Background:
We found out that I was pregnant in September, 2000 and we were thrilled at the news. The ultrasound told us that the baby would be a boy, and he was due to join us on or around June 12, 2001. His due date was especially exciting because it is the exact due date that my mom had for me (although I was born early, on June 8).

After a very uneventful pregnancy (no morning sickness or cravings), Dr. Lisdell diagnosed me with preeclampsia at my May 21 doctor's appointment and sent me to the hospital for strict bedrest. We then decided to go ahead and begin to induce labor on the evening of May 22. Due to a much faster than expected labor, the birth was natural and Clayton arrived at 2:03 a.m. on Wednesday, May 23, 2001. At 4 lbs., 12 ozs., he was a very small newborn (due to his early arrival and the preeclampsia), but he was in perfect health and was able to go home with us when I was discharged from the hospital on May 25.

When Clayton was about one week old, we noticed a mark on the inside of his right calf. Our doctor didn't seem concerned about it and it never bothered Clayton, so we assumed that it was some type of birth mark. At the beginning of May, 2002, though, it inexplicably developed blisters one day, so we arranged for him to have the mark biopsied by one of Austin's top dermatologists. The biopsy results indicated that the mark was an isolated mast cell tumor. This type of mast cell tumor that he has is exclusively benign and develops from a group of overly active mast cells (everyone has mast cells in the dermal layer of their skin). Also, there is a 50% chance that the part of the mark that was not removed during the biopsy will disappear on its own by the time Clayton is a teenager. He received three stitches to close the biopsy site and it healed nicely. So, we are very thankful and relieved to report that all is well there.

Although Clayton arrived three weeks early, we were prepared with almost everything that we needed, thanks to the fact that friends and co-workers threw a wonderful baby shower for us on May 5, 2001. Tiffany Cordell hosted, Meredith Starr and Amy VanderVoort decorated the house in streamers and balloons, and innumerable people brought gifts and tons of food. We had a great time and are very grateful to have received so many cute and helpful items!