Living in the time of pandemic: COVID-19 (31)
January 4, 2021
Week 41 of COVID in the Bay Area.
Week 41, Day 284: Holiday gifts for JB have been showing up on our doorstep all month. I am surprised to find, since I love opening mail, I’m starting to have a bit of package fatigue. If they were more spaced out, that would be really helpful since, speaking of arrivals, Smol Acrobat has joined us. JB is thrilled to share this first Christmas with their very own baby sibling they get to keep without kidnapping required. I hope they still feel this way months and years from now!
My recovery is a slow process. I know this is normal, and it’s normal to take up to a year to be back to pre-pregnancy status, but I’m still very impatient. I don’t want to take months to get back to normal, I want to be on my feet 100% now. Obviously that isn’t going to make that happen so I’m grateful that I arranged more leave from work than I did with JB instead of trying to force myself back in several weeks. This time I have no desire to go back to work a minute sooner than I need to.
I’m glad that both PiC and I did, in fact, because even if we’re working from home, having to cater to a newborn and working effectively isn’t gonna happen. We’re sleep deprived zombies and glad that JB is old enough to be well trained in helping with a certain amount of chores around the house. The time we put in this summer insisting they do age appropriate housework regularly was well worth it. They do like being helpful and this way they have chores they can do to meaningfully help with baby. They feel like part of the adult unit in that sense, they are a contributor, and not just pouting that they’re not getting enough attention.
Week 41, Day 285: I’ve been doing some research into a data backup system that can be automated and isn’t cloud based. We’ve been relying on a mishmosh of free cloud-based services and external hard drives but it’s not a good system and I’m ready to commit to an actual setup. Especially since all my time seems to be spent on breastfeeding, pumping milk, mixing up formula, mopping up spit-up or changing diapers – who has time to manually pull files and photos to back them up? NOT ME. But who wants to suffer a catastrophic loss of data? ALSO NOT ME. I’ve heard good things about Synology in the past few weeks, and it looks like they have what I’m looking for.
Week 41, Day 286: Our HSA debit cards arrived in the mail! And with them, my worries flare anew.
We chose a new HMO plan that’s compatible with an HSA for 2021 and I am really hoping that we don’t regret this. Our healthcare needs are wholly unpredictable but PF friends helped me with the math to confirm. It looks like even if we have to max out for an individual, we will still come out ahead a bit. Not so much if we have to hit our family OOP max.
I am super risk averse so I changed my mind six times and still hope to change back to our old HMO plan next year if I can’t take the uncertainty. Our old HMO plan is flippin fantastic. I just really wanted to try socking away more tax exempt money since I don’t have a 401k.
Week 41, Day 287: We are verrryyy slowly finding our rhythms with Smol Acrobat loose in the world. JB is Majorly Hyped about a younger sibling in baby form. They want to hug, kiss, and cuddle, and when it’s not a good time to be snuggling, they cast about for ways they can be responsible for their new baby. They’re also VERY protective in odd ways. We’re not allowed to give Smol nicknames because it’s “mean” – they mistake our affectionate teasing or nicknaming for mockery. Granted, some of them as relate to a stinky bum or stinky self because of all the spit up do seem like they’re mean if you ignore the affection and the fact that the baby can’t actually understand our words.
Week 41, Day 288: ’tis Christmas! We had a VERY lowkey day and it was perfect for my mood. It was grim, grey, and stormy outside so it was exactly the kind of day you want to spend cozy indoors with a hot cup of tea or cocoa.
JB opened a pile of gifts, spent hours playing with their new art supplies, and started their thank you notes. I worked on some thank you notes of my own. Not much else got done and I’m A-OK with that.
Also in JB’s eyes, despite the fact that I made them clean the living room and put away laundry first before opening presents (Yes I am that monstrous but also this was sensible. If you’re going to open a pile of gifts you need room to properly stretch out), this had to be the best Christmas ever. They got a baby, a big pile of presents to open, and they got to open the baby’s presents. So much win.
Congratulations on the new baby!
Thank you!
CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
THANK YOU!
Congrats on the acrobat arrival! Is the baby still an acrobat now that baby has to deal with being on the outside? š
I think I have the same HMO as you used to, and I have to say that I love it. It would be hard to switch, even with the known benefits of an HSA.
Happy new year!
They are still an acrobat in their mind! Their limbs still do all of the acrobatics without achieving actual height š
To be honest, I’m still so attached to that HMO plan that part of me wants to go right back to it next year! I hope it’s still an option next year.
So many yays! On the externality of Smol acrobat, of course, but also on JB doing appropriate chores, with pride yet! And on finding delight in sharing gifts. I used to tell my kids they could have the outside of my coffee (put their hands on the mug and feel the warmth), while I got to have the inside. It sounds like JB gets the outside of Smol’s presents.
Thank you!
This year JB got both the inside AND the outside of Smol’s presents since Smol is but a bit sized human still, and they’re quite enjoying “showing” Smol how to play with them, and reading to them. Next year, I think they will be limited to the outside of the presents XD
Congratulations on a successful decanting! š I hope baby feeding settles into a comfortable (& not too taxing) routine for you soon. And lol, that kind of “helping with presents” is always hilarious to watch!
Thank you! š I love “decanting”, I am thrilled with all the creative arrival methods my dear readers have come up with here š
Whooooa wait what! In my mind’s eye you were still about six months big but I realize now that was ridiculous of me. Huge congratulations so exciting!
Thank you! We’re in such a time warp, I cannot myself believe that Smol is already here!
Congratulations
Thank you!
Oh congratulations!! And just in time to be a tax deduction, how clever of this child! It sounds like you’re off to a good start, I hope you all remain healthy and happy in 2021.
I appreciate the fiscally minded arrival! š Thank you, and a happy new year to you and your family as well.
Congratulations!
Thank you!