made our journey so far as stress free as possible. All paperwork for our visas was done in a professional manner which resulted in our visa application taking a mere three days YIPPPEEE.
Anjani and Ranbeer have been in contact throughout the pregnancy sending scans and medical reports every 2 to 3 weeks and when you are so far away this gives you a real sense of comfort.






This is our 12 week scan. We have affectionately named our baby...YES OUR BABY! Pebbles or maybe Rocky lol


Wednesday 6 November 2013

Hello guys and girls we thought we would show you around Hyderabad the city where our clinic is based. Here are a few pictures.

These were taken at the Shilparamam craft village  to see more here is the web address
 http://www.shilparamam.net


Tracy at our favourite market stall .

A day of political celebrations.

Out for dinner with Dr Samit Sekhar and one of our case managers (excellent food thanks Dr Samit for a great evening)






A few shots of our fantastic clinic in Hyderabad.
The clinic staff and doctors are first class, we cant even start to explain the way we are treated each time we visit (AMAZING PLACE, AMAZING PEOPLE)
www.kiranivfgenetic.com



 Something you don't see every day lol.

Tracy spent weeks trying to get this little boy to wave back, his dad owned the corner shop(so sweet)















Tuesday 5 November 2013

Our journey so far






We had always wanted children, but like everything in life the time the place and most importantly the person must be right. As soon as we met we fell in love and knew that together we would make great parents. So because of our age and medical history the search for a fertility clinic began.
We chose India for our treatment because we believe Indian doctors are the best in the world and the cost of treatment is a great deal cheaper. 
After emailing many clinics in India we chose the Kiran Infertility Center in Hyderabad . We were extremely impressed from the word go with their punctual replies and their extensive knowledge.

The clinic have had many  conventions in New York and Singapore and regularly attend European fertility conferences(ESHRE).In fact,we met Dr Kiran and Dr Samit in Barcelona,Spain before we went to India.
As soon as we arrived in India we were made to feel at home by the clinic and staff.

Initially we had IVF using Indian donor eggs.We have had 3 pregnancies with the clinic ,but sadly I miscarried.Following my miscarriages we decided to go ahead with surrogacy and we are now 32 weeks pregnant and we are over the moon with joy and happiness! 
For anyone who is considering IVF or surrogacy hopefully over the next few weeks and months as our story unfolds maybe you can start your dreams too.