A Very Merry Christmas

Have I ever mentioned that I work for a great company? (Which shall remain nameless on this blog, despite its greatness)

This is a photo of my Christmas gift from the company:

Santa apparently thought I was a very good boy this year. I felt like a little kid on Christmas morning, that's for sure.

Updates on Eric Youngblood

For anyone looking for the latest information on Pastor Eric Youngblood's medical condition, Rock Creek Fellowship will be posting updates from the family at the following address:

www.esplodere.com/rockcreek

Please remember Eric, Cathy, and Kahler in your prayers.

The Bailey Update

Bailey has just been going nuts lately, learning all kinds of new stuff. She gets better at her pulling up and holding on to things (mostly our coffee table) to "walk" around. She hasn't gotten brave enough to go no-hands yet, but it can't be far off. There have been a couple times when she didn't realize for about a second that she wasn't holding onto anything, and she kept her balance just fine.

Yesterday she proved once again to be a lucky charm for Auburn by wearing her favorite t-shirt:

The Tigers beat up on Mississippi State, 43-14. They had a shutout going until the last two minutes of the game, when the mostly third-string defense kind of fell apart. Still a good game, as they totally dominated for 58 minutes. Next week's game against LSU will be tougher, but Bailey will once again be cheerleading from our living room so they should be okay. That reminds me, she started clapping this week!

And now, for the best Bailey story of all. One of her favorite things to get into lately has been our entertainment center. She started loving to crawl over and turn the DVD player on and off repeatedly. She just liked pressing the button over and over again. Well, on Tuesday evening, she crawled over and pressed the button to turn it on. The DVD that happened to be in was U2 Go Home (Live at Slane Castle). Bailey looked up at the screen and then didn't turn it off. When the band walked out onto the stage, she started waving at them. When the music started, she proceeded to "dance" along. When the crowd went wild at the end of "Beautiful Day" she started clapping with them. It was hilarious! Yes, Bailey's favorite band is U2 and it's not just me saying that anymore...

The Juice Was Loose

Let's just say I know when to hold 'em and I know when to fold 'em.

About a month ago, I started going to a regular poker game (Texas Hold'em) on Sunday nights. The first time I was pretty much crap, but had a good time. The second week, I came in third (out of eight), and had an even better time. I also smoked my first cigar. It was over halfway gone before I tasted anything but smoke, but then it was pretty good. It also provided a good cover once when my hand was better than my poker face. I just took a little too big of a draw, let out a big cough, and distracted everyone from the silly grin that was developing on my face. Pretty smooth, huh? Maybe not, but it worked. It was also that night that I got a nickname -- kind of a rite of passage. At first it was "OJ" meaning "Other John" but it quickly became "The Juice." Not too crazy about it, but maybe I'm just not used to having a nickname at all. Either that, or I know that someone already took one of the best nicknames ever.

Well, this Sunday night, The Juice was loose (the puns were flying all night), and I won the game. I'd like to take all the credit, but I really had amazing luck with the cards. I had a blast, and as an added bonus, I got to bring home the $35 jackpot! Bailey's closet is a little fuller thanks to a great night of poker.

Farewell St. Elmo

The end of an era. Well, if you can call 18 months an era. Last weekend we moved from our apartment in St. Elmo to a home in the East Brainerd area, seen below:

I was hesitant to mention this on the blog as there is a contingent of prominent Chattabloggers that are quite enamoured with St. Elmo, and my self-concious side didn't want to be thought of as a sell-out moving to the burbs. So, indulge me for a little explanation... Anyone familiar with St. Elmo knows it's in a transitional state. Some people still consider the whole area a "bad" part of town, but there are some really nice parts. It seems a frequent occurence for homes to be bought and renovated. It's a matter of time before St. Elmo is some version of North Chattanooga -- mostly nicer renovated (and subsequently a bit overpriced) homes. We like St. Elmo, in general, and would have stayed in that area, if the right (rental) house had been available.

Our particular apartment wasn't in the best shape, though, and we had serious neighbor issues. You wouldn't think it's too much to ask to have peace and quiet (as opposed to having your windows constantly rattled by bass) when you're in your own home with the doors and windows closed. Especially after, oh, 11pm. You might also think that people know about doorbells and don't just honk the horn when they pull up in front of your house to announce their arrival. Our former neighbors would have disagreed and it was obvious they didn't care. Even worse was the unprovoked verbal harassment my wife received on a couple of different occasions. It wasn't a place we felt comfortable with anymore. Genia didn't like being home by herself and it wasn't a place we wanted to raise Bailey as she gets older and wants to be able to play outside, etc.

We're very happy with and excited about our new place, but of course there were a couple of sad moments as we packed up, remembering the special things we experienced there. When we brought Bailey home from the hospital, we brought her there. It was the first home she ever knew, and I know she won't miss it, but we had a lot of good times there with her that we'll always remember. I remember painting her bedroom when Genia was pregnant, and all the excitement as we furnished and arranged it in anticipation of her arrival. We also had a big birthday party for Genia when she turned 25. Friends from all over drove up to celebrate with us, and we had a blast. There were a lot of games of Foosball played -- most of them won by my brother Joel, but that's not the point.

I could go on and on with happy memories, but it's time to start making new ones at our new home. I think we're going to have a Luau!

Baby Products We Love

Since FNR has basically turned into an all-Bailey all-the-time blog (you're welcome, M Suzi), I assume that I might have some readers who are parents or expectant parents. Given that assumption, I thought I'd take a moment to recommend some baby items that get our hearty recommendation.

First up, the Fisher-Price Ocean Wonders Aquarium Cradle Swing. The name's a mouthful, yes, and it's one of the pricier swings you'll find. However, it is able to swing side-to-side (better for when Bailey's awake and wants to look around, say, while Genia and I eat dinner) or front-to-back (better for when Bailey needs to take a nap but is fighting sleep). Another cool feature is that you can adjust the uprightness of the seat. The more upright position is good for watching, and the reclined position is good for napping. In short, Genia and I would've paid twice the cost of this swing and still felt it was a value.

Next up, Tiny Love Super Deluxe Gymini With Lights And Music. What have we learned? Long name, good product! Seriously though, Bailey loves her Gymini. Therefore, Mommy and Daddy love Bailey's Gymini. She has a blast reaching and grabbing at the plush toys, looking at herself in the mirror, enjoying the neat textures on the toys and the floor mat, and looking at herself in the mirror. (Hey, if you were that pretty, you'd do it too!) Another cool feature is that it folds in half, making it easily portable.

Another great product is the Baby Bjorn Carrier. It's a great way to have Bailey close and feeling comforted without having to physically hold her in your arms. A couple days ago we took a walk outside with her in the Bjorn, and we've used it around the house a good bit too -- I even washed dishes with her in it one day! With warmer weather around, we'll be outside more and this carrier will see even more use. We were fortunate enough to get the Baby Bjorn as a gift, and we're sure glad we did!

Finally, for something on the cheaper end of the spectrum, the Baby Einstein Language Nursery Board Book. Each page has a large colorful picture, and then a short sentence (translated into four languages) describing it. Apparently even infants can distinguish the sounds of different languages, so reading this type of book is a great introduction. Bailey loves the pictures, and she loves the last page, which has a mirror, and the sentence "My name is _____."

Inside Her Mind

This afternoon I managed to get this shot of Bailey holding her bottle during her mid-afternoon feeding. She's been putting her hands up to it and trying to hold it I guess for a few weeks (having a baby has caused me to lose all sense of time) and she's really getting good at it. Usually it's too heavy but this afternoon she was laying down to eat so that wasn't an issue.

After she finished eating, she was wide awake, and I thought I'd try something new. I still had the digital camera handy, so I held it up where Bailey could see the LCD on the back and started scrolling through the pictures I'd taken. She was mesmerized. Her eyes got so big when she first started looking at it, and it surprised her every time I pulled up a new picture. By the end, she started cooing at a couple pictures of herself smiling. It was adorable!

I would really love to know what goes on inside her little mind. Can you imagine what it must be like to see and hear and experience everything like for the first time? A couple weeks ago I showed her my color-screen cell phone and she was pretty fascinated by it. She also gets big-eyed when I hold the phone up to her ear so Genia can talk to her when she calls from work. Was she thinking "Why does this little silver thing sound like my mommy?" If I could read her mind, would her thoughts be in English or some sort of unintelligible baby language? I'm as fascinated by her as she must be by all the new things she experiences.

Happy Anniversary

Happy Anniversary to my beautiful wife Genia. Thanks for four wonderful years.

Happy Birthday (Running to Stand Still)

Ahem.

So I turn 24 years old today. I don't generally make a big deal out of my birthday, and this year is no different. I don't feel old, either, despite my being a new father, which is a pretty adult thing to be.

