Happy New Year!

A little early but it's going to be a busy next few days so best wishes and clear horizons for you all in 2012 :)

Merry Christmas!

To everyone that reads my blog from all over the world, thank you for following my journey and I want to wish you a very merry Christmas and a special and memorable new year. I hope all your dreams come true in 2012.

Orion visited Santa for the first time recently and I must say, it started out quite well (below). But then Santa had to go and jingle his bells which startled poor Orion, resulting in the picture above heehee. Definitely one for Orion's baby book and for me to show him when he's 20 over with his girlfriend. Mwa ha ha!



Anyway, all the best from me and Santa's little elf :)

Mmm Mmm Good

Orion started eating rice cereal over the last week but you'd think from watching him, he'd been eating it forever! This short little clip was from his second try of rice cereal ever and he already knows what to do with his mouth as the spoon approaches hehe. He definitely loves his rice cereal. I think on Christmas Day, while we're all eating dinner, he's ready for an avocado so we'll get him to try that.

4 Months

Orion,

At 4 months you:

+ Are in the 75th percentile for growth and development
+ Are starting to turn/look at people when they call your name
+ Become entranced at patterns and textures
+ Like it when your dad holds your hand
+ Are starting to try to hold your own bottle
+ Love talking to us and telling us stories in baby talk
+ Love looking at pictures in books and being read to
+ Can hold and shake your rattle
+ Love bath time and being naked (You always know when you're about to have a bath and have a big smile on your face as you're being carried to the tub)
+ Like to pee all over daddy after he takes off your diaper for some strange reason
+ Are so curious to the world around you, love meeting people for the first time and greeting them with a smile
+ Still think the "Ado Ado Ado" song is the best song ever
+ Love animals, especially monkeys and when daddy makes the sound of a "horsey"
+ Can flip over from tummy to back
+ Have a grannie that loves you!!!

Little Christmas Bug

...isss excited for his first Christmas and to see Santa for the first time on Monday!

First Snowfall

For Orion's baby book, today was his first snowfall and first glimpse of snow!

Here he is in his first snowsuit for the first time.

Firsts overload!

Bath Time!

Sequence of shots taken post bath time :)

Ado Ado Ado

Orion laughing at his grannie, who's singing his favourite song... the timeless and classic, "Ado Ado Ado."

Batty for Daddy

Tonight was just magic. There is no other feeling in the world as a parent than being able to successfully put your baby to sleep. Orion was a bit restless before falling asleep tonight but after calming and soothing him, he fell asleep in my arms. Just so fulfilling!

As he was restless, I turned off the lights in the room which helped. Then I laid on the bed and gave him tummy time on my stomach. We could still see each other's faces in the moonlight. He was smiling at me, and of course I was smiling back at him while thinking in my mind that these are the kinds of moments I've waited so long to have with my baby. Just the two of us, under the moon.

Anyway these are a bit late but here are some pics from Orion's first Halloween. I have to put them up now before I put up the next batch of pics this week! His great aunt got him the 'batty for daddy' onesie which I loved. A bit too big for him this year but will definitely fit for the next.

My Favourite Part of the Day

Every minute with Orion is my favourite part of the day but I especially love the morning when he's just waking up. I get up a bit earlier to go down downstairs to the kitchen to get his bottle ready and other things ready for the day.

Then I return upstairs where I walk past his crib to the window to slowly pull the drape up. I can see his head turn and follow me as I walk by him in the dark. It makes me smile. Once the morning light fills the room, I go over to his crib and say with a big smile, "Good morning! Good morning, good morning, good morning!" He smiles, starts babbling and then limbs flail in excitement.

Makes me so happy and the best way to start any day.



Here he is chillin' with Grammie but this is the smile I see first thing every morning!

Bumblin'

My friends at work got a bumbo chair for Orion a few weeks ago and today was the first time he sat in it (now that he can hold his own head up). My friends (who have kids) swear by it and I'd have to say, I'd recommend it too! Orion loves it! He's a big boy now, sitting up all by himself!

Three Month Birthday!

Orion,

Today is your three month birthday! To celebrate, we took you to the bank with us for our mortgage appointment haha. Then when we got home, daddy serenaded you with Silly Love Songs by Paul McCartney which you seemingly love. I won't do this every month but 3 months is a big deal! You are such a special human being, you make my job as your daddy so very, very easy. You smile at me every day which warms and melts my heart each time and lights up my life. Daddy loves you very much!

Goodbye Phil and Ted

Ah Phil and Ted... you were so good to us! You will be missed. But Orion is a big boy now!

Last week, the doctor told us that Orion is now 14 pounds. There is no stopping this guy! He's getting so big! This means that he no longer fits in his Phil and Ted carrier which we used the whole time we were in India.



It was just an amazing little carrier and perfect for taking him to the mall, to the clinic, the Canadian consulate, FRRO... just anywhere in general. We would put him in his carrier in the crib and he would sleep in that, which he loved. But as of last week, his feet were pushing the end of the carrier so now he just sleeps in the crib itself.

I would highly recommend the Phil and Ted carrier to anyone that is having a baby in India! So for now I say goodbye to you Phil and Ted, thank you for everything that you have done. Perhaps I will see you again, some day soon!

Hurry Up, I'm Dreaming

Orion's first Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving Monday on the beach, 2011.

Stuffed

It's Thanksgiving long weekend here in Canada so happy Thanksgiving! As with every year, I have so much to be thankful for but of course it is obviously and especially more poignant this year :) Happy Thanksgiving all!

Bottle Conundrum

This past Friday, Orion had his follow-up doctor's appointment. He has been getting noticeably heavier so it wasn't a surprise when the doctor told us he's 12 pounds now o_O.

Orion is generally such a happy little baby, smiling most of the time. I am so blessed! *knocks on wood* However about a week and a half ago, he became fussy between feedings and then would just plain out cry for the whole duration in between feedings. My family and I were trying everything to figure out what was going on and I dreaded to hear the big "c" word... colic. Yikes!

