Valley Sun, CA
Jan 3 2007

First baby of year arrives at Verdugo
By Ruth Longoria

As the new year rolls in, folks over at Verdugo Hills Hospital
patiently awaited the birth Wednesday (Jan. 2) of the first baby of
2008 born in the foothills.

Although hospitals across the country heralded births at 12:01 a.m.,
Jan. 1, maternity staff at Verdugo Hills had a less nail-biting start
to the new year.

`It’s either feast or famine,’ said Mindy Rub, a registered nurse at
Verdugo Hills Hospital, after no child was born on New Year’s Day.
Rub said she’s worked in years when the hospital had seven babies
born within hours of each other. But, not so this year. `We don’t
have any babies due even, so unless someone comes in that we aren’t
expecting there won’t be a New Year’s baby anytime soon,’ she said
Tuesday evening.

But Verdugo’s maternity ward got a bit more exciting Wednesday
morning.

Garnik Ter-Galstian, 41, of Glendale brought his wife, Silva, 35,
into the hospital at about 5:30 a.m. Wednesday, more than a week
after the couple’s third baby’s due date. The baby, whom doctors told
the expectant couple was to be a boy, was due on Christmas, the
father said. However, when no babe appeared at the anticipated time,
the couple was told to come in after the New Year, if the birth
hadn’t already occurred, and the baby would be induced. advertisement

`It’s a boy and the mom and baby are doing great,’ Garnik said
Wednesday afternoon.

Arventa Sevada Ter-Galstian was born at 2:35 p.m., weighing in at 7
pounds, 8 ounces, and he was 20 inches tall.

Arventa is the third child born to the couple who immigrated to the
United States, Garnik from Armenia 20 years ago, and Silva from Iran
13 years ago. The couple met in Armenia after Garnik, who is a
plumbing contractor, went back to his home country to help out a
friend whose home had been burned down. That’s when Garnik met the
friend’s cousin – Silva – who was in that country studying. It was
love at first sight, Garnik said.

`I took one look at her and knew she was the one,’ he said. `It was
the same for her.’

The couple’s two older children, daughter Melvina, 11, and son,
Arvega, 5, waited out the day Wednesday with Garnik’s mom, Hasmik
Kazarian, also a Glendale resident. `My daughter keeps calling me,
every half hour, saying `What happened? What happened?’ Garnik
Ter-Galstian said, with a nervous laugh as he waited outside his
wife’s hospital room Wednesday morning.

Waiting for the third child to be born was no less exciting than the
first or second child, he said. In fact, he added, in some ways it’s
more fun. `

With the first, if it’s a boy you have to have another so you have a
girl. And, if it’s a girl, you have to have a boy the second time,’
he said. `But, this time, since we already have one of each, it’s
just choice and either way we’re happy.’

Silva Ter-Galstian beamed as she held her baby shortly after the
child had been bathed and swaddled after the birth.

`We’re very happy,’ she said.