I am struck by the thought that another entire year has passed, and I made exactly zero progress towards my only major goal: becoming a minister. At the beginning of the year, all signs pointed to me returning to college and working to finish my bachelor's degree. By the spring, however, we knew Genia was pregnant and so my plans were on hold yet again. The year has absolutely flown by and, looking back, it was all running to stand still. And now at the beginning of 2004, and my twenty-fifth year of life, I feel like it will be yet another year of the same. Will I ever get anywhere?

2003 In Review

The Good

Fatherhood. Without a doubt, nothing can top the joy of seeing my daughter born, and holding her for the first time. Fatherhood is amazing, and truly life-changing. You forget to eat dinner. A full night's sleep becomes a fond memory and a dream for the future. You see, smell, and touch a lot of poo. It breaks your heart when you can't comfort the fervent cries of your own flesh and blood. You can't wait to see her crawling, walking, and talking, but you know you'll miss having such a tiny creature to hold in your arms or sleep on your chest.

Rock Creek Fellowship. Have you ever heard the phrase "church family?" It started to really mean something to us this year, at this church. Our pastor is a great man with a caring heart for the people of his church, and our small group has been such a blessing. We love fellowshipping and learning with them each week.

The U2 Pilgrimage. In October, my brother Joel and I made the trek to Cleveland, Ohio, to see the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. They have a three floor exhibit of U2, and it was amazing. For a couple of huge U2 fanatics like us, it was well worth the drive. On the way back, we got to see my high school friend Raman in Cincy, which was cool. It was also neat because Joel and I hadn't really done anything like that together before. Thumbs up for brotherly bonding and all that jazz.

The Bad

Jobs and Money. 2003 was pretty rough in these departments. When we moved to Chattanooga in February, it took Genia almost two full months to find a job. And when she did, it paid only 2/3 of what she was making in Atlanta. Like all good American 20somethings, we have car payments, student loans, and credit cards, so that was pretty hard on the old budget. Then in October, I was laid off from my job when my department was shut down. Another big hit to the wallet.

A Little of Both

College Plans. We moved to Chattanooga so that I could go back to college at Covenant. Given my less than stellar GPA from my previous college credits, I was excited and proud when I was admitted to Covenant. It became bittersweet when I declined to enroll because I realized I couldn't start school and have a baby in the middle of the semester. Now, I feel like I'm just floating along again. I keep saying I might start back in Fall 2004, but I just don't know if our finances or our schedules will really permit that. I feel like I'm gonna be 40 by the time I finish college and seminary.

Esplodere Web Design. I officially launched this business in March with my partner and good friend Andy Coleman. It was a really exciting day when I got our first paying client. The truth is, though, that I'm no salesman or marketer and our success hasn't been nearly what we hoped -- or expected -- it would be.

The Favorites

Film. My favorite film of 2003 is Return of the King by a good margin. Some other favorites included Mystic River, Pirates of the Caribbean, and X-Men 2. It may have been released in 2002, but I rented Adaptation and thought it was really good as well.

Music. Some of my favorite songs from 2003 include "The Man Comes Around" and "Hurt" by Johnny Cash, "Open Apology" by Far Star, "Abilene" by Damien Jurado, "We're All in Love" by Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, and "There Goes the Fear" by Doves. I didn't buy too many albums that I can recall, but I love Ohio by Over the Rhine. I picked up two great music DVDs -- Coldplay Live 2003 and U2 Go Home (Live from Slane Castle).

Books. I bought fewer books than albums, it seems. I read Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis for the first time, and loved it. I also read his novel The Magician's Nephew to Bailey -- what a great story. I also started (and am still working on) Rumors of Another World by Philip Yancey and Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey. 2004's book list better be longer than this!

Christmas is Over

Well, we're back from our Christmas trip. I cannot bring myself to call it a vacation, because it felt like the longest week of my life. We did enjoy getting to spend a lot of time with our families in Alabama, but we're exhausted, and we all feel like we need a real vacation to recover from it.

I know I have completely neglected the blog this month, and hopefully January will see a reversal of that trend. I also plan on posting a new set of Bailey photos sometime soon.

My Baby Has Skills

Bailey is a mere nine days old, and she's already growing up too fast. Since the day she was born, she's been holding her head up when she's on her stomach, and trying to look all around. She turns from her back to her side with all her might, and one day soon she'll probably be turning over onto her stomach. And you've heard of projectile vomit? Bailey can projectile poo! I was changing a dirty diaper today, and she started peeing, so I lifted up her legs so she wouldn't get it all over her legs. She then proceeded to shoot a stream of poo through the air, a good 18 inches across the changing pad, hitting me in the arm! It was one of the most amazing things I've ever seen. I only wish someone else had been there to witness the sheer power of her bowels.

We Got Moe's (In Our Area Code)

Yesterday was a happy day in Chattanooga. Moe's Southwest Grill opened on Gunbarrell Road, right next door to Target. Genia and I are big fans of Moe's, and that's putting it mildly. When we lived in Atlanta, we were just a mile or so down the street from a Moe's, and we probably ate there twice a week. We're celebrating their arrival in Chatty with a bang -- we went last night for dinner, and today for lunch! They have great tacos and burritos, and a cool quirky atmosphere. Check them out when you're out by Target or the mall.

Losing Sleep and Losing My Life

Whether it's driven by some biological instinct or the subconcious awareness of the drastic change about to burst into our lives, Genia and I have had trouble sleeping just about every night for the last month. In her case, it's probably been more like the last two months. Sleep comes in spurts, with one or both of us waking up as often as every half-hour. Many times, one of us will wake up and our repositioning will wake the other one. As frustrating as it can be, it's nice that we'll be less shocked when Bailey is here and grants us sleep in two hour increments spread throughout the day and night.

Genia's mother was here on Monday bringing us some furniture that my mom gave us for the nursery. It's pretty cool because it was furniture that was in my nursery nearly 24 years ago. Am I that old already? Good grief. It'll really hit me when I start back to college in the fall and sit in class with 19 year olds. Anyway, when Rita was here, she said to me, "Your life is going to change like you can't even imagine. Your whole world is going to be turned around." She's said it before, and so have other people, so it wasn't exactly new revelation. My mental response was different, though. I thought to myself, "Bring it on. I'm ready for my life to change. I want this change." People like to talk about how hard it is to have a child, and how you don't have any time for yourself, and how you lose your freedom.

You know what? I'm ready to throw my life into something (or rather, someone) that I value more than myself. And I know Genia feels the same way. This could be the greatest time of our lives.

Heaven is a Place on Earth When...

• I feel Bailey moving around and kicking in Genia's stomach
• There's a blue sky over my head and a cool breeze on my face
• I take a sip of Coke from a glass bottle
• There's a choice to make, and by Grace I choose rightly
• I look into Genia's beautiful green eyes
• I'm eating the Apple Pancake Breakfast at Cracker Barrel
• Genia laughs so hard she actually stops making any noise
• I eat the bread and drink the wine
• KJT gathers together, any time, any place, for any reason
• I'm listening to great music... especially U2
• fill in the blank

Your Standard Random Updates Post

Last week, Genia and I had our first Lamaze class. Lamaze, to my surprise and relief, is more than just a funny sounding way of breathing. We're learning a lot about the natural way pregnancy and labor are designed to work, what will happen when Genia does start going into labor, and how to handle it with as little fear and pain as possible. We've been enjoying it, and I hope that Genia, in particular, will remember all the things we're learning when the time comes for Bailey to make her appearance.

One thing we weren't expecting was a slide show featuring pictures of the reproductive organs, and a very graphic illustration which prompted our grandmother-age instructor to say the word "ejaculation." Call us immature, but we couldn't help wanting to giggle. We nearly busted a gut when she sat on the "birthing ball" (which is just like an exercise ball) and demonstrated how the laboring mother should rotate her hips to assist the baby in positioning itself. Breaktime discussions assured us that we weren't the only ones (or the oldest ones) stifiling laughter.

This weekend we had a visit from Andrea, who I've known since high school and Genia became really close with when we lived near her in Atlanta. We had a blast, eating waaaay too much, watching Alias, and going to an empty Bijou matinee of Mystic River, among other things. She also ushered in the first activity of the KJT Music Club (I just made that up, btw), by going in with me on the new R.E.M. best of I recently posted about.

Friday night we're headed to Atlanta for a KJT Halloween Party -slash- Travis Hall Going Away Party, which should be a lot of fun. Our good friend Traviata will be shipping out for Army boot camp next month, so it could be a long time before we see him again. Remember that name Travis Hall, he'll probably be a Congressman one day. If he makes it to the White House as planned, he promised us a screening of Austin Powers in the White House movie theatre. How cool would that be?

