The Christmas Miracle, part II: completing our family

Previously on The Christmas Miracle, part I, we left off with Mom and I ditching Connecticut after a bad miscarriage. We moved back to C'ville in the summer of 1992, where we lived right across the street from Auntie Leener and Uncle Clint in Greentree Park. That was a little cul-de-sac off of Georgetown Road, right next door to the Georgetown Vet, where we used to walk Aldo.

The change of scenery helped, and we were finally able to start our family. Dylan was born in July of 1994, about a year before we moved to the house you all grew up in. We tried to give Dylan a sibling within a few years, but it took longer than expected. We eventually turned to fertility drugs, starting with Clomid. When that didn’t work, we switched to Pergonal, which has to be injected into a glute. It’s a nuisance to go to the doctor’s office every month for a shot, so someone gives them to you at home. In this case, that would be me. So I was, quite literally, as opposed to the usual figurative way, a pain in your Mom's ass. Once when your Uncle Bob was visiting, we were heading out the door somewhere, but it was time for Mom’s injection, so I had to excuse myself to give Mom a shot. I miss the good old days.

The Pergonal worked, and Mom eventually got pregnant with Cassie, who was nearly, but not quite, the Christmas miracle. Cassie got stubborn, and insisted on wanting to come out face up, instead of the usual way face down, which lead to a long and painful back labor for Mom. That was the only time she needed an epidural during one of your births. So Cassie waited until December 27, when she could share a birthday with Uncle Bob.

After that, we weren’t supposed to be able to get pregnant again without the aid of fertility medication. In fact, Mom’s OB told her that contraception wouldn’t really be an issue for us. Until the Christmas miracle, of course. Brad was born on September 28. The human gestation period is nine months. You can do the math. Anyway, given that Dylan was still young and Cassie hadn’t even turned one yet, the opportunities weren’t too numerous, so we can, with great confidence, pinpoint the moment of Brad’s conception to Christmas Day at Grandpa Guy and Grandma Pina’s house. I had forgotten this, but apparently we confirmed this fact to Grandpa Guy, of which he is understandably proud, in a grandfatherly sort of way.

So there you have it, the story of how our family was completed through a miracle of Christmas. When I go all Grinchy during the holidays next year, you can just remind me of how much we have to be thankful for at this time of year.

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We had this baked Brie as part of the cheese plate we put together for this year's Christmas dinner. Two minutes of work for a real crowd-pleaser. As Emeril famously said about Brie, “You could put this on the bumper of a car and it would taste good.”

Baked Brie with Honey

Adapted from Ina Garten via the Food Network

Time from start to finish: 15 minutes

If you want to make this just for the family or a small gathering, Trader Joe’s has mini wheels (125 grams each) of Goat Milk Brie that are perfect for this.

1 6-inch wheel (~1 pound) of Brie (see note)
¼ cup (85 grams/3 ounces) honey

Place a rack in the center of the oven, and heat to 325 degrees. Line a small baking pan with parchment. Place the Brie on the parchment. Bake until the Brie is warm and soft but not melting into a puddle, about 6 to 8 minutes (toward the high end for goat milk Brie). Watch carefully. When the Brie is almost ready, drizzle with the honey and return to the oven for 2 minutes. Remove to a cutting board and allow to stand for a few minutes before serving. Serve with thinly sliced apples or pears and sliced crusty bread or crackers (mild water crackers are especially good with Brie).