Thankfully though, I figured it out and that was the flow on the bottles I was using. Up until now I had been using Dr. Brown's bottles and they were great for the first two months and served us well in India. However, Orion's feeding time was drastically getting shorter and shorter to the point where he'd eat too much, too fast in one feeding.

So I decided to try the "Nuk" bottle that the Lufthansa airline gave us for free and it just happened to be a "low" flow bottle which seemed to have done the trick. I went out and bought a few more of the low flow bottles and they also have medium and fast flows. Feedings now are back at their regular duration and my smiling baby boy is back! Taken this morning:



Hide yo grandmas, hide yo girlfriends, the neighbourhood giraffe gangsta is in town!

As mentioned in my previous entry, Saturday was Orion's meet and greet for friends and family (aka Baby Shower part II) and wow, was not expecting that big of a turnout! Orion was spoiled for sure :) Here he is after the party and after having one too many:



Slurring, "‎'Darrrrrrlinggggg, I dooo agreeeeeee."

Two Months

Orion is now two months old! (As of Monday).

I can't believe in less than 2 weeks, it will be Thanksgiving. Where is time going? It is going by too fast.

Some milestones since my last post:

+ Orion doesn't fit into some clothes now... what? I've already started to put clothes that don't fit him anymore into a bag. *tear*

+ He got his first health card in the mail (which was also his first piece of mail with his name on it!)

+ I can no longer swaddle him... at 2 months, he's just too big.

+ As of today, soothers aren't working as well as they once did but he's now taken notice of his hands and wants to suck them.

Sleeping in daddy's bed for a few hours in the morning.

Fresh air!

This Saturday is a meet and greet Orion/baby shower with friends and family so hopefully I can take some pics at that and post them up in an entry "Baby Shower Part II" next week.

44 Days, 44 Nights

Phew we're finally home! We're back but the journey home had a few bumps in the road. We got back on the 6th (almost 2 weeks ago) but when we got home, everyone got sick (my mom, dad) and then last weekend, Orion and myself got it. It's been heartbreaking seeing the little guy congested and coughing. I bought a Vicks Vapourizer machine to help ease the congestion at night. I think the worst of it is over and we're all on the mend now.

Our flight left on Tuesday the 6th at 3am. Driving to the airport, I had that same feeling of peace and serenity driving back from being reunited with my SM that I described a couple of entries back. On the way to the airport, it was lightly raining but the city was still alive with celebrations and fireworks were going off for Ganesh. It was just magical! I was happy to be leaving (we had been there for 44 days and only seen the sun once or twice) but thankful to Mumbai for everything and all of the people I had met along the way.

The international airport in Mumbai is an interesting one. It's as if the ground level and the lower level are two completely different worlds. The ground level feels like something from 20 years ago whereas the lower level is modern with restaurants, coffee shops, stores, etc.

Anyway, once we checked in with the airline, we were lucky to be upgraded to business class once again to accommodate the baby. I'm just gonna say it: the airline flying to and from Mumbai was Lufthansa and they have been nothing short of AMAZING with their customer service and accommodating us and our needs. Following check-in, it was then time to go through immigration... what we were dreading most. Except... nothing happened. My mom went with Orion, then I went and finally my dad... and no one from immigration asked us anything. Woohoo! Then it was time to go through security and that was a bit frustrating. Once it was my time to go through the x-ray, security asked me to take Orion out of the carrier so the carrier could go through the x-ray. I was like, really? C'mon now. Once that was done, I put Orion back in his carrier and we proceeded to the escalator for the lower level where the dates were. Before going to our gate, we stopped at the coffee shop for a little caffeine. Once it was time to pre-board, we went to the ticket counter at the gate and they took our tickets. Except there was ANOTHER security guy there, inspecting all carry-on bags. Since Orion's carrier had no airline tag on it, he wanted us to go all the way back to security screening and get one. I was clearly expressing my displeasure at that point. I said no no no, we had already done this and I wasn't going back there with the baby. Ultimately I had to go back but was escorted so upon my return to the gate, the agent would just take Orion and myself through the line, to the front at the gate.

The flight from Mumbai to Frankfurt was pleasant since we were in business class and Orion had a bassinet seat. In Frankfurt, our stop over was around 5 hours and that's when my mom started feeling sick. That's when everything went downhill. This was because our flight from Frankfurt to Ottawa was Lufthansa but Lufthansa "operated by Air Canada." Noooooo! Air Canada is an awful, awful airline and I try to avoid it at all costs. First, no one was announcing where the gate was. It wasn't showing up on any of the boards. It wasn't until we asked that we were told it had been moved. Once we got there, we realized we'd have to take a bus from the gate to the plane. I also asked the agents there if we could please have a bassinet seat for the baby. I was told it was doubtful since the plane was overbooked. I said, "So?" I asked, "Can we please have our seats reassigned to the bassinet seats if the people already assigned to those seats don't have children with them?" I was told to ask again later on. I didn't as I was getting nowhere with these "customer service" agents.

The bus arrived and pre-boarding was called. We boarded the bus. Then suddenly, everyone else crammed on to the bus, rendering the point of pre-boarding the plane pointless. There would be no pre-boarding of the plane, we guessed, since everyone was on the bus. Once we got to the plane, there was a mad dash by everyone to get off the bus. Once the bus had been emptied, there was no one there to help a young mom travelling by herself with her toddler. No one from Air Canada helped her and her child off the bus onto the plane with the stroller. It was truly appalling.

Once we got on the plane, we found our seats which were the second last rows. I asked the flight attendants if we could please be reassigned so the baby could rest in the bassinet and they said they would ask those already in those seats. Awhile later, the attendants returned and said the couple there didn't want to change seats (with us, we have a baby!) as they had specifically asked for those seats in advance. So Orion stayed in his carrier but took turns being on my lap and my mom's. It was about to be the longest 7-8 hours ever.