Experiencing Rock History

Well, to put it simply, our trip was amazing. If you're interested in reading my thoughts and impressions on the U2 exhibit, In the Name of Love: Two Decades of U2, at the Rock Hall of Fame, read on.

The Rock Hall is a stunning building with an excellent collection. The U2 exhibit, In the Name of Love: Two Decades of U2, was full of artifacts that traced their journey from forming at Mount Temple school all the way through the Elevation tour. They had everything from the very first U2 tshirt to the costumes worn by Bono as MacPhisto, The Fly, and Mirrorball Man. I particularly enjoyed the graphic design exhibit, which included samples of album covers, posters, and tour books. It was fascinating to see the commentaries on these items by the graphic designers and the bands. Also exciting was the U2 theatre, a movie theatre within the Rock Hall that showed U2 films all day. We were able to watch Under a Blood Red Sky, Classic Albums: The Making of The Joshua Tree, Zoo Tv Live from Sydney, and Elevation Live from Boston.

I was absolutely blown away by the sheer genius of Zoo Tv. It was a conceptual and visual feat -- full-on sensory overload -- and in the middle of it all, like the "baby Jesus under the trash" Bono later sang about on Pop, I caught glimpses of the earnest, spiritual U2 that they've always been. I could feel it as the organs and guitars of "Where the Streets Have No Name" rose to the skies, and I could see it in Bono's eyes as he sang "Sunday Bloody Sunday" and "Love is Blindness." In stark contrast to the scale of Zoo Tv was the raw emotion and intimacy of the Elevation show. I didn't really notice the lights or the video screens, it was just U2 doing what they do best -- play powerful songs from their hearts. Watching the youthful exuberance of Under a Blood Red Sky showed me why U2 rose to popularity -- the strength of their live shows. It was also a treat to hear them play songs that don't make the setlists too often these days, such as "Gloria" and "Seconds." Finally, listening to Bono, Edge, Adam, Larry, and "Batman and Robin" (Eno and Lanois) discuss the making of The Joshua Tree gave me new insight into one of my favorite CDs. The songwriting process is fascinating, and I have even more appreciation for the songs on that album.

Until Monday

Joel and I are leaving this afternoon for our trek to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio. We'll be back Monday afternoon, just in time for me to go with Genia to our first Lamaze class. Until then, no blogging...

Happy Birthday

Today is my brother Joel's 21st birthday. Have a good one, man! We'll be hanging out later tonight for a little celebration -- nothing too crazy, I promise. If you see him around, tell him Happy Birthday.

Pregnant Women are Hot

It seems Chattanooga has finally turned the corner from Summer to Autumn. It's a glorious thing, and I have loved the weather over the past few days. Sunday afternoon I drove down the mountain from church with the windows down, the sunroof open, and U2's "Kite" blowing through the speakers. All was right with the world for those few moments.

The change in the weather has afforded us the opportunity to put our air conditioning to rest for the past few days. Unfortunately for me, we haven't been using the heat, either. I awoke this morning and yesterday morning to find that it was only 63 degrees inside our house. I've put on long sleeves, sat under blankets, and right now I'm enjoying my first cup of hot cocoa since February. Genia, on the other hand, is in paradise. Pregnant women are hot. Genia describes the feeling as if "there's a furnace attached to your body." She's lounging around in shorts and a t-shirt, enjoying the relief. She even said she's been sleeping better now that she doesn't wake up sweating in the middle of the night. Why would I argue with that? It's a good thing we've got a big canister of hot cocoa mix, because I'm gonna need it.

Making Room for Baby

Next Saturday is the big co-ed baby shower in Anniston. It should be a lot of fun, with all kinds of family and KJT friends making appearances to celebrate our upcoming birth and give Bailey lots of pink presents. All the excitement from the baby shower should help me forget about the crushing defeat that Tennessee will likely hand to my Auburn Tigers that same day. After the shower, we'll be bringing all manner of baby stuff back home with us, and the following weekend, Genia's parents will be bringing a truck filled with baby furniture. All that stuff has to go somewhere, so last night Genia and I cleared out the second bedroom in our apartment, which had served us well as an office -- complete with the quintessential dot-com office accessory, a foosball table. We were able to find a pleasing layout rather easily, and the area feels surprisingly spacious. At the request of my skeptical friend ColeSlaw, here are some pics.

This is the view from the front door. The two canvas chairs are holding the spot for the foosball table, which was too big and too heavy for me to move without help from someone besides Genia. (She shouldn't be lifting heavy objects, being pregnant and all.)

This is what the room looks like from my desk. Our dining table fits perfectly in the corner, and there's enough room for the foosball table behind the couch.

This is Genia's workspace, complete with her favorite lamp and easy access to the stereo to excercise her right to veto too much U2.

This is my workspace. And, yes, those are bobbleheads of Austin Powers and Dr. Evil. They were a gift from my dad, and I love them! My U2 wall calendar and Speed Racer metal sign will be going up soon.

Digital Resume

Now that I know my "day job" is going away, I am working on my resume and getting my name out there. I will be hitting the major online job sites, and Mike graciously sent me a tip about a web design job open at a local communications company which I'll be applying for shortly. In a computer-driven world, I decided that it makes sense to have an online resume. So last night I put one together, and here it is. I'll be tweaking the content, but overall I'm pretty pleased.

Thanks to everyone who has given me encouragement in dealing with this tough situation. I appreciate it very much.

Maternity Leave

Genia had another doctor's appointment yesterday. Bailey's heart rate was good, and Genia's size is right on target. The doctor actually gets out a tape measure and measures the circumference of her stomach from top to bottom. It always looks so funny, but apparently that is a genuine method of making sure the uterus is growing enough.

The doctor recommened that Genia start working no more than 5 hours in one shift. This was welcome news to my lovely wife, who said "I could kiss this" while holding the doctor's note. Since she's salaried, her boss told her that she'd be better off financially just going out on maternity leave early, so she will do that after two more weeks. She couldn't be more thrilled! I am also happy about this news. She's been exhausted by work lately, so getting more rest can only be good for her and for Bailey. It will also just be nice to have her around the house more.

Upheaval (Sending Out an S.O.S.)

Big news in the Hawbaker household today. Yesterday afternoon I was informed by my boss that our small section of the company was being shut down, most likely by mid-October. Counting "salary continuation" (severence pay), I will stop getting paid the first week of November... three weeks before the due date of our first baby.

I've had this job, affectionately known as my "day job" (read: the one that pays the bills), for just over three years. I work for an outsource call center doing customer support and technical support. I am good at what I do and I enjoy the "helping people" aspect of the job. When we moved to Chattanooga, my bosses thought enough of me to allow me to keep the job and work from home. That was a huge blessing in more ways than one, the biggest being that there was little to no chance I'd find a similar job in Chattanooga paying more than 2/3 of my current salary.

I consider myself very fortunate that I was given this much notice about losing this job. I've been laid off before, by a dot-com-gone-bust, and was not given a single day's notice or a single day's severence pay. Trust me, I know it could be worse. Now it is crunch time -- I need to find a job within the next four or five weeks so that I don't have to go without a paycheck.

Ideally, I'd love to find a job utilizing my web and graphic design skills to some extent, or to start getting more steady work in those areas through Esplodere, the company I started with Andy (Cole Slaw). I am also looking in the customer service or tech support fields since I have more years of experience in those areas. So consider this a bit of shameless self-promotion. If anyone reading this knows of a job that I would be a good fit for, or if you are in need of any web design services, please email me.

State of the Uterus

Yesterday began Genia's 31st week of pregnancy. According to her pregnancy journal, in week 31 the baby is about 16 inches long, weighs around 3 pounds, can feel pain, and can be startled by loud noises. Another source indicates that some babies already have a full head of hair by this point in time. And to think, Bailey was a group of cells invisible to the naked eye a mere 30 weeks ago.

Even more amazing is that the scriptures tell us that God knows a person while they are still inside their mother's womb. He already has his hand upon her, and Genia and I can trust that she will grow up to know Him and follow Him. This week I will probably finish reading her The Magician's Nephew by C.S. Lewis. Next week I plan to start reading her "The Gospel of John," most likely from The Message translation. I'm excited about reading the Bible to her, and beginning the lifelong process of her discipleship. I hope to establish a family tradition of reading the Word and praying together. One inspiring article I read regarding this process was Theology for Preschoolers.

Friday Morning Vent

Allow me to vent, please. Today's topics include our ill-mannered neighbors, Le Divorce, Francophonic marketing, and full body sneezing.

