News at Home: COVID Quarantine Week 29
It’s October. Really? How? The year will be over in 13 weeks. 13!! Anyone else feel like this year is just one massive blur? Lately, when I sit down to write my Sunday Post I struggle to distinguish my weeks. So much is the same – I work from home Monday – Friday and watch Dante. Weekends we try to have some safe fun and leave the house a little.
Some of the highlights of this week, though. Last week Dante got his 1 year old shots and I THOUGHT he had no reaction. But the doctor had told me that with these shots he could experience a reaction as much as 3 weeks later. Well, he got hit on Monday. Nothing super serious, but I hate when he doesn’t feel good. Monday afternoon he got super fussy and clingy. By bedtime he had a low-grade fever. I gave him some Motrin to help him sleep and thanks to the monitor he wears, I could see that his temperature came down and he slept well through the night. By morning, though it was back up and actually at 100 degrees. Still technically low-grade, but pushing it. I guess this is where working from home is a blessing. I didn’t have to take off work or anything. I just put him on a regimen of alternating Tylenol and Motrin. He was super fussy and clingy and work was not too productive. But by Wednesday morning there was no more fever and by Thursday he was back to normal.
Oh in other exciting growing up news, Dante is officially 100% off formula and drinking whole milk. I’m thrilled because my bank account loves the price difference between formula and whole milk lol! But it’s also just a big step between being a baby and a toddler. He’s also almost completely off bottles. He just takes a bottle before bed, but that is getting less and less. I think by November he’ll be off bottles <3 He’s also throwing me for a loop on food. I made him banana whole-wheat waffles last weekend that I could warm up for his breakfast during the week. He loved them Sunday, but then turned his nose up at them all week. I thought at first it was because he didn’t feel well, but then he felt better and till no. On the other hand, he devoured cottage cheese this week (really?) and last night he ate bbq goat like it was the best thing ever. So yeah, eating is a confusing adventure right now.
I got this brilliant (if I do say so myself) idea to get a rain cover for Dante’s stroller so we could take him out and not be so worried. We wear masks, but he’s too young to wear one and people around here SUCK at wearing masks. So yesterday we went to the park and found a really nice piece of it that we hadn’t been to yet (it’s a huge park at the lake with jogging/biking trails). There were a lot of people and only 9 had masks that we saw. But we were able to keep our distance AND with Dante’s stroller cover we felt a lot safer. We all had a great time and the weather was beautiful, so it was nice to get out.
Work continues to be busy. Several days this week I worked over-time and, while I’m glad I’m needed, it’s stressful. I work from 7 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. normally. I stop to eat breakfast with Dante around 8:30 a.m. and to do things like give him snack, change his diaper, keep him from climbing on top of the table, etc. but for the most part, I’m at my computer desk working. At about 1:00 p.m. I move my laptop to the table where I feed him lunch, but don’t really have time to stop and eat myself. When he’s done eating I clean him up and put him down for his nap. He usually sleeps from about 2 – 4:30 p.m. So you see…. 3:30 – 4:30, that’s my time to clean up all the dishes that have piled up from breakfast, snacks, his lunch, and my husband’s lunch (he comes home for his lunch break). After I clean up, I grab my lunch. And if I’m lucky, I might get to visit a couple blogs, read, or watch a little TV before Dante wakes up. But when I work past 3:30, as I did several times this week, I don’t get any time for me. Add to that, Dante woke up a couple times this week at 4, meaning I didn’t even have time to grab my lunch. So exhausting. Something has to give, but I don’t know what.
In other work-related news, my boss mentioned Friday that she thinks I need to start coming to Tracers periodically so that I can learn the lay-of-the-land. Sometime early next year, we’re expecting that we’ll have our big survey, which I’m supposed to be command center for. But since I’ve never worked on-site, she’s worried I won’t be ready. And I get her concern, no matter how skilled I am, I can’t know a place I haven’t been at. But I have no backup support to watch Dante. If I have to go in for a couple hours a week or every-other-week, our only real option is for Kiko to take off. And that’s going to eat up his vacation time fast. Especially when we know that he’s going to have to take off 4-5 days already for actual surveys we have coming up. So I’m a bit stressed and hoping that there’s a way to negotiate this so I don’t have to go in to often, but will still also be capable of doing my job.
And last, but certainly not least, COVID hit one of my good friends this week. Her daughter started kindergarten 3 weeks ago in person and it seems she brought home COVID. Craziest thing though, she got a positive test result on Monday (she tested on Wednesday last week). So her whole family got tested and she re-tested. They all got back negative. WTF?! So who knows. She has not been feeling well and her daughters have also been sick – slight fever, cough, mucus, and even some diarrhea. So not at all pleasant. They are all feeling much better as of now and despite the negative test they are quarantining. But she’s is confused about how long she should and understandably so. Should she quarantine for 14 days from her positive test? 14 days from when she last has symptoms? Does the negative test mean she’s no longer contagious? Or is it a false negative? Or was it a false positive? This is 1 part of why we can’t get this thing under control.
