Big Gay Wedding Dance

Whilst we are passing time, getting ready to move next Saturday, sorting out final bills, and a whole host of boring but unfortunately necessary things, here's our blast from the past wedding dance to entertain (if it can be called entertainment!!!!!) or horrify...

26th Week!

As the scan report that came through suggests, we are 25weeks and 6 days! However, by initial calculations we should be 25 weeks and a day, so not that far off....

No face shots on the ultrasound or images that make us go 'ahhhhhh', just a selection of 'I'm not quite sure what part we're looking at' pictures (very similar to the Rachel situation in 'Friends') that far more importantly help Dr Jolly tell us that our baby and SM are both doing very well and things are exactly how they should be. What more can we ask for!!!

It's such a wonderful update from Delhi in a week where we're so focused on (and impatient to be) leaving Hong Kong in a matter of days, knowing that we couldn't be asking for better news from Dr Shivani and Dr Jolly as we are about to make a bold leap into the unknown in preparing our new life in Italy for us and our baby.

Because us and our fellow Brits have to spend (by comparison) longer than most in Delhi due to citizenship laws and passport issues, at first the thought of three months in Delhi felt a little problematic on so many fronts. But now we are lucky enough to have found (through genuine support from one of our employers) a "live in Delhi, enjoy being parents and send a bit of work via email now and again' solution that lets us relax and really look forward to and embrace our time in India without the pressures of returning to work, losing salary and feeing under the pressure of time.

We're both so happy that after all the time our baby has spent with our wonderful SM in Delhi, we also get to enjoy spending three months in a country that we will forever be indebted to.

Who could ask for more?

12 Year Anniversary

Yesterday was our 12 year anniversary since the day we met at 'One Pound a Pint Night' at our local nightclub (praise be that pound a pint nights don't really exist in Hong Kong, where 'happy hour' prices are still eye-warteringly expensive and hardly any cause to be happy!!!).

It's a lovely thought that we met in the Chinese Year of the Rabbit, and we will be having our baby in the Year of the Rabbit too! (Cue cheesey music: Lion King 'Circle of Life'). In Chinese Astrology, the Rabbit Year is one of the more home-centred gentle signs which sounds perfect to us.

When we tell people that we've been together 12 years, people are 'wow, that's ages' but to us, it's gone in a flash, we could write a massive list of all the great things we've done together, the highs and the not so highs, and the many times we spoke about how great it would be to have a baby and a family of our own, so it's a brilliant thought that all the talk is actually coming to realization!

3 weeks today we'll be leaving on our new adventure, wondering what the next 12 years might bring...

A moment of calm (and boredom)

Feeling at a bit of a lose end today, yesterday our apartment in Hong Kong was emptied, all our shipping got packed and sent off for shipment to Italy. We don't leave Hong Kong until the end of this month, living with a bed, TV and a sofa and 2 suitcases of clothes. All our lovely baby clothes and accessories will be on the seas soon, so I can't go and take an occasional peek in the wardrobe and have a broody baby moment looking at all the things getting excited to think how fantastic it will be when our baby is actually in our arms. At the same time, all the kitchen accessories have gone so we have no alternative but to eat out for 4 weeks which is a joy!!!!

For both of us, work has gone from being stress-filled hectic mentalism (actually, a fantastic way to keep us occupied) and suddenly gone remarkably calm, making the counting of days much longer. Our 'to-do-list' to get ready for our move to Italy is getting much shorter and more manageable, and I have an awkward feeling that this month is really going to drag.

Our most exciting achievement was taking our dogs to the vets to get them vaccinated up to the eyeballs ready to take them with us to Italy. I kind of get the impression, as much as I tell them how wonderful it will be to have their walks in beautiful Florentine Piazzas rather than Hong Kong back streets, they're not really listening or appreciative of the impact of the move :)

More so, the rules on transporting dogs on Lufthansa mean the dog must be able to lie down flat, turn around, stretch out and not touch the sides of the container.... so I guess our dogs will really be travelling First Class, shame they don't apply the same rules to human cargo in Economy!!!!!!!!

Hoping to get the rest of our 3D scan pics in a couple of weeks so will post these then, in the meantime, back to boredom but the excitement of dreaming of our family together in Italy..........

