It's been awhile since I have posted anything on this blog, and I think we're well overdue for a Wesley update. The little guy is doing great. I think he's a very easy baby, even though I don't really have anything to compare him to. He has beautiful big eyes and a smile that just about makes me melt. He is almost six months old, and he's becoming much more social and responsive to people that talk to him. The cashier at the grocery store gets a winning grin if she so much as looks at him, and people that talk to him at church get the full leg pump and giggle in response. We have yet to see any pearly whites, but we are assured daily that he is teething (and have been for about four months now).

Bath Time!



We've given Wesley cereal a few times, and he does pretty well! We'll have to stop being lazy and be more consistent with it soon.



Wesley and Owen are getting very well acquainted. They're intrigued by one another.

Gore with Hope - A Poem from Karsten Piper

I saw this poem linked from Justin Taylor's blog (which is the one blog I check every week day). I'll include John Piper's brief introduction to the poem. JP's whole post is called "Sometimes He Kills Us to Save Us."


"Last November I blogged on my son Karsten Piper's poetry. I celebrated some of his awards and ended by saying "Perhaps we will post a few more of Karsten’s poems in the coming months."Well, now that the winter issue of Rock and Sling: A Journal of Literature, Art, and Faith has appeared I am able to post one of the best poems I have ever read on a Biblical text.
I promise you it is not what you expect.
It’s called “Luke 18.25” and it won the Virginia Brendemuehl Poetry Contest from Rock and Sling."

Luke 18.25by Karsten Piper
~He spread his blanket on the sand, kneeled and arranged his bowls and tools:hook, mallet, clamp, chisel, rasp, razor.

His smile glinted in the rongeur’s claws,and upside down in the curette’s spoon.Light shone out of the needle’s eye.

“Hoosh,” he said and began plucking hairs, paring calluses, shearing wool, shavingto the follicles, cutting to the quick.

He sorted these, trimming skin with skin,hair with hair, into rows of clay bowls,and set a large basin to catch each sour drip

as he sliced the hide and used both fiststo yank back the whole stubbled, gray pelt,as wet and red on its underside as afterbirth.

He piled this heavily away, draping it in clean linen, and turned to the meat and bone heaving under sheer, tight membrane.

Sawteeth chewed into femur, rib and shoulder.Pliers twisted and wrenched away tendonsuntil everything softened, canted, and collapsed—

yet not one sliver dies. Each ribbon and shard bawls for the horror and hurt of their missing,wishing for the old braying wholeness.

Pain bloodies evening and morning, stabbing day after day from even the first cuts, like the slow light of far stars.

Eyeballs and heart float alone in the last bowl, dark and defenseless, quavering when he leans down and they recognize in his eyes how little is left.

“Easy now, Camel,” he says and lifts me in his fingertips, one quivering strand at a time, through the eye of the needle. ~

Taking the Plunge!

The picture has nothing to do with this post!

Earlier this month, a friend of mine (with a marvelous name, whose blog is linked to the right) pitched the idea of running in the mini-marathon that is part of the Kentucky Derby Festival. He has asked me to join in his torturous games in years past - I've declined at least a couple of mini-marathons and a half-Iron Man! I also declined an offer from another friend, Ben (linked to the right) to gear up for a race this last fall. I wanted to run some race in the twelve months after my stroke (I'll post on that sometime), but I only made it up to seven miles at a time that year.

So, I've been training for a couple of weeks as a "trial run" before I dropped the entry fee today. It's been cold and windy for better than half my days, but that has strengthened my resolve. And don't worry, I bought some expensive running shoes with Christmas money (which I'm only supposed to use for running?) and a fancy $5 running shirt from Target. I'm set.

But here's a small tribute to my buddy, John Mark: you convinced me to sign up for my first race. You eased me into drinking black coffee (and there's no going back, I think). You asked me about my marriage and gave good advice before you were married. You have been a great encourager, an honest, humble and very discerning friend. I miss you, brother.

Wesley approaching 5 months

I love this picture because Lela took it with natural light. Wesley's eyes look a brighter and purer blue in this light than at other times. They have started to take on what I call a "sunflower" effect like Laura's eyes. Laura's eyes have small "petals" around the pupils that fade to green and then to blue around the outer rim of her iris.
Master Wesley is more agreeable to sitting on Laura's lap for a book. It is fun to watch.
Under the little man is a quilt made by Ruth Patton, a long-time member of our little church who moved to TX to live near her daughter. Laura refers to the quilt simply as "Texas," so that play time on the floor is now "going to Texas."
This is becoming a common sight during Wesley's naps. Since he has learned to roll onto his belly and fall asleep in that position, that bald spot on the back of his head might have a chance to grow back. Now we're concerned that all the time on his face might rub off his eye brows or part of his nose.
I had no idea that parenting would be such fun!

