Year in Review, 2007

Exactly one year ago, I was in DC with Betsy, Sarah, Mark, and other college friends to toast in what would be "the most eventful year of our lives." (Actually, I had a bad cold and was almost asleep and was drinking bubbly grape juice since I was knocked up, but let's keep the rose-tinted glasses on for a while, shall we?) And 2007 was eventful indeed... but so much has changed since that toast last year.

Tonight, I am sitting at home blogging, with Bowden, Simon and Nathan for pleasant company. Mark is working - the first new year we've rung in separately since 1997, by our count. I can't really go out (who knew it would be so hard to find a sitter on new year's eve?), not that I'm up for a party without hubby anyway. I did drink a Smirnoff Ice for old time's sake, and had a nice cuddle on the couch with my babies while watching old episodes of Friends. And I'm happy. I'm really happy. (Go back and read that last line in a Sally Field voice.) When I anxiously awaited 2007 at this time last year, I had no idea that this is what my next new year's celebration would look like. But I am content and comfortable, and although 2007 was stressful at times, I think I can chalk it up to one of the best years ever:

1.) I became a mom.
2.) I found out what happens to Harry Potter.
3.) I climbed the Great Wall of China.
4.) I started a blog - for real this time.
5.) I got a new car.
6.) I turned 27 - I'm pretty sure that's mid-twenties!
7.) I helped welcome a new director of music at church.
8.) I got to see Mark become a dad. It's almost - almost - as good as being a parent myself.
9.) I got my first cavity filled. No drugs. And not at all painful, especially 4 weeks after childbirth. Lesson learned: everything is relative.
10.) New news today... I told my employer that I am done with the full-time job thing - 2008 will begin a trial-run as a part-timer... and if that doesn't work, then I will no longer be gainfully employed starting on July 4.

I'm a little sad to say farewell to the year of Nathan's birth, actually. I know that 2007 will always be one of those standout years. Let's hope 2008 has as much in store (or maybe not - I kind of need a break!)...

There's Something in the Water...

Part of our Christmas celebration was a trip to Millers Creek to see my Grandpa and the Church family. This is one of Mark's favorite parts of Christmas, since he loves all things redneck. And there's a lot of that to be found in Millers Creek. He gets my Grandpa's home-grown green beans (Grandpa wasn't even a little bit surprised that they were Mark's favorite and he didn't like other green beans anymore... Grandpa just noted that - obviously - no one else knows how to can them right) and hear peopletell funny southern stories. My aunt's best friend from high school (who also dated my dad) stopped by for an awkward (for me anyway) visit - her last name is also Bumgarner. Weird? Not in Wilkes County (my Grandpa's "lady friend" is actually some sort of cousin, people). Grandpa also sat Nathan on his lap and gave him a short background on the proper way to refer to people of other races... through the ages (I won't type out all the terms he went over). I'm not sure that Grandpa is the one who should be teaching Nathan about the history of race relations in the south, actually. But it's always nice to see my cousins (I only have 2, and we only get to see them a couple of times a year) and Justin, LeAnn and baby Lucas too.

But on this visit to Millers Creek, there was good news - Lucas is going to be a big brother! And we got home to even more good news - another of Mark's roomies, Jeff, is expecting his third in late summer as well. I think there's something in the water. I am now officially paranoid that (men stop reading here) the spotting I had a few weeks ago wasn't the real thing. But the smart part of me knows that I'm not pregnant, I can't be pregnant, and I honestly don't want to be.

Still - this is a BUNCH of babies! So far it's all been boys, so we're (and by we I mean LeAnn and me, since clearly the daddies don't get a vote) hoping for a girl.

We joke that Nathan, Lucas, and James could all be roomies at Clemson, since they'll be in the same class (and Matthew just a year ahead of them) - now there will be 2 more, just one year behind. Whew that's a lot of kids who know how to spell C-L-E-M-S-O-NNNNN before their own names!

Anyway congrats to Jeff & Crystal, and LeAnn & Justin, and to big brothers Matthew, James (who's about to be a middle child!) and Lucas!