Anyway, I think that’s it for this week. Hope everyone has had a great week!
Blog News
Michelle and I kicked off October with some fun features. We’re doing Boo-Cause Reading’s Spooktacular and you can join us! And then we’ve also got Spooky Saturdays with a variety of fall fun themes.
I’m excited to say that in September I finished my Can You Read a Series in a Month? Challenge (by 1 day!) and read both COYER book club books! Yay! I’ve already started on October’s books, so fingers crossed I get through them (sometimes I takes me a month lol!)
I set a goal to finally fix my goodreads shelves in October. This week I managed to decide what shelves I want (I think) and I started clearing out books. My plan is to only keep ones I’ve read and then import from Amazon what I’ve purchased and sort them. And then sort my physical shelves. How do you organize your goodreads shelves? I’m open to suggestions as I’ve never really found a good system.
Last Week on the Blog
- [28 Sep] Miracle Creek Christmas by Krista Lynne Jensen ★★★½
- [30 Sep] Did you Read a Series in a Month? #seriesinamonth
- [1 Oct] Boo-Cause Reading’s Spooktacular: Witches
- [2 Oct] #FitReaders ~ Update & October Goals
- [3 Oct] #MyTBRL ~ October 2020 ~ I’m in an 80’s Horror Mood!
- [3 Oct] Spooky Saturday ~ Favorite October Traditions
- [4 Oct] Sunday Post with Berls | COVID Quarantine Week 29
- [4 Oct] The Sunday Post ~ Another, Another week in 2020 ~ Week in READview!
Coming Next Week From Me
Sunday
Sunday Post with Berls
Monday
Boo-Cause Reading’s Spooktacular: Werewolves
Tuesday
What is Tell Me Something Tuesday?
Thursday
Boo-Cause Reading’s Spooktacular: Vampires
Friday
Fit Readers ~ Update
Storm Cursed by Patricia Briggs Audio Review
Glad you found a way to more safely enjoy trips to the park and Yea! for milk. That is such a big milestone. Enjoy your time with him – mine turns 17 this weekend. I’m freaking out! I hope your work situation works itself out.
I am glad to hear Dante is feeling better. Yes, there are definite advantages to working from home! I am glad you were able to be there for him. The stroller cover is a brilliant idea, Berls. I imagine it makes you feel so much better when out and about with Dante. We haven’t ventured out much, even on the weekends when we aren’t working. Of course, part of that was because our weekends were so full with Mouse’s dance schedule. She’s taking less classes and not doing the Nutcracker Ballet this year–so no more rehearsals (yay for mom and dad, but Mouse is a bit sad). This school year is hard enough as it is. The less commitments we have, the better.
I feel for your friend and hope she and her family are all feeling better soon.
I wish you the best with the possible scheduling conflict coming up if you do have to go into the office. That’s been one of my realities since this entire pandemic began. It’s one of those rock and a hard place situations–and you just have to do the best you can. We’ve been fortunate that the pieces have so far fallen into place when we desperately needed them to, but I know if won’t always be the way, and it’s been a close call several times.
I hope you have a great week, Berls. Take care and happy reading!
You are such a star with juggling all you do. Dante is getting a great start. Even as an adult I have some food fussiness – lol. But I do love cottage cheese too.
I have an extensive Goodreads system which I shared with Stephanie recently so I actually have a document. I can email it to you. It may give you a few ideas. I have continued to improve it and I am really happy with it now. The big question is what you want to be able to find (for me) so that is how I set up my shelves.
Anne – Books of My Heart This is my Sunday Post
Sorry to hear Dante still got sick form that shot, but that’s good news he’s doing better already. And that;s nice he is off formula now and can drink whole milk, so you can save some money there. That’s a smart idea with that rain cover to keep Dante safe when you’re out and about.
Sorry to hear your work continues to be busy, it’s nice when you’re needed, but not as nice when it is so busy for a longer time and you don’t have time for yourself. And that’s a difficult situation with you having to go to your work, but then not having anyone to watch Dante and it eating up Kiko’s vacation if he has to come home. Hopefully you can find a solution that works.
Sorry to hear one of your friends got COVID. I hope she’s doing better.
My Goodreads shelves are a bit of a mess, but mostly I just have a lot of books on there that I have to clear out sometime. Books that I don’t plan to read anymore.
I hope you’ll have a good week!
That food fussiness thing stops about when they move out of home and have to cook for themselves.:)
I’m sure juggling work in this situation is a pain, I hope you are able to find a solution.
Here we are required to isolate immediately when we have symptoms, and until then test results are received. If the result is positive the infected and all household members must also quarantine for two weeks, and then must be retested. If a negative result is received but symptoms worsen or a high fever persists for longer than 48 hours, the test must be retaken. Really better safe than sorry.
Wishing you a great reading week, and more time to yourself!