News at Home: COVID Quarantine Weeks 15-17
Sorry for disappearing! Life has been busy… .a quick recap of the highlights:
When I last checked in, Dante was going to be having surgery. Everything went wonderfully. He never even got Hangry! I woke him up at 3:30 a.m. that morning to give him the last bottle he was allowed to have. He drank it and went right back to sleep. He woke up at 6:45 a.m. and since he was allowed water and juice until 7 a.m. I gave him a water with apple juice bottle. He looked at me like, “mom, this isn’t normal…” but drank it down. And I guess that, combined with it being an unusual morning filled with unknown places was enough to keep him happy. The nurses even commented on how well he did. He played and giggled and they carried him away for surgery with a grin on his face. And the facility was fantastic, nurses checked in with us multiple times to let us know how things were going (it was a children’s surgery center, so they are used to taking care of nervous parents) and before we know it I was holding him as he woke up. When he woke up, he was upset – but a bottle solved that. Then he slept on the way home, and another hour after. Woke up and was ready to play. 2 days later he was off all pain meds (he did Motrin and Tylenol only) and it’s like nothing ever happened.
That week I took off Monday – Wednesday from work to take care of him and then Kiko took off Thursday and Friday. We had planned to return him to daycare 6/29, but on Wednesday we were notified that daycare wasn’t going to be open. On one hand, this was stressful because we couldn’t imagine successfully working without childcare. On the other, I didn’t feel good about taking him to daycare right now, with how bad COVID is in Dallas. We looked into hiring someone to come to the house, but when Monday came around we hadn’t found anyone. So Sunday night we setup the living room, using a tall basket and the baby prison(I shared pictures a few weeks ago) to bisect the living room into 2 halves – the baby-safe side and the not-baby-safe side. We have the door to the baby prison open so Dante can go in and out of it as he likes but he’s trapped on the baby safe side, where I am also working. This way I can watch him and he can play and explore.
Turns out, this works. The one problem I had was him trying to mess with my computer, so I bought a tall stand that I can use at the couch. Now I can work, but he can’t reach the computer. My job isn’t too demanding, so I’m able to work and take breaks when he gets fussy to play with him, feed him, or put him down for a nap. When I HAVE to be on the phone, I close him in the baby prison and step out of the room. He doesn’t love it, but it’s not usually for long. And if I know ahead of time that I’m going to be in a meeting, I tell Kiko so he can try to come play. It’s not ideal, but Dante is safe and happy most the time. Daycare is reopening tomorrow, but we’ve decided to keep him home because even with me having to leave him on his own sometimes (baby monitor on him btw), I think he’s safer than daycare.
Hopefully we can maintain this until I go back to the office – which, as they announced this week, will not be until AT LEAST labor day, possibly later. I’m also mentally starting to prepare for his first birthday to be at home with no party, because I don’t think 9/18 has any hope of being safe to party. On the plus, he’s only going to be 1, so he won’t know what he’s missing. And we’ll still celebrate in some way.
And the last big thing – we’ve been trying to buy a truck since MARCH. Obviously it’s been a bit complicated due to COVID and at one point we thought we’d just wait. But Kiko really needs it for his work. Well, yesterday (Saturday) he finally bought one. I am so glad to be done. Monday we have an appointment with CarMax to sell his SUV and then it’s 100% over! Besides the car shopping we’ve been 100% quarantining still – things are not good in Dallas – and we will continue to do so for the foreseeable future (despite pressure from family). Stay Safe!
Blog News
My reading mojo has been broken and I haven’t read for at least a solid week. The week prior, everything I picked up I DNF. I did binge watch Dexter though -all 8 seasons in 2 weeks! And the police detective environment of the show got me craving some Eve Dallas. So I’m rereading Naked In Death and we’ll see how I feel after that.
As for blogging, that’s been even more broken than the reading. But I will try to find my way back – if nothing else, with Sunday updates to check in. Life has just been crazy – it’s working, but work with a 9 month old is not easy. And when that’s done, I’m just tired and want to go to sleep, not read, not blog. But hopefully I”ll get used to it and start finding blog time again.
