November 4th, 1998 Conception November 15th, 1998 Pregnancy test faint positive. December 9th, 1998 First doctor's appointment. Pre-registered for labor & delivery and hospital stay. Delivery date projected: July 28th, 1999. January 6th, 1999 Eleven weeks - First Ultrasound taken this morning. Saw heartbeat; baby was asleep. Doctor advised Vitamin B6 for morning sickness. Creation of this site begins. Ultrasound image is only content on site for now. January 11th, 1999 Unexpected trip to the hospital after 2 days of severe nausea. Received IV of sugar water and advice to take ½ unisom morning & night. February 10th, 1999 Sixteen weeks - Heard heartbeat for the first time: 132 beats/minute. Doctor very pleased with only 1 pound weight gain. AFP (alpha fetal protein) blood screen administered (normal results). March 10th, 1999 Twenty weeks - Heartbeat still 132. Doctor advised us to take Lamaze. We found out Ochsner does not do a 20 week ultrasound. :( April 5th, 1999 Twenty-four weeks - Uneventful checkup. May 3rd, 1999 Twenty-eight weeks - Glucose tolerance test administered (passed). Doctor advised us to meet with pediatrician. May 4th, 1999 Our first Lamaze class. Every Tuesday night from 7:00pm to 9:00pm for 6 weeks. June 4th, 1999 Susan did NOT have a good day! In the morning, she had slight bleeding and set up an appointment for 2:45pm. At 2:00, her car broke down -- not a normal thing. I left class to take her to her parents who in turn took her to the appointment. No major concern. Just take it easy. June 5th, 1999 BABY SHOWER at the Mallauns. Nearly 30 people showed. Susan wasn't feeling too well. We were glad so many friends and family could make it! THANKS FOR COMING! June 10th, 1999 Susan awoke this morning with abnormal bleeding. She went to the hospital about 8am. The doctor examined her and said that her placenta has torn and is bleeding and irritating the uterus. The uterus in turn thinks it is time for labor... Susan has been put on modified bedrest and Procardia to stop labor. The doctor told her that when she stops the medication, she will most likely go into labor within a week. At the hospital, the doctor took an ultrasound of the placenta and measured the baby's head (everything checked out - didn't learn the sex). We have a scan of the head profile. June 16th, 1999 Susan went in for a checkup this morning. The Doctor seemed to be surprised at Susan's positive progress. And he wasn't too pleased to find out that Susan has a broken tail bone. An exam unveiled that Susan's pelvis is triangular rather than "open-U" and is a potential birthing complication... June 20th, 1999 This weekend our landlord installed a new front and patio door on our townhouse. They really change the lighting and atmosphere of the house. Susan and child are doing fine. We put together the changing table and did a lot of cleaning and organizing. Also, most importantly, we came to an agreement of baby names after a long stalemate!                                 Boy:     Wyatt Avery                                 Girl:     Sydney Maia July 3rd, 1999 Susan went off the medication Thursday (1st) but everything is stable. We are playing the waiting game now. We rearranged the bedroom and put together the cosleeper. July 13th, 1999 Its been awhile since the last update. Susan has been off medication for a week or so, but no labor. Susan went in for a checkup this morning and there has been no advancement (dilation). Disappointing... the doctor said it could be up to another 3 weeks before delivery! Susan got her first stretch marks on her stomach this past week. (She is now on her 38th week of pregnancy). Struggling with bloating of hands and feet with pains in her fingers... July 21th, 1999 A week before due date... Susan went in to see the doctor for a checkup. No new news. That afternoon Susan experienced some bleeding and called the clinic. The nurse suggested coming in. She had a blood test about 6pm which was ABNORMAL, so they kept her over night. The midnight and 6am test were NORMAL so they released her the next day. July 28th, 1999 DUE DATE! Susan has been particularly bloated this past week. Her feet and hands are swollen and aching. Susan went in to see the doctor for a scheduled appointment and her blood pressure was really high. They diagnosed her with P.I.H (Pregnancy Induced Hypertension) and checked her into the Hospital at 1pm. Our journey has begun... check the Birth section for complete details.