And since I finally got my act together, here are some pictures from Nathan's first Christmas at home (I can't get the slideshow to work well, so you have to click on the thumbnail):

by mgoetts

For the Millers Creek pics, you'll need to click on this icon for Mark's webshots album:

by mgoetts

Christmas 2007 Recap

Well, we have gotten through Nathan's first Christmas and it was as joyful and festive and stressful and memorable as we had hoped. Here's how we know it came and went:

1.) melted candle wax all over my choir robe
2.) pizza boxes in the dumpster and It's a Wonderful Life recorded on the dvr, for entertainment while waiting for Santa
3.) stockings full of Reisen and a special tummy time mat under the tree
4.) dried mangoes in the pantry and white tea on my countertop... a sure sign my mom has been here. she seems to leave a trail of food wherever she goes.
5.) the sound of four dogs gallumping through the house. ok, one was too small to gallump.
6.) the re-telling of the story of my cousin Brandon's first candy cane
7.) a phone call to the virgin islands, hoping to allow Brad the privilege of speaking to us all on speakerphone - at once
8.) nw PJs
9.) a digital camera with 8,046 pictures to upload (that's only a slight exaggeration)
10.) a red "santa's little helper" onesie to be passed on to future generations of first Christmases

Nathan has recently taken to eating everything that he can get his hands on -- or trying to, anyway. I know it's normal for babies his age to gum their toys and hands, but he takes it further than that. He's almost voracious in his attempt to fully stuff anything that fits into his fist (and many things that don't) into his pie hole. Case in point: Christmas wrapping paper (so much better than a real present, Daddy!)... You'll notice the vigor with which he yanks what he's holding towards his gaping mouth. Also, the fact that he could not be less interested in the teething ring (you know - the thing he's suppposed to take comfort in gumming) in his lap. [sigh]


Once I can sort through all the pictures from the last week, I'll get them posted. It's a little out of control, I'll be honest. I feel like such a mom. :)

Merry (1st) Christmas!

Bobux

I have now become one of those moms who complains because her baby's socks won't stay on. Nathan's feel are always cold, since he finds it great fun to grab the toe of his sock and pull it off (Genius Baby!) and then cackle about it. The only way to keep his feet warm is to put footed PJs on him at night, and wrap a blanket around him in his car seat during the day when we're out and about. Neither of which is a great solution.

I asked for some of those wiggle-proof socks (Carter's) for Christmas - my MIL came through, but they're still a little too big (ok, a lot too big) and are therefore not so much "wiggle-proof" after all.

Enter Nathan's "aunt" Lois - a friend from our church who is an invaluable support for this family (she calls herself a mother figure for me, since mine lives out of town... but that's crazy since she is NOT old enough - in body or in spirit - to be my parent!), and of course she has a solution: Bobux. These shoes are really just booties (Nathan's not really old enough for hard soles yet) and babies cannot get them off. They're elasticky and stretchy and made of really soft leather. So - they stay on, they hold his socks on, and they're impossibly cute while doing it.

Daddy is thrilled about the color, of course.

Pumpkin Cheesecake

Oh! And I also forgot that I was very creative and made a pumpkin cheesecake - it was also a hit. I got the idea back at Thanksgiving when I saw that Bruegger's was selling pumpkin cream cheese. I figured I'd just buy some of that and follow my normal cheesecake recipe. But when we went to get the cream cheese last weekend, they didn't have it anymore. But I made do.

I should preface this by saying I don't measure much when I make cheesecake (or anything - let's be honest). I have a recipe that I follow, but I sort of eyeball it until the consistency of the batter is right. It doesn't matter, though... contrary to popular belief, cheesecake is really hard to mess up. It's not one of those flour-based things that has to be measured exactly to rise. If you use more or less of any ingredients, you'll just get a cakier or creamier cheesecake. And people like both!

Anyway I think this is pretty close.

