Pink Galoshes

Abbie’s has some typical girl traits that have started to emerge. Carrying a purse and walking around as if she knows what to do with it. Playing mommy with her dolls by feeding them with a bottle, swaddling them in a blanket, and taking them for walks in her doll stroller. She also loves to try on shoes. She tries on Sam’s, Mommy and Daddy’s shoes and she loves trying on her own shoes. One pair that she has become particularly attached to is a pair of pink galoshes. Is possible she could be too cute? Nah!

 

We Heart Clare

As you can guess from our blog post about Clare’s birth that her siblings would continue in the overwhelming and smothering affection of Clare. This has been so. So much that at times we put restrictions on when and how often they can kiss her. Sam sometimes will spend 10 minutes just cooing at her, touching her face, snuggling with her and showering her with kisses from her chin to her forehead. For the most part, it is endearing to observe, but this effusive affection can be too much! :O) Is that possible…

 

 

 

Roses In Bloom

Mary looks forward to Spring each year because she tends and cares for about a dozen rose bushes that line the side of our driveway. The first bloom of roses is a sight to see. Our drive way is bursting with so many colors and the fragrance of roses is in the air. The rose bushes first bloom is the largest of the year. It will continue to produce buds throughout the year, but nothing like the first bloom. I enjoy seeing the pleasure she receives from the work that she puts into them and to have so many roses she doesn’t know what to do with (Well she does know what to do with them. She gives them away!)

More of Clare…

Here are some updated pictures of our little girl. She looks darker than Sam. Maybe she will look her name, Clare Sunukjian and show some of that Armenian heritage!

Easter 2012. Two words: Pink Eye.

As a family we look forward to Easter. Celebrating the resurrection of Christ with family and our church is always a full and joyful time. We were looking forward to to Sam and Abbie running around with their cousins looking for eggs and enjoying the treats that came with finding these little treasures.

However for us we stayed home on Easter because of a highly contagious bug called Pink Eye. Sam was just finishing up his 5 day prescription for it and thought we were in the clear. But Easter morning Abbie had white gobs oozing from her eyes. We thought Clare had contracted it as well because she had some white stuff in her eyes. We found out later she had did not contract it (thank goodness!). This landed us home all day. Mary and Sam went over to the Sunukjian Easter lunch and egg hunt.

As you can see by the pictures we had our own little celebration of painting eggs. We made the most of it and this Easter will as always be Pink Eye Easter.

 

Bike Commuting. . . It Has Become Me

Since January I have taken up biking to work. At first it was just something to try out and see if I could do. I had no real intention of making it something consistent. Well before Clare was born I was up to riding about twice a week for the month of March. Since Clare has been born I have not been out on the bike, but I have have modified my bike to be more commuter friendly because I own a mountain bike. I have switched to road tires. Replaced my handlebar grips to ones that are more comfortable and ergonomic. Purchased a bike computer to track my pace, distance and time. Added a bike rack and made my own pannier (bike bag) out of a military backpack from an army surplus store.

The ride is approximately 16 miles one way. So I get a good workout built into my workday which is great considering I am not the best at creating time for this aspect of my life.

This is my route. [Add a hyperlink to Google maps.]

So I am ready to ride, but now I need to get back on the road, which I plan to do this week.

Sweet Clare

Clare Sunukjian Matthias has arrived!!! She arrived two weeks early on March 21st 2012 at 9:15 in the morning. Her weight was 6 pounds, 5 ounces. Her length was 19 inches. The full process from start to finish was very short, only 5 hours. She is very healthy and Mary is doing wonderful. Sam and Abbie have been anticipating this day, and met her with a shower of hugs, kisses, pats and pokes. There was only one real down side to our whole experience. And as we get further from her birth event we will probably laugh and find it quite amusing. However, it wasn’t at the time. To put it simply: there were no medical staff present at the birth of Clare. My mother-in-law caught the head, while I ran into the hallway and yelled at the top of my lungs, “The baby is coming out!” We had a number of staff present within seconds, but they had missed the moment they were there for, to deliver our baby. Praise God, there were no complications and it was as simple as cutting the umbilical cord and then handing Clare to Mary.

It is always hard to speculate as to what your child might be like within the first couple days of life, but we think (hopefully in an answer to our prayers!) that we have a pretty amiable kid. She has been different from Sam and Abbie already as a baby because she is just a bit more chill. Not alot of fuss. She sleeps alot (I know they are supposed to do this but Sam and Abbie were not natural nappers). She eats amazingly well. And is all around quite agreeable. I hope I will not be eating my words in two weeks, but for now we will enjoy what we have, and love her (obviously) no matter what she is like in the future.

Praise be to God for the birth of our third child!!

Our cup runneth over!

The growing Matthias’ grandchildren: Finnley, Clare, Rowan, Samuel and Abigail.