Atiana gets a blood transfusion

We got word late last night that Atiana would be receiving a blood transfusion.

Blood tests have been taken the last few weeks and Atiana's red blood cell count has been low. Her doctors found that she is anemic. They believe that the anemia is the reason her energy level falls so low when she is feeding, keeping her from being able to finish her bottles and advance her number of feedings per day.

Everyone assured us that a transfusion is very typical in premies. Transfusions, for babies Atiana's age and size, typically either need to be done when the baby is born, or right about now, when the baby starts to feed and their endurance is noticably low.

The procedure takes eight hours, 4 hours of the transfusion took place overnight last night and the second portion will take place Friday morning. The doctors estimate that it'll take about five hours to see a difference in Atiana and that she should have twice the energy once the transfusion is complete.

Last night at her weigh-in, she weighed 4 lbs. 6 oz., so she continues to grow! Please pray that the rest of the procedure is successful and we will keep everyone updated on the new and improved Atiana!!!

Thanks to Aunt Sandi and Aunt Olivia for coming to visit last night. Atiana was very fiesty and angry...until we changed her very dirty diaper after which she was able to stare at her visitors comfortably.

Atiana says HAPPY BIRTHDAY to her mom and cousins Alex & Cruz!

Happy one month birthday to me!

Yesterday marked Atiana's 4th week in the NICU, she is one month old and has grown alot in just the last week. She is consistently gaining about 2 oz. every other day which is a good sign.

She weighs 4 lbs. 5 oz. and still working hard to get down her bottle feeds so she can come home. They started her on a medication to help her maintain her level of energy when she feeds in hopes that her endurance will increase. Once she starts taking her full feedings they will increase the number of bottles she gets a day and once she is taking and finishing all her bottles at every feeding, which is every 3 hours, she will get her clearance for discharge from the NICU. Wednesday she also received a vision test from the doctors to make sure that all is well with her eyes and passed with flying colors!

Alot of the babies around her are being released this weekend and though we are sad to see them go, we know that our moment to graduate from the NICU is just around the corner. Please continue to pray for Atiana and send your good thoughts and wishes our way so that she may soon come home.

Thanks to Great-Grandma Rosie who came to see Ati on Tuesday, but Mom didnt get any pictures because the doctors were doing their rounds and she couldnt grab her camera in time, so pictures coming soon next week when grandma comes back to see her!

Bottle Baby!

Atiana is doing really well with her bottle feeds. She gets one bottle a shift and has been gaining endurance and doing a little more each day. Whatever she doesn't drink from the bottle she gets fed through her tube, but she has taken her full feeding twice so far. She does really well with her feeds when she is well rested and alert.

On Monday, as nervous as she was, Mom got to feed her for the first time after watching her nurses and OT feed her last week. Atiana is a very good burper! A few of the nurses were shocked that such loud burps could come out of such a tiny body.

Thank you Aunt Deanna for visiting, nice to see you again!

'Big Girl' Bed!

On Sunday, Atiana joined her friends and finally got her "big girl" bed!!! She weighed in at 4 lbs. 1 oz. and was rewarded with her open bassinet.

You can really hear Atiana cry now! Without the walls of her incubator you can hear her strong lungs when she isn't happy. All her nurses say that she isn't afraid to show her emotions and now you can really hear those emotions in her bassinet!

Her occupational therapist, Pam, placed some black and white photos of shapes inside her bassinet to help stimulate her eyes and help her focus. Right now, Atiana can only see in black and white and up to 8-12 inches from her face, these images will help train her eyes. Each week Pam will change out her images as her eyesight develops.

Special thanks to cousins Miguel and Alex for visiting today!

Most popular girl in the NICU!

The NICU was the place to be on Friday night! Atiana was definitely the most popular baby!

Thanks to cousins Oscar and Rueben, Uncle Tony, Aunt Michelle, Aunt Felicia and Nana Pat and Grandpa Tony for visiting on Friday night!

xoxo,

Atiana

Wednesday, May 20th:

Thanks to Auntie Jill for coming by to visit!

Sadly, Atiana wasnt doing too great and had just attempted to feed through her bottle and was very tired, so Jill couldnt hold her, sorry Auntie, maybe next time!