At some point during the flight, there was a medical emergency. The toddler to the young mom I mentioned earlier, stopped responding for several minutes. There was panic among the flight attendants and they had to ask over the intercom if there was a doctor on board. The child ended up being fine a few minutes later.

We've been home for almost 2 weeks now and have been busy trying to get back into the routine of normal life. Getting Orion's health card, taking him to his first check-up, etc. He had his first doctor's appointment last Friday and my doctor said to me, "I think he's going to be a big boy!" Last night he had a sleepover at his grandparents so I could take care of a few things during the day and get a few hours of sleep during the night.

Fall is definitely in the air here and it's so great to be able to do the little things like take him for a walk in his stroller, watch him stare at the leaves on a tree blowing in the wind, etc. I'm hoping to be able to put up more pictures in the next few weeks but in the meantime, here he is at his first doctor's appointment last Friday!

All For This

Today was our scheduled day to go to the FRRO. It's interesting that this is what we expected to give us the biggest headache but ultimately proved to be the smoothest experience. And hopefully last as we're on a plane back home Monday night.

This morning we got up early (around 4am as Orion was hungry), then we left our hotel at around 7:30am to be there for after 9am (didn't want to take any chances with potential traffic). The streets were essentially empty and we got there at 8:30am. The officers at the door wouldn't let us wait inside until 9am which was unfortunate because it was absolutely pouring. So our driver took us around the Gateway of India area which is beautiful no matter what the weather conditions are. There are some fine looking apartments/condos/hotels around there which are directly on the water. Including the usual upscale boutiques such as Louis Vuitton etc. After the drive we went back to the FRRO office and there was lineup. Thankfully, I had hired help to coordinate everything with the FRRO officers so he was there waiting for us and did all the talking. We bypassed the lineup and he went did all the initial paperwork and preliminary discussions with the FRRO officer. All I had to do was take my documents to the assigned booth, answer several questions, handover my documents and then I returned to the main waiting room area where my mom, dad and Orion were. After waiting for about 20 minutes, I paid the necessary fees and then after another 15 minutes, the FRRO officer returned to see me in the main waiting room area to give me Orion's exit visa. Then we left! All in all we were only there for about 2 hours. The hired help was definitely worth it.

By the time we left, the waiting room was packed and starting to get a little chaotic, even for a Saturday. The 3rd floor, where the FRRO offices are were kept cool by ceiling fans and the rooms were fairly well lit. The FRRO officer asked me questions such as: am I married, why I'm not married (I asked her if she knew anyone/had any friends lol, which got a smile), what my occupation is in Canada, if I'm an only child, if my sisters are married (I was like wtf to that last one).

While we were in the waiting room, we met some really nice people. First, a couple were there from Australia who were there to start the process with my doctor and clinic. I gave them my e-mail, hopefully we'll stay in touch. They weren't aware of the warm and supportive blogging community we have so it would be nice to introduce them to that and my blog! Secondly, there was a man there who was from the States and working on the special effects for a Bollywood film that is tentatively titled, "Krish 3" which I'll have to look for when it comes out.

I'm looking forward to going home Monday night, I can't believe this journey is coming to an end. This morning when we were driving to the FRRO, I saw a billboard that said, "Life begins when the road ahead ends." So true! This road has come to an end but once we get home, my life at home with Orion and my family can begin. I've learned so much from my time here in the last month and on this journey in the last 3 years in general. I could have not done any of this without the support of my family who have done so much for me and especially more specifically my mom and dad who came to be here for the birth of Orion and also support and help me. I've already begun thinking in the back of my mind about the sequel (hehe) and coming back for baby number 2 in a few years (hopefully a daughter - sister for Orion!) We'll see where life takes us in the meantime and if it leads us to that. If we do come back, I have a better idea now of what to do, what not to do, where to stay, where not to stay, etc.

For now though, I just feel happy and at peace knowing that the last 3 years, through all the ups and downs, tears, anxiety, loss, milestones, excitement, joy, adventures were all worth it when I see this smile.



Daddy loves you, Orion!

The Wind, Rain & Night

Sitting in the back of a cab, driving back to the hotel last Saturday night. Looking at the night time city lights, the bustling streets of Mumbai. Watching the rain hit the window, breathing in the fresh air and just feeling at peace over everything, the journey from the last 3 years and at what just happened that evening. Everything had come full circle.

Rewind 24 hours, when I asked Dr. M from my clinic that I wanted to see my SM for the first time since Orion's birth, to say thank you in person, give her a little something extra and to have her see Orion. Dr. M said yes, come to the clinic for 6pm where everyone would reunite again. When my parents and I got there, I saw my SM sitting there smiling as she saw me come in. My heart warmed and we brought Orion in. We took some pictures together and then I gave her my gift. She held Orion for a bit and then she had to leave as she needed to take a bus and train to get back home. We said our goodbyes and then she left. After that we chatted for Dr. M for a bit but then she was scheduled to meet with a new client so we headed back to the hotel. By then it was dark and we needed to get Orion back anyway for his next feeding. We brought a bottle, his formula and his diaper bag in case we had to feed him at the clinic or in the taxi but there was no need to... he went back to sleep during the ride home. He is just such a cool, calm, collected and happy baby boy. I am so lucky! I hope it continues... *knocks on wood* He loves the heat and noises of the city. He loves going on little excursions and is almost guaranteed to fall asleep in his carrier in the back of a taxi... the more Mumbai potholes/sinkholes we run over, the better! Movement is comforting to him.

Happy boy!









I am so blessed!

In other news, Mumbai has been quite the sight the last couple of days with the Ganesh Chaturthi festival taking place! We've seen dancing in the streets, awesome loud drumming, homes decorated with lights similar to Christmas lights and fireworks.

Saturday is our day at the FRRO so I will be sure to post an update on that when we get back and then hopefully if all that goes well, we'll be back in Canada on Tuesday afternoon! I'm trying to not think about it too much because I can't wait to be home and thus am still just taking things day by day.