My Neighbors
I think we may have the most obnoxious neighbors in all of St. Elmo living across the street. The most annoying thing about them is actually their frequent visitors, who, instead of walking up the front steps and ringing the doorbell, sit in their car and honk the horn repeatedly until someone comes out. Not just one tap on the horn, either. They'll honk the horn five times, wait maybe 20 seconds, and then start honking again. Rinse. Repeat. This happens every single day, without fail, and usually more than once each day. It has happenned at 8am on Saturday mornings and 11pm on weeknights. How in any universe can this be considered reasonable social behavior? Has it not occured to them that if the people they're honking at can hear it inside, so can everyone else on the street, and we might not appreciate it?

Le Divorce
Last week Genia and I went to catch a chick flick matinee, and one of the other films playing that day was Le Divorce. I was unfortunate enough to have heard all manner of mispronunciations of the title. The most common one was for people to say [Lay] Divorce. That was annoying, but then I heard someone call it [La] Divorce. Quoi? The worst, however, was when a theatre employee called it [Lay Dee-vorce-ay]. I was stunned. Surely if you work at the theatre where a film is being shown, you've been exposed to the proper way to say the title. Ugh.

Francophonic Marketing
Another related pet peeve I have is the use of French articles or faux-French to try and make something ordinary sound fancy. "Le Nails" is a shop in St. Elmo and an offender of this nature. On Frazier Avenue there is a salon called, if I remember correctly, The Nu Cheveux. "Nu" is a French word, but it means "naked" not "new" and I doubt that's what they intended. Good grief.

Full Body Sneezing
Yesterday my sinuses declared war on me. They battled me from the time I woke up until the moment I fell asleep. They were relentless. My 12-hour antihistamine/decongestant Alavert was no match for the sheer volume of waste produced by my sinuses, and my body was no match for the brute force exerted upon its release. My arms hurt, my chest hurt, my legs hurt, and my abs (hidden as they may be) hurt each time I sneezed. I felt completely exhausted last night by 9:00. Of course, that didn't stop my from going to Barnes & Noble -- I felt like I deserved a treat for my suffering.

Manly Road Trip Adventure

For five or six months now, my brother Joel and I have been talking about taking a road trip together to visit the U2 exhibit at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland. We're both U2 fans bordering on obsession, and while our wives like the music, they don't share our extreme love for all things U2. So we decided to just go together. I wasn't sure that it would really happen, but it is. We're leaving one month from today, which is the first day of Joel's fall break at Covenant. It's going to be great.

One downside is that it's a ten hour drive according to MapQuest, but I figured "hey, 10 hours, 10 albums" so it shouldn't be too bad. Another is that our wives aren't going, and as much fun as we'll have, I know we'll be missing them. I have not spent a night away from Genia in three and a half years of marriage, so this will be hard.

We're planning on two full days at the museum viewing rare artifacts such as the first U2 T-shirt, stage costumes from ZOO TV, an architectural model of the PopMart set, and animation cells from the HMTMKMKM video. The museum also has a movie theatre in which they are replaying classic U2 concert videos, and I'm sure we will spend some time watching those, especially if they have ZOO TV from Sydney and the PopMart Mexico City shows which have not been released on dvd. All in all, it's going to be awesome.

Any recommendations for other things to do in Cleveland at night since the museum closes at 5:30 daily?

Day Ten

Today is day ten of my "reduced Coca-Cola diet" designed to wean me from what is certainly my favorite beverage on the whole earth. As good as it is, it just isn't good for me, and I'd be better off drinking a lot less of it. I have gone from an average of two cokes a day to only drinking three in the past ten days. I'm pretty proud of myself, and hope that I will get that number down further for the next ten days. The only downside has been caffiene withdrawal headaches, but they disappear with time. I am hoping, of course, that by getting rid of those empty calories, I can start losing a bit of weight. I was a skinny kid when I got married three and a half years ago, but as I got a little older, my metabolism slowed down. Also, I started working a desk job instead of retail, which didn't help things at all. The result is about 20 pounds I'd like to drop. I am making some other small changes to my regular diet -- eating a healthy breakfast every day is the biggest of those -- and I also plan on lifting weights regularly to build some muscle, which in turn burns fat. I think those changes will further aid me in my goal.

I'm sure this is pretty boring to my average reader, but I'm hoping that making my goals public will be a motivator for me.

Being

This excellent quote I came across on Aaron's weblog got me thinking this morning:

"We do, I think, a grave disservice to our children when we ask them what they want to be when they grow up. Equating being with occupation is a horrifying thought.

"A job, in my view, is merely a pragmatic means to the honorable end of supporting oneself and his dependants. Nothing more. Nothing less. It certainly doesn't bring fulfillment to my life. Egads, if I ever look to my job to add meaning to my life, I will have reached such a pitifully low estate that suicide can only be a release. I mean come on. If all one has to look forward to is the daily grind, what kind of life is that? No, if I want fulfillment or meaning, I will always look to the things I enjoy outside of my toil of necessity." --Michael Cossarwal

Isn't that the truth for so many of us? While I do find a good deal of pleasure in working with web and graphic design, they are not yet my primary means of financial support. I have what is commonly known as a "day job" and it brings me no fulfillment beyond that of a paycheck that still doesn't stretch as far as I'd like it to. I definitely don't define my being in terms of that job. I don't even like talking about it. I do my work -- well, I believe -- and at the end of my shift I try not to think about it anymore.

I think a lot of parents dream of their children becoming doctors or lawyers, and many Christians imagine their little ones growing up to do those things or to enter the ministry in some way. Because I don't define my own being by my work, it isn't surprising that I haven't thought too much about what I want my daughter to do as a career. I do have my secret dreams -- that she could have some great musical or other artistic talent, but even if she does, most musicians and artists are not fortunate enough to live on their art, so she'll probably have another job. Whatever she wants to do is fine as long as it is not immoral -- I'm mainly concerned that she will be a good person, one who loves God and follows Him with all her heart, mind, and soul.

Take That, Terminator!

Two nights ago I had the most bizarre dream. I was carrying Bailey (our daughter-in-progress) in some kind of a bubble, kind of like an exercise ball. It was translucent, so I could see her but not with clarity. We were on some kind of journey, running from an evil woman -- I think a witch of some sort. I don't remember too much about our travels up until the end. I remember carrying her through some type of mall that reminded me of the underground level of Phipps Plaza, but when we walked outside, we were in New Orleans. Then someone told us that if we found the Terminator, that he would help us. We found him in a cave, and for some reason, his advice or words upset me and we argued. We ended up fighting, and I won. We escaped down an escalator and back out onto the streets. Finally I was able to break open the bubble I'd been carrying Bailey in, and I could see her clearly for the first time. She was so precious, and she looked right at me and smiled. The end.

Nine Things True and One Untrue

Which one of these statements is untrue?

1. I met Genia through her best friend, a co-worker of mine at Winn-Dixie.
2. My first car spontaneously combusted in a parking lot at JSU.
3. I got contact lenses when I was eight years old.
4. I puked at Six Flags after riding the Mind Bender.
5. My second car was hit on three separate occasions when it wasn't occupied.
6. I dressed up as Bono for a Halloween party last year.
7. The fastest I have ever driven is 118mph.
8. I like the song "I Think We're Alone Now" by Tiffany.
9. Genia is the only girl I've ever kissed.
10. My favorite beach is Bald Head Island, North Carolina.

(this meme discovered via Ben Henick)

Photos

This is a great shot I took of Genia this past weekend when we were in Atlanta. I love her smile in this photo -- this is one of those rare photos when my lack of skill didn't stop me from capturing how she looks in real life.

This afternoon I took a couple of shots on Lookout Mountain, the last of which is going to be used for a website I'm working on.

Nomads, You Know

Genia and I spent the weekend in Atlanta visiting with some of our old KJT friends. We had a good time, as we always do with these great friends, and we also experienced a little bit of "homesickness" for Atlanta. There are things we love about Atlanta, and things we hate about it, but it was home for a little over two years. Generally coming into town for a short visit only reminds us of the things we loved -- the "bigness", lots of things to do, certain favorite places, swanky apartments, our church, and a good job market. We like Chattanooga, don't get me wrong, but isn't the grass always greener? When we were still in Atlanta, we couldn't wait to move to Chattanooga!

We really do have a nomadic streak. Every so often, we get restless and start wanting to move along to somewhere new and different and "more exciting." When we were living in Atlanta, and before I'd decided to return to school, I drew a map on our bathroom mirror and put stars on the cities we were interested in moving to. Charleston, Wilmington, Portland, Seattle, and San Diego, among others. Uncertainty about jobs and not knowing anyone are probably the only reasons we aren't in one of those cities right now.

