It’s a girl! New Year’s Baby born 2 minutes after midnight

Wednesday, Jan. 2, 2002 | 11:03 a.m.

The first baby of the new year was born two minutes after midnight Tuesday at MountainView Hospital -- a day earlier than she was expected to make her debut into the world.

Catiana Maya, daughter of John and Sherry Maya, was not expected to arrive until today, but came a little early to be crowned the New Year's Baby.

She is the Mayas' third child and second to be born at MountainView, said Cheryl Smith, spokeswoman for the hospital that in 2001 delivered 2,395 babies.

Dr. Joseph Rojas III delivered Catiana by natural birth, Smith said.

"Catiana got a new white bassinet filled with supplies, including a silver spoon and silver cup," Smith said. "The last baby of 2001 born here also got gifts."

Across town at Desert Springs Hospital, a Caesarean section was performed at 12:15 p.m. to deliver the first baby of the New Year at that facility.

Smith said MountainView officials were not told why the baby was named Catiana. However, she said, the trend at naming girls born at MountainView last year was after gems such as Opal, Diamond and Jewel, while the trend for naming boys was after biblical figures.

"It was interesting given Sept. 11, we had three girls born here last year named Faith, Hope and Joy," Smith said.

The doctor who delivered the first baby of the millennium and many other first New Year arrivals decided not to pursue that honor this year.

However, Dr. Frank Delee, the son of 90-year-old retired Dr. Sol Delee, who delivered nearly a dozen New Year's first babies shortly after midnight in Chicago and Las Vegas in the 1970s and '80s, didn't take Tuesday off. He wound up delivering four New Year's Day arrivals -- all on Tuesday afternoon.

"I just decided not to go for it (a post-midnight birth) this year, though I did have a couple of patients who were candidates," Delee said today.