The Smile

We picked up Orion's passport earlier this week, woohoo! Everyone's happy:



The Canadian consulate here in Mumbai has just been outstanding. We are so lucky to be Canadian. Our stay here has not been easy but we realize and understand that others before us had it far more difficult than us now, as well as do many other individuals who come here from other countries around the world. When we remember that, we know that we are fortunate. Also, I could not have done this without my parents being here and their support, as well as all of the kind people I've met here in Mumbai. So many lessons learned. Hopefully for next time, a few years down the road, the process will be simpler and more manageable for 1 or 2 people. To those that come here on their own and are able to get through it all, you are amazing and so admired.

Next week is our appointment at the FRRO and our last week here. When we get home, Summer will be over and Fall will be just around the corner. Where has the time gone? We left Canada July 21 and since then it has felt like we've been living in a bubble. Orion's one-month birthday is tomorrow (26th) and my birthday was last Saturday.

I am so anxious to get home and just get back to "normal"... whatever that is. I want to take Orion out for walks in his stroller, take him to the park, take him to the hill out back behind my house, have him meet his aunts and other grandfather, sleep in his own room, his own bed... the list goes on.

For now though, here are some more smiles! Keep smilin'!

Daddy Wow!

I'm 3 weeks old now!

(Or alternatively captioned: COME AT ME BRO!)

Canadian Consulate Adventures

Tuesday was Orion's two week birthday! To celebrate, yesterday all of us (me, my mom, dad and Orion) took a field trip to InOrbit mall. Honestly, I don't know what I would do without InOrbit. Every Canadian having a baby here should visit there at least once. There is a Shoppers Stop there which includes a Mother Care section on the 2nd floor. Then there is a Spencer's which is like a grocery store and value clothes store. You can find essentially anything there like cheap but good quality t-shirts (250 rupees each = $5 CDN), sandals, belts, toiletries, snacks and comfort food you love in Canada (i.e. chips lol). They have 2L bottled water for 70 rupees a pop, juice, etc. Thank goodness for InOrbit! Anyway, we took Orion with us and he slept the whole time. We were only out for 3 hours but we timed everything with him well. I brought my diaper bag with an extra bottle, change of clothes, diaper etc but he stayed in dream land the whole time. Not 5 minutes later after we got back to hotel home, he started to wake up for feeding time. Such a good and well behaved baby :)

Rewind to last Wednesday when we spent most of the day at the Canadian Consulate in south Mumbai. I thought I was prepared and had everything ready such as the photos for the passport, visa, citizenship application etc but I wasn't. Upon arrival, I was told the sizes were not acceptable. This was unfortunate as I had been very clear regarding measurements to the photographer at the photo studio we went to in Mumbai. My advice for other Canadians doing this in the future: don't spend the time, energy and money going to just any photographer with your baby at any photo studio. Before going to the consulate, go see a photographer about 5 blocks away from the consulate building. Specifically, as you're exiting the consulate building from the main entrance, go right and then about 5 blocks later, you'll come to "Mamta Foto Centre." After our photo sizes were not accepted by the consulate, they recommended we go there before the doctor came in for the DNA testing. We found Mamta and they knew the sizes for all the photos by heart. Just go to Mamta and ask for Chintan. I have their card so if anyone wants their contact information, just e-mail me and I can provide you with their coordinates.



At Mamta, ready for his photo shoot but he had other plans, i.e. napping!

So I was with the contact from the consulate all morning, finalizing all of the forms and payment. I must say, the contact and the rest of the staff at the consulate have done nothing but gone above and beyond in terms of service and trying to help us. Not having a support system while being on the other side of the planet is difficult so having their help has meant a lot. After lunch at 1pm, the doctor came in to do the DNA test on Orion. Specifically, he took a swab and also a fingerprint which the consulate staff wondered if really necessary and if newborns even have fingerprints at that age. One person remarked, "That is definitely the smallest fingerprint I have ever seen."

Once the test had been done, we were able to leave. The DNA sample was Fedexed to the lab I had chosen to work with on this, Maxxam, in Guelph, Canada. They received the sample Friday afternoon and now we are waiting for them to confirm the results. We've kindly asked them to help us and expedite things but I have not heard anything from them in the last 2 days, which is unusual. I've sent e-mails everyday, called and left voice messages for several people from India, kindly asking to be updated as a courtesy but no response. To be honest, I don't think I will do business with them again and I can't say I would recommend them. I get better service at McDonalds for a $2 cheeseburger opposed to a $800 DNA test with a baby involved. Any response would be appreciated to give us an update but the one thing I can't stand is when businesses don't reply to correspondence from clients that have already paid for a service.

Amidst the waiting and anxiety to get home, we are all spending time with Orion and getting to know him better. Swaddling didn't last very long as he worms his way out and likes to sleep like this:



Look dad! No hands!



Victory dance! Rawwwwwwwr!







Little bug.



On Grammie's shoulder.



Happy dad!

Until next time :)

First Smile

Orion's first smile (not caused by gas). Here, we were lightly tapping his hands and making funny sounds, which he seemed to like. He may have been smiling as a reflex from us tapping his hands rather than genuinely liking it and thus smiling but what's important is that it was not a gassy smile. We did this several times and he smiled each time. p.s. Please excuse the strange sounds we're making in this video. We're not crazy. Although Orion probably thinks we are. Also, I have no idea who that sleeping hobo is on the couch in the background. He may or may not be my dad.

My Little Lug

"O hai!"

Orion's one week old birthday is today!!! I mentioned to my mom earlier that I feel like I've already known him forever. There is just a connection between him and myself and his grandmother that feels... perfect. He is such an alert and curious boy. He is most like this after feedings/diaper changes. He just looks at you and around the room, starry-eyed. He is very strong too... sometimes giving me headbutts as I'm burping him, waving his head around. He likes to lift off too, against anything he can press his feet against. He is a chilled out and well tempered baby overall, so I feel very lucky and fortunate *knocks on wood, that this continues*

Tomorrow is our appointment at the Canadian consulate... I'm hoping everything goes well. I'll take pictures and put them up when we get back, as he has special Canadiana apparel to hopefully make a good first impression there haha. It will be good to get out and about with him, get some fresh air as our outings thus far have just consisted of mini trips around the hotel.

