The Sex

Get your minds out of the gutter people!! Monday we go to find out what sex our baby is. We don't really care which it is. Just healthy. But I kinda feel like it will be a boy. I have a site redesign ready to go at the word in two lovely color pallete's

check back monday evening if you want to know

flickr friday

Cathedral

most of you know that i've kinda been in a funk for the last little bit. Well the clouds are parting and I'm starting to see the sun again. For you that means I should be blogging more frequently.

We find out if it's a boy or girl on Mon.

Yaya means something different

Despite our attempts to talk my mother-in-law out of the grandmotherly name of "Ya Ya", I think she is still going for it. You may recall that her husband, my husband, and myself have been trying to get her to go with something else. And just this past week I thought I'd been given the perfect end-all to above name. A friend had told me she'd seen a show on t.v where a female referred to a part of her body as her "ya ya". Tonight, hoping my husband would back me up on it, I shared with my mother-in-law the news and thought it would be the cure. But somewhere I must have miscommunicated with Geron because he didn't back me up as expected. In fact, he kind of let it slide off my tongue, onto the floor, under the rug, into the basement, and outside through a crack of cement never to be mentioned again. And in the meantime, someone at above lady's work told her that "Ya Ya" is greek for "grandmother". Well, thanks a lot, whoever you are. We're not greek, but my mother-in-law is converting.

I think I'm going to have a difficult time calling her "ya ya" with respect. So many positive words have been given such negative conitations these days. I find myself saying something and someone laughing when what I've said isn't even funny. Then, the person has to explain the new meaning of the word and I get quite embarassed. So, perhaps, I will continue calling her Patsy, as that is her name and what I've called her since I met her. Maybe the baby will pick up on that and call her "Pat Pat". I'd be much more comfortable with that, unless "pat pat" means something I don't know.

un-mute

so they show last night was slamming! And even though it was a late night for an old married curmudgeon like me, it was well worth it. I was quite curious to hear whether their unique sound could be pulled off well live. And the answer is... Oh yeah!! They rocked my face off!!

i got turned on to mutemath almost a year and a half ago, and i grabed their Reset EP that was available on iTunes. A couple of weeks ago when i heard that they were going to be here I vowed that i would make the show at all costs. I downloaded their new album using an undisclosed p2p app. But before you go calling the RIAA on me you should realize that the new album is only available at the live shows and through the mail. So to stay legal I bought a real copy last night. They have kinda been in a squabble with their record company.

They show was made only better by sharing it with ben, chris, and jeff.

happy monday

So I guess it's a good day. I just ate a wonderful product called honey-nut chex. It rocked my mouth like no breakfast cereal has done in a long time. Later today I'm going to go pick up a free cake that Lydia won last weekend. Sweet!! And later tonight some of the IM boys are coming to town and we're going to see mutemath. A few years ago some of the guys from mutemath were in a band called earthsuit, which we had at FBC in richmond. During a break the frontman grabbed a choir robe from backstage and rocked it during the second half. it cracked me up. Hopefully it will be good show. Mutemath has been in the news a bit lately for suing their record company and withholding their new album from the label. Apparently they don't want to be marketed as a christian band by the label because of the limitations they feel that puts on them. so they won't give the new album to the label, but they sell it at their shows. I hope it will be a good show.
Can you say "keytar"

Combination names

Okay, so here is why my brother won't get to name his niece or nephew. I love my brother dearly and respect him a great deal; however, as far back as I can remember he has had some extremely interesting ideas as to what may pass for an appropriate name. He was two and a half when I was born and suggested to my parents that I be named "Brother Bill". I enjoy imagining how they explained to him that I was a sister and that Bill wasn't a good girl name. Besides trying to name me, at that same time he had some toy soldiers or fisher price men who he'd named "John, Bobby, Sam, and Henry Kissinger." (He must have watched the news with my parents. He's always been smart like that.) In high school, we used to joke about names for our future children. Being that our last name was "Meadors" (pronounced almost the same as Meadows, except with an R), Everett thought these names would be good for his future children: "Grassy, Shady, and Downintha" . And actually, those are better than Geron's suggested name for his first child "Mapoopis". (Remember, our last name is Brown.)

So, the other night, my brother called to with me a Happy Birthday, and I, not thinking about these past names, asked him if he had any opinions on a good baby name. A couple of his suggestion--Lyron and Geronia. Combination names. Some couples have names that, when combined, are kind of cute. For example: Jason and Casey get "Jaycee". Mary and Joe have "Mary Jo". Or you can sometimes name a boy after his mom: Patricia has a son Patrick. Martha has a son "Marty". Shawna has a son "Shawn". Or vice versa--John has a daughter "jonna". Michael has a daughter "Mikayla"...you get the picture. Our names just don't work that way, so we are doing some heavy searching.