Now that I've decided to finish up my undergrad work so that I can pursue a seminary degree, we have to be in one place for a solid three years. That place is probably Chattanooga. I've been accepted to Covenant, and while I turned down the offer for this fall because of Genia's pregnancy, I could probably start there next fall if I wanted to. However, the tuition is outrageous, and I don't think I can in good conscience take out that amount of student loans when I have a wife and child to think about. In all likelyhood, I'll finish up at UTC.

Then, of course, there's seminary. There isn't a seminary in Chattanooga that I would consider attending, and I don't know of a good one in Atlanta either. Emory, from what I understand, just has too liberal of a reputation. I've thought about Covenant Seminary in St. Louis, and there are other Reformed and non-denominational seminaries in various other cities. But are any of them in places we'd want to settle for good? Is it more appropriate to return to the place and the church that sent you to seminary? (My understanding of the PCA at least is that you have to be sponsored or recommended for seminary by a church body.)

What about schools? Bailey will be starting Kindergarden while I'm in seminary (am I old or what?). For whatever reason, I think it would be nice for her to grow up mostly in one place. To have some roots. Some kids thrive on change, but if she's anything like us, she won't be the type that makes new friends so easily, and sticking around somewhere would be beneficial. Choosing that place will be tough -- school will be a big factor, and so will church.

Maybe I'm looking too far down the road. Today's troubles are sufficient in themselves, right?

Marry My Daughter?!

A Boston family is holding auditions for potential suitors for their 22 year old daughter.

Single males between the ages of 21 and 30 with a steady job, a love of children, strong morals, and no criminal baggage were encouraged to appear at the family's home in Southbridge earlier this month. To be considered, each suitor must present Wood with a headshot photograph and a short essay on why he would be perfect for Devlin. Interest in movies, horseback riding, dogs, and long walks are pluses; only serious applicants need apply.

This, of course, got me thinking about my own daughter. Since Bailey's still in the womb for another 15 weeks, she's a loooooong way off from marriage (if she doesn't enter a convent), but when the time comes, this fortunate young man is gonna have to deal with me. I'm not going to be Robert DeNiro from Meet the Parents, but there are a few requirements if he wants my blessing. In fact, the whole thing might go a little more smoothly if we start the selection process now. There are some baby boys at Rock Creek... maybe I can meet their parents and see if they believe in arranged marriages.

Foosball Stars & Competition

Via Obscure Store I found this article about the 10th ranked foosball player in the world. Dave Gummeson started playing foosball when he was 13 and turned pro at the age of 16. He's 41 now, and almost gave up the sport a couple of years back.

"I realized, though, that I really missed the competition," Gummeson says. "I played Little League and stuff like that when I was a kid, but I was never really above average at any other sport. I'm very competitive by nature, and I just thought, what else am I gonna do where I can be competitive at this level? I like the hand-to-hand, head-to-head nature of the game; it's like a combination of chess and pingpong.

You may or may not see foosball as a sport, or even something worth getting competitive over. I disagree. When Joel and I hit the table here in my office (an excellent gift from my father-in-law) all hell seems to break loose. We're fierce about it -- concentrating, stomping, jumping, shoting, you name it. I've come to accept that he will beat me a good six games out of ten, but that doesn't stop me from getting pissed when I miss a "sure thing" goal or let an easy one of his through.

We're Moving to Canada

No, it doesn't have anything to do with Dubya, and no, I'm not serious. But these rolling hills and this peaceful beach make me think Prince Edward Island would be a pretty nice place to vacation at least.

Blogger Interview Meme

Rich from Dead Yet Living recently interviewed me, asking five probing questions. If you'd like to know a little more about me, read on. You can also have me interview you if you're interested.

This is a great idea I found out about on Dead Yet Living and I had to jump on the bandwagon. Here's how it works:

1. If you want to participate, leave a comment saying ?interview me.?
2. I will respond by asking you five questions (not the same as you see here).
3. You will update your blog/site with the answers to the questions.
4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.

Another not so official rule is that you do some research of the person you're interviewing, which makes for more interesting questions. My interviewer, Rich from DYL, followed this rule well.

1. You've been married for three years. Were all the nay-sayers right? Why or why not?
Ah, those pesky nay-sayers! I can't imagine what the last three years of my life would have been like if Genia and I had followed "cultural wisdom" and waited until we were older and richer to get married. There's something fundamentally different about living your life while having a girlfriend and sharing your life with your wife. I'm a big believer in marriage. It's wonderful, and I wouldn't trade Genia for anything in this world. On the whole, we've had a pretty easy time of it. No major catastrophes or anything, just trying to figure out our place in the world and the Kingdom, and helping each other along the way. The biggest surprise and challenge we've had thus far was finding out Genia was pregnant. It was completely unplanned and the timing was flat out bizarre. To believe that God orders our steps is to believe that He likes messing with our "plans" sometimes. I was in the process of being accepted to Covenant College for the fall !
semester when we found out Bailey was coming.

2. In your FAQ you and your wife seem rather open about the fact that you have sex, which I guess is okay since you're married. Is this something you feel strongly about? Explain.
Well certainly the comment in the FAQ was lighthearted. (True, but lighthearted!) I'm not really the kind of person who talks about something that personal openly. The only person I can think of that I've had a real conversation about sex with is my brother, who is also married, and even that was weird. I'm pretty sure that wasn't what you were asking, though. Is sex something I feel strongly about? Sure. It's not the most important aspect of a marriage, but it is highly important. It's one huge thing you share with your wife that you don't share with any other person. It's a tangible way of affirming your bond as husband and wife. It can make you happy when you're sad. I'm saying too much...

3. What is your reaction when you find yourself "losing" a friend? You know, you just grow apart.
It's sad, but I understand that it's natural. People change and grow and move and all sorts of things happen. Sometimes there's a desire to try and get back what you had, but that doesn't happen in most cases. I think it's harder for me because I don't make friends easily.

4. What are your aspirations concerning your up and coming daughter? How are you striving to help these to come about?
There are so many things I want for Bailey. Most of all, I want her to love God. Of course that's the one that is most not up to me. I can encourage her to do so, read the Bible to her, pray with her, take her to church, and I will do all of those things, but it is up to the Holy Spirit to draw her. I want her to be a real disciple, something I don't currently see myself as, incidentally. I also want her to be intelligent and creative. She'll have some of that in her genes, and I'll encourage those things by reading to her, getting her involved in art and music, and finding a way to provide an excellent education for her. I want her to be a person who loves people tremendously. She'll get a caring and tender heart from her mother, I'm sure, and I'd like for us to teach her to put that love into action through service. Oh, and I want her to have her mother's beautiful green eyes. Not much I can do about that, though.

5. What is the most dire need of evangelicalism today?
I think I could safely say that it would be discipleship. Serious study of the Word of God and disciplined efforts to follow its teachings. That's the most dire need of my life. For the first few years of my faith, it seems like I was "blown by every breeze" and I really want to be grounded in knowledge of solid doctrine and practice. I think that could be said of many Christians.

If you'd like to ask a follow up question, post a comment and I'll answer it there. If you'd like for me to interview you on your blog, post a comment and I'll start working on questions.

She Ain't Heavy

Yes, that is my sister, affectionately known as "beastie." In less than two weeks, she's being released into the wild at The University of Alabama. I couldn't quite convince her to attend UTC, but I do hope she'll be happy at Bama. As long as she stays away from sororities and frat boys, she should be fine, right?

Bailey's First Book

Yesterday I went to Barnes & Noble at Hamilton Place to buy a book to start reading to Bailey. After searching for a while, I purchased The Magician's Nephew by C.S. Lewis. Last night I read the first chapter... something tells me I'm going to enjoy this more than our baby is, at least until after she's born.

Old Friendships Die Hard

Part of me is pretty nostalgic, and I tend to think of myself as being someone who likes to keep a good friendship going. With all the big things going on in our lives right now -- moving to Chattanooga, starting a business, getting ready to have a baby -- I have been thinking about getting in touch with some old friends. I'd like to hear what's going on in their lives, and fill them in on what the years have brought into my life as well.

As I was searching for one friend's email address, the thought occured to me that I am utterly findable on the internet. If you go to Google.com and type in "John Hawbaker" this weblog comes up as the very first result. If anyone I've ever known wanted to get in touch with me, they could do so in a matter of minutes. Why then am I going to the trouble of trying to find them? On the other hand, are they thinking the same thing in reverse?

In particular, this morning I was trying to find the email address of a guy who was in my wedding party. This was three and a half years ago, and I know we've both moved a couple of times since then, but I didn't even get invited to his wedding last fall. The only reason I found out what the date was is hearing it from his ex-girlfriend who I ran into at a restaurant. Am I being a "good friend" by assuming he just didn't know where to send an invitation, or am I being naive? Why do I even care three years later?