Pumpkin Cheesecake

CRUST:
2 cups finely ground graham crackers (30 squares)
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
(or you can buy cinnamon grahams and call it a day)
1 stick unsalted butter, melted

FILLING:
16 oz cream cheese (low fat is ok, but not no-fat)
3 eggs
about 1/2 to 2/3 can of plain pumpkin
1 cup sugar (or half sugar, half splenda)
about 2/3 pint sour cream (low fat is ok, but not no-fat)
dried lemon peel (or lemon juice, or the zest of one lemon - whatever you have)
1 dash of vanilla
1 dash ground ginger
1 dash allspice
1 dash ground cloves
2 dashes ground cinnamon

1.) preheat oven to 325.
2.) using a fork, combine crust ingredients in a mixing bowl until even moist and crumbly. lightly coat the bottom and sides of an 8-inch springform pan with spray. pour the crumbs into a pan and press them down into the base and up the sides (1 inch or more), using the bottom of a glass. refrigerate until needed.
3.) beat cream cheese and pumpkin together on low speed until smooth and free of lumps. add eggs, 1 at a time, until combined. gradually add sugar and beat until creamy.
4.) add sour cream, lemon, vanilla, allspice, cinnamon, ginger, and clove.
5.) set a kettle of water to boil
5.) Pour filling over crust and smooth with a spatula
6.) fold aluminum foil over bottom and sides of springform pan, making a watertight seal
7.) place the springform pan into a roasting pan (well, I use a wok) and our boiling water around it
8.) bake for 1 hour - cheesecake should still jiggle when warm from oven
9.) let cool in pan for 30 minutes, then chill in fridge for 4-24 hours. serve chilled.

Crock Pot Pot Roast

We had our Christmas celebration with Mark's mom yesterday - Nick and Barbara came, too. Nathan opened his first Christmas present! A toy, of course. A mailbox full of crinkly and rattly and fuzzy goodies.

We also got a DVD of some of Mark's home videos when he was a child. Let me tell you how HOT for him I was after I watched him play a recital with his dad on the recorder, him on the flute, and Nick on the triangle. Seriously, who does that? And who OWNS a triangle?? But the videos were fun, to say the least.

We made the pot roast that Mark's colleague Daniel fixed for us a few weeks ago at the Progress Energy dinner. It was actually super-easy and quite tasty. I think this will become a winter favorite around here. Y'all know I love my crock pot.

Crock Pot Pot Roast
boneless beef chuck roast (3-4 lbs)
1/2 cup sliced celery
1/2 onion, minced
1 can condensed cream of mushroom or tomato soup (I think I'll try tomato next time)
1 tbs vinegar
2 tsp beef bouillon granules (I dumped some beef stock in instead; it's what I had on hand)
2 tsp dried sage leaves, crushed
1/4 tsp pepper

FOR GRAVY:
1/2 cup cold water (I used cold beef broth instead)
1/3 cup flour (I used about 2 tbsp cornstarch instead)

1.) trim excess fat from meat, and place roast in slow cooker (ok to cut to fit). Add celery and onion.
2.) in a separate bowl, stir soup, vinegar, bouillon, sage and pepper together, and pour over roast.
3.) cover and cook 4-5 hours on high, or 9-10 hours on low, until meat is very tender.
4.) raise cooker temperature to high, until liquid is bubbling. in a small bowl, mix gravy ingredients and stir into the boiling liquid around the roast.
5.) serve with mashed potatoes, hash browns, or rice

Raleigh Ringers

Last night, Mark and I had our annual Christmas date night. We usually go to see the Nutcracker, but this year we decided on a Christmas concert by the Raleigh Ringers instead, with some friends from church. RR were sooooooo good. I don't know what handbells you've heard at your church, but I assure it doesn't compare to this. This is like STOMP for church music geeks. We go to church with the director (David Harris), so you'd think we would have the "in" to play bells this well at White Memorial. We're ok, as far as church handbell choirs go, but these people are ridiculously talented.

Here's a sample of what they can do (someone else took this video at another concert, but they did this piece this year too).