We are finally agreeing on some names that we both like. And, I'm sorry, Daddy, but one of them is not Madula Oblongata for a girl's name. You'll have to run that by Ann and Daniel or Everett and whoever his future bride might be. And, I'm sorry to my Granny and Grandaddy who have allready passed on, but Fanny just isn't really an appropriate name in this day or age. And Everett, you can forget about Brother Bill and Melon-y, although, that is kind of a sweet nickname for an unborn baby girl.

Just for kicks, you may post a name suggestion as a comment to this blog. But, MOM, Patsy, Ann, and any other family members who may be reading this, DO NOT start emailing us long lists of name suggestions. Unless of course you want us to teach your grandchildren to call you "Big Mama" and your niece/nephew to call you Anny Fanny.

cravings

I've been thinking about cravings this morning and I think I've discovered some. I'll start by saying "Frosted Lucky Charms ARE REALLY magically delicious!" Yeah, I'm guessing this one started about a month ago. I discovered them in the breakfast line at school the first morning I missed my breakfast at home. I thought to myself "I'd really like to have those Lucky Charms." After that morning, whenever I didn't eat at home, I knew Lucky Charms would be waiting for me in the cafeteria. This week, I've been on spring break, so Geron bought me a box of Lucky Charms to have at home. Gone in 3 days, people! AN ENTIRE BOX, ALL BY MYSELF!!! I think that constitutes a craving.

Another thing I've found that I want to gorge myself on frequently is Egg Drop Soup, but it has to be from the Plum Tree restaurant in Georgetown, KY. Needless to say, I haven't satisfied that craving yet. And I've attempted to by trying different chinese places around here--no good! I can somewhat gratify that craving through Ichiban ( a japanese restaurant that is
SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Good!) but Geron is experiencing burn out, so I'm not getting to much of that, either. If anyone figures out how to overnight anything from the Plum Tree (fried wontons, egg drop soup, steamed rice, egg rolls, general tso's chicken) and still maintain its heat and flavor, please please please be the miracle for me! Or if you want to chip in and buy me a round-trip ticket from Chattanooga to the Plum Tree (or the Lexington airport, since it would be easier to land the plane there) you can do that.

I think Geron is experiencing sympathy cravings as he has wanted to go to Sonic frequently for their chili cheese tots. (NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO thank you!)

WWBD

It's frustrating to realize that too often the best visible example of Christ-like love, compassion and forgivness comes in the form of an irish rock star. I made this as a protest. I might make it into a T-Shirt

Little Geron or Little Lydia?

Yesterday was our March appointment and I had some blood work done. We also
heard the heartbeat again, yea!!! As far as we know, there is nothing wrong
with the baby, so our official ultrasound will be on April 3rd. Then will
see if you all are going to be graced by a little Lydia or picked on by
miniGeron! (both parts of that were a joke.) I'm kind of hoping for a girl
at this point, but definitely not a mini-me! Geron jokes about hoping the
baby gets my temperament. In some ways that is all well and good, but the
stubborn and angry streak that sometimes run in me---Whoo boy! I don't think
I could handle it!! My mom says I was a good baby--I'd sleep pretty much
anytime she laid me down. I can still sleep pretty much anywhere at
anytime. The benefits of a mini-me is that she would be laid back, quiet,
independent, and able to entertain herself about anywhere. I could handle
all of that. The cons is she would want HER way, things would have to be in
a specific order and she would have to be informed way ahead of time of any
changes in her routine--we're talking months and years here, people, oh and
if she ever discovered how to climb up on the piano bench, well we'd have to
invest in millions of earplugs. The benefits of a little Geron are his
humor--he'd be hilarious!--, extreme curiosity, a hugger (believe it or
not), a singer, and he'd know some of the best ways to do things. The cons
of a little Geron would be his humor , he'd be so curious that he'd start
trying to take the t.v. and computer apart and then he'd start working on
the cell phones and stereo and kitchen equipment, and he wouldn't go to
sleep without being rocked for at least two hours and exactly the right way,
and he wouldn't sleep when anyone else wasn't sleeping, and if I tried to
sing him to sleep he'd put his little hand up to my mouth and nod his head
"no". So, we're in for it either way, I guess. Seriously, though, we will
have a ball with whoever shows up!! I can't wait until April 3rd!! I've been
told to drink a large mountain dew before the appointment because caffeine
has "ten times" the effect on babies as it does on adults. Okay, I wasn't
told that exactly, but I was told that it would get the baby moving so we
could find out what we've got. Instead of Mountain Dew, though, I think
I'll take it a step further and have an Ale8!