Nap time

Monday, May 18th:

Atiana is a really good sleeper, she wakes up about 5 minutes before her nurse is ready to change her diaper, take her temperature and other vitals, and get her feeding, then it's back to sleep! Even when all the other babies in her bay are screaming, which is quite often, she stays calm and undisturbed in her incubator. Her neighbor, James, got his "big boy bed" today so we are hoping that Atiana will get hers very soon too!

Since last week she has been working with an Occupational Therapist, Pam, on bottle feeding and yesterday she was up to 22 ccs of food through her bottle, which is up from the 9 ccs that she took on Friday. This is great progress! Her regular feedings, through her feeding tube, are usually 32 ccs, so she is almost there!



Today she is up to nearly 17 inches in length and weighs in at 3 lbs. 11 oz. It looks like the added calories to her food are working and she is maintaining her weight and putting on ounces.

Enjoy this video of her nap in her mom's arms, she gives a little wave hello to her audience!

Visit from Great-Grandpa Tony and Nancy

Saturday, May 16th:

While mom was being honored at her and Atiana's baby shower, Atiana was meeting great-Grandpa Tony & Nancy for the first time! Though Grandpa and Nancy already feel like they know Atiana thanks to this website, Atiana had yet to meet them in person. Grandpa was able to hold her and spend some quality time with her in the NICU.

Bobby bought Jackie a video camera for Mother's Day and we were able to try it out for Grandpa's visit, click below to watch video from Atiana and Grandpa's first visit!

Thanks for visiting from Palm Springs, Grandpa and Nancy!

Random Atiana Fact #1: Atiana's middle name, Jessi, is in honor of Jackie's Grandpa, Ati's other great-grandpa, Great-Grandpa Jesse, who passed away September 19, 2008.

Atiana survives her first Los Angeles earthquake!

Sunday, May 17th:

While it takes years for most Angelenos to experience their first earthquake, it took Atiana less than 3 weeks!

Hopefully everyone is OK from the rattling of last night's earthquake. Mom and Dad called the NICU about 2 minutes after the quake to double check on Atiana and she slept right through it! Her nurse said she was very comfortable and there was nothing to worry about.

Welcome to Los Angeles Ati!

Special thanks to big cousin Oscar for coming to visit Atiana tonight!

Gifts for Atiana

THANK YOU to everyone for showering Atiana with gifts and love at her baby shower on Saturday! She received so many cute things, we can't wait to see her in everything! From booties to bibs to frilly dresses, she received everything we need to get ready for her to come home.

Thank you especially to everyone who purchased a premie item for Atiana, I am working hard to get everything washed and over to the hospital with me since those are things that she can actually wear now! She is going to grow so fast that I know it's just a matter of time before she fits in everything else she received!



I know the re-scheduling of the shower was short notice and greatly appreciate everyone's willingness to accommodate the change. Atiana, Bobby and I are so lucky to have such amazing family and friends. We are grateful for everyone's love and support.



Special thanks to Grandma Debbie, Auntie Jill, and Leticia for their hard work on the shower and to everyone who made a dish, helped clean up, and contributed to the shower, we appreciate you!!!

Only the best moms get promoted to 'Grandma!'

Here is Atiana with both her grandmas...Grandma Debbie and Nana Pat.

Two weeks old

Wednesday, May 13th:

Today Atiana is two weeks old...she has come such a long way since the day she was born.

She is steadily holding her weight and her nurses began adding calories to her food today to help her bulk up so she can hurry up and come home. She is doing very well breathing on her own and has been doing a good job of maintaining her body temperature outside her "little home" (a.k.a. her incubator), two prerequisites for being able to go home...now she just needs to learn to eat and we will be closer to our goal...GOING HOME WITH MOM & DAD! We still dont have an estimated date for her release, but we have a meeting with her doctors & nurses on Friday, and that is the first question we hope to get answered!

Please continue to pray for her and us, we thank you for the outpour of love the last few weeks, it has really helped get me and Bobby through each day!

Thanks to Leticia and Emilio for visiting! Atiana loves to stare at her visitors, so everyone, feel free to come by and say hello!

Atiana's Baby Shower

Baby shower honoring Jackie & Atiana has ben re-scheduled for this Saturday, May 16th at 1:30pm. Hopefully everyone can still make it!!!

Growing, growing, growing...

