Mommybloggers: Hi, Y! We're so glad you were able to take a break from your recent Riverdancing craze to chat with us. You've had a blog since 2002...what was your inspiration to get started?
Y: To be perfectly honest, my inspiration was boredom and curiousity. One of the first blogs I found was Melly's. I couldn't believe what I was reading. This beautiful young woman, a new mother, writing about her life for all of The Internet to read. I fell in love with that girl and we ended up becoming the best of friends, but ha! I'm totally getting off of the subject like I ALWAYS do. Anyway, after reading her blog and several others, I thought "Man, that would be FUN!" And that is how my blog was born.

Mommybloggers:When you found out you were unexpectedly pregnant with Gabriella, your gorgeous baby girl, you initially had a hard time getting used to the idea of a third child. What prompted the change of your blog name to Joy Unexpected?

Y: Oh man, "a hard time" is putting it mildly. When I found out I was pregnant unexpectedly with my third child (THIRD!) I fell to the floor and cried hysterically. I called Tony at work and screamed "Oh my GOD, I'm pregnant, PREGNANT! AAH." I called my mom and cried "I'm pregnant, this isn't right, I'm crazy, crazy people can't have babies!"

You see, I had been going through a severe depression. One in which I would actually take scissors to my flesh and cut myself and in which I would rip the hair from my head because the pain inside was so ugly, I didn't know what to do with it. I was terrified of being pregnant in that condition. I was also terrified of "starting over." My boys were 10 and 6 and life was good.

It only took me a couple of days to get over the shock and fear and then, I fell completely and madly in love with the baby growing inside of me. (And I want it noted that I wrote that letter to my unborn child before Dooce had even given birth to her daughter, so, I WASN'T COPYING HER. Ha!)

However, changing the name of my blog had nothing to do with my daughter, and everything to do with my brother finding my blog. I FUH-REEEKED out when it was "brought to my attention" that he had found it. "Oh my God! I TALK ABOUT MY VAGINA! and I draw pictures of my BOOBS! And talk about Boinking!" And let me tell you, my biggest fear was that he'd tell my mom and dad. I do NOT want my mom and dad reading my blog. Which, I realize makes me "12", but, my dad is a pastor and I will ALWAYS fear my father. (Because him and Jesus are LIKE THIS.)

Anyway, I immediately shut down Aged and Confused and started thinking of a new URL. "Joy Unexpected" was the one I fell in love with, even though it was brought to my attention that it was "Cheesy". (And so the term "The Cheese" was born.) The funniest part is that my brother found the new blog a few months later, so I went through all of that trouble for nothing, but hey, change is good, right?

Mommybloggers: You grew up in a conservative, religious family - tell us about where you grew up. What kind of child were you?

Y: I think I was an outgoing, fun child who loved to be the center of attention. I loved to sing and play the guitar and had won several talent contests as a little girl. I also had a tendancy to be a bit of a "ham". I remember this one time, I tried out for the church play and my mom was one of the "judges". When we got home, she told me that I didn't get the part, but that my best friend, Joanne did. I threw the biggest tantrum in the history of tantrums and declared "I SING WAY BETTER THAN SHE EVER COULD!" Turns out, my mom was teasing me. I had gotten the part, but she wanted to see how I would react if I thought someone else got it. Ha. Not very well. So, um, I guess you could say I was a bit of a brat. My dad is a pastor, so, yes, I grew up in an extremely conservative, religious home. I won't get into the details, because, well, I could write a book, but let's just say that I wasn't allowed to do most things that "normal" children were allowed to do. Things like wear pants, wear makeup (Jezebel!) , participate in after school activities (because Ha! I didn't really want to play softball, I just wanted to "FOOL AROUND WITH THE BOYS!")

I spent most of my childhood in church. Every Sunday, Sunday night, Wednesday night and Friday night. You'd think I'd have a great deal of bible knowledge because of this, but, sadly, I spent most of each church service daydreaming about the boys I was in love with, sneaking out to the bathroom to fix my bangs and uh, trying to pass farts off on little girls.

Mommybloggers: You've gathered a great fan base over the last few years. Your knack for inviting readers into your world, and injecting humor into even the most intimate details of your life makes reading Joy Unexpected like a visit with a warm and funny friend. You are incredibly open and real. Is there anything you regret putting out there for people to read?

Y: Hmm. That's a very good question. There have been times I wish I hadn't been so brutally open about my depression. There are people who like to use that kind of stuff against you. That was in 2003 and at the time, I just wrote what I was going through because it was the only place I felt safe expressing what was really going on inside. I was shocked at the hundreds of emails I would get from people telling me they were going through the same things, but were too afraid to talk about it. It made me mad that there was such a stigma attached to mental illness and depression. So many women were suffering in silence because they were afraid of being judged or of how people would react if they knew. I remember getting comments like "how can you be depressed when you have two beautiful sons? And a good husband? You're selfish and need to realize how good you have it!" Apparently, married people and mothers are supposed to be immune from depression. I recently went back and read those "depression posts" and in a crying fit, deleted most of them. I regret doing that, but at the time, it felt like the right thing to do. The only time I regret ever having written about it so honestly is on the days I write about being sad and I get emails or comments telling me to "Just take a prozac already".

