Hot days & warm Spanish nights.....touring Madrid, Spain: 10-17 July 2003

Here are some happy snaps of our wonderful holiday in Madrid in July 2003. We had a superb time and thoroughly enjoyed the very clean and safe city, its museums, art galleries, and particularly its restaurants and bars. A siesta each day in our air conditioned hotel meant we were ready for some evening entertainment.

	Outi enjoying the Madrid Vision tourist bus ride as the coolest place to be.
	Outi enjoying a cool drink at a classic bar.
	Outi looking cool out of the hot Madrid sun.
	Rob having some tapas and a beer for strength to continue.
	Looks to good to leave...lets stay on for another beer!
	In Madrid plaza square.
	The surrounding buildings were fantastic.
	hello
	Outi (and Ada) looking cool in the hot Spanish sun)
	A huge Spanish flag adorns the capital.
	Outi (and Ada) does a little shopping...
	Outi (and Ada).
	The park near our hotel in the hot midday sun offered a little shade.
	One of the many art galleries visited and a chance to cool down.
	From our hotel balcony. http://www.hotel-wellington.com
	Madrid skyline.
	The Metropolis.
	The Metropolis again...
	The Spanish palace.
	The Spanish palace again...

On the afternoon of Thursday 17th July (Wk22+6) we returned from Madrid having had a really fun time, then had a good nights sleep at home.

On Friday 18th July (Wk23+0) we had a relaxing day, sleeping in and then unpacking our travel bags and looking at all the things we had bought.

On Saturday 19th July (Wk23+1) in the late morning and after a very easy start to the day we went to browse some furniture stores 20km North of Helsinki, not far from the airport in Vantaa. After lunch around 13:00, at the "Mika Hakkinen" Restaurant, Outi noticed some problems and thought it wise to have a check up at the Naistenclinnikka (Helsinki Women's Hospital). After a dash, twenty minutes later the duty Doctor told Outi that our baby was at risk of being born early sometime between two days to two weeks, and her probability of survival was only 50% if born this day. The Doctor said that it was "bull" to think that our Madrid holiday was the cause of this problem as it could have occured anytime and anywhere. We were so lucky that it happened in Finland, and only a very short drive from the best medically equipped Women’s Hospital in the country. The Doctor admitted Outi to the Naistenclinnikka and told her that she would remain until Ada was born.


On Friday 25th July (Wk24+0) according to Finnish Medical practice our baby became "viable" and her probability of survival increased to 70%.

..and the days in the Women’s Hospital rolled on....

On Monday 4th August (Wk25+3) at 12:39 Ada Mathilda Basford, weighing in at just 750gm and 31.5cm long, entered the world.