We are delighted to announce the birth of our son, Elian Sila, born Wednesday night, August 24, 2011 at 11:12 PM.

Labor and birth were uneventful in the best of ways – 7 hours long, delivered naturally and drug-free in a birthing pool. In between contractions Kashmira even heard herself saying, “I’m having fun”, which is just plain weird, but we are grateful. Arriving 10 days past his due date, our little guy was 3.42 kilos / 7.5 lbs and 51 cm / 20 in. (His big sister was 9 days late and 3.4 kilos).

A few weeks before discovering that we were pregnant Kashmira woke up in the middle of the night with the name Elian (เอลเลียน– eh-lee-an) in her head, wondering, “Could I be pregnant with a little boy?”  Elian is a Hebrew name, meaning “the Lord is my God.” Sila (ศิลา-sea-laa) is a Thai name, meaning “Rock”.

A great big thank you goes out to our team mates Pat and Sam Sarvis for giving Izayla the time of her life while mom and dad were busy at the hospital – she had so much fun, didn’t really want to come home!

We’re having a great time getting to know our newest little family member, and watching a whole new side of Izayla emerge as she explores what it means to be a big sister. She is especially excited to tell us that he has eyes, to softly pet his head like a dog, and each time she wakes up from a nap she eagerly asks for “momma, daddy and baby” so we’re guessing that she’s realized he’s a part of the family already!

Thank you so much for your friendship, prayers and support on this most delightful journey! All grace and peace, Iven, Kashmira, Izayla and Elian