Home Sweet Home

Atiana had her first pediatrician appointment on Friday. She is growing and doing really well. She gained 9 OUNCES and weighed 5 lbs. 8 oz.!!! We couldn't believe it, but know that it must have just a little to do with being home with mom & dad!!!

Here is Atiana just relaxing!!!

Atiana Hearts Visitors

Thanks to those who have come by to see Atiana since she came home from the hospital, here are just a few pictures with cousin T.J. and Grandpa Tony!

A special thanks to great-auntie Lorraine and cousin Linda who came from Colorado to see her (but were too shy to take a picture)!

NICU Farewell!

So as we said last week on the day of Atiana's release, we were very sad to leave the comfort zone of the NICU but being home has been great! ATIANA IS A REAL HANDFUL!!! Mom and Dad are EXHAUSTED (and operating on very little sleep!) to say the least, but it is wonderful to finally be with Atiana 24/7.

Enjoy these pictures from Atiana's release from Cedars-Sinai!

Atiana in her "going home" outfit and cap and eager to get out of the NICU!

It is a rite of passage for all NICU babies to be taken to the car for their farewell in this buggy. The day we got to the NICU we saw this buggy in the hallways and were wondering what it was used for. For the next six weeks we'd see babies go home and their parents proudly pushing them for a final walk-through of the NICU in this buggy with huge smiles on their faces. We'd wish them luck and be just a little sad that it wasn't us going home. Well on this day, Atiana got to finally ride in the buggy!!!

Here is our family ready to go home!

Atiana on the long car ride home in traffic! Ahh, just another day in L.A.!

Doctor's orders - Atiana coming home!!!

Atiana will be coming today, June 10th, on her dad's birthday!!!

All the test results came back and Atiana does have reflux, but it is not too severe that she cannot come home! The doctors have put her on a medication that we will need to give to her at home and also prescribed a thickening gel to be added to her food to help alleviate her reflux pain and discomfort.

Since Sunday, all her tubes and wires have been removed, with the exception of those that track her vital signs like heartbeat and respiration, and it is really great to see what she looks like underneath all that plastic! She now weighs 5 lbs exactly and is over 17 inches long!

Thank you to everyone for the continued support, love, and prayers, it has all paid off!!! Our baby girl is finally coming home! It's a shame that she is coming home when she just got a new, famous neighbor - Bobby Brown's new baby boy!

Stay tuned for pictures and video of our release from the hospital and a special to thanks to all the Cedars Sinai NICU doctors, nurses and staff that have been the absolute best to our family for the past six weeks! It is because of them that we are only 99% scared instead of 110% scared to bring her home!!!

Let the real fun begin!!!

More testing...

All day Saturday and early Sunday morning I got a test done to see just how severe my reflux is. As part of the test they alternate my feedings between milk and apple juice. Apple juice has an acidic concentrate to it that allows the doctors to see how far up my reflux allows my food to get. I was pretty grumpy having even more wires and things attached to me, but I will be much happier when this is done!

We expect to hear the results back on Monday and from there the doctors will decide how to best treat me.

Meanwhile, I have been finishing all my bottles and taking way more than the minimum amount of milk!

My mom will keep you posted on the results and hopefully we also get to see when exactly I am coming home.

xoxo,

Atiana

Hi everyone!

Today I am 4 lbs. 12 oz. They have removed my feeding tube and I am getting a bottle at every feeding! The bad news is that I have reflux, which is typical in most preemie babies, but my nurses and doctors are working hard to figure out how to relieve my pain. In the next 48 hours they will be trying a combination of different bottles and formulas so that I can pack my stuff and get outta here!

Check out my new two piece outfit! That's right...I no longer just have to wear onesies anymore! My mom got me this super cute one and I think it looks pretty good on me.

Please keep the prayers coming so I can shake this reflux thing and get home! I can't wait to meet you all!

xoxo,

Ati J

"Jacuzzi Bath" Time!

On Monday night Atiana received a "jacuzzi bath" from her nurse Pat. Pat has been a nurse for over 50 years and believes that babies LOVE what she calls her famous "jacuzzi bath!" As you can see from the video, it doesn't look like Atiana enjoyed it too much!



Today she is 5 weeks old, 4 lbs. and 10 oz., and has been getting increasingly better at finishing her bottles. We expect in the next day or so to see the doctors increase her bottle feeds, possibly to every feeding. If they do this, she could be out of the NICU in 3-5 days depending on how well she does with each feeding. She is up a majority of the time that we visit with her which is alot different than just a couple of weeks ago when she'd sleep most of the day, especially after eating. She is growing up so fast already!

Great-grandma Rosie visits!

For the last two weeks, mom has brought Great-Grandma Rosie to visit Atiana. This week Grandma saw a HUGE difference in Atiana, not only did she stay awake and stare at Grandma the entire two hours she was there, but she was so much more active and alert than she was just one week ago - all thanks to the blood transfusion!

Hopefully we won't see Grandma next week at the hospital because Atiana will be HOME...and Grandma can visit her EVERY DAY!

Atiana thanks Grandma Rosie for all the blankets she had made her and all the stuffed animals and gifts she has picked up at the stores for her since the moment she found out Atiana was on her way!!!

Atiana is very lucky she has Grandma Rosie around!

Transfusion successful!

Well it took nearly 3 days to see a difference in Atiana, but yesterday she had SO much more energy and was awake nearly twice as long as she usually is when we visit. Her color looks great and her red blood cell count is back up to a normal level. All in all, the transfusion was a success!

Since Sunday she has finished every one of her bottles and is taking a bottle every other feeding. We are getting closer....please keep up the prayers and positive thoughts, she will soon be home!