The Tough Issue of Global Warming

This post makes me a bit nervous because I know that the global warming discussion rarely proceeds untethered to other political, moral and religious views. Or to say it differently, who can discuss this current issue without personal bias or unfairly caricaturing opposing views and their proponents?

If you want to get to my point, skip all this smaller type and follow the links to Paul Helm's two Analyses (#9 and #10)

Here is my dilemma: I have two relatives who have vastly greater understanding of the issue than I do (both with PhD's in the "hard" sciences) and much keener interest in the issue than I have. These two men have never (to my knowledge) met in person. As I understand each one's position on Global Warming, the two views are quite divergent - almost diametrically opposite! And both can be pretty passionate and persuasive (I must take them according to their authority to address the subject - not on their use of the evidence because I can't make sense of the hard data). What am I to think or to do?

I have my political leanings (I just preached Sunday from Genesis 1 that God is Pro-Life; this is one of the most important issues in politics today because I think abortion, euthanasia, embryonic stem cell research, etc., seem to be arbitrary suspensions of the "all men are created equal and are endowed with certain, inalienable rights" idea at the base of our country's government), but that should not ruin a fair evaluation.

Please read these two analyses by Paul Helm (a British, Christian philosopher) and post a thought or two. He doesn't have an editor, it seems, so look past the mistakes.

First part:

http://paulhelmsdeep.blogspot.com/2007/12/analysis-9-saving-planet-whats-best-bet.html#links

Second part:

http://paulhelmsdeep.blogspot.com/2008/01/analysis-10-saving-planet-whats-stake.html#links

I welcome your comments and discussion!

Kansas Christmas

This is my dad holding Wesley. During Thanksgiving, Wesley was not as happy as he had been during his life previously; Christmas in Kansas was a nice representation of our happy baby's usual demeanor! We enjoy seeing our parents enjoy the little man.

Wesley lasted long enough to see a couple of his own gifts before he went down for a nap. The Baby Mozart CD has been marvelous!
This is Sadie - my niece and Wesley's only first cousin. [As I understand the way you figure cousins, Wesley has one second cousin (Libby) as well - the daughter of Laura's first cousin (Erin). I say Erin is Wesley's first cousin, once removed, but Erin's daughter is Wesley's second cousin. Not everyone has found my system persuasive. I'd love some comment postings that affirm how I see it.]
I took a little heat for this gift (because I actually said I enjoy a good candle and wouldn't mind receiving one as a gift). But should a guy who needs a mirror and who knows what product to prepare his hair everyday and who uses a shower puff tease me for receiving a candle? I didn't think so.
While we were in Topeka at Sara and Kevin's house, God sent us 9 inches of snow. It was beautiful! Owen enjoyed the experience as long as he had company. Sadie, pictured above, enjoyed eating the snow alongside the hound. They were a good match.
The Kansas trip was great fun - something of a new venture into family tradition. Who knows what next year will bring?

Wesley's Fourth Month (a smattering)

This was a warm-up shot before a round of Christmas letter hopefuls. Wesley's attire changed midway through the photo shoot. So did his mood!
By the time we started the actual family shots, Wesley was in his second set of clothes, and only the dog could keep him content. The shots we took after these show an unhappy baby. If you received a Christmas photo from us, it was a pic taken over the Thanksgiving trip to TX.
Young Master Wesley is getting better at attending to people speaking to him, reading to him or just moving somewhere in the room. He's developed a cute, low chuckle that comes out most often when Laura plays with him on the changing table. Right now they are in MO with Lela and "the cousins," and I miss them both. [If you read this, Laura or Wesley, I love you!]. Wesley is awesome! He is stretching out (26+ inches x 16-17 lbs) and gaining some coordination.
Here he is tolerating "tummy time;" just a minute later (as he daily does), Wesley gives up, drops his face into the floor, and fusses. During naptime on New Year's Day, we heard Wesley start fussing loudly (which is not normal). I went in his room to find that he had rolled over from his back to his tummy! He was upset that he couldn't get back on his back. I don't have a picture to show for it, but Laura's father took one. That very night, Wesley rolled over onto his tummy at least three times. Laura's parents and sister were staying with us at the time, so Wesley happened to be sleeping with us in our room. We had a long night, short on sleep!