Morning Routines

Via the Friday Five

1. What time do you wake up on weekday mornings?
I have to be at work at 8am, but since I work from home, I don't usually get up until 7:45am.

2. Do you sleep in on the weekends? How late?
On Saturdays I have to work at 7am so I actually get up an hour earlier. Sundays I usually get up around 8:30am or 9am to get ready for church.

3. Aside from waking up, what is the first thing you do in the morning?
Well, I usually grab some orange juice, my standard breakfast.

4. How long does it take to get ready for your day?
If I'm actually getting ready, as in to actually leave the house, 45 minutes.

5. When possible, what is your favorite place to go for breakfast?
Cracker Barrel for pancakes.

Random Opinions (Part 1)

Inspiried by this article on The Internet Monk, I'm just going to list opinions I have about different topics. They're in no specific order, but they may inspire me to come back later and write more thoughtful posts on certain ones. I'm also hoping this will be a good post for interactive discussion -- so feel free to respond to any or all of these opinions.

• Coke is better than Pepsi.
  
• The possession of marajuana should not be a criminal offense.
  
• Simple web sites are good web sites.
  
• "Where the Streets Have No Name" is one of the best rock songs ever.
  
• Chattanooga does not need another Wal-Mart.
  
• You can "claim it" in faith but you still might not get it.
  
• I am boycotting Harry Potter just because I'm tired of hearing about it.
  
• Bailey is going to be amazingly cute.
  
• X-Men 2 is a better sequel than The Matrix Reloaded.
  
• Hipsters are just people.

It's a Girl!

Genia had an ultrasound yesterday (pics coming soon) and they were able to determine with 75% certainty that our baby is a girl! It's a little surprising just because we'd been talking about mostly boy names and looking at mostly boy things, but we are so excited. Everything looked normal and healty which is great. I can't wait to see our little girl -- if she's lucky, she'll look just like her mom, who was one of the cutest babies to ever grace the earth. After our doctor visit, we went to Target and bought her a few gender-specific presents, because everything up until now had been yellow and green. We got a sweet little summer outfit for next year, a soft pink blanket, and a bib that says "I love my daddy."

Her name is most likely going to be Bailey Elisabeth. She's due November 30 and she has a Lullaby Club Registry at Target.

What It Takes To Feel

Bored and restless during a quiet morning at work, I started browsing the AJC just to see what was happening in our old hometown. I came across this heartbreaking article about a man named Brad Cunard who lost his wife and two young sons when a tree fell on their car. I was floored. But as much as it saddened me, I cannot begin to imagine the depths of despair that he must be feeling. If you pray, please pray for Brad. And at the risk of sounding like a Hallmark card, please remember all the people you love and in them how much reason you have to be thankful.

Things You Might Not Know About Me (Part 1)

I've been all over the denominational map, and I still haven't found what I'm looking for.

>From the time I was little, our family always went to a United Methodist Church in whatever town we lived. I was confirmed in the Methodist church when I was 13, but like a lot of high school kids, I drifted.

When I first started dating Genia, I started going to church with her. She went to a place called Cornerstone Worship Center and it is affliliated with the Church of God. Needless to say it was quite a shock to see a full band on stage and watch people clap their hands and dance around. It was downright scary the first time I heard people speaking in tongues and saw them falling in the floor. Something about it drew me in, though. Maybe it was the emotionalism, considering the Methodist churches I'd attended were always so dry by comparison. Cornerstone was the place where I really gave myself over to Christ, and I'll always have that as a fond memory. The pastor and his wife are good people, and I respect and appreciate them despite the differences I now have with their theology and practice.

A year later when we moved to Gainesville, Georgia, we started attending Free Chapel Worship Center, another pentecostal/charismatic church, and we started attending a small ministry school affiliated with the church. We often joke about their "sparkling praise team" -- they looked like something straight off of TBN, all dressed in black with lots of sequins and jewelry. During our time there, I started reading a couple of books that critiqued charismatic theology and practice, and I started questioning what I was being taught for the first time. There were a couple of major breaking points before I finally decided that I just couldn't be a part of it anymore and we left.

Soon after leaving Free Chapel, we started attending North Point Community Church at the suggestion of some of my co-workers. We felt very much at home, and at peace, there. Unlike the pentecostal churches we'd attended, every service didn't end with a guilt-trip altar call and a reminder that you can lose your salvation (it seemed as easy as losing your keys). We were taught practical applications from the scriptures, and we were taught that God will never leave us nor forsake us. The songs were in a very contemporary style, but instead of "Praising the Power Down" and "Taking Back What [the devil] Stole From Me" we were singing about "the wonderful cross" and how "His love endures forever." We still love North Point, and it is one of the things we miss the most about Atlanta.

Since we've been in Chattanooga, we've been attending Rock Creek Fellowship on Lookout Mountain pretty regularly. It's a PCA church, which is different than North Point, which was non-denominational but close to Baptist beliefs. We enjoy the services and I've been reading a lot about Reformed beliefs. I'm attracted to the general Reformed worldview, though I admit I haven't fully accepted the idea of predestination. Honestly I'd never thought or read enough about it to make an informed decision, but I'm working on it. Yes I'm still running...

The Truth is Up All Night

Last night I was up late watching TV and stumbled across the X-Files on TNN at midnight. It was a bizarre episode about a subdivision in California that had summoned up some sort of demon creature to "take care of" residents that didn't adhere to the community rules and regulations. Mulder and Scully were undercover as a yuppie married couple. After that, another episode came on, this time about a man who nocturnally shape shifted into a supposedly extinct Asian breed of dog and murdered a bunch of people. Interestingly enough this was the episode penned in part by a friend of Over the Rhine and included some references to the band. One of their albums is entitled Good Dog Bad !
Dog which could be why the writer chose to insert the references into this particular episode. One of the characters was named Karin Berquist (lead singer) and one had the last name Detweiler (primary songwriter for the band). I had heard that there was such an episode so it was pretty cool to randomly see it. Finally at 2am, and still not tired, I started flipping the channels and came across yet a third episode of The X-Files, this time on the Sci-Fi Channel. I couldn't pass it up -- it was a good old alien abduction episode. The only bad thing is that it turned out to be a "to be continued" which means I'll probably be up until 3am again tonight to watch the conclusion.

Gender Unknown

Our doctor visit yesterday afternoon was disappointing. Apparently the sonographer is out on an unexpected leave of absence, so we were not able to get an ultrasound. Obviously without an ultrasound we don't know the gender of our baby yet. Our next appointment is July 9th, and we will definitely be finding out then, unless baby decides to be modest. I've already been discussing that with the baby though. Okay, so I've just been talking at Genia's belly button, but that's as close as I can get right now. The books say that in the fifth month, the baby can hear sounds originating from outside the womb, so by my count, I've got about four or five weeks to get an iPod so I can start introducing the baby to music. You know, Mozart, Bach, U2. All the good stuff.

Baby Names

Via Wired Mesh I found a list of the 100 most popular baby names in 2002. As expected, Madison was high on the girls list, no. 2 actually. We like the name, but it is just too trendy right now. There would be five other girls in her kindergarden class with the same name. How could a mother with a unique name like Genia (hint: pronounced like "Kenya" except with a "G") do that? Trinity was on the list at no. 77, and I'm sure The Matrix had nothing to do with it. Just like Emma being at no. 11 had nothing to do with Ross and Rachel's baby on Friends. Riiiiiggghhht. (Update: Josiah weighs in that Emma has been increasingly popular since Gwenyth Paltrow's performance in the adaptation of the Jane Austen novel a few years back.)

We should find out Friday at our sixteen week visit whether we're having a boy or a girl. We're obviously pretty excited about that, and we've been thinking about names since before we even found out Genia was pregnant. If it's a boy, his name will be Aidan. It actually came in at no. 41 on the boy's list, so it won't be unheard of, but it shouldn't feel worn out. We chose it because we like the way it sounds, and according to the book we have, it has Irish origins and means "fiery." I love that. One thing I would love for my child to have is passion. Passion for God, for life, love, friends, art, music, and everything good. We may go with a Hawbaker tradition and make his first name John, but even if we do, we'll call him by Aidan. Choosing a middle name if we don't go with "John Aidan" has been tough, though. I keep telling Genia that we should make the middle name Edge, but she keeps shooting me down. We thought the idea of using Danger was funny for a couple weeks, but w!
e dropped that too. Can't you see our little boy out there on the playground pulling some girl's ponytail and telling her "Danger's my middle name" with a sly grin and an arched eyebrow? It would rule! On a more serious note, I like Paul (an Apostle and the Pontiff!), but she doesn't. And I've started thinking Matthew would be a nice compliment to Aidan. If it's a girl, which would be pretty surprising since everyone keeps telling us it will be a boy, we like the name Bailey Elisabeth. Bailey wasn't even on the list, but it also isn't something that people will mispronounce and misspell all the days of her life. A nice comprimise, I think. Elizabeth runs in my family, and we think it sounds good after Bailey.

