No Time to Spare

Tracy gave her couple 2 more reasons to be thankful at Thanksgiving! Guillem weighing 4 lbs 5oz and Xavier weighing 5 lbs 11 oz born on November 11, 1998!

You can just imagine how many close calls we have. It is even more difficult, when the couple live in another country, to try and coordinate everyone arriving in time. Tracy’s delivery on November 11, 1998 was definitely one for the record books. When her labor began, a couple weeks before the parents were due to arrive, I called and they had just gone to bed for the night. They were panicked, as they couldn’t get an international flight until morning! Their flight was due in at 4:30pm in San Diego, so Kim went to meet them as things seemed calm at the hospital.

I was on my way back from Los Angeles, stuck in traffic, when all this is going on. Suddenly, I get a page from Tracy’s husband, Mark, that Dr. Blake has decided a C-Section is necessary and they will begin preparing her for surgery soon. As they are wheeling her into the operating room, Tracy’s couple arrive. They hadn’t slept in over 24 hours, but you wouldn’t know it by their excitement. Tracy arranges for Mom to be in the operating room with her and Mark so she can witness the birth of her children. Dad and Kim are in an adjoined viewing room anxiously awaiting the birth. Moments before they are born, I walk through the door. As I look through the window, the doctor is handing Mom her first son. She first shows Tracy her new son, Xavier, then brings him to the window for us to see. Dad’s eyes well up with tears. Then Guillem was born shortly after and the nurse helps Mom show him off too. It was certain that these new parents were exhausted and we wondered how they managed to function, but I guess as parents we just do. These cuties weighed in at 5lb 11oz and 4lb 5oz, respectively. We introduced Thanksgiving to Tracy’s couple as we spent this holiday together.

This holiday took on a whole new meaning for us all that year!

Almost Two Decades of Infertility Overcome by Surrogacy

Michele delivered twins for her lucky couple! A boy, Ashi and a girl, Sushi on June 24, 1998 and they weighed in at 5lbs 12oz and 6 lbs even!

After a whirlwind beginning, Michele couldn’t believe the news that she was pregnant for her couple. The IVF process couldn’t have gone any smoother, so she was sure the result would not be positive. It just couldn’t be that easy!! Well, it was and fortunately continued to be. After nearly 20 years of infertility, on June 24, 1998, she made her couple the proud parents of not one, but two kids. Their son, Ashi, weighed in at 6lb and their daughter, Sushi, weighed in at 5lb 12oz. Congratulations!!

Stork Sees Chiropractor After Record Delivery

Shirley and her family knew instantly that they had a truly wonderful couple and she did achieve a singleton pregnancy, but “easy” would not be the word to describe the experience. Well, 2 out of 3 ain’t bad, right Shirley???!!!

It all began with an initial positive pregnancy test result of “8”. We knew the chances of a successful outcome were very slim, but Dr. Garzo refused to give up on the pregnancy and wouldn’t let us either.

He ordered Shirley to continue her injections and to go to bedrest. Shirley diligently followed doctor’s orders and every week returned to the clinic for blood tests and ultrasounds, waiting for Dr. Garzo to say that we were finally out of the woods. When that day finally did come, Shirley couldn’t believe she was only 4 months along. Most certainly, the first 4 months of her triplet pregnancy were much easier!!

By this time, Shirley began to wonder if she were carrying twins as her tummy was growing by leaps and bounds. She asked her obstetrician to double check, so an ultrasound was ordered. The ultrasound technician confirmed that there was one baby, but noted the baby’s “long” legs that seemed to go on forever. At every appointment, Shirley had the same complaint for her OB, “This has got to be the biggest baby I have ever had. Are you sure I’m going to make it to my delivery date?” The doctor just smiled and patted her on the back saying “just hang in there”, not realizing that Shirley was right!!

Like many women make their hair appointments, Shirley scheduled her C-Section. Ken, Shirley’s husband, wearing a smock-like outfit and hairnet, could have been mistaken for a hairdresser I suppose, but the face mask gave him a more doctor-like appearance. However, when we developed the pictures he took of Grace’s first few moments of life, it was obvious his true calling was photography.

When Grace was taken to the nursery, many physicians and nurses were waiting to see her which caused her parents to worry. But we quickly discovered that everyone was there to see the SECOND BIGGEST BABY ever born at Sharp Mary Birch Hospital!

2008 – Grace is now the big sister to Olivia & Adam. Such a beautiful family!!

GO! BABY! NOW! RUN!!

Kim helped to create a beautiful family when she gave birth to Ethan in June 1994. Ethan’s family was complete when Kim had his baby sister, Nadine, in June 1996. Her surrogacy experience was so wonderful, she soon decided she wanted to help another infertile couple have the child they had been dreaming of. She and her family immediately bonded with their special new couple from Spain.

Her couple’s return trip to California was exactly 9 months from their first trip when they arrived to undergo the IVF treatment to create their embryos in San Diego with Dr. Gabriel Garzo. During their stay, we quickly discovered they loved to eat our “American” pizza! So, as we sat down to our pizza dinner (for the third time that week!), Kim called to let us know she was in labor.

Knowing Kim’s labors quite well, I assured the anxious parents-to-be that we had plenty of time to eat dinner and drive to San Diego. Typically, Kim would be in labor all night and half the next day. So, I encouraged them to pack lounging clothes and bring extra pillows as it would be a long night of waiting. Upon arriving to the hospital, we strolled up to the 4th Floor and waited calmly for a nurse to become available to show us to Kim’s room.

Once the nurse heard Kim’s name, she excitedly told us to go to labor & delivery as Kim was taken there already. I, still calm, told the nurse that she must be mistaken. I was looking for Kim W…the woman that will be in labor until at least the wee hours of the morning. Suddenly the nurse reached across the counter, grabbed my hand and said, “Look Honey, if you all have any desire to see this baby’s birth, you’ll get yourselves to labor & delivery NOW!!!”

I turned around, suddenly unable to speak Spanish, as English was difficult enough at the moment, and yelled, “GO! BABY! NOW! RUN!!” My babbling was well understood and we all raced to Kim’s room. Apparently, Kim was ready to deliver almost an hour before our arrival! The doctor couldn’t believe she wouldn’t let him deliver as she kept saying, “She can’t come yet, her parents aren’t here.” Then when they saw us rush in, he asked, “Can I deliver this baby now?” Kim responded, “Okay, you can deliver her now, the baby’s parents have arrived.” Then just minutes later, Clara arrived!!!