Last night there were some amazing fireworks in the sky in Mumbai around Andheri East. Does anyone know what they were for? They were big like July 1/July 4 fireworks... such a spectacle to look at.

I would be lying if I said I wasn't getting anxious to get home and resume real life... I'm hoping we'll be able to get home sooner rather than later.

That's it for now, nap time! ZZZzzzzzzz...

Hotel Home!

Before we got to bring Orion home, we were having a few slightly minor technical difficulties with the AC panel as you can see. (Too cold!!!)



After a long day at the end of last week, we came back to the hotel to relax. One glass of wine later, my mom started to fiddle with the panel and then it wasn't too much longer until we noticed the floor was melting (condensation) as well as the mirrors and windows. Oops! Thankfully we have that under control now as Orion is home!!! (Hotel home). Last night was a long night on the couch, his first night with us. Long as in I don't think I ever went to sleep. However it was a fair trade off as I introduced his soother "binky" to him and he likes that so his efforts and energy is focused on that.



Lastly, here is an adorably cute short video clip I took of him last night. I haven't shaven in several days so needless to say, Orion reacts when my stubble touches his face. He's not too impressed! Check out the clip below "No Stubble Kisses"

See you in a bit!

Introducing Baby Orion

The last three years (and my whole life, in fact) has finally led up to this. I am over the moon to let everyone know that my son, Orion Preet MacDougall Morrison was born on Tuesday July 26 at 6:25pm, weighing in at almost 8 pounds! He's still in the NICU and we haven't been able to bring him home yet (well, back to the hotel). We're told he will (hopefully) be discharged tomorrow. As well, it is expected that I'll get his birth certificate as well which is great.

In the meantime though, we've been visiting him everyday and I've been feeding him, holding him, talking to him, etc. I miss him and hope he can come home tomorrow. He hasn't been taking the bottle; he's not sucking or he'll suck for a bit and then fall asleep on the bottle. Hence I've nicknamed him my little lazy lug. Hopefully he'll come home with us tomorrow and we can spend more time with him practicing.

The last few days have been quite the whirlwind. On Tuesday when we got the call about Orion, we got into a taxi and drove to the clinic. Following that, we went to the hospital where I began filling out paperwork. A few minutes later, the doctor came in with a big smile on her face and said, "Congratulations!!! You're the father of a baby............... boy!" I was not even on this planet at that point. We followed her into another room where Orion was and as we got closer, I could hear him crying. I was just so happy. My mom started crying. My adrenalin was going too much, I could not feel anything other than excitement and joy. The next day, I'll never forget when he looked at me for the first time. It's just so awe-inspiring to see him look at me and his surroundings for the first time. I haven't shaven in a few days so when I go to kiss him, he makes this funny face from the feel of my stubble.

We'll be able to take more pics of me and Orion together tomorrow when we bring him home. In the meantime though, I included a few pics! Orion and Beau can be penpals :)



I love when he looks at me... makes my heart melt.



He was making the cutest whimpers today.



Daddy and baby.



Daddy feeling just pure bliss and happiness.



Om nom nom!

Baby Alert!

This morning as my mom and I were eating breakfast, I was thinking to myself what we were going to do today. A few minutes later, we got the call that baby will be delivered this afternoon. We are just waiting for the green light to hop in a taxi and drive on over to the hospital!

Yesterday was a busy and long day for us. It began early with a scheduled appointment with the doctor at the clinic. We got into a rickshaw and made our way there. I had showed the driver the address and everything was seemingly going well. However, the driver brought us to what he thought was the destination but it clearly wasn't. So I got the doctor on the phone and they spoke to the driver to give him directions. A few more calls and a few more stops later, the driver stopped to ask another person on the street. The guy told us to get out and he'd walk us there. It was just 2 minutes down the street. We thanked him and the driver and went inside. Once inside, I showed the doctor the address I had written down and she laughed. She said I had written down the address to her home and not that of the clinic! Oops! Sorry rickshaw driver! Apologies for torturing you with that confusing and frustrating drive.

Inside, we were reunited with our SM who had just woken up and got to see her tummy. The doctor told me we'd celebrate the birth of baby, perhaps next week once our SM can leave the clinic but before she goes home. So we'll be having a little celebratory function next week with my mom, baby, the doctors, our SM and my dad once he arrives on Tuesday. I'm really looking forward to that, that'll be special. It will be the perfect opportunity for me to give her the little extra gift I got her.

After we left the clinic, we headed back for the hotel... in a cab this time since it was raining intermittently. On the way we back we saw someone walking an elephant down the street as if they were walking a dog down the street. The elephant looked pretty, it had cool neon pink henna painted all over it. We wanted to take a picture but couldn't get our cameras ready in time.

Once we got back to the hotel, we rested for a bit, ate lunch and then went back to InOrbit mall. Love it there! I had some delicious mango and pineapple ice cream. Mmm mmm mmm!

Anyway, I'm going to head out for some lunch now so my next update might be a "baby is here" update with some pictures! See you in a bit!

First Class

Greetings from Mumbai! We're finally settled now but there were a few ups and downs along the way. The flight was amazing, that really worked out well. We ended up scoring first class seating because the airline had overbooked from Frankfurt to Mumbai so we were able to be comfortable and sleep in first class. Was a nice treat and we really needed the sleep for what was to come next...

...so we arrived at our accommodations that I had booked months ago. Upon arrival though, it was clear that what we were expecting and the reality of the situation was not matching up. This is my third time to Mumbai and thankfully I've only ever had positive experiences with the accommodations I've booked. These "suites" however that we arranged for us and baby would not be acceptable. There was literally nothing in the rooms. The fridge was not working, appliances for baby were nowhere to be found... and the breakfast the next morning was... well, even I passed on it and I eat anything.

