Well my quarantine journey has finally come to an end. We’re going to be going back to work in phases. Our team is going in once a week separately. I’m on Monday’s so next week will be day 1. I’m excited and indignant at the same time. I feel like it’s too soon but on the other hand I need to get out of the house. I don’t think I’ll be seeing anyone while at work so that’s okay. There won’t be students or teachers and each admin department is using this staggered phased approach. It sounds like there’ll maybe be 20-50 people in the entire school at the same time. I sit in the basement alone and no one ever comes in there so if I just don’t move for 8hrs I should be okay lol.

And the midwife has given the all clear to go back to work as well. She said based on how isolated I’ll be she doesn’t see a big risk. She mentioned that they’re recommending P women leave work at 37 weeks and 28 weeks if they’re high risk. I know I fall into the geriatric bucket (rolls eyes) but I don’t think I’m that high of a risk. Hopefully, my office will allow me to wfh from 37 weeks until maternity leave starts. But let’s cross that bridge when we get to it.

I’m indignant and sad because I don’t think daycares will be open next week and word on the street is that if I don’t have someone to watch Lucky, I have to use leave days or perhaps unpaid days. Which doesn’t make sense to me because I could just work from home. We have a meeting with HR on Friday to iron out details and rules but it just doesn’t sit right with me. Lucky will be going to his gran. She’s not immuno-compromised as far as we know but she’s in the high risk group, age wise, for sure so I’m worried about me potentially bringing something home to her but hopefully, me not seeing anyone at work will be okay. I just wish that they’d given us the option to come in or continue to work from home. I understand that we have to learn to live with this virus for now but I think I would have felt better about going in perhaps in July. After this past long weekend, especially, since everyone forgot that there was a pandemic going on.

Anyway, let’s see what the meeting on Friday brings. I’ve already resolved to go back but I am salty about it.

So, about parenting during a pandemic… It’s rough! Lucky is 2yrs 5 months now and it’s been challenging being with him 24/7. God, that sounds like the worst possible thing to say on this blog. But it’s true. In the moments that I’m not getting increasingly frustrated with him, I’m feeling guilty that I’m not giving him everything he needs. A few weeks ago he started throwing real life tantrums. I thought he did them before but wow. Wow! We went through a stint of about 2-3 tantrums a day. And he was getting violent as well. I don’t know what changed. The tantrums have tapered off to about 1 a day and he’s hasn’t thrown anything at my face (knock on wood) in a while but he’s still defiant. I think that’s just a 2yr old’s way though. He doesn’t listen to us at all. His answer to everything is a resounding “No”. He’s just so naughty.

I think he just wants more attention though. Because when he does something we’ve told him repeatedly not to, he gets a rise out of us. And I think he just wants us to pay attention to him even if it’s yelling. So I’ve resolved to give myself more breaks during the work day and to stop yelling. It makes my day longer because I have to make up the hours in the evening but it seems to be working. Every hour, I stop working and check in with him and we play a quick game. It broke my heart once because while we were building a lego house he said “Mom, I’m happy”. I’ve also increased hugs and kisses a million fold, rewarding good behaviour and generally spoiling him as often as I can.

Finding that balance is hard. But I decided that work can actually take a back burner here. I may not be teaching him how to read or write and we naively wanted to start potty training but potty training can fuck right off and I’m seeing to it that his well-being needs are being met.

So it’s been really difficult but we’re surviving. I just had to shift my expectations. It’s still difficult. When I tell you I get no breaks from him, I mean it. Not even weekends because N is working on our bathroom. His dad takes over on weekend mornings to give him breakfast and it’s glorious but the only other breaks I get are when I’m cooking and we all know that’s not a break.

My saving grace is that I’m feeling human again. I get dizzy sometimes when I get hungry and I’ve not been eating as much as I should. I tend to vacillate between being starving and having no appetite and I can’t find a good middle ground. With Lucky I only wanted sweet food so I knew what to eat but now nothing seems appetizing. Especially meat. But at least I’m finishing 80% of all my meals. That’s a win.

I’ve also started feeling movement on the outside. I don’t remember it being this soon with Lucky (18 weeks this past Saturday). And one of the main things pushing me to eat is that the food wakes him up and I can feel loads of kicks after eating.

My level 2 ultrasound is on June 8th. I thought I was okay but the closer it gets the more scared I get. We were too late to do a proper NT scan and we only did the NIPT blood test last week so I won’t get results until the level 2 anyway. I know he’s a PGD normal little guy but I’m still scared as hell. What if they mistook his balanced translocation for unbalanced? I’m sure it will be okay, but what if.

Anyway, I think I’ll leave it there for now. We’re right on time for another cuddle session then I have to start cooking and then we get to do it all over again!

If you’re struggling during this time, you’re not alone. Even Jenny Perfect on Facebook who’s doing crafts with her kids and gardening and fixing her house up. She’s fucking struggling too. My guess is she’s so busy because if she sits still for a second, her thoughts will consume her and she won’t get out of bed. You’re doing great. Whatever you’re dong. Even if you are Jenny Perfect and you just came in from gardening, your garden looks amazing and you’re amazing. But if you’re like me and haven’t washed your hair in a long ass time, you’ll get no judgement here. Rock that messy bun girl. You deserve ice cream :). We all deserve ice cream.

Love you guys,
Hang in there.