Our Camera Shy Baby

We just got a couple of 3D scan images emailed from the clinic and we're loving this one that screams 'leave me alone, I'm happy where I am for the next 16 weeks!!!!!!!!' According to Dr Shivani, all results are good and within normal limits and number which is hugely good news. Baby and SM doing well, and us obviously thrilled too!

Can't wait to see the rest of the scan pics when they get posted.

So exciting to see our baby looking like a baby as crazy as that sounds. Taking the usual bets on boy or girl, not that we at all care but time to place your bets.....

Triple marker test...

Well, firstly the triple marker test came back all ok...which is great! We know it doesn't 100% guarantee the outcome of these tests but were pretty happy with the results...so if you don't know what the triple marker test is, here is Dr. Google's blurb....

Between the 15th and 20th weeks of pregnancy, expectant mothers usually are offered a blood test called the multiple marker test. Sometimes called a triple screen or a quad screen, depending on the number of things measured, it also might be done in combination with blood tests and an ultrasound in the first trimester.

For the multiple marker screening, a sample of blood is drawn from the mother to measure the levels of:

hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin), which is made by the placenta
estriol, which is made by the placenta and the fetus
alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), which is made by the fetus
Sometimes the level of inhibin-A, which is made by the placenta, also is measured. The levels of these substances can help doctors identify a fetus at risk for certain birth defects, including neural tube defects (like spina bifida) and some chromosomal abnormalities (like Down syndrome).

We are now entering our 20th week based on our first dates given, so 19 full weeks passed so far! We're officially over half way! Hooray!!

I decided to change the blog design as been thinking about the Nationality of our child; although they will be half Indian, they will also be half British too but we will be living in Italy so all a bit confusing for the little tyke! All we know is that it will take us 10-12 weeks to get the british birth certificate and then the british passport and then we are free to live wherever we like to a degree, well as long as Michael's boss keeps him freelance!

So much is changing about Surrogacy in Hong Kong that we worry about returning, as many people are being investigated as it is still illegal to pay for surrogacy in Hong Kong, and only married straight couples can do it at the moment, we were advised to leave India, go to UK first then come back to Hong Kong, but they could still question the mother part on the birth certificate....so we are still aiming to leave in the next 6-8 weeks and set up home in Italy before picking up our baby in India. All a bit stressful and a lot to do in such little time!

Anyway...good news is BAM is fine and growing well and only about 4 more months to go :)

A big 'Hi Five' from Delhi!

We had our 17-ish week scan today and a huge sigh of relief that everything is looking great (normal results/levels of all that matters), and this scan picture really made us both smile!!!!!!! Talk about a big Hi Five, a wave for the camera...

It's actually getting quite difficult to think of anything to write on the blogging front, we have our fingers tightly crossed that all will continue in as boring and uneventful as possible fashion. Our minds are slowly drifting to the reality of getting prepared for 12 weeks in Delhi.

We're relocating to Italy at the end of April, so have a huge move on our hands which is keeping our minds occupied, then after a couple of months we have to be ready to go to Delhi. Our dream of spending a few weeks in the lap of 5 star luxury has been somewhat diluted by the amount of time we will have to be there, thanks to our lovely UK Foreign Office doing all they can to make the process of passport application as slow as possible. So we're starting to think where on earth we will live in Delhi, (seriously the prices we're being quoted for a serviced apartment are on par with renting a flash NYC/London/Paris pad) who's going to be looking after the dogs at home in Italy... how work is going to squeeze into all of this, but actually, none of this is a problem as it's all product of achieving our dream of having our own family!

Kung Hei Fat Choi! Happy New Year of the Golden Rabbit!

Well today is the first day of the year of the Golden Rabbit. The year of the Rabbit comes around every 12 years but the Golden Rabbit only comes around every 60 years so its definitly a good year! We are now in our 15th week and everything is progressing nicely. We are hoping to see another scan in a few weeks time and need to start buying the all important things for our baby, the exciting bit!! I've been thinking about what our baby will look like, their personality etc and as we currently live in Hong Kong, the chinese zodiac is around everywhere at the moment and I decided to do a but of research about what our kid might be like! Here's what I found:

"In Chinese astrological thought, a "rabbit person" is graceful, cultured and well-mannered. Although Rabbit people get along well with many people, at heart they are considered to be basically reserved creatures, and are only truly happy when engrossed in some sort of scholarly or intellectual activity.

