Oh, baby! Williamsburg welcomes its first newborn of the new year
For one Williamsburg family, ringing in the new year came with a little extra bundle of joy.
Ethan Aakesh Dela Torre made his entrance into the world at 8:41 p.m. on New Year’s Day at Sentara Williamsburg Regional Medical Center, missing the fireworks but making it in time to be crowned the hospital’s first baby of 2023.
Hours after watching the ball drop at home with friends, Ethan’s mother, Mirriam, woke up and quickly realized it was time to head to the hospital. Ten hours later, Mirriam and her husband, Dewa, welcomed their baby about a week ahead of schedule.
Mirriam said she pushed for about an hour during labor. Ethan was born weighing 8 pounds and measuring 21 inches.
“It’s good,” Mirriam said by phone from her hospital room on Tuesday. “Everyone’s excited to see him.”
Sentara Healthcare spokeswoman Kelly Kennedy said the Family Maternity Center at Williamsburg Regional Medical Center presents a gift basket to the mother or family of the first baby born every year.
Throughout Hampton Roads, a number of babies was welcomed on the first day of the year. The region’s first baby was born at Sentara Leigh Hospital in Norfolk just before 1 a.m., although the family declined to share any details.
About an hour later at 2:07 a.m., Atticus Lee Moyer was born at Norfolk General, becoming the second baby to debut at a Sentara hospital in 2023.
“I was actually in the middle of a pretty big contraction when the ball dropped. And right after, the nurse and my friend were like, ‘Oh it is 2023. Happy New Year,’” said Atticus’ mother, Diana Moyer.
Because Atticus arrived nearly six weeks early (he weighed 5 pounds, 6 ounces and was initially being monitored in the newborn intensive care unit), his father Steven, who is currently deployed with the Navy, missed his birth. The Moyers are working with the Red Cross to get him home to meet Atticus, the couple’s fourth child.
On the Peninsula, Calenni Knox was the first baby born at Riverside Regional Medical Center in Newport News, entering the world at 2:46 a.m. weighing 7 pounds, 2 ounces and measuring 19 inches long.
“She and Mom are doing beautifully,” a Riverside spokeswoman said.
The Dela Torre family was preparing to head home on Tuesday for the first time since Ethan’s arrival. This is the couple’s first baby.
Both Mirriam, who is from the Philippines, and Dewa, who is Indonesian, are relatively new to the Williamsburg area, with Mirriam having lived here for three years and Dewa arriving last year. Their baby’s name, Ethan Aakesh, incorporates both sides of his heritage.
Mirriam said she’s looking forward to having her baby home for the first time.
“I’m just excited for this new journey as a new mom,” she said.
Caitlyn Burchett contributed to this story.
Sian Wilkerson, sian.wilkerson@pilotonline.com, 757-342-6616
