Meredith had her baby!

[Beeks]

OMG - I am sorry if you get into trouble for this but, if it is any consolation, you just made a woman on the other side of the Atlantic spit gin and tonic at at a netbook screen!

This has made my day - please tell us more! What does Stephen's family make of his conversion. We saw his brother's wedding and it was really glam and normal! :D

Yes, thank you! Was there any indication his family was upset by his choices?

[clibbyjo]

Do you think Steven will loosen up now that he has Mere? How can he raise a daughter(and wife?) under those rules he did not grow up with? How can his parents stand it?

[Clementine]

Thank you, love the information!

Did Steven have any girlfriends (that he may or may not had sex with) in your hometown?

[NeedDistractions]

I really can't speak for his family. I imagine they weren't exactly thrilled when they found out, but I don't know how their feelings might have changed since then. In the end, what are they going to do? Steve's a grown man now (kind of... it still weirds me out a bit that we're only 24... er, I think he's 25 now actually or close to it... and he has a kid) and he can make his own decisions. I don't live in our hometown anymore either so I'm not exactly "in the loop" with all the details, but there wasn't any sort of "falling out" with his family or anything. I know he brought her home around Christmas break to meet a few people.

Steve's always been kind of elitist though. When I sit down and think about it, I am really not that surprised that he'd want a subservient wife. He did, however, date some very outspoken and independent girls in high school (one of whom I think is an absolutely amazing woman in general) but I guess he realized that's exactly what he didn't want?

[clibbyjo]

Give us more,more! Did he drink? Have sex with girlfriends? Play sports? Most importantly, does anyone call him STEVE?

[NeedDistractions]

Most importantly, does anyone call him STEVE?

We all call (called?) him Steve.

[hoipolloi]

Thanks, NeedDistractions!

Somehow, none of what you say surprises me but, unfortunately, makes me think all the more that Stephen's courtship of & marriage to Meredith were highly calculated actions although I'd also like to think there's some genuine emotion there now.

It's interesting that someone who apparently preferred the company of smart & witty people like himself some years ago would now seek out a sheltered naive like Meredith. Maybe she's got depths we don't know about? Or perhaps this part of LT Hammer's calculations?

Found this account of his conversion: http://www.firstpresby.net/steeplelight ... Sept09.pdf

[NeedDistractions]

if it is any consolation, you just made a woman on the other side of the Atlantic spit gin and tonic at at a netbook screen!

It's a bit early for a vodka soda over in the States or I might have joined you when I first found this forum. I've spent well over an hour reading through it and sharing interesting details with friends from home. It's so bizarre how much other people seem to know and how little many of us from his hometown know. I guess I should read this chick's blog and figure some stuff out, huh?

[SweetTexasCrude]

NeedDistractions, thanks for coming over here to share your intel! Did he ever exhibit political ambitions? A lot of FJers surmise he saw the perfect first lady in Meredith.

[NeedDistractions]

NeedDistractions, thanks for coming over here to share your intel! Did he ever exhibit political ambitions? A lot of FJers surmise he saw the perfect first lady in Meredith.

Oh yeah, I'm sure he plans to run for office or something similar. He was valedictorian of our high school. He never actually held a high position within any of the student groups (although now that I say that, he might actually have been president of the National Honor Society... or held some other office - but NHS didn't really do very much anyway), but he's always been very ambitious. I remember him reading the newspaper in like 6th or 7th grade while the rest of us were reading Harry Potter. The newspaper!!

I really still just can't believe it though. They just had a baby girl. I will vomit over all of his yearbook pictures if he won't let her go to college.

[Clementine]

It's a bit early for a vodka soda over in the States or I might have joined you when I first found this forum. I've spent well over an hour reading through it and sharing interesting details with friends from home. It's so bizarre how much other people seem to know and how little many of us from his hometown know. I guess I should read this chick's blog and figure some stuff out, huh?

Most of the information about Steven and Meredith is on the old board:

http://freejinger.yuku.com/forums/2/A-Q ... l-of-Snark

[NeedDistractions]

Oh, he also got a perfect score on the SAT in case you didn't already know. The dude's ridiculously intelligent. I can kind of reason out why he decided he wanted a wife who would wait on him hand and foot and never challenge on his personal superiority (He was never good with coming in second place. Once a girl received a better score than he did on a test and he told people that she slept with the teacher. I think he was mostly joking, but still.) but I either can't or just refuse to believe that he would really hold ALL women to those standards.

