ALUMNI
In the News
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Featured in Article in JT News
Joel Magalnick
Editor, JTNews
Hannah Mia Kellerman knows her timing. She had to wait a few days for the right moment, but when she decided to show her face
to the world for the very first time, sunset had hardly fallen an hour before, as Hannah took the honors of the very first Jewish baby
of the New Year.
"She wanted to make a grand entry, I guess," says new mom Sharon Kellerman. She and her husband Isaac welcomed their very
first baby into their lives at 8:57 p.m., on the evening of September 15.
Hannah was born at Overlake Hospital in Bellevue, and weighed in at 7 lbs., 1 ounce, and was 19 inches long.
"As pretty as can be!" wrote Hannah's maternal "nonnie," Louise Angel Kiss.
Since she had found out the due date from her doctor, Sharon had thought that having the first baby of the year might be an option.
But even with the birth so close didn't know if Hannah would be number one.
"I wasn't sure if we were the one or not," Sharon said, "I was pretty excited about it."
The Kellermans live in Renton and attend Herzl-Ner Tamid Conservative Congregation. Rabbi Jay Rosenbaum, who was
otherwise busy at the time of the birth conducting Rosh Hashanah services did get in touch a bit later.
"He called a few days ago, to wish us well," Sharon said.
On the afternoon of Hannah's birth as they entered the hospital, Sharon said they tried to get assurances that the baby wouldn't
come until after sundown. And although Mia got her timing right for the holidays, she actually showed up six days late.
"I was ready and waiting for her, but she was on her own schedule," says Sharon.
"The little missy was waiting in due time to show her face " added grandmother Louise, who also says that she's "tickled pink"
about her first grandchild.
When her copy of JTNews arrived last month, asking for the first Jewish baby, she pointed it out to her daughter. "So I gave her
the challenge," Louise said. "She [was] going to be the first one, I knew it."
She couldn't be more excited, about both the first baby honors and her granddaughter. Finding out about Hannah in the first place
was an interesting story, however. In the winter, Louise and her husband often go to Mexico "to get out of the cold dark weather of
Seattle."
Because Sharon and Isaac wanted to wait until after their parents knew about their impending addition to tell other family and
friends, and they didn't want to make the announcement over the phone or e-mail, they had to wait until Mom and Dad came
home. Isaac's parents, incidentally, Roberto and Sara Kellerman, live in Miami Beach, Fla.
Upon the Kiss' arrival home, Louise says, "when we got into the house with our luggage, [Sharon] presented me with this envelope
that she said was a special delivery to me from a business that owed me some money."
In the envelope, however, wasn't a check, but a certificate of congratulations to the expecting grandma and grandpa. Louise said
they couldn't have been more excited.
"And she was already finishing up her first trimester," she sighed.
Now that Hannah has arrived, the Kellermans are getting used to their new addition. Isaac has since returned to work, and the
baby can sleep for stretches of three to four hours.
"Each day is getting better and better," Sharon says. "She eats and sleeps, and that's about it."
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