Unfortunately it took most of the day to get our deposit back (they had to write us a cheque, which we had to come back for 6 hours later) but we found a great suite at another hotel for a reasonable price and we're settled in now. We have a fridge, a microwave, kettle and staff has provided a crib for us.

Today we went to InOrbit mall (which I love), bought a few things for ourselves, baby and some groceries. My mom also took her first rickshaw today! Woot woot! She loved it. We'll take one again tomorrow and I'll try to snap a pic or two to upload but I think that will pretty much be it for rickshaws (boo!) as we think the baby will be delivered tomorrow (yay!) We're going to the clinic in the morning and then after lunch I'll write another update to tell what's happening. This is my mom's first time to India and she is doing quite well so far. I am very proud of her. You can follow her updates here: Anybody 50+

Destination > BOM

Update! So I'll be flying off, Thursday by myself to hopefully get there in time. My parents will have to join me as originally scheduled on Aug 2. To change all 3 tickets, pay the difference in prices on top of outrageous fees it would have been thousands of dollars. I don't expect anyone to be able to afford that. Obviously I have a heavy heart now and am disappointed/sad that I won't be able to share my baby's birth with my mom and dad but they will be there soon, days afterward to be with us. My parents have done/are doing so much for me that words will never express enough how I feel and I've been blessed with everything that I've been given so far but I just had a certain idea in my head of how we would all be there together for when he/she is born. I know everything happens for a reason... everything about this journey in the last 3 years has happened for a reason when I look back, leading all up to this and this is just another part of that.

Early Delivery?

This morning I got "the" call that baby may be delivered in the next few days!!! I may be joining my buddies Adam and Michael earlier than planned! Baby is not supposed to be due until Aug 8-11 but he/she is already 6 pounds and my SM was taken to the hospital a couple of hours ago. So I may be on a plane to Mumbai in the next few days! Hopefully the baby can wait but I'll let everyone know when I have a better idea of what's happening.

*faints*

The Little Things

...I am looking forward to them.

Also in nursery update news, I'm about 80% done! This weekend we put the crib together, most of the wall art up, the drapes, etc. Just waiting for a few other things to come in the mail and then I hope to post pics in my next post which I'll put up next weekend.

Baby Shower Part I

Yesterday I had 2 close friends take me out for a mini baby shower lunch. I got a few gifts, one of them being a joke/gag gift:



Yikes! I hope I won't actually be needing to use any of those o_O

Daydreams

Earlier today walking to my car, I had to take a picture of a little scene before me. I saw myself hand in hand, with such a little person! Was too cute to pass up. She looked adorable.

This weekend was a busy one! We booked our flights and I got the latest ultrasound report and pictures! The baby is already 2809 g which is approximately 6.19278 pounds. With still about a month-month and a half to go... how big is he/she going to be?

My intuition is telling me it's going to be a she. However, for the longest while and for most of the pregnancy, I thought it was going to be a boy... it just seemed like the universe was pointing towards that way. I've had the baby names for both boy and girl chosen for a while now and while not exactly common names, I was unusually seeing the boy's name appear everywhere for months on end. Not so much lately, but now I've been noticing the girl's name more and even my sisters have commented as of late they've seen the girl's name pop up in places.

After my parents and I had booked our plane tickets, we went out for lunch and as we sat down at our table, I could hear a young little girl, somewhere in the restaurant say, "Daddy! Daddy!" It was as if that was me. A moment of happiness. Then tonight after dinner, I went to lie down for a quick power nap. I must have been really tired because as I was drifting in and out of sleep, I could hear a little girl laughing. Laughing as in kind of giggling as if her dad was doing something silly and she knew it but it was making her laugh anyway. Being only slightly awake, it was a warm enough thought/dream to make me smile and to remember.

50 Days!

About 50 or so days now! *eats shirt nervously* Definitely starting to get more real now! *hyperventilates*

A certain someone thought it'd be funny to send me a message today with links to clips on YouTube of babies crying. They wrote, "Get ready!" Upon watching, my heart warmed.

Happy Father's Day

My first Father's Day!!! (As an about-to-be dad).

So many things I've learned this year: how to bake a pie, bbq, more that I can't remember at this moment... and I'll be learning a lot more come this August.

Happy Father's Day to all the seasoned dads, new dads and dads to be!

♪ Daddy loves you... ♫

♫ Yeah... ♫

The Nursery Part I

Phew! Such a busy week! Busy at work, had my DNA tests done and today I painted the nursery. Painting is such hard work! Hard yet fulfilling. Thankfully, my sisters helped and add some jazz music to the mix... time passed much more quickly.

This week was also another milestone in that I told my boss at work the news. I'm starting to really enjoy people's reactions! My boss was completely understanding, as I've always had a great work relationship with him and he's always been supportive of me. I also told another colleague/friend and it was just an interesting set of circumstances... we were in a shuttle bus going from one location to another and I just impulsively decided to tell her. So now that makes 2 guys/2 girls at work who know!

My mom also decided to make it official on her blog!

One my favourite things that she says is, "I'm looking forward to [...] Just a simple walk, hand in hand around the block." Me too, looking forward to such things just makes me so happy. Which is why I posted the above YouTube vid, one of my favourite personal tracks and with it, a visual of a mom/grandmom and their child/grandchild.

Back to the nursery, I decided to take some before/after pics as I've seen other blogs do it, which I love. The baby is getting the master bedroom (which was not being used anyway). I got rid of the ugly green and replaced it with a light and airy purplish/lilac/mauve colour. The actual name is "silver mauve." I'll post those pics in the next entry. For now though, here is the hideous green, going around the room counter-clockwise:









Can't wait to show you the final product!

The 100 Day Countdown

We're actually now at around 75 days left to go and I'm starting to get excited. A few days ago my mom asked me if I'm getting excited. I mean, of course I've always been excited amidst cautious optimism and trepidation but now it's becoming real excitement. Like, physical and tangible excitement... that feeling in your stomach and adrenalin rush flowing through your body. I've been slowly telling close friends, revealing all and it's just a wonderful feeling to be able to share this and not keep it to myself anymore. I feel freeeeee!