Rabbit people are considered too sensitive for the world around them; they are not able to thrive in competitive or aggressive environments, and are anxious when others force them to take risks. Their inner world is considered too delicate for unsettled or unpredictable situations, and they tend to create peaceful and comfortable atmospheres--like rabbit dens--instinctively. According to traditional Chinese astrology, this characteristic makes them very hospitable and attentive people, who take care of those around them.

The average Rabbit person emphasizes the importance of small details. They pay attention to everything from color, design and furniture to food and conversation. And only when they are sure that everything has been arranged as they wish can these people relax and have fun.

People born in the year of the Rabbit often lead a conservative lifestyle where one of the most important things is their security. This quality has a negative side also: opting for safety over risk, they may miss good opportunities. These people are not frivolous or irresponsible, for when they truly believe in something, they are serious, persevering and capable.

Calm as they are, it is not easy to provoke Rabbit people. They are sentimental and compassionate. They can be moved by the personal problems you share with them."

So it looks like it will be a sensitive little thing! Also with being born sometime in July, it'll probably be a cancer sign (21/06-22/07), and it seems a very similar matching sign for Year of the Rabbit!;

Crabs hide in their shells for safety, and will wave their claws at an approaching threat, but get under their soft belly and they can be badly hurt. Cancerians are the same, but they're as sensitive to the feelings of others as they are to their own, have creative imaginations, and they are devoted to home and family.

No matter what their personality, we can not WAIT to meet them! Also my 30th Birthday is 23rd July so it'll be a double whammy celebration in July in India!!

We are currently on our holidays as its chinese new year and decided to come to Europe as we have been in Asia for around 5 years now. We took my parents to Venice for a few days which they loved, and i'll post some pictures soon. It has been great to relax and let our hair down as this will be our last holiday before baby arrives. We then flew to Berlin (its freezing!!!) and have been here for a day so far, heading out today to take photos and sightsee and eat a lot of hearty German food! We fly back to hong Kong on Sunday and thats when the serious planning and booking flights will begin.

I'll keep you updated and wish you all a very happy and Golden Year of the Rabbit!

Working out due date!

Hello all, well we are now approaching our 14th or is it 13th week??! We are a bit confused with dates as originally our 40 week due date (which i know in India means nothing as the little ones seem to some whenever they feel ready!) but originally the scans were dating us 13 weeks this tuesday (25/01/11) but the last scan meant we were 14 weeks this Monday (24/01/11) Thats a whole week and a day out!

Is this normal when using frozen embies? We don't really mind as the pregnancy is developing well and BAM is growing with a strong heartbeat. We just want to work out a rough date to book open tickets to Delhi!

So our original due date was 02nd August (40 weeks) so we thought arrival in Delhi on 12th July (37 weeks), but now should we aim to arrive on 04th July with the scan showing a week ahead??

Any help would be greatly appreciated! All the best to those on the same journey as us and we look forward to our paths crossing some point this summer :)

6 weeks, 8 weeks, 10 weeks and today we are 12 weeks.....

We've been hiding a huge secret.....as the title might suggest we are 12 weeks pregnant! We are over the moon and expecting our little one sometime in July! The official due date is August 2nd but we'll be in Delhi around 12th July (37 weeks) and a week off Adam's 30th Birthday...a really cool birthday present or what??!!
As most of you are aware, we had two early miscarriages in Thailand and then a negative in India, so we had our final 3 Frosties and decided for one more go as this entire process is both mentally, physically and financially exhausting and Voila! As many of you have told us before, keep going and it WILL happen!

We wanted to wait till now as we have a good strong heartbeat and the baby is developing well, we've decided to use the name BAM (Baby Adam and Michael, Sorry Will and Michael, it was too good to not use!) for the meantime until the birth.

Our first result on about 16th November showed a good strong beta of 330...followed by the 30th November with a well defined gestational sac, 18th December we had a heartbeat! (whoo hoo!) and then 3rd January 2011 showed a good heartbeat and well developing fetus, we've just our 12 week scan today and here are the pics.....

A massive thank you to SCI healthcare, Dr Shivani, Dr Jolly, Shilpi, Neha and anyone else who has helped us so far on our journey! Roll on 20 odd weeks and a hot summer in India!!!! Whoooooo hooooo!!!