Dear Diary,

 

            My name is Valeria Ortega-Ruiz and welcome to IVFDiaries.com.  I was an Ortega until the age of 23 when I married my high-school sweetheart Angel. He’s a strong, and handsome man…intelligent, witty, and….ladies he’s mine!!  He’s been my rock for ten years and in wedded bliss for four. Together we have a three year old little princess named Sophia.

 

 

            I was conceived, born, and raised in the city that never sleeps…the Big Apple, New York.  My parents set up shop in the borough of The Bronx, where the Ortega clan grew to a family of five. I have an older sister and a younger sister, making me the middle child! My parents worked very hard and sacrificed much to give their daughters the education that would make each of us successful individuals. My creators have been happily married for thirty years.

 

 

            I attended Manhattan College, Riverdale, NY and graduated with a Bachelors of Science in 2003. I was extremely excited to graduate and be on my way to make the hefty salary that I assumed I was going to make with such a degree. After three months, numerous wasted resumes, and many disappointing “I’m sorry, but we have filled the position”, I realized that finding a job was not as easy as I thought it to be. The summer season was coming to an end and I finally decided to take my older sister’s advice….become a teacher. How in God’s green Earth was I going to find a teaching job in September!! I went to school for business….what kind of teacher will I be? I had one phone number left and it was the Catholic elementary school that I attended as a child. I was called in for an interview and the rest is history. Teaching is my passion. It sounds corny, but standing in front of my fourth grade class every day and knowing that I’m making a difference in their educational journeys, gives me a great feeling.

 

 

My IVF story starts in the summer of 2008 and is different from others. I had no problems conceiving my daughter. However, someone dear to me has had numerous emotional and physical roller coasters and obstacles stand in her way of starting a family. When I married my husband, I married his family…and I love them like my own. Seeing my sister-in-law and her husband suffer through ten years of failed IVF cycles touched my heart in a way that I cannot explain in words. I see and feel the pain in her eyes. After many thoughtful nights, my husband and I came to a decision. I decided to be her surrogate mother. She has so much love to give…why not help her fulfill her destiny of being a mother!

This blog takes you into our journey.

 

I also like movies, sunsets, and long walks on the beach!