SO glad to read that everything is going pretty good. Glad the surgery went smoothly and that you have found a workable solution for his care while you both work. We’ve been lucky up here in NH because the curve really flattened and we’ve stayed low. It’s so scary to see what’s happening in the rest of the country. Take care – stay safe! xoxo
That’s great that Dante handled his surgery so well and two days later acted like nothing happened. I am glad to hear you found a way you can work and keep Dante safe as well. Hopefully this keeps working. Hard to believe he’s going to be 1 already in a few months, hopefully you can still find a fun way to celebrate a bit. Have a great week!
Not that you need my opinion but I think you’re 100% doing the right thing in keeping Dante home. Especially when you’ve found a way to work and take care of him. I can’t believe his birthday has come around so fast! I think I started following your updates just before he was born… The first birthday party is for parents, he won’t remember, so don’t worry if it’s a quiet one. There will be plenty of others. 🙂
I’m not surprised you’ve been too tired (and demotivated) when it comes to reading and blogging. There’s a lot going on. I’m struggling with reading and motivation too. I’ve taken to mostly avoiding the news now as it never has anything good to say… The surge in US cases breaks my heart and it makes me so fearful for what could come here now our government has basically given the green light for everything to open back up. 🙁
We’ve just got to keep doing our best, I guess.
Glad Dante’s surgery went well! Sounds like the hospital was awesome. Sorry to hear though about things in Dallas. We were doing better here in Michigan after a very rough start w/ Covid, and now things are getting bad again. It’s frustrating. My reading has been down too.
Hope you have a good week Berls!
I think you are doing the right thing and from videos on line you are not the only Mom working like this and making it happen. I worked while watching the Royals, but my job is really flexible so we go into a routine of when I heavily hit the work and when I took breaks to work with them. I also was able. to make up hours in the evening when they weren’t here. I will be thinking of you this week!
The 1 year old birthday party is more for us then it is for them. 2 is way more fun anyway so you can go all out then though I know it is disappointing to not be able to plan the party though. I’m glad Dante did so well with surgery. Children are so amazingly resilient though it is so hard when you can’t explain what’s happening to them. Glad you’ve found a setup that works for you. My husband’s company isn’t even talking about bringing those that work from home back to the office which is nice and has made the temporary move to Memphis so much easier. Hope you have a great week.
Well you do what you have to do but I do LOVE getting an update and knowing how things are going. I do think it’s best to have him at home but can’t imagine how hard it is when he is so mobile. My daughter didn’t walk until 13 mos plus she napped 4 hours a day (10-12, 3-5) very consistently, but I went back to work when she was 8 weeks old. They were worried about moving her to the next level at 16 mos because of only 1 nap instead of 2 and she hung onto that nap until the day before she started kindergarten. She didn’t care about her 1 year old birthday presents, more interested in the boxes. I was so glad to hear his surgery went well.
Have a wonderful week and stay well!
Anne – Books of My Heart Here is my Sunday Post
We need to do a zoom birthday party! I want to come! lol 🙂
I am glad he is doing great after surgery. I also love the set up, even if he cries a little when you are away that is good, a good cry is never hurts.
We are not 100% locked down anymore and I am still going to work, I do wear my mask. My family is also pressuring to go out but I really don’t care what they want to do. I am not going anyplace. Home, Work and grocery store to pick up stuff. Otherwise, we order out. My daughter had a friend over but her family hasn’t left the house in months too. My mom and sister are another story. I almost want to tell them they can’t come over anymore if they continue to go to the mall, stores, etc. It’s so frustrating how people just wont listen. I bet if COVID showed in the air like little red dots and not invisible people would be stay home. It’s hard to believe something when you can’t see it.
Have a great week, Kim! Happy Reading! xoxo
A zoom party is a good idea! I want to get him a smash cake, so we can sing happy birthday and blow out a candle. And he can destroy a cake 🎂 lol! It’s hard to believe that’s just a couple months away. And that things are still probably going to be shit 🤬.
Right!? If only people could see COVID it’d be much easier to get them to be reasonable. But no, they want their freedom. Ugh!