cedar is born

we arrived at the hospital as 2

& left as 3

& in between we witnessed a breathtaking miracle

...we are confronted everywhere with wonders; we see that the miraculous is not extraordinary but the common mode of existence. It is our daily bread. Whoever really has considered the lilies of the field or the birds of the air and pondered the improbability of their existence in this warm world within the cold and empty stellar distances will hardly balk at the turning of water into wine—which was, after all, a very small miracle.

-wendell berry

blue cup coffee [one week old!]

[cedar celebrates his seventh day of life at blue cup coffee in bangkok]

ninemonthsinaminute

[belly:baby]

[note: the video player may not work in internet explorer, but does work in firefox & chrome]

rooted [cedar james talstra]

cedar james talstra

born january 20, 2011

3.6 kg [7.9 lbs]

52 cm [20.5 inches]

we chose this name for you, cedar james, because we want you to know that, although you were born in a far-away land, you have deep roots.

CEDAR: In the bible, the Cedars of Lebanon were used to build Solomon's temple. They were chosen for their mighty strength, to symbolize the Faithfulness of God. We want you to know that you are rooted in this faithfulness always. Cedar trees also grow in abundance in northern B.C., where your father grew up. It is a place of mountains & rivers & beauty. A place we love & where so many people love you.

JAMES: The book of James says that "Every good & perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." (James 1:17) You are this gift to us & we pray that your whole life will be rooted in the love of our God of heavenly lights, who does not change. James is also the name of your grandfather & great grandfather who live in western NY, where your mother grew up. They are two kind-hearted, generous, & admirable men & they represent a whole community of family & friends we love & who love you dearly.

You have deep roots, baby Cedar James, & we anticipate with joy watching you grow.

overheard

amanda: (while getting out of bed) ugh, i feel a bit like a beached whale

daniel: i think of you more as a friendly giant

kirirom kamping part 2 [caption contest!]

winner to be awarded the grand prize of becoming godparent to our child.

see contest rules for more information*

* Contest Rules: winning contestants must not be younger than 5, must not already hold positions of godparentliness, must not insult the judges with their captions, must be able to answer a skills testing question, must have the strength to fell a tree with a single swing of an axe, must have the compassion of an elderly blue whale, and must be able to make eggs benedict in under 13 minutes .

kirirom kamping

they say sometimes a picture is worth a whole lot more than words.

[photo by steveamie]