Not just me much longer

It is now starting to dawn on me that my life is about to change drastically
in 5 months. Now when people start talking about anything after September
1st my immediate thought is "I'll have a _ month-old then." For example, we
have a Christmas banquet in December and I thought "Geron, we'll have a 3
month old then." SO, it has occurred to me that anything I want to do by
myself or with Geron I need to go ahead and do now because I won't get
another chance until 2030! (I exaggerate, but really--things are going to
change majorly!)

I confessed to my good friend, Holly, this week that I want to be just me
for a little longer. Maybe I'm being selfish, but as my body is changing
and I am continually reminded of the person who is on the way to my house
and becoming part of my family-I just get a bit overwhelmed. I just want to
go to the movies or hang out with friends until 11:00 p.m. To be free to go
wherever I want with or without Geron just for a few more months. And to
have an occasional day that is committed to talking about anything but baby.
This probably sounds like I don't love this baby, but I do VERY much. But I
understand from my friends who are parents that you need "me" time, too.
And right now, I just want some of that while I can get more of it than I
will when the baby arrives.

Soon we are going to find out just who exactly in joining our family. I'm
sure things will get even more overwhelming then. Perhaps this is all just
hormones. Any of you mothers who are reading this, please tell me what is
going on here and why I am feeling this way. Any of you fathers who read
this, please tell Geron what is going on and why I am feeling this way and
what he can do about it. :)

Little Mama and other names

Way before Geron and I found out we were going to be parents, we joked with Geron's mom about what her future grandchildren might call her. We love to tease her about a specific name all the time because it really pushes her buttons. Geron sweetly suggested that when we have kids they'll call me "mama" and they'll call her "Big Mama". Let's just say she didn't go for
that at all! Well, this week we've been on tour doing music for our district Sunday school rally.We told our d.s.'s wife, a good friend of Geron's mom, on Sunday night about the"BigMama" story and she got a kick out of it. On Monday night, Patsy(my mother-in-law) came to the service and Karla (the d.s. wife) talked to her afterwards. She said "Patsy, Geron and Lydia told me what you want to call yourself when the baby comes and I think its sweet. I think Big Mama is a cute name." Patsy about died!!! Of course, she immediately looked around to see where Geron was to get after him!

My mom has chosen to be "Granny" which is one of my favorite names since I had such a wonderful Granny. Patsy is thinking about "YaYa" for herself--I won't go there today except to say that Geron and Preston have had many conversations trying to talk her out of it. I personally think she'd make a great "Nana". We'll see. In the meantime, a good friend at church has nicknamed me "Little Mama". (Kind of makes me feel good to be called little since I don't feel so little these days.)

Today, if you chose to respond to this blog, please leave suggestions for grandparent names that I can pass on to my mother-in-law and tease her about!

flickr favs

Not much to report here, just being really busy. Been outatown most nights this week. Gonna be gone some next week. will try to moblog better to make up for my absence.

anniversary

Yesterday was my one year anniversary being on staff at church.

flickr friday

This makes me feel happy for some reason.















Strawberry Milk Forever

drought

I realize that most of you come here to keep up with what's going on in my life, but lately I seem to be having difficulty being creative. My recent issue, has kinda taken the joy out of blogging for me. It usually is a kind of therapy for me. It keeps me sane. Lately, whenever I begin to write a post, I mentally put on a filter that prevents me saying anything that could be interpreted even mildly offensive. Although this is probably for the best, It kinda ruins the experience for me.

You should know that no one has approached me personally about the offensiveness this blog previously contained. I guess whoever was stirring the pot moved on to meddling with someone else's private life. Of course you would think that if someone was truly concerned about me, they would have come to me personally. Those of you that know me well recognize that I'm typically pretty thick skinned about criticism, but this really hurt my feelings. I guess it's the thought that someone that I see at church on a weekly basis who is friendly and everything, would spread it around to other members of the congregation that I was putting obscene things on the internet. It really bothers me that someone would even think that, much less tell people that. I doubt I'll ever know who was spreadin' stuff and causing problems for me. It's probably for the best.

I know you guys don't want to hear me whine. I'm actually very blessed. I just thought you might want to know what was going on and why I haven't been very fruitful lately.

FYI: during the course of writing this post I deleted several sentences that I thought would look like I was "lashing out". I also had to delete several words like "cowardice" judgmental" and "Pharisee".