Put to the Test!

These past two weeks my parenting skills were put to the ultimate test.

Since having Nora I have been able to navigate my new life as a mom fairly well. Yes, there have been challenges along the way, but mostly I have managed—this past month though I was put to the test!

Our family has been very fortunate up until this point to avoid Covid-19, despite about 5 daycare shut downs due to exposure. A week ago, our luck ran out. My sweet girl was exposed and unfortunately brought the virus home to me too.

When I got the test results of course my heart sunk. I was so nervous about how this would affect her. Thankfully her doctor was optimistic and Nora faired very well, just a slight cold for my strong and happy girl. After her results were positive, I rushed home and took an at home test—positive too. Now my mind was rushing to how I would handle it and if I exposed anyone else. Luckily I only had symptoms of a slight cold—thank you vaccine!!

On top of all this drama from Covid, I am still working—now at home with a very busy 11-month-old who just wants to play with mom or crawl all over the house. My husband never had symptoms so he isolated in the basement. We are thankful he never got it, but that meant it was just me taking care of Nora and myself while working. I’ve done the work from home with a baby a few times now but never completely alone all day long.

To add to the stress, I just got a new job offer (which is very exciting and I am very thankful), however that was a lot for this mom to process. I have taken the offer and am excited for the new opportunity, but on top of covid, working, and having a baby at home, I now had to let my team know, work extra hard to make sure things are buttoned up before I leave, and get things squared away for my new career.

Oh and I have two trips coming up back to back in early April I need to prepare for…

I don’t write this post to complain—trust me I know how fortunate we are. I am lucky enough to be able to work from home and not take all my sick leave, I am lucky I have coworkers who get it when I need to step away to put Nora down for a nap, I was lucky we were not too sick, I’m lucky to have friends and family offering help from afar, I am lucky to be offered a new job, I am lucky to be able to travel once cleared. Please do not think I do not know how fortunate we are because I 100% do! I also don’t want to diminish the stress, exhaustion, and fear I have felt over the past two weeks, just as I don’t want to dimmish that for any parent who has dealt with the stresses of Covid these past 2 years.

As I am coming out of the fog from Covid isolation and the whirlwind that has been these last two weeks, I thought of a few things that helped me make it through without going crazy.

1. Give yourself a break – it is okay to take a moment for yourself. Read a book, watch a show, scroll through social media, or maybe just take a nap. If you have a moment (hello baby naps) take it. The dishes can wait, that email can wait, vacuuming can wait—what can’t wait is your mental health.
2. Enjoy the good moments—while the stress from everything can seem overwhelming I have also cherished this extra time with my daughter. Seeing her discover new things, crawling all over the house, giggling at Ozzy and mom—these are extra moments with my daughter I would not have had if I was not home with her. I found myself soaking in these moments as much as I could, which made my heart so very happy!
3. Move—I know this one is a little difficult when you are sick, but once you are up to it try to get some movement in your day. Do a small at home workout, take a walk around the block (masked of course if you will encounter others), or even dance around with your little one. A little movement will help with the cabin fever that sets in.
4. Break out that new (or old) toy—just like I was getting bored I could sense Nora getting bored as well. Every day or so I would try to introduce a new toy, it didn’t have to be brand new just something that had been in her toy box for a few weeks that she had not played with in a while. This helped keep her busy when I was on a call or deep in a project.
5. Ask for help—don’t be afraid to ask for help. Although my husband isolated in the basement he was a huge help with things like picking up food and walking the dog. We also had family members and friends willing to drop off groceries or food if needed. A helping hand, whether directly or form afar, can made a world of difference for an exhausted mom.