There are days I think I'm stupid for being so open with my Struggle with The Fat, because people can be so mean. But, the majority of the response I've recieved has been overwhelmingly supportive and kind. I will continue to keep writing about it and posting my progress photos, even if I get an occassional "Shut up, you fat pig".

Mommybloggers: What is your biggest positive about reading and writing online?

Y: That's easy. The people I've met. I have met some of the most amazing, beautiful, hilarious, incredible people through my blog and I can't even begin to imagine what my life would be like without them in it.

Mommybloggers: Let's talk about your photography for a minute: you're a talented photographer, and you share many photos of your beautiful family with your readers, including some saucy poses of your own fine self. Your weight-loss photo series has been inspirational for your readers, and you won our hearts forever with your 'flipping the bird' pose. Parents who blog are often criticized for putting too much personal information out there about your children - have you drawn any heat from readers when posting photos?

Y: First of all, THANK YOU. I love taking pictures of my children. I don't own a fancy camera, or have the best editing software, but but that doesn't stop me from trying to capture their emotions and the beauty of who they are at every chance I get. I've not drawn any heat from readers about posting my children's pictures. I have taken heat from my sister though. We won't get into that though because um, I think I'm talking too much and let's just get this over with already.

Mommybloggers: Tell us, what do you think of the term "mommybloggers?" Are you a mommyblogger?

Y: Ok. Here's where I am going to "get real."

I don't like the term "mommyblogger." In fact, I hate it a little. Because I don't consider myself a "mommyblogger." Or maybe it's that I don't like being put in a "category." I mean, I started blogging in 2002 and I was already a mommy. I would write about my kids, but I would also write about work and about people who were getting on my nerves or about how I was drunk and "Ha! Ha! wanna see my boobs?" The term mommyblogger didn't even exist then. I think the only reason people want to label me as a mommyblogger now is because I went and had another baby and DARED to write about how much I love her and her ability to "Fart on Command" and how much The Boys in this family adore her. I prefer the term "woman blogger who just so happened to have pushed THREE HUMAN BEINGS out of her vagina."

Do you regret interviewing me now? Wait. Don't answer that.

Mommybloggers: Nope, we still love you!

Mommybloggers: We've heard you mention that you have aspired to become a stand-up comic. We would pay good money to hear you mimic your fake-southern-drawling husband, riffing on your scary neighbors or to enjoy one of your 'most embarrassing' stories... any plans for an open-mike night in your future? How about a Best Of Y Telling It Like It Is CD?

Y: Well, I am obsessed with stand up comics. Jay Mohr was my favorite and one time? I went to his show and he fell in love with my boobs and we became friends, but, I only tell you that to brag. Anyway, there really is no future for me in comedy, because, seriously, I'd be all "fart this" and "my boobs this" and "So, I shouted 'get that Weapon of Mass Fertilization' AWAY FROM MY VAGINA" and uh, if we're being honest, I'd get booed off of the stage in less than 5 minutes. But man, that would be awesome.

Mommybloggers: We love your screamingly funny entries, but some of our favorites are when you 'bring the cheese.' You are truly creating a wonderful gift for them - a portrait of their mother as a real, funny, emotional, dedicated woman who loves them fiercely. Do you plan to share your writing with them as they get older?

Y: Yes, I do. I want them to understand how deeply I love them through the words I've written. I want them to know that I think of them always and that the little things they say and do are not forgotten, That they mean everything to me and that after they go to bed at night, I write how I feel about them so that I NEVER forget. I want them to understand how bittersweet it is for me to watch them grow. I just hope that they don't hate me for some of the things I've written about. (You know, things like skid marks and hairy balls!)

Mommybloggers: And here are the questions we subject all of our featured bloggers to (With apologies to Bernard Pivot and Inside the Actors Studio):

1. What is your favorite parent related word?

Farted. As in "Farted, Gabby" because when I say that? My daughter grunts and usually succeeds at pushing out a fart. Farting On Command...I taught her that. And I am SO PROUD.

2. What is your least favorite parent related word?

Homework. I won't even GO there.

3. What is your favorite creative censored curse word used around children?

Mother Effer. Creative? Not really. Censored? Barely. But, hey, it's better than the "real thing". Kind of.

4. What is your favorite hiding place within your home when you need to get away from it all?

No room to hide in this house, but if I need time alone, I pretend I have to take a dump and lock myself in the bathroom until they bang the door down.

5. What hiding place have you been found in too often and can no longer use?

See #4

6. If Oprah exists, what would you like to hear her say when you arrive at the Oprah Winfrey show when she features the Mommybloggers?

I don't like Hoprah, but if I ever did agree to go on her show, I'd like to hear her say the following... "I'm sorry for making you feel like a worthless human being because you can't afford beautiful, matching towels and you use fake flowers to decorate."

We had a blast chatting wtih Y - be sure to come back tomorrow as we turn over Mommybloggers.com to Y for her guest entry!