Monday, May 11th:

Atiana is now 16 inches long! The nurses asked us if we'd like to bring in our own onesies and beanies for Atiana to wear. Thanks to cousins Reina, Alex, and Cruz for the super cute premie onesies they gave Atiana, she is wearing them every day! I had to special order some beanies for her though because all the ones sold in stores are waaaay too big for her small head.

The doctors will discontinue the last of Atiana's tubes on Tuesday, the tubes that feed her liquids through the IV since she is taking nearly one ounce of food per feeding and getting all her nutrients from her food, there is no need for the IV anymore. Later this week, she will try feeding regularly instead of through her feeding tube. Our fingers are crossed that she does well because that means she will be able to go home shortly after that!

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there, you deserve it! I am enjoying my first Mother's Day spending time in the NICU with my Ati-bear! Thanks to everyone for their well wishes!

Moving on up...

Friday, May 8th:

Today Atiana was moved to a different NICU bay. This is routine for babies that are making huge strides in their journey. This was good news for us, seeing that the doctors think that she is on her way to going home soon!

Thanks to Nana Pat and Grandpa Tony for visiting!

Making huge progress!

Thursday, May 7th:

Today we got the best news! The nasal tube giving Atiana oxygen was removed and she is now completely breathing on her own! The nurses are very confident in her ability to breathe on her own and have noticed a more content Atiana since they removed the tubes. She breathes a little fast at times as she gets used to this huge responsibility, but mom and dad can really tell that she is happier. And now that we can see her face much better, we have decided that she resembles her mom!

Atiana's feedings have also been consistently increasing and her body is adjusting well to the introduction of food. Her doctors think she could be eating without her feeding tube in the next week or so.

Atiana thanks her Uncle Tony & Aunt Michelle for visiting tonight! If anyone is interested in visiting Atiana over the weekend, please call Jackie or Bobby as we will be at the hospital for a good portion of the weekend. Visiting hours are 10am-7pm daily.

Enjoy some pictures of her with her new best friend...the pacifier!

One week old!

Wednesday, May 6th:

Today Atiana is one week old. She has gained a total of 4 oz., weighing in at 3 lbs. 8 oz.

She has started eating through a tube to build her stomach up and is said to be doing so well that they doubled her amount of food in the first day! Her nurses think she should be eating regularly in the next couple of weeks, which is great news!

She is starting to adapt to the pacifier and mom and dad have been changing her diaper and holding her daily. We think she is really going to like being in arms, but we are all OK with that!

The hospital changed her incubator and tonight we decorated it with a new USC blanket so she can proudly show her Trojan Spirit! Atiana is 'fighting on' and we couldn't be happier with her progress!

Thanks for the flowers...

Atiana wanted to thank all the special family and friends for the beautiful flowers they sent to her!

Ati-cakes!

Tuesday, May 5th:
Smile for the camera!

A proud papa!

Monday, May 4th:
Bobby & Atiana get to know each other. Atiana spent much of the time staring at her dad and taking in her surroundings.

First family pic!

Bobby, Jackie, and baby Atiana Avila.

Get those tubes out!

Monday, May 4th:

They removed the breathing tube from Atiana's mouth and she is a free woman! She is happier and more content with the oxygen just in her nose and is really progressing.

The hospital has been conducting various tests on her and they have all come back "normal." The nurses say she is doing really, really well.

One-on-one time with Mom!

Sunday, May 3rd:
After what felt like FORVER, Jackie finally got to hold Atiana for the first time! All the nurses tell us she is a "feisty" little girl. (Funny, because the nurses would probably say the same thing about her mom!) But when it comes down to it, she just loves to be swaddled!

Welcome to the world Atiana!

Atiana was born April 29, 2009, 8 weeks premature, at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center via emergency c-section at 7:43 pm. She weighed in at 3 lbs. 4 oz. and was 15 3/4 inches long.

Thank you!

It has been a very crazy first week for us, but we are just happy that everyone is safe, healthy, and happy.

Atiana is under the best care at Cedars-Sinai hospital and making huge strides each day she is there. We are very lucky that she is such a strong little girl. At this time there is no estimated date for her to come home, but we are optimistic that she will be home to meet all our friends and family soon!

Thank you again to everyone for their support, we are very lucky to have you each in our lives.