I feel like, in a way, he or she is already with me wherever I go. In my mind when I'm at the grocery store, s/he is there in the cart. Or when I'm walking to/from my car in a parking lot, I'm carrying him/her in the carrier. I already have my nickname for him/her and that's my little jabu jabu. Having said all that, no I am not crazy but I will completely understand if you think otherwise.

Life is changing and 2011 is certainly the year of the changes. Friends will be getting married, some moving away, others changing jobs and now me... I'm having a baby! This week we confirmed our accommodations in India, I've been coordinating affairs with the Canadian consulate, scheduled my DNA tests, taped the baby's room up to get it ready to paint... and today I got my latest ultrasound report. My buddies want to take me out to celebrate in the next few weeks. Not sure about that as that could be trouble.

I'm just perfectly happy as is, that everything is finally coming together.

Happy Mother's Day

Families around the world are comprised of different dynamics. Some families have a mom. Some don't. Some have a dad. Some don't. Others have both while there may be others who have none. Some may have 2 moms or 2 dads. Some children may only have their grandparents in their lives or aunts and uncles to raise them. Whatever a family may look like, the one most important constant is love.

So I would just like to say an early Happy Mother's Day to my mom who has always been there for me and has especially supported me and come along on this ride to help me start my family. She'll be there with me in India as we welcome new baby into the world.

I would now like to take this time to shamelessly plug her blog, which she calls, "Seniors - Anybody 50+"

She is definitely not a senior (although she thinks she is), nor does she look like one. Just look at her! Her blog is more for humour and if you'd like a good laugh every once in awhile then add it to your list of blogs that you follow, as we could all use a laugh every once and again in our lives.

Happy Mother's Day!

The First of May

What a picture-perfect, big blue sky, Spring weekend! I could not have woken up to anything better on a Saturday morning as I checked my e-mails and got my latest ultrasound pics and report. After that I went for a drive to pick something up for the baby's room I've wanted to get since before Christmas:



It's a wooden picture frame with a soft cushy image of a tree that you can tack pictures onto and then hang on the wall. It's going to have pictures of the baby's immediate family on it so that (aside from spending time with them), he or she will learn who his or her family is. It comes with little picture frames and little tacks in the shape of doves.

The lower left emblem says this:



After the drive, I went to my mom's house where, out of impulse, we decided to go shopping and look at strollers. We ended up getting one. All in all a great weekend!

My Worst Kept Secret

Today was a milestone!

I told my closest friend and colleague at work about my baby and it felt great! That may sound silly but none of my friends that are in my life on a day to day basis know, he was the first I told. I do have one other friend that knows but I only communicate with her sporadically and haven't seen in her in years since she lives in a different city. I hadn't planned on telling him today but I did thanks in part to prescription meds for a migraine I had, as I was feeling loopy and just went for it.

The discussion originally began in my office where we were just talking about changes at work. Then it transformed into larger life discussions about careers etc and I said we should talk about the future sometime next week. Then he obviously wanted to know what I meant but I just downplayed it as no big deal and I said we'd talk more next week at lunch together or after work over a drink one day. However the horse had left the barn at that point and we both had to walk the same 5 blocks to our cars so I decided to reveal all on the walk.

It started to rain as we were walking and I pulled out my iPhone to show the ultrasound pics. The reveal and reaction was surreal. I'll probably never forget it. He looked at the picture and then looked at me, totally bewildered with his mouth open. "NO WAY" and then confusion. "Who is she?" he said. "Who is she, what?" I said and then awkwardness LOL. I was nervous but was then finally able to tell the whole story! It felt wonderful. Only my family has known up until now because it has been such a roller coaster ride and I had really isolated myself.

I feel great, he's a really understanding and deep individual in general, on a journey, looking for something, and we share so many things in common that the discussion was easy. I went into what the name will be if it's a boy and what it will be if it's a girl. I'm sure there will be more questions next week haha. I was relieved to know he was genuinely surprised as I thought up until now this had been my worst kept secret. Last week another friend sent an e-mail to me and our group of friends, inviting everyone to go out for dinner next week because someone in the group was moving away to the U.S. over a girl, which was a surprise to everyone. Except, the girl who sent the e-mail to the group decided it would be funny to title the subject line, "Toban is getting married" to get everyone's attention. After revealing the news in the e-mail about our friend moving away, she then asked if I had an announcement to make. To which I had to make some lame unfunny joke about announcing I have an addiction to cake or something to not make things awkward. (As I really do have an announcement to make [the baby] but just not to them and not at this time).

Then earlier this month on April 1, I had left my desk unattended for a few minutes and it just so happened I was logged into my Facebook as well. As you can imagine, some pranksters thought it would be hilarious (and it was afterwards) to go into my Facebook and put my status as, "I just found out I'm going to be a dad! I'm sooo happy!" Of course, my colleagues at work who did this don't actually know I really am going to be a dad, it was just coincidence they had chosen to use that to prank me. A few minutes later I got an e-mail from the colleague responsible saying, "I just saw your Facebook status, congrats!" Needless to say I quickly removed that status before anyone could see and had to act surprised and as if that really was the most hilarious thing in the world, "OH GUYS! YOU SURE GOT ME!"

My friend and colleague from today is getting married in September and they'll be trying to have a baby then so I'm happy that we're all starting new chapters in our lives and I'm happy that we can talk about it now.

The Ultimate Troll Dad

Reverse psychology always wins!*

*99.98357123% degree of accuracy.

Aurora

The Aurora from Terje Sorgjerd on Vimeo.

A short video clip of time lapse Auroras over Norway. I hope to be able to see these in person one day!

This Bright Star Shining

I was just filled with so much inner happiness and bursting with joy when I got this earlier this morning.

North star babby is definitely high-fiving Allton-Nee three babby!

