As we get close to the end of the longest March ever, I've been doing my best to focus on the positive. My recaps of the days thus far are defined by the small comforts we hold onto in times of uncertainty. Family. Playtime. Coffee.
Day 2: March 19
Definitely more alert during today's workday. The extra sleep Baby gave us the night before helped, and I got a special treat: my husband brought me coffee! After a quick food run he stopped by the Starbucks drive-thru to bring home a latte with coconut milk. I sipped and worked while Baby napped. During the day I felt productive, and at night my husband's aunt came to visit and fed Baby his dinner purees so I could get a few chores done like paying bills. I also tried something new that I couldn't have done if I were still working at the office: tracking Baby's naps to see if patterns emerge. Yes, I'm a nerd. But it's been helpful for scheduling the day and for documenting the times my son actually sleeps through the entire night!
Day 3: March 20
First Friday working from home. Well, from a home. I was nervous to leave my house at all this week, but we risked an outing to avoid cabin fever and spent the day with my husband's aunt who only lives 5 minutes away. This way she would have some company and Baby would get bonus entertainment and care while I got my work done. I planned to visit my parents the next day (they also live 5 minutes away) and would call them when I was off the clock. Until then, I adjusted to a very familiar schedule of back to back Friday meetings, only this time they were video chat meetings. It was great to see my coworkers "in person," though it was still a challenge to squeeze in nursing breaks (just like at the office when back to back meetings made it difficult to pump). But small comfort: no more pumping for now! The monotonous task is unnecessary when I can be home to feed my baby. My day ended on a somber note, however. After calling my parents to set up a visit, I learned my dad had a cough, and they had self-quarantined just to be safe. No visitors. I spent the evening worrying about my dad, but took comfort in the antics of my son, who kept fighting our "no screens" rule to catch glimpses of the TV as we distracted him away from it.
Day 4: March 21
A much needed normal. Today felt like a typical weekend day with Baby. It's usually a bit of a challenge to pack an infant in his carseat, make sure the diaper bag has everything we need, and plan an outing that doesn't interfere with meals or naps. Needless to say, we're used to staying home a lot. My husband doesn't play video games as much now as he used to, but he managed to play a little while our son slept on my lap. I wrote for fun, fed Baby his meals, played with him, and kept a close watch so he wouldn't eat any cords or fall over during his many attempts to stand. I wouldn't have even thought about the virus if it weren't for the reminder that I couldn't go to my mom's house to catch up on our TV show in person. So we watched This is Us at the same time on Hulu.com, keeping connected with our phones on mute and pausing the show to chat about whether or not Randall was doing the right thing and wondering what would happen with Rebecca. Apparently I also lost 3 pounds since Monday--likely due to stress and worry (Don't worry, the pounds have since returned).
Day 5: March 22
After debating where to set up my temporary home office, I ultimately decided to clear off my living room writing desk and bring down a rolling chair from upstairs. It felt good to have something organized, since I'd been putting off a lot of big cleaning projects after having a baby. I'm still waiting for my desk caddy to arrive. I realized I'd just had five straight days of getting to be with my son full time, and it made my heart full and happy. It was like being on maternity leave again, only with a different job (library work instead of raising a newborn, which is its own kind of work). Having such a curious, social baby who's now on the move also makes my time at home with him all the more special. My 9-month-old is entertaining all around--a joy to observe, play with, feed, bathe, and read to. Well, we're still working on the reading part, since he doesn't like to sit still for long.
Day 6: March 23
Monday. Back to work, and busy as a typical Monday at the office tends to be. You catch up from the weekend break and let the day just zoom by with activity. The biggest comfort to cling to today happened in the evening--from Monday night to Tuesday morning. My son fell asleep at 10:15pm and didn't wake up until 5:45am. That's an entire night!
Day 7: March 24
Baby was especially active today, running (well, crawling) around the downstairs of our house throughout the work day. Two days in a row now he also decided to do some...big diaper business during my lunch break when Daddy also was taking a quick nap. But I managed to change the diaper of a squirmy baby without making any mess, toss the diaper in the outside bin, clean Baby up, and get back to work without help and without waking my husband. It wasn't much, but I still felt a little like Super Mom. My husband made it up to me by bringing burritos and coffee from Del Taco. In the evening, Baby got more energy out by climbing a couple stairs (with my husband behind him) and we ended the day with a fun bath time. I've also started bathing in the evening to save time in the morning because a hot shower is another small comfort after a long day.
Day 8: March 25
I've taken to spending the day wearing nice, collared shirt tops...and pajama bottoms. This is the new norm, so why not be comfortable? Baby was more fussy than usual all day, so I tickled him to cheer him up. When he laughed and opened his mouth wide, I quickly discovered the culprit. His third tooth had just barely cut through his gums. But it was enough for me to see something there. Top left, just a sliver, but definitely a new tooth. Poor baby!
Day 9: March 26
Baby was still a little fussy with his teething, but doing slightly better today. He got to video chat with three of my coworkers and end the day with another bath. I haven't left the house in six days, but I'm honestly okay with that if it means I'm doing some small action to help keep my family safe. We FaceTimed both sets of parents (Baby's grandparents) and I finished an assignment for an online class I started taking before the global pandemic started. Yay for productivity!
Day 10: March 27
We made it to the end of another work week. Happy Friday Y'all! I have groceries scheduled for delivery tomorrow and a weekend to-do list of cleaning house and hanging out with my son. Right now the house is quiet with only the soft, sweet breathing of my napping baby, and husband right beside us. In his sleep, my son's fingers graze my arm. It's a scary time in the world right now, but I don't ever want to forget this feeling. That's a comfort I can cherish to get me through anything.
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