[NeedDistractions]

Crap. Do we know if Steve, his wife, or anyone related to them actually reads this? I may have just identified myself with that last post if he ever comes across it.

[silvia]

Thanks, NeedDistractions -- fascinating stuff. I think M&S may find they get more than they bargained for with Margaret/Maggie. If she turns out to be as smart and caustic as her father supposedly is/was, she may not take kindly to religious indoctrination...

[silvia]

No worries, ND -- you can edit your posts to remove identifying details. Just hit the "edit" button on the far right of each post.

[hoipolloi]

We've suspected that he may read here since Meredith ceased publicly blogging after their marriage.

You can go back and edit your post though or just notify the moderators if you need other editing assistance (e.g., preventing the first statement from getting snagged by a Google Bot).

[NeedDistractions]

We've suspected that he may read here since Meredith ceased publicly blogging after their marriage.

I bet he does read all this. I bet he gets a kick out of it. The old Steve would, anyway. I went back and edited my post, but he still might be able to figure it out. Hey Steve, do you know who I am yet?? Whatever, I haven't said anything I wouldn't say to his face. And like I said to begin with, I really do hope he's happy. To each his own?

Thanks everyone for making my work day so much more entertaining than it would have been otherwise. You have no idea how happy this website made me. I just called MY MOTHER to tell her about it, I was that freaking amused.

[Guest Anonymous]

Dammit, I missed that post before the edit!

C'mon, spill some more beans, your mama would be proud if you did!

We need details about previous girlfriends.... :lol:

[Clementine]

We love having you here!

Do you think that Steven was a virgin when he got married? It sure didn't look like it the way he grabbed Mer when he kissed her...

[NeedDistractions]

Damnit, I'm just going to go for it and deal with the consequences if and when they come. This is way too entertaining.

No, Steve was not a virgin when he got married. This is absolute fact. He even lived with a girlfriend for a summer while they were both doing internships in DC.

One time he made fun of a girl for believing in Saints while in chemistry class and made her cry. He later apologized and I don't think he actually had any ill will, but that's just the kind of guy he was. Always one with a quick, pointed, and most likely judgmental comment

He did drink a few times I believe, but not often at all. One time he said his blood was "too pure" for alcohol. I really don't know if this was a joke or not. Definitely an elitist.

[Guest Anonymous]

Well that's good news - Stephen comes across as a bit of a geek - it is good to know he had some experience on the wedding night! What with Meredith being a farm girl, they at least seem to have a good working knowledge of the basics of a good partnership. :lol:

[Witsec1]

Actually, from what you're saying, it sounds like Stephen would probably fit right in with the neo-Calvinists - they like to think they are smarter than everyone else and can have a sarcastic, sadistic strain - think Doug Wilson.

Thank you for joining in, NeedsDistraction! Wish I could buy you a drink!

[NeedDistractions]

I suppose he was kind of a "geek" since he was so studious and intelligent, but I totally would have hit that in high school. Just sayin'.

[silvia]

In case anyone's curious, here's the article Princeton published after Stephen won his Rhodes: http://www.princeton.edu/main/news/arch ... /74/98A55/. He sure sounds like a smartie. Interesting how the Latin professor said Stephen "...truly wishes to devote [his] gifts to advancing the common good, in a deeply considered and socially progressive way." Hmm, I wonder if Stephen himself would agree with this guy's assessment. It almost makes him sound -- gasp -- liberal.

Regarding the conversion account linked earlier, I find it kind of funny that Stephen says reading the Roman philosopher Cicero's reflections on a moral life is what inspired him to be baptized. I'm no classical historian or anything, but wasn't Cicero some kind of unregenerate heathen? (Interestingly, Cicero's marriage, to an upper-class woman named Terentia, was said to be a marriage of convenience: check out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cicero if you're as clueless about the Roman Empire as I am).

[Beeks]

Wow, so Steve had given away a HUGE piece of his heart (his virginity). Very interesting. I wonder why Mere was ok with that...because it was before he knew any better? Still, what a weird feeling on the wedding night.