OLIVIA'S PAGE
INDEX
NEW PICTURES
In this part of Olivia's Page, you will find pictures of Olivia, her family and friends, sorted by the date on which they were added to the site, with the most recent pictures first. Enjoy.
Come and see Olivia (10/28/99) and Zeke (1/5/00) celebrate Hanukah and their first birthdays on opposite coasts. (Under construction)We have been having so much fun this summer, where to begin? We went to the Hamptons to visit Reha; we went swimming in Ron and Rose and Jennifer Colonna's pool (1st cousins who live around the corner); we had a barbeque with our new grill; and Olivia showed off her Tucker Sling and Wedge.
April brings us to Olivia and our nephew Zeke at their first Passover together. The grandparents were ecstatic, to say the least, and Zeke weathered his first transcontinental trip like a real trouper. He didn't mind too much when Olivia decided to eat his bib, and Olivia didn't mind at all when this BOY came and played with her toys. Because each child strongly resembles the father of the family, the two don't look like they are related at all!
In honor of Olivia's six month birthday, we had her portrait taken. The whole process took only fifteen minutes for our little ham. She thought the whole setup was just made for her entertainment; when she sees the red light of a camera, she lights up with joy and turns on the charm. Here is just a sampling of the pictures.
In March, Olivia went on two major adventures. First, she went to Atlanta to visit her Saba and Savta (Shoshana's parents). While she was there she had a Friday Night Oneg in her honor and she went to the zoo. Then, after a brief stay at home, it was off to Spain (sorry, no pictures on the site from Spain. We got very busy after we came home and fell down on the job!)
Little Foot, Big Foot; Getting Ready to Visit Daddy; The Proud, Multi-tasking Daddy, In the Bath, Moms and Babies (with Alessandro Ferri), Sleeping with Dell, A Grandfather's Kiss
Coming Home; After a Bath; Thanksgiving with Mindy and Uncle Ronn; Hanukah; Massage with Mommy; Sleeping Next to Mommy
INTRODUCING OLIVIA HANNAH DWECK
October 28, 1999
We at Silicon Woods are overjoyed to welcome Olivia Hannah Dweck. After much anticipation, and more than a little angst, she came into the world on October 28, 1999 at 9:04pm. The doctors thought it was 9:07pm, so that is the official time. However, Jay had his handy dandy watch synchronized with the atomic clock in Boulder, so we know it was really 9:04pm.After 12 hours of induced labor, Olivia wasn't tolerating things well, so the doctors did a c-section. The four grandparents rushed to the hospital to be there to celebrate Olivia's arrival. Jay decided to attend the surgery. Other than telling the doctors to leave Shoshana's liver in, and telling Shoshana that her uterus looks like a turkey, he behaved himself admirably well. The best part of all was when Olivia let out a holler, telling us right away that she was doing OK.
Because of the difficulties during the pregnancy, the neonatologist checked out Olivia in the operating room before we were able to meet her. His first comment was that she looks just like her dad. As each day goes by it becomes clearer that Olivia favors the Syrian side of the family!
Olivia came a little early and a little small, so she had to stay in the hospital for 9 days. For the first day, Olivia and Shoshana shared an IV pole whenever Shoshana went to the nursery. That's one way to bond. After a few days, Olivia began doing really well and we became hopeful that she would be home before her due date. Olivia exceeded our expectations, and even the doctors were surprised when they realized that they were discharging her more than 2 weeks before her due date. She continues to thrive, and all indications are that she is a strong child with a very powerful will to survive.
We, of course, love her beyond measure. And now, here is Olivia:
Here's Olivia in her cage in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Northern Westchester Hospital. You are not seeing things, she has a full head of hair and a very intense gaze. For those of you who are wondering, yes the hair is developing a fair amount of waviness/kinkiness already. Not Jay's tight curls, but most definitely not Shoshana's straight hair either. Bottom line is, she is clearly a mix of the best of each of us: Jay's cheeks, dimples and facial structure and skin color, Shoshana's eyes, and hair that is a combination.
A note from Shoshana: Some people have asked whether I am upset that the baby looks so much like Jay and not a lot like me. My answer is simple: I love Olivia's father, so what's not to love about having a baby who reminds me of Jay every time I look at her?
Now her daddy gets a chance to feed her, helping her gain those ounces she needs every day, and helping him move past all the wires, barriers and beeping noises to get to know his daughter:
And finally, she gets to go home, tiny little thing that she is:
Before we conclude, we want to express our gratitude to the doctors at Cornell, Mt. Sinai, Northern Westchester, White Plains and Greenwich hospitals and the Women's Medical Associates for all that they did to help bring Olivia into this world so healthy and so strong. We are in their debt forever.
