Kenn Venit - a Granddad again

On Monday, June 21, we received an e-mail from Kenn entitled, "OUR FIRST GRANDDAUGHTER ARRIVES ON THE FIRST DAY OF SUMMER"

Vital statistics: 6 LBS, 10 OZ

ERICA LYNN CATHEY MAKES HER ENTRANCE SAFELY ABOUT TWO WEEKS EARLY!

GRANDMA BONNI VENIT WITNESSES THE BLESSED EVENT IN PERSON WHILE GRANDPA KENN HEARS IT LIVE VIA SPEAKERPHONE

(New Haven, CT) Monday, June 21, 1999. At 9:35 pm, Erica Lynn Cathey arrived safely in the presence of a standing-room only audience of relatives in a birthing room at Yale-New Haven Hospital. "Wonderful, beautiful, awesome," is how Erica's father, Tony, described the birth and his daughter. "She is pink with brownish eyes and dark hair," he added.

Erica's mother, Dawn Venit Cathey, described the birth as "Easy!" (Editor's note: an epidural was involved.) Dawn had entered the hospital Sunday. On Saturday, doctors had decided the baby should be induced Monday because of certain risk factors. Dawn and Tony (a sergeant in the New Haven Police Department) had planned to welcome Erica around July 6. Their first child, Logan, celebrated his third birthday Saturday, June 19. He was born three months prematurely. Logan was sound asleep at Grandpa Kenn's house when his sister arrived. He had waited all day, without a nap, to meet his sister, but fell asleep at 8:15 pm.

Grandpa Kenn heard the delivery at home via speakerphone. "It was something like listening to Dick Clark's New Year's Eve countdown for the ball at Times Square, hearing a roomful of people coaching Dawn in the final minutes with her breathing and pushing," Kenn said. "She arrived on the first day of summer, and let out a few hurricane-force shrieks in those first moments," he added.

In addition to Dawn and Tony, on hand in the birthing room were Erica Lynn's Great-Grandmother Mildred Klugman; Grandparents Bonni Venit and Teolinda Rojas; Grand Aunt Jill Swimmer; Aunt Joy & Uncle Mike Shane (the official still photographer), and Aunt Vanessa Cathey (the official videographer). Grandma Bonni said, "Erica looks like Tony and Logan, not Dawn."

Dr. Ann Strong delivered Erica Lynn with the assistance of a nurse. Erica's weight was 6 pounds, 10 ounces, and her height was 20 1/4 inches. (Tony had set up an informal "pool" for family and friends to guess Erica's birth weight. One person had guessed exactly 6 pounds 10 ounces --DAWN!)

(Erica's timing was excellent. The Klugmans had arrived from Florida Saturday night, planning to spend two weeks with the Venits, Catheys and Shanes before Erica's scheduled arrival date. Today was Tony's day off and he begins a 5-day vacation tomorrow followed by two more days off. Grandpa Kenn returned from Minnesota Friday night and had cleared his calendar of travel until mid-July. Grandma Bonni is on leave from her job at the VNA following foot surgery a month ago. Great Grandpa Bill Handleman and "Mama 'Del' " Billig arrived from New York Saturday and will visit Erica in the morning.)

FYI: Erica Lynn Cathey will reside...(in)...Hamden, CT 06518. She can receive e-mail at shana146@aol.com