Last Night's Dream

It was the future… several months from now and my family and I were in India for the baby. We were at the clinic and the baby hadn’t been born yet but one of the nurses let it slip and referred to the baby by its gender… “he.”

So that clearly means I’m having a girl.

Hehe, I’m excited and preparing to have either!

The Serenity Prayer

Dear little baby growing on the other side of the world,

Hopefully one day when you are older you'll be able to read all of the entries in this blog and better understand the journey we took to bring special you into this world.

By now you've hopefully become a good-natured and well behaved young person (hehe) so you've probably heard me repeat things such as life lessons many times. And I've probably heard many times, "Daaaaddd, not this again!" Things such as:

1) Always treat people the way you would want to be treated

2) Family first and

3) We can't dwell on things we can't control... but we must learn from them and move on

Even at age 31, I am still learning how to accept things that happen to me which I can't control and your grandmother even remarked so today. For some, it's a life-long process. Take this week's episode, for instance. (And it's only Tuesday! ;_; )

Yesterday I was walking to my car after work. When I got to it I saw this:

Someone had stolen my tire right off my car and left me alone, stranded in a mall parking lot. Naturally, one's reaction is to get upset... which I was. I felt wronged and still can't believe that someone lacking that degree of morals and ethics would do that to another human being. But ultimately, this happened, I have to accept it and move forward. It is not worth dwelling over and thankfully I had my family to help me and support me. Also try to remember that things could always be worse. In my case, the thief could have taken the jack and left the bare wheel touching the ground which most likely would have done damage. However, regardless of one's problems, there is always someone else in the world that could be having a worse day than yours.

So as you can see this is a good lesson in a) treating others the way you would want to be treated, b) family first and c) not dwelling on things we can't control but learn from them and move forward.

Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.

Waiting

A few words of hope and solace for those who may be waiting for anything in life:

If ever there was a part of everyday life that almost everyone hates, it's waiting.

It's a shame because waiting is unavoidable, like death and taxes — and just about as popular.

Waiting in line...is barely tolerated. God help the person who tries to cut in.
Waiting while driving is even worse, breeding dangerous, irrational behavior.
We have a name for that: road rage.
Waiting causes impatience, anger, and stress. We have drugs for that.
We have special rooms for waiting. They're rarely happy places.
In short, waiting is almost always considered a waste of time. A bad thing.

But it doesn't have to be that way. If you have a smart phone, you've already discovered the joys of "continuous episodic computing." It makes waiting productive. Just please...not while you're driving.

With a change in attitude, waiting becomes an opportunity for exploration, a time for discovery.

A time to read, play, watch or listen, connect with friends, write.
Or simply a quiet space to catch up with yourself.
A good thing.

Source

It Is Written

"You see Saakshi: things are written, but you need to be attentive to the signs..."

The universe speaks to us. I remember when I was very young, still in the single digits and I was first learning about the 'mechanics' of how a baby was born. When I discovered how, I just knew that is not how I would be doing things even at such a young age. I had this feeling... this intuition. It's funny that even so young we have feelings and ideas about ourselves and the future. Are things written?

My journey to this point now really began almost 3 years ago in the Spring of 2008 when my grandfather died. Death is a part of life and with it, for some of us along with the season of Spring, brings renewal and spiritual cleansing. I was going through that with the loss of my grandfather but this loss was different. I had an awakening and could feel something calling me. One day around the time of this loss I went home and put on the week's Hearts of Space episode. It was titled "Planet India" and for some reason I kept playing it over and over and over again. It was just speaking to me and I would put India on the list of places in the world to visit next.

Fast forward to the Fall and I come across an article online about surrogacy in India and I start thinking about the hopes and possibilities of starting my own family. Almost a year later of doing research, one thing leads to another and I'm put in contact with a very special person, a guide, here in Canada who started his family with the help of a clinic in India. I decide I'm ready to tell my immediate family of my plans about what I've thinking about over the last year and that I've decided to pursue starting my family.

To start my journey, I take a road trip to Toronto for fertility testing so that I can send my reports to India. You'll probably laugh and think it's silly but along the way, I notice that God and the universe is speaking to me, letting me know I'm on the right path:

and

A few months later, my dad and I travel to India to meet with the clinic and introduce ourselves to India. I fell in love with it. I've been all over the world and have my favourite destinations but India took the top spot. The spirit and warmth of the people amidst the busyness and sheer size of the population, spoke to that feeling inside of me.

It's been a long time coming, waiting for that metaphorical train. But like the song says, it's well worth waiting. I've spent the last year and a half, kind of isolated myself from friends, being social, etc., because it's been such an up and down journey. It's not easy for most people who try this and it hasn't been for me or my family. I've had 6 attempts, 5 negative and 1 one positive but lost the little one in the first trimester. For all of those who are going through this and it seems like you can't go on, can't take any more, I'm now about to enter my 15th week of pregnancy! There is one healthy little baby growing and will be introduced to the world in August.

Quote taken from author Paulo Coelho's blog.

Happy early Valentine's Day!!!

Like A Star

Hi all,

I would like to send a care package with items to help with the pregnancy. I was just wondering if any others did this and which items were found to be most helpful?

Help a newbie out if you have a few minutes! Much thanks ^_^

UPDATE: I found these awesome butters and creams, slippers and towelettes that I will put together in a little basket. I hope she likes it!

Winter's Bone

Yes I completely stole the title hehehe from the film currently making its way through theatres now and was just nominated at the Academy Awards earlier this week. I guess I spoke too soon with my last post and picture. Now here is a pic of the same hill but snowy with tobogganers. Winter's revenge!

Happy New Year!

This picture was taken today from my backyard on January 3, 2011. That is a city designated official toboggan hill and normally has all sorts of people sledding on the hill! This morning I heard on the radio that we will be having a milder than average winter this year with less than average precipitation amounts. I'm not complaining. In 2 months from now in March when we may or may not have 60 inches of show at -30 degrees celcius, I can look back at this picture and see how nice we had it at the beginning of January 2011. Happy new year all!