Fourteen Weeks

Genia is fourteen weeks into her pregnancy today. According to the little magazines, the baby is somewhere between 4.5 and 6 inches long at this point. She has her next doctor's appointment at sixteen weeks, and we will hopefully be able to find out if it's a boy or a girl. Pretty exciting! We're both hoping it will be a boy but we will of course be happy either way. So we have about twenty six weeks until we get to meet our little baby... and so much to prepare in that time. We have a lot of baby stuff already like a stroller and lots of gender-neutral infant clothing purchased by the excited grandmothers. We have to figure out if we're going to stay in our current apartment or try to find a bigger place. We have to save up enough money to cover Genia's salary during the unpaid portion of her maternity leave. And we have to figure out how to take care of the baby twenty four hours a day when we're both working. Our sister-in-law has graciously volunteered for some babysitti!
ng and our schedules are flexible enough that we shouldn't have to have it in day care every day -- hopefully not but a couple days a week. It would be great if Genia could quit work, but that's just not possible as far as we can tell right now.

Friday Five

Once again, I'm late. But this time only by a day. So I'm improving.

1. What was the last TV show you watched? Will & Grace, Thursday night.

2. What was the last thing you complained about? Being tired -- this morning. Last night I was up until 2:30am playing Monopoly with Joel and April. Well, actually, when the game started, Genia and Andy were playing too, but they both left the game significantly before the final three of us. In the end, I won with $10,008 in cash and a total worth of over $21,000 -- this was not counting Joel's cash and property that he folded to me to end the game.

3. Who was the last person you complimented and what did you say? Genia. I told her this morning how cute she is!

4. What was the last thing you threw away? A coke can.

5. What was the last website (besides this one) that you visited? BlogShares. I'm addicted.

Top Five Mania

This is something I've wanted to do for a while, and I finally found that perfect combination of time and motivation. I've created a full page of Top Five lists covering music, movies, books, and assorted other topics. At the very least, you can find something to argue with me about. At best, you can learn a little bit more about me. Check it out! Also, I'd like to do a second installment of the John and Genia FAQ, so if you have any interesting and or funny questions, post them in the comments box.

Friday Five

Yeah, it's Monday. I should've done this on Friday, but I'm doing it now, and you're gonna like it!

1. Who is your favorite celebrity? Bono! Without a doubt. He spends the "currency of celebrity" (as he calls it) better than anyone I can think of. He's an amazing singer, songwriter, performer, advocate, and yeah, kind of a personal hero. If I could pen one song as great as half of U2's canon, I'd be pretty pleased with myself.

2. Who is your least favorite? This is a tough one. Kid Rock? Nah, cause I like his song "Picture" with Sheryl Crow. Britney? Too easy. Christina? Again, too easy. Fred Durst? For the third time, too easy!

3. Have you ever met or seen any celebrities in real life? I met the guys in Matchbox Twenty when I went to one of their concerts in Birmingham (pre-"Push" thank you very much). I met the guys from Jars of Clay last year. They were really cool, and they complimented me on the U2 shirt I was wearing. And when I visited my friend Andrea while she was working on the set of Scream 2, I saw Neve Campbell preparing for a scene. She looked at me. I was 17. I thought it was amazing. Now, not so much -- she's no Genia!

4. Would you want to be famous? Why or why not? I think I would. For all the supposed hassle, I think it would be a lot of fun, and open a lot of doors that are not currently open to me.

5. If you had to trade places with a celebrity for a day, who would you choose and why? Who else? Bono! But only if it was a day they were playing a concert! I want to be up on that stage singing "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For."

Showing

Isn't Genia completely adorable?

Baby Names

When we were in Anniston for a couple of days, my mom bought us a copy of 35,000+ Baby Names to help us choose a name. 35,000+ sounds like an overabundant amount of names to choose from, and I guess it is, but I haven't found too many I like. Genia and I really love the name Aidan (Irish, meanning "fiery") for a boy, and Madison (English, meaning "good") for a girl, but we haven't found much else that really strikes us. Please give us your suggestions!

Baby!

Wow. I'm gonna be a dad. I have to admit, this is both very unexpected and very exciting! It's also pretty daunting, when I really think about it. This child will depend on Genia and I for everything -- food, water, clothing, and most frighteningly, spiritual growth. We are entrusted by God with this child to teach and raise according to His ways. Ways that we don't successfully keep ourselves most of the time. So many people have issues with God and Christianity because of the ways their parents introduced them to religion and how their parents "used" religion in their lives. It's pretty scary. Changing a diaper will be easy. Shaping a life will be much harder. Of course, this is nothing new under the sun, and nothing that I can't receive grace to handle.

Tiny News That Will Change Our World

Well here it is. We hope that you will be as excited as we are about this...

New Apartment Photos

We're finally settled in to our new apartment in Chattanooga and we're loving it! I took a lot of pictures with our digital camera, but I've been too busy to create a special page in the photos section of the site for these photos, so I'm just going to post a few of them here for the time being. Enjoy!

Nobody Likes You When You're 23

23 years ago today, at 2:56pm EST, in a small army town in North Carolina... yadda yadda yadda, tell me happy birthday.

It's a KJT Christmas

Yesterday Genia and I hosted the annual KJT Christmas Party at our apartment. We had a great time, and as you can see below, everyone was there! View our photos.

Looking a Lot Like Christmas

We finally put up our Christmas tree and decorated the rest of the apartment Monday night. We had a good time, and I even kept some of my anal perfectionist tendencies in check. (This was accomplished by asking Genia to do a couple things that I normally do, and not bugging her during the process.) Anyway, here's a photo of our tree and the living room wall.

Chattanooga Weekend

Genia and I spent last weekend in Chattanooga. We job hunted and apartment hunted, having more success with the latter. We'll keep you updated as things progress, of course. The first thing we did in Chattanooga was attend Covenant College's annual Madrigal Dinner. It is an olde English Christmas feast and concert, and it was amazing. The food was as heavenly as the voices serenading us throughout the evening. We even have a few pictures of us all dressed up. View our photos.

Start the Bidding War

Exciting news in our quest to move to Chattanooga! I have worked diligently to get Genia's resume out and get in contact with recruiters in the area, and it has paid off. Genia has two meetings set up for Friday! Her first meeting is with a recruiting manager at Robert Half Finance & Accounting, and her second is with a recruiter at Randstad. There seem to be a number of jobs open in her field, but she needs to find just the right one that is hopefully a step up from her current position of two years and pays a salary equivalent or better than her current salary. Maybe we'll have a bidding war erupt over Genia's talents!

As for me, it looks like I will be keeping my job and working from home whenever we move. This is exciting because I'm already trained and know the job well, I make better money than I'd probably make at a similar job in Chattanooga, and I love the idea of working in my pajamas. And finally on the Chattanooga theme, I have a meeting on Friday with the financial aid department at Covenant.

If you're the praying kind, turn this post into a prayer!

Thanksgiving 2002 Photos

We got back from our long weekend in Anniston today and I have posted 18 photos from our trip, including this stunning photo of Genia seen below. View our photos.

Encore Performance

Okay, so here I am thinking of one more thing I'd like to share. If you are at all a U2 fan, you need to visit the website of Irish DJ John Daly who has posted mp3s of U2's homecoming performance at Slane Castle in Ireland. These performances are amazing -- U2 at their most triumphant. If you can only download one song, get "Sunday Bloody Sunday" and prepare to be blown away. This concert is supposedly being broadcast on CBS Friday night (day after Thanksgiving) at 10pm Eastern (9pm Central). Mark it on your calendar as must see tv.

Happy Thanksgiving

We're heading to the hometown for the weekend, so there won't be any more posting (surprise, surprise!) but I'm sure early next week I'll sit down and post tons of new pictures to the site and hopefully an entertaining link or story. In the meantime, feast on this list of things I'm thankful for.

[+] The great saving grace of our God
[+] The sacrifice of his son Jesus
[+] My beautiful and supportive wife Genia
[+] Each and every one of our family and friends
[+] A second chance at college
[+] Music, "the language of the spirit" (-Bono)
[+] Coca-Cola Classic
[+] Mellow Mushroom

New Toy

We finally bought a digital camera. Okay, I'd only seriously talked about it with Genia for a week or so, but it's still exciting! We started taking a few pictures to get the hang of it, and we were fortunate enought to capture a great shot of us using the self-timer. Here it is for your enjoyment:

Boring? Lazy? Both?