Don't worry, it gets decidedly less blurry once the lights come up. Isn't this the same music that guy set his house lights to? Yep, looks that way!

The Papa and the P

The scene below is one that has been a regular in our house for the last several years. Mark has spent countless hours watching taped classes (since he couldn't drive to Atlanta twice a week to be AT Georgia Tech, obviously), with a million binders spread all over the table (and until last week, the foosball table) and no less than three calculators on at the same time. (If your math is so hard that one calculator won't cut it... maybe it's math that shouldn't be tamed.)

Last night, he submitted his last assignment of his last class, and took the final final. If it were any other class, we would go out and celebrate on the assumption that he passed (with an A, of course). But this semester, for the first time in his life, Mark truly struggled with a class - to the point that he has some concern that he didn't pass. Most of me wants to roll my eyes and know that when Mark says "I might not pass," I should interpret that to mean "I might get a B" (which is what it has always meant in the past). But a little part of me knows that this semester really was different than others (and not just because he's a Papa now), and I am right beside him in his hesitancy to feel free of school just yet.


So, as cute as he looks when he's being studious, we're both ready for him to be done with grad school. Please pray for a P.

Touchdown!

He's growing so fast - he seems different every day almost. But apparently, some things haven't changed. The boy finds it absolutely necessary to sleep with both arms flung above his head.

3 days old

6 weeks old

1 month old

2 months old

almost 3 months

today (4 1/2 months)

Santa (&) Baby

Last night (on St. Nick's Day, appropriately) we went to the annual "family" Christmas dinner at Mark's work. Everyone brings a dish to share, but it's so much nicer than a typical potluck, so I don't even want to call it that. One of Mark's coworkers made a roast in the crock pot that was excellent... I need to try it this weekend. Mark works with lots of families with young children, so Santa makes an appearance every year with a bag of goodies for all the kids. Last night was no exception. And apparently Nathan made the Nice List, because Santa had a present just for him.

And fortunately for all of you, I caught the whole thing on camera.



Nathan actually seemed interested in the package. Once Mark picked him up, though, he sort of forgot about it. I guess we'll save it for Christmas morning. One of the elves told me it's a teething ring.

I am more excited by the day about Nathan's first Christmas!

Genius Baby!

Here's even more proof that my kid is the smartest on the planet: he knows how to get his thumb into his mouth to pacify himself.

Brilliant, I'm telling you. In just 17 seconds he amazes us again.


For more pictures of what we've been up to over the last month or so, click here.

Child of the Covenant

We had Nathan baptized today. As Presbyterians, we baptize our children as infants (sprinkled, not dipped), as a sign and seal of belonging to Christ. The ceremony involves dedication of the child to God and a reaffirmation of faith by the parents, looking forward to the day when the child can affirm his own faith.

Nathan is so loved! We had friends from school, friends from in town, and lots of family members there to support Nathan. These are some of the people who came to our church today, just to show Nathan that God loves him and they do too.

After church we headed back to our house for a joint celebration of Nathan's baptism and Mark's 27th birthday. We ate lots of pizza and two very special cakes (click the link below for pictures). It was the first time Mark and his Clemson roomies had all been together since 2004 (when they drive through a hurricane to see Clemson play at Texas A&M).

You can't tell in this picture, but Justin really did look nice when he was at church. I think Lucas threw up on him though, hence the fast change right when we got home. I have no such excuse. I just wanted to wear comfortable clothes.

For more pictures, click here.

'Tis The Season

We have officially begun the celebration of Nathan's first Christmas. We went out this morning and bought a tree, and we (well, I) hung garland around the staircase banister. We spent the afternoon listening to The Nutcracker, drinking egg nog, having the annual argument about the best way to put lights on the house and the tree, and going through our boxes of Christmas ornaments - remembering where each of them came from, and reminiscing about friends and vacations and other memories sparked by the decorations. what makes it even better is that Sarah is now in town and cuddling with Nathan as I write this.
Anyone else started in the festivities yet? Done shopping? All wrapped and ready to go?

I heart Christmas.