What excuse can I give for a lack of posting? None, really. A few interesting things have happened, worthy of being mentioned here. I've found some funny stuff on the web, worthy of being mentioned here. And yet I have mentioned nothing... Sorry, Craig and Melanie, my only readers. Stuff coming soon.

Zoom Zoom Zoom

We've had Genia's little blue Nissan Sentra for right at 4 years now, and this week we once again discussed trading it in, if we could find a good deal. I spent Wednesday afternoon looking around at a few different things, and my easy favorite was the new Mazda Protege. Automobile Magazine ranked it #1 among 10 small cars. After test driving it, the new Saturn Ion, and the new Toyota Corolla (and owning a 2 year old Honda Civic), I have to agree. It looks great and it drives like a dream. I took Genia to the dealership and she immediately fell in love with a silver Protege5 (hatchback version) with leather interior. After a couple of days of haggling, we got the car at a fair price, and she's taking delivery this morning. Woo! Here are some pictures I found on the web of the car, since I haven't had time to take pictures of hers just yet.

This is a good shot of the exterior, from mileone.com

Admissions Progress

If anyone is curious, I am still in the process of applying to Covenant College for next fall. This morning I submitted my Essay about Martin Luther and my Personal Testimony, both of which I have posted online for your reading pleasure. If you like that sort of thing. Last week, my (very good) Academic Evaluation was sent in by one of my instructors from the e-commerce program I completed at Emory. All that's left is to get a Church Evaluation and to send in my transcripts from ASMS and JSU. Any prayers for favor with the admissions department (and of course the financial aid department) would be greatly appreciated!

Ham Night

Well last night Elizabeth and Andrea came over for Ham Night! Andrea and I had been talking about doing this off and on since my ham got such rave reviews this Easter. I have to admit that I was a bit nervous -- okay, very nervous. Think: sophomore slump. I asked Genia "whose second album was as good as their first, if the first was really great?" At the time, I couldn't think of anyone, which didn't make me feel any better. Now that I have overcome that -- Genia and Andrea both said it was actually better than the first ham -- I thought of Coldplay. I love their new album A Rush of Blood to the Head, which is their second, and many critics have hailed it as better than their debut, which was also critically acclaimed. Anyway, that music ramble aside, last night was a lot of fun. We also had some tasty green bean casserole, baked potatoes, and Genia's cherry creme pie!

Just because you're all wonderful, I'm going to share with you the almightly ham recipe. Here it is:

12 oz. Coca-Cola
12 oz. Orange Juice
16 oz. Dark Brown Sugar
6-8 lb. Ham (Cooked or Uncooked is fine)

If you have a crock pot, just put everything in (pour ingredients over the top of the ham) and put it on auto for 10-12 hours.

If you are using the oven, put everything in a deep metal pan (pour ingredients over the top of the ham), cover with aluminum foil, cook at 350 for 2 hours, and then cook at 200 for 8-10 hours.

Quiz Time

I am truly passionate.

Find your soul type at kelly.moranweb.com.

Crazy Classroom Antics

Matt has recently posted about a couple of crazy things students have done during his math classes recently. (Allow myself to... structure sentences poorly. Myself.) The incidents include one student asking him if they could study for a history quiz during his class, and another student quite loudly asking another student for gum. This reminded me of a few of my own classroom antics, and those of a couple select members of our little KJT family.

My crowning moment was the time that I woke up late and somehow thought my algebra classstarted at 1215, when in fact it started at 1115 and ended at 1215. I waltzed in at about ten after twelve, sat down, and got my book out. I wondered two things -- why our beloved Diane King was teaching already (I knew she loved math, but starting early!?) and why she (along with Melanie and Kacey) were staring at me in disbelief. I figured both of those out when she dismissed class five minutes later.

Another friend, Kacey, also had a couple crazy incidents in Diane King's class. One day, DK noticed that we were passing notes and giggling (which we did all the time -- we were writing down and sharing all her quotes!) and launched into a five minute rant about note passing and how she quit teaching high school because she wanted to teach more mature students. Immediately after she went back to teaching, Kacey turned all the way around in her seat and handed me not a folded up note, but her whole notebook! I could not believe she'd be so bold, especially considering how much we loved Diane King. Melanie and I were cowering in our seats and feeling remourseful for offending her, and then Kacey does this! She claims to this day that she never even heard DK's rant, however. Another time, Kacey left her notebook on her desk after class, and when she went to get it, Diane King handed it to her. Kacey noticed immediately that she had left it open, and the top page had a !
written down quote (specifically credited to D.K.) and a corresponding (and rather suggestive) graph. Busted!

One of the most outlandish classroom antics was done (repeatedly) by none other than Margaret. We had an hour and a half long honors history class together, which we would frequently come in late to because we'd been at McDonald's getting cinnamon rolls. On more than one occasion, though, Margaret left and came back during the middle of class so she could visit the tanning bed!

Arrgh, Matey!

So it turns out yesterday was National Talk Like a Pirate Day and I missed it. Too bad, really, since my pirate name, Mad John Rackham (pronounced RACKem), is so freaking cool!

Simple Requests, Part Deux! or Dirty Work

This week's simple request strikes closer to where I live. Or work, rather. I work in an outsourced call center doing customer service and technical support for a variety of clients. We're a small company, with only four reps. Sometimes that's great. In this case, it's horrible. A couple days ago, I emailed my three co-workers asking them to compile a written schedule of when each of us were going to be here -- I was tired of never knowing when people were coming and going. Simple, no? No. Two of my co-workers who were here at the time scoffed and said "we always work the same thing, we thought everyone knew what it was." Well, today is a perfect example of what was wrong with the unwritten schedule -- three people are showing up to work the 2nd shift (3p - 11p) while I have been slammed with calls and chats all day by myself. I am quite frustrated.

In other work related news, Genia has really been getting mistreated and disrespected at her job. One of the things I've always admired about her is her work ethic -- she gives 110% and doesn't complain. She works hard at this job and does a damn good job, yet her boss favors her co-worker who has a scant 4 months of seniority, always comes in late and leaves early, and has half the workload Genia does. The frustration has been building up in Genia and she's seriously thinking about handing in her resignation. Obviously, we aren't independently wealthy so this is a big decision. Prayers are much appreciated on this front.

Travis Hall Weekend

Friday night we hung out with Travis and his friend Alana. FYI, Travis always brings a different lady with him when he visits... the only recurring cast member in his line-up is Amber. The four of us went to Razoo's Cajun Cafe where Travis treated! I had a brownie a la mode and a Bass Ale. Good stuff. Saturday we sat around, ordered delivery from the burger place across the street (how lazy is that?!) and watched the Alabama football game. Great game, disappointing results. Sunday we got up late, skipped church, and went hiking up and around Kennesaw Mountain. In total, we did about 5 miles, and it felt great. Genia and I ended the evening by watching A.I. which I absolutely love. The movie gets a bad rap, but I'll try and refrain from any movie snob-ish accusations about why the "common folk" don't like it.

Labor Day Weekend DVD Marathon

In celebration of our new DVD player and in recognition of Genia not feeling well, we spent much of the weekend in the apartment watching movies. The first thing we watched, as I foretold, was the U2 Elevation Live in Boston DVD, which was excellent. The concert was 1h47 and every second was incredible. There was also a cool "making of" feature that we enjoyed. Other films we enjoyed this weekend were Moulin Rouge, We Were Soldiers, Donnie Darko, and The Mothman Prophecies. Donnie Darko was very unusual but quite good.

One Step Forward

Well, it looks like I am going to visit Covenant on Wednesday, September 4th. I will have my first meeting with my admissions counselor and I'll have a chance to sit in on a couple of classes and talk with one of the professors. I'm really looking forward to it as this will be my first big step (after accepting God's leading to do this, of course) on my way to finishing up my bachelor's degree in a ministry-related major. Any prayers or good thoughts for me on this day are well appreciated, of course.

By the way, did you happen to have "Opposites Attract" by Paula Abdul pop into your head when you read the title of this post? You didn't? Uh, me neither.

Diane King Teaser Trailer

As I was driving to work this morning, I realized that it would probably be a while before I got the Diane King mini-site up and running. (If you haven't ventured to the other pages of the site, Diane King is my former algebra teacher who had a certain "way with words.") You see, I really shouldn't have spent a couple of hours on this site already considering I have other projects that I am in the middle of working on. Regardless, it'll be a while before the Diane King mini-site is up and running, so here is a special sneak preview. The following are actual quotes from our algebra class lectures:

"There is a special relationship between the hypotenuse and my two legs."

"The first time it goes in, it doesn't go in well. Just be patient."

"You